The Hot Shots Golf series has been a mainstay of Sony consoles since the days of the original PlayStation. The combination of anime inspired characters plus just plain fun gameplay has made the series very popular in the US as well as in Japan. The handheld version of Hot Shots Golf doesn’t disappoint either.

First things first: although it’s ‘only’ a golf game, I strongly recommend you read the manual because it adds to your enjoyment of the game, and without it, some of the symbols may look rather odd. The page about reading the ball conditions and power adjustment when addressing the ball is especially helpful if you plan on winning in this game.

If you haven’t figured it out yet, this is a golf game. There are no goofy ‘hit the bullseye’ mini games, it’s just straight golf. There is a ‘putting challenge’ but that’s about it. The no-frills approach works well in this game, especially in handheld form.

Let’s get to it shall we? When you first start you’re brought to a menu that lists single player, multiplayer, data, options and of course the save/load page.



Since you really can’t use data or options until you’ve built your career up and unlocked some things, start in single player. Single player gives you the following options: stroke play, challenge mode, training and the putting challenge. You’ll only be able to play one course at the start – this game is all about unlocking things. Stroke play is just what it says although you can play the front or back 9 or all 18.

The challenge mode is where you’ll spend most of your time. In this mode you create a golfer, outfit him/her as you see fit (although it is odd that you can only choose one accessory – a necklace or sunglasses, but not both), pick out some clubs and hit the links. There is no store to upgrade – instead you’ll have to unlock by winning the challenges.

The challenges themselves are varied – some are match play, some are stroke play. Some are 9 holes, others are 18. By the time all is said and done, you’ll be able to play on six different courses. The match play isn’t a ‘true’ match in that if you are up or down by 3, regardless of the number of holes left, the game ends. Luckily, I’m always up three instead of down, so it makes the game go faster.

The drawback of challenge mode is that it takes seemingly a lot of gameplay to unlock all six. Getting a pair of sunglasses is very easy, but unlocking a course is a lot of work. It’s not difficult to unlock but it takes some time.



The golf action isn’t anything new – HSG uses the ‘three click’ meter for hitting the ball. Hit the X button once to start your swing, hit it again to set your power and then hit it a third time to determine the impact. You can have it set to a two click mode where the game will automatically choose your impact however it doesn’t guarantee that it’ll hit it right. Stick with the regular three button press mode.

You’ll have a ‘power shot’ which will drive the ball farther than ever, however the meter is harder to set. It’s a typical risk-reward system, and it works well. You have a limited number of ‘power shots’ in each game so use them wisely. Aiming is very easy in the game and putting is a challenge as it should be. In Tiger Woods on easy levels you would be able to see the path of the ball on a putt, but not in HSG. Instead you see a grid and you adjust it left or right. The distance you hit is based solely on the meter; you do not get to aim 2 yards past the hole like in Tiger. Instead you have to compensate by not filling up the putting meter. Again, it’s not hard to do, but if you’ve played a lot of the other golf game, you will have to adjust.

The graphics look very good, although they do have that anime cartoonish style to them. Some people love them, others not so much, but I’m in the ‘love’ category so it’s ok by me. The water looks fantastic as do the mountains. Hitting the ball in the sand leaves a path of sand up in the air. You’ll make divots in the ground, but you won’t have to repair them, which is always nice.



The sound is acceptable. There’s no in game play by play, but you do have an annoying caddy who gives you such tips as ‘concentrate’ when you’re putting…grrreeat. The music is peppy, but awfully repetitive. Thankfully, you can turn it off.

The control is fantastic. I only wish I could have this sort of control when I really play golf. The game is easy to play and yet still poses a challenge. Load times are insignificant and you can get right into a game with no problems, unlike other PSP golf games.



If there’s anything that is frustratingly lacking in the game, it’s that only ad-hoc mode is supported. There’s no internet play, which is very strange considering it’s a Sony game and even the PS2 version has online play. If you can find someone to play via ad-hoc mode, you’ll have a blast – even if you aren’t very good, the taunting feature alone makes a multiplayer game worth playing.