Outlaw Golf

"The legacy of Happy Gilmore on your GameCube"

I think this game was designed to appease those who think of golf as dull and boring. It's not a bad idea, and I find this game pretty fun overall.

Story = 0
There is no story. You pick one of about 9 characters (or 4 at the start, you have to unlock the rest). All the typical ones are there: the wanna-be rapper, skanky girls, a balding older man, the tough guy... you name it. But why are they there? Who knows!

Graphics = 9
This is a pretty nice looking game! When you line your shot up all the way (full power), it explodes like a Roman candle off your tee in flames, reminiscent of being ''on fire'' from NBA Jam. The camera never really gets in your way, since you have good control of it yourself. The characters are well animated, and the females are anatomically weighted, shall we say? Every graphic aspect is taken care of.

Sound = 8
Again, the sounds are just what you need for a golf game. The announcer gets quite annoying, but you can turn him down in the options menu. The music is upbeat yet subtle enough so you can keep focused. The character voices are well done, adding much personality to everyone. The only real odd thing is one spectator who laughs a lot, even when you make a good putt... shades of Happy Gilmore again?

Gameplay = 6
This game has one fatal flaw that lowers this score. First, the good sides. You get Mulligans!! This is the good old fashioned ''do over'' we all grew up with. You also have some good tools to help your putting accuracy. The game modes are nice, you can team up with others (computers or humans) for up to 4 players alternating. You can even all share one controller if you don't have enough! Nice touch.
However, the glaring mistake is using the control stick and the C-stick to swing. Basically, you push it down, then flick it up real quick. But with the Nintendo controller, there are 8 points on those sticks! So if you don't get it EXACTLY straight up, you'll slice! ARGH! This can be VERY frustrating, as it lowers your Composure.
What is composure? The second problem area! Here, in a nutshell, is what it is: the better you play, the better you'll play on the next swing/hole. The worse you play, the worse you'll play on the next swing/hole. You'll spend most of your beginning time in the red, or negative aspects. It doesn't take much to lower your meter. So, when you do finally get some green on the meter, one mistake, ONE LITTLE MISTAKE, takes you back to ''even.'' This can get annoying!

Fun Factor= 8
This IS a fun game, but it may take some time to get used to the Composure system and the annoying stick-to-swing setup. However, once you get the hang of this, you'll be addicted. I base a game's all around fun measure on how well my wife can play it. She likes this one, and is quite good at it. Although the two problem areas threw us off at first, it's kept us coming back to play it. Working as a team, against your best friends, or the flawless computer (I know making computer AI reasonable is tough, but come on!), you'll have enough options to keep you going. Unlocking all those clubs, balls, and playable characters is a chore, but there are codes to get around that roadblock.

BOTTOM LINE:
Rent or Buy? I bought it used, for $15, without ever playing it. I think I've got a good deal here, as it's so hard to find fun multiplayer games that don't mean fighting your friends (or wife). I'd say rent though, just to make sure you'll like it, unless you can get it used for cheap.

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 04/20/03, Updated 04/20/03