Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2004

"By far the greatest golf game on GCN!"

I myself am a golfer, and I sometimes find myself thinking "My god, I can't believe how realistic this game is!" and I actually have learned a few things from this game that have helped me improve my golf game too, and unlike watching golf on TV, this is fun!

Gameplay- 10/10

EA took an already amazing game and multiplied that by 100! There are many different types of gameplay that make this game fun for any type of gamer. You can compete with other PGA Tour stars for Championships and sponsorships in the PGA Tour Season; you can play golf in many locations around the world, scenarios, where you have to complete certain goals in a certain amount of shots. There is also an arcade mode with less-competitive and more “fun” modes of golf, including the new Battle Golf, where you can take the other player's clubs for each hole you win! There is also a traditional golf mode for those who just want to play golf!
I think one of the best features of this game is the pro-shop, and the sponsorships. At the pro-shop, you can choose from hundreds of brand-name clothes, accessories, and equipment. You can also buy many, many different types of positive and negative animations that your golfer can display after a shot. In example, say he makes an amazing birdie-putt, if you get the animation, your golfer just might start to break-dance, or if you miss a really important putt, you golfer might just snap his club in two! Also in the game is the sponsorship mode, if you win enough, certain companies (i.e. Nike, Taylormade, and Calloway) will offer you sponsorships, this allows you to unlock even more items, and each time you compete in a PGA event wearing or using their equipment/apparel, they pay you!
Also in this game is the EA Sports Game Face, where you can completely customize how your golfer looks, so you can make him/her look just like you, or something completely off the wall!
EA also added in a new feature for 2004- The Real Time Events, you can play in special golf tournaments on days such as holidays, full-moons, and famous golfer's birthdays. All of this is based off of the GCN's internal Calendar/Clock, so you can only play the certain event once a year! (Unless you fiddle with the clock)

Graphics-10/10

The graphics on this game are stunning! EA has triumphed with the amazing detail level. Tiger looks almost just like Tiger would on TV, and the courses' graphics are just beautiful! It makes you feel like you are in paradise when playing at Hawaii or that you're right in Florida at Bay Hill! EA has done extremely well with the animations the golfer's swing looks just like a pro's real swing would!
The locations in this game are beautiful! There are over 20 courses to choose from, many are actual courses that are designed exactly like their real-life counterparts. Some courses are easy, and some are hard, and you may get frustrated at first, but it's still an amazing experience!

Sound- 9/10

The sound on this game is almost as amazing as the graphics. You have a customizable EA Sports Trax, which has a list of many rap and hip-hop songs (some are better than others) and you can select whether you want them to play or not while you are in the setup screens. EA has also included every possible sound associated with golf in the game. From the sound of the “thwack” as the club hits the ball, to the sound as the ball rolls into the cup, to the real-life announcers of the PGA Tour who will comment on your shots whether for good or ill, right down to the ambients in the background (birds, crickets, and the crowd). The crowd is very involved in the game. They cheer when you make a great shot, gasp when it's close, and sigh when the shot is close or off by a little.

Controls 8/10

The controls on this game are very smooth, easily reachable, and respond very well. You use the control stick to swing the club back and through. The only main gripes I have with the controls are the putting controls, and how some of the controls don't respond very well until you purchase more attributes. Putting on this game extremely frustrating! The putting requires a lot of estimation and guesswork, but if you can learn to master it, you'll be great at this game! I also have the GBA version of this game and like its putting controls a lot more (even if it makes it unbelievably easy!) But don't give up on the game just because of the putting, because there is a grid that makes it easier to gauge your putts. Another thing is that some of the controls won't respond or work as well if your stats are low, but everything else in this game makes up for these small control issues.

Replay Value 10/10

This game will keep you playing forever! There is just so much to unlock and play you will have to play forever to earn/buy them all. Also in this game, there are many trophy balls that you can win if you make Eagles, Holes in One, long-distance shots, etc, and course records to break, so those should keep you very busy.

Rent or Buy?

Buy, definitely. There is so much to do in this game; you couldn't even begin to start unlocking everything in the small-time frame of a rental.

Overall, this game is most definitely the best golf-game out for GCN, and I would recommend this to golf fans and non-golf fans alike!

Reviewer's Score: 10/10, Originally Posted: 05/27/04