[Wii] Tiger Woods '07 has March release?!?

Lunker

Am I the only one who had no idea about this? I love golf games, I love Wii, I love Super Swing Golf because it's a placebo until I get Tiger .... and now I'm getting Tiger?!?!?!

Impressions from Joystiq:

http://www.joystiq.com/2007/01/18/joystiq-hands-on-tiger-woods-pga-tour-07-wii/

EA showed off Tiger Woods only on the Wii; I think the company rightly didn't want to present it side-by-side with the already-released HD versions. Without the direct comparison, the graphics held up fairly well, looking similar to what I'd expect on a PS2. Tiger and the foregrounds were the most detailed, but I wished Nintendo's console pushed more details when looking further away to the trees and backgrounds.

The game's unique controls kept my mind off graphic realism. I used the pointer to interact with on-screen menus and aim at a target down the fairway, then I prepared to swing. Like Wii Sports, I held A while swinging to hit the ball. Unlike Wii Sports -- one of the only times I preferred the Nintendo game -- I had to enter a practice mode to gauge my club speed. I easily entered and exited the mode, but it was an extra effort over just swinging without holding A in Wii Sports.

Club movements in Tiger Woods felt better than Wii Sports, but didn't yet feel perfect; just like Wii Sports, Tiger Woods had a hard time gauging my swings if I didn't take enough of a back-swing. Unlike Wii Sports, Tiger Woods includes the ability to calibrate the controller for a heavier or lighter touch. And Tiger Woods reads the twist of the controller to gauge slice instead of adding random slice to too-hard shots; you can't swing too hard other than to hit the ball past the cup. The sense of my motion creating the slice felt much more realistic than the Wii Sports power gauge.

To spin the ball, I held a direction on the D-pad after a shot while shaking the Wiimote like a maraca. I may get used to this method after more time with the game, but it broke the realism that the swinging mechanic created.

EA says Tiger Woods Wii includes almost all of the modes and options available for other platforms; you could even use the Nunchuk analog controller and Wiimote to play without any motion-sensing. The Wii version doesn't include other platforms' online matches, but four players can gather around a single Wii, sharing a Wiimote or using one-each.

When it's released in March, Tiger Woods PGA Tour 07 for Wii should easily best Wii Sports Golf, but that's no surprise. The unknown is how well the title will sell and how eager EA and others will be to develop complete versions of the pack-in demos. Baseball is on the way, and I hope that bowling, tennis, and boxing are close behind.

Redded because I was secretly hoping the next Tiger would come out by the time Wii's online service was rolled out. Since the game is coming so soon, it's expected not to have it, but still.

I'm torn. If reviews of this are favorable, I want to get it, but I've also put a bit of time into Super Swing Golf. Hm. Any other golf fans excited by this prospect? Also, can other Tiger fans comment on how '07 stacks up to other releases? For reference, I loved '05, but '06 felt like a strange lateral step that didn't add much and just forced me to upgrade for the sake of playing online. I played both on PS2.

Veevee

I very much prefer the swing method in Super Swing Golf. Having to do a backswing while a bar grows or shrinks and holding A when you have the power you want seems more user friendly and very much so a pick up and play game. The Wii Sports type of swing frustrates me as it will never read the same swing from me the same way.

I may try this, but it seems like I'll stick with my Super Swing Golf.

coryj

I am not a hardcore golf fan, so I will definitely be sticking with Super Swing (which I already have). I enjoy the power bar filling up a lot more than "guessing" how hard I am going to hit the ball.

KVW

I'll be picking this up soon as it comes out. I love the Wii Sports way and have been dying for a more "realistic" game (aka not a Loli Golf style) since I first played Wii Golf.

For those that hate the Wii Golf swing, have you ever played real golf before? My father (who never plays games) and I both play golf and are both pretty good at the Wii Golf style of swing and can pretty much get the same swing give or take a little power every time. I dont mean this as an insult or anything, just wondering if it that explains why some people like it and others find it hard to get the right swing.

Hopefully EA takes a page out of the Wii Sports version and gets the putting accurate. I found the Wii Golf putting forgiving and quite accurate when you get on hills or slopes (although most of the greens were fairly flat with a few exceptions). You could overpower a put and generally still get it to drop but it never felt like it was a free put to me.

They should at least put some online functionality in it. Maybe allow for new courses or what have you, even if they decide for micropayments or something. Im not too broken up about no online play as golf to me is more of a single player game anyways and if you do compete, Id like to be able to talk to the opponent and with no headset for the Wii, its pointless. Now if it was hockey or something, online would be a must have for me as the computer always sucks in those games.

Darlan

The graphics held up fairly well, looking similar to what I'd expect on a PS2

What gives? I thought the Wii was more in the Xbox range? I'm starting to wonder if perhaps this isn't just a case of launch games being rushed, and the Wii really is extremely underpowered.

cubelover

KVW wrote:

I'll be picking this up soon as it comes out. I love the Wii Sports way and have been dying for a more "realistic" game (aka not a Loli Golf style) since I first played Wii Golf.

