ESPN Final Round Golf 2002

"The GBA's first golf game gets a hole in one!"

ESPN games have proven in the past to be generally bad. Take for instance NBA 2Night for Dreamcast. But lately they have been coming out with pretty great games. Take this one for instance! They take it onto the small screen of the Game Boy Advance and makes an ESPN game that I actually want to play!

There really is not much story at all. You compete in tournaments and as you collect more money you unlock more golfing courses. Not much, but then again, you don't really need much of a story in a golfing game, or any other sports game.

Once you begin, you are given four options. Tournament, Stroke, Match Play, and Practice. Tournament is where you play in an eighteen hole tournament. You win cash here to unlock more courses. Stroke is where you play eighteen holes to get the lowest score you can get. Match Play is where you play against another person. However, you can not play against computer here. Practice is where you practice a certain hole of your choice.


Graphics: 9

Everything in this game is realistic, from the golfer, to the trees, to the golfer swinging the club, to the bunkers, to the ... man I can not list everything that is so good about the graphics. They are just THAT realistic.


Sound / Audio: 10

You start off at the Press Start menu with the famous ESPN golf tune. Makes you feel like you are watching golf. (well, in some ways you are, but moving on...) You then come to some catchy Japanese tunes, which liven everything up. The birds chirping, the raining sounds, the clapping when you make a good shot, the Awww's when you make a bad shot, make you feel like you are right at the course!


Controls: 10

Very easy to hits your shots. Like most other golf games, you hit the A button to start the bar, hit the A button again at around how much power you want, and again to stop in the middle for it to go straight. Putting is almost the same way, hit A to start the bar, and hit A again to stop it at how much power you want. They respond with perfect precision. Excellent controls.


Gameplay: 9

What do you expect? It is a golf game, and a very fun one at that! Golf fans of all ages will enjoy Final Round Golf 2002. However, this game can be quite tough to find in the stores, but there should be a copy or two on eBay.


Replayability: 10

After finishing one round, you will want to get right back into the frenzy and play another round! Plus there are many courses that are just begging to be unlocked. It will be hard to get tired of this game!


Buy or Rent?: If you are a golf fan, this is a definite buy! If you don't like golf, don't buy it. If you are looking to explore the world of golf, rent it, if you can find it in the stores!


Overall: 9.6 rounded up to 10.

Reviewer's Score: 10/10, Originally Posted: 07/09/03, Updated 07/14/03