Play the (Mini) Links Like a Pro
A Review of 3D Ultra Minigolf
Jason Bednarik
Golf. It's one of America's oldest and fastest-growing sports today. People of all ages and walks of life seem to enjoy the sport. It has a certain appeal. Maybe it's the smell of the freshly groomed course. Or maybe it's the distant sound of "fore" being yelled. Could it be the camaraderie of the guys from the office? Anyone who has played golf usually has his or her own distinct impression.
Then there's what I like to call the "sub-culture" of mainstream golf. Putt-putt, miniature golf; it's all the same. However, this game differs slightly from regular golf. Forget about the nine-iron or that three wood. You won't find any caddies here. Think of mini-golf as a big course of just putting greens. In my opinion, this game takes just as much skill to win. Putt-putt leveled the playing field. It is here that five-year-olds can compete against senior citizens. No specific tee-off sites for men or women, nor the essential of any golf outing: the infamous golf cart. This is golf for those who don't want to be pros; they just want to have a little weekend fun.
Maybe you've heard of or seen previous golf games for the PC. Sure, Links was a hit for its time. Of all those golf titles, there has never been a decent miniature golf game, at least up until now. None of those previous games even compare to Sierra's 3D Ultra Minigolf. Part of the 3D Ultra series, Minigolf is forging a path for future games of this genre.
Installing 3D Minigolf was easy (as is the case with most Sierra products) and there seemed to be no hang-ups with any part of the procedure. My only complaint is that Sierra games always want to install to my main hard drive in a /games/sierra directory. Aside from that, setup on most machines should be smooth and without errors. Be sure to have adequate hard drive space available otherwise you will need to begin the process from scratch.
Once I began playing Mingolf, I was instantly hooked. Each of the rendered backgrounds was spectacular. The putter, along with the interactive objects of the course is also beautifully rendered. Overall, the graphics looked slick and very snazzy. The music was also fantastic and provided an atmosphere for each hole, according to its contents. Sound effects pleasantly accentuated the interaction between the putter, ball, and objects within the course.
Each hole is designed around a theme (although all of them being unrealistic) in which the graphics and sound are coordinated. The interface is quite intuitive and easily navigated with the mouse. Objects located within the hole react to action from the putter and ball. Upon completion of a given hole, a small animation plays for your victory. Instead of just throwing a text-based help file for all the basic questions, talking guides are built in to give important pointers to the player. All in all, the holes are very entertaining.
Multiple-player support greatly enhances the value of this game. It's great when having a couple of friends around. Head-to-head or tournament mode is the best way to show off your mini golf skills. Having the ability to play over the Internet or a LAN could really be great, but is an unrealistic wish due to the amount of bandwidth needed to process the action.
Once again, Sierra has creates another winner with 3D Ultra Minigolf. Judging from the quality and overall appeal of this game, I wouldn't be surprised to see other entertaining titles from this new series. Keep an eye out for the trio of 3D Ultra Pinball games at a store near you. Fore!
Gamer's Zone Scorecard
| Product: | 3D Ultra Minigolf |
| Company: | Sierra On-Line, Inc. |
| Cost: | $34.95 |
System Requirements:
IBM compatible PC with Pentium-66Mhz or higher CPU,
Windows 95, 8MB RAM,
Double Speed CD-ROM drive, 16-bit (256) color VGA monitor
Windows 95 compatible mouse,
Sound Blaster-compatible sound card.
Breakdown:
Fun Factor 5
Graphics 5
Sound 5
Interface 4
Replayability 4
Overall Score:
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