For those that hate the Wii Golf swing, have you ever played real golf before? My father (who never plays games) and I both play golf and are both pretty good at the Wii Golf style of swing and can pretty much get the same swing give or take a little power every time. I dont mean this as an insult or anything, just wondering if it that explains why some people like it and others find it hard to get the right swing.

Hopefully EA takes a page out of the Wii Sports version and gets the putting accurate. I found the Wii Golf putting forgiving and quite accurate when you get on hills or slopes (although most of the greens were fairly flat with a few exceptions). You could overpower a put and generally still get it to drop but it never felt like it was a free put to me.

I couldn't have said it better. I can't wait for Tiger and if the putting mechanic mimics Wii Sports golf I'll be quite happy.

As for the swinging in Wii Sports golf I agree with you as well. Both my wife and I play golf semi-regularly and as soon as I learned Wii golf required a little hitch in the back swing (a momentary pause), I had no trouble with it. If Woods 07 accurately translates club head position (open/closed) through the swing (the tweaking that Wii sports golf could have used) I'll be one very, very happy virtual golfer!

DeaconKnowledge

No online huh? I don't like Tiger enough to buy two copies in the same year..I'll hold out for '08.

Lunker

cubelover wrote:

KVW wrote:

I'll be picking this up soon as it comes out. I love the Wii Sports way and have been dying for a more "realistic" game (aka not a Loli Golf style) since I first played Wii Golf.

For those that hate the Wii Golf swing, have you ever played real golf before? My father (who never plays games) and I both play golf and are both pretty good at the Wii Golf style of swing and can pretty much get the same swing give or take a little power every time. I dont mean this as an insult or anything, just wondering if it that explains why some people like it and others find it hard to get the right swing.

Hopefully EA takes a page out of the Wii Sports version and gets the putting accurate. I found the Wii Golf putting forgiving and quite accurate when you get on hills or slopes (although most of the greens were fairly flat with a few exceptions). You could overpower a put and generally still get it to drop but it never felt like it was a free put to me.

I couldn't have said it better. I can't wait for Tiger and if the putting mechanic mimics Wii Sports golf I'll be quite happy.

As for the swinging in Wii Sports golf I agree with you as well. Both my wife and I play golf semi-regularly and as soon as I learned Wii golf required a little hitch in the back swing (a momentary pause), I had no trouble with it. If Woods 07 accurately translates club head position (open/closed) through the swing (the tweaking that Wii sports golf could have used) I'll be one very, very happy virtual golfer!

What sounds fantastic about the Wii Tiger (heh) is that you have the option to use either the new Wiimote swing method or the old analog stick method. Both of which I happen to love. But this means it'll be easier to play multiplayer with people who aren't in love/don't have enough practice with the Wiimote.

I like my golf games tough. I'll admit the SSG "lock and swing" mechanic is more accessible, but it makes it really easy, too.

Darlan wrote:

What gives? I thought the Wii was more in the Xbox range? I'm starting to wonder if perhaps this isn't just a case of launch games being rushed, and the Wii really is extremely underpowered.

This essentially is a launch game; I'm assuming they just took the PS2 assets and spent time adding Wiimote controls. Honestly, I'm surprised they even bothered, considering '08 will probably be out in, what, 9 months or so? Unless they stagger the Wii release, but that would be ludicrously stupid.

DeaconKnowledge wrote:

No online huh? I don't like Tiger enough to buy two copies in the same year..I'll hold out for '08.

The more I think about it, the more I'm thinking of waiting, too. I have SSG to tide me over (which is a really solid golf game, too). I may give this a rent, though, just to see what it feels like.

cubelover

I held off on SSG, so Tiger will be bought.

quovadis13

IGN also has a preview up here. It's generally positive, but they do say that putting feels a bit off still. I am going to wait and see if this gets addressed or not, cause I will have to make the choice between this and Mario Party.

Lunker

quovadis13 wrote:

IGN also has a preview up here. It's generally positive, but they do say that putting feels a bit off still. I am going to wait and see if this gets addressed or not, cause I will have to make the choice between this and Mario Party.

Hm. Putting was my major problem with Wii Sports Golf, too. It's tough to make something with such small motions feel realistic and intuitive, I guess.

I'm also not sure how I feel about the removal of percentages and power estimates. I mean, it's more realistic, but I'm wondering if it's going to make the game too blind.

Elessar Elfstone

Add me to the people annoyed with Sports' putting.

I am looking forward to this game though, like others I've been craving a realistic golf game. I'll prolly rent er first though.

Dareth Ram

Lunker wrote:

Redded because I was secretly hoping the next Tiger would come out by the time Wii's online service was rolled out. Since the game is coming so soon, it's expected not to have it, but still.

Wait for the 08 games.

Gino

march eh. Seems like EA is beating Ubi at the Early Wii support game. Atleast EA's games seem interesting.

Lunker

Dareth Ram wrote:

Lunker wrote:

Redded because I was secretly hoping the next Tiger would come out by the time Wii's online service was rolled out. Since the game is coming so soon, it's expected not to have it, but still.

Wait for the 08 games.

That's what I figured. Is that a suggestion or a ... suggestion?