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What the Hell Happened to Hot Shots Golf?

What the Hell Happened to Hot Shots Golf?

Is there any sport more boring to watch than golf? This isn’t a question where the answer may be subjective; there’s actually just the one right answer, which is “no.” I don’t care who you are or what you say, no one has fun watching golf. Golfers only do it to entertain the pleasure of playing the game vicariously, and the normal Joe or Jane might watch it if some money is on the line. It’s just too slow-going as a sport, which is why it’s barely fun to play as a video game. If you’re going to make a golf game that excites the player and sells well, then you have to do something different; something fun.

That’s why I love Hot Shots Golf so freaking much. This is the only series of sports games that I’ve ever truly enjoyed. I’ll play Madden or Fifa if I’m around a bunch of dudes who don’t know how to play anything else, but I’d be a damned liar if I said I really enjoyed it. With Hot Shots Golf , the hours fly by. I can’t tell you how many RPGs I played on my PSP, but I sunk way more hours into Hot Shots Golf: Open Tee than any other game by a long shot. It’s the same story on the PS Vita: Hot Shots Golf: World Invitational is my most returned-to game, beaten only by Persona 4 Golden in hours played (which you’ll understand, of course).

The very first Hot Shots Golf (known as Everybody’s Golf in Japan) was developed by Camelot, the same studio that developed Mario Golf and Golden Sun . From the second entry onward, development has been handled (pun intended) by Clap Hanz, who have never let us down. There’s no one thing that makes Hot Shots Golf so incredible. The actual golfing, in my opinion, is absolutely perfect. It’s a stellar blend of tough-as-nails simulation and over-the-top arcade golf that is at once incredibly welcoming and mind-meltingly difficult to master. On top of that you have subtle RPG elements and progression systems that have you picking different classes with strengths and weaknesses, leveling up your characters, investing in clubs and balls with different stats, and climbing the ranks of super-stardom.

So where’s Hot Shots Golf for the PS4, you ask? That’s the question I’m here to ask! Consider this whole article a milk carton “missing” advert. Where the hell is New Hot Shots Golf ? We got an extremely brief trailer at last year’s PlayStation Experience, and we haven’t heard a peep from SIE, Japan Studio, or Clap Hanz since then. The trailer and following show-floor interviews didn’t reveal much, but they gave us enough to get excited about.

For now, we have to call the game New Hot Shots Golf , which is obviously a working title. Avatar customization is more robust than ever, and you’ll be able to create a golfer you love no matter which HSG aesthetic you like – you can make a taller, more proportional character as well as a chibi anime-like character (well, they all look pretty anime). In the mode we saw demoed, the game world was shared by several golfers at once, and as you lined up your shots you’d see players scattered all across the green in real-time taking shots in their own games. I really love that, it makes it feel like you don’t have to play alone even when playing in single-player, but I do hope it’s an option you can toggle off. Golf carts are here for the first time, and they look incredibly fun.

What the Hell Happened to Hot Shots Golf?

Besides that, we don’t know a dang thing. I found the voice of one rep in a YouTube video who said that they were working hard to get the game out in 2016, but there’s no guarantee that it’ll be a global release. This is SIE’s most beloved sports franchise, with some of the most passionate fans in the world. How about a little love, guys? How about a little more information; any information! Silence makes us anxious and worried – this year of delays and flops has made us bitter and cynical. Please let us know that development of New Hot Shots Golf hasn’t lost steam. This year’s Tokyo Game Show would be the perfect place to announce an imminent release date.

In the meantime, do any of you share my love for Hot Shots Golf? To all of the fans out there: which entry is your favorite, and which handheld version is superior: Open Tee or World Invitational ? Is there anything you’d love to see in New Hot Shots Golf ? Sound off in the comments section, and leave me your PSN ID if you want to go head-to-head!

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