65 lines
3.6 KiB
Plaintext
65 lines
3.6 KiB
Plaintext
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HOLE-IN-ONE MINIATURE GOLF
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HOLE-IN-ONE MINIATURE GOLF is a four-player, mini-putt simulation from DigiTek
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Software. This family-oriented program offers fine graphics and excellent
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gameplay, two 18-hole courses, 2 levels of difficulty, foolproof mouse control,
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and the DigiTek promise of additional course disks. The Atari ST version is the
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basis of this review; at the time of this writing, IBM-PC, Amiga, and Apple IIgs
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versions have also been released.
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Although HOLE-IN-ONE is not nearly as graphically detailed as the
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highly-acclaimed ZANY GOLF (Electronic Arts), it is certainly more like
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real-life miniature golf. Each hole has a 3-shot overstroke limit, but you can
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still complete the first 18 holes regardless of how many strokes you use. What's
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more, the graphic displays of the holes, even the special-effects holes of
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Course Two, are tied directly to the physics of play, rather than being
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marginally related to elaborate, slow-mo animation routines. The creators of
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ZANY GOLF exercised their programming talents; the programmers of HOLE-IN-ONE
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created an wonderfully realistic game.
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Course One features obstacles, sand and water hazards, and topographical
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contours that cause the ball to roll weirdly. Each hole is seen from above in
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its entirety, and each can be thought of as an individual pool table, especially
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since you must pay close attention to angles and bounce vectors.
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After making it through Course One at or under par, you'll be able to play
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Course Two, which is spiced up with trick holes: There's more than one
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labyrinth, a pinball machine, and a bizarre cityscape. Curved borders replace
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the sharply-angled borders of Course One, and the marvelous Cave hole is
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upside-down or inside-out or something. Par for these holes is naturally higher.
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The ST graphics display consists of a single hole. A Menu bar above the hole
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tells you its name, par, and how many shots you've taken. From the Project menu,
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you can select Score, which tells you everything about the game up to that
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point. Replay lets you rerun your last shot, and Retry lets you do the last shot
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over. The Contour menu allows you to view a hole and its topograhical features
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from different perspectives.
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The mouse controls HOLE-IN-ONE, and it works perfectly. A click places the ball
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on the tee; the white line that extends from the ball indicates direction and
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the relative power behind a putt; a second click does the actual putting. Expert
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Mode, when selected from the Options menu, eliminates the white line.
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HOLE-IN-ONE is special in that it is family-oriented (families being the user
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group most often neglected these days). Anyone can play it, and be entertained
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without melting into a mass of neurotic, quivering goo. The game is a snap to
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learn, the mouse works like a charm, and it's hard to imagine anyone becoming
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bored.
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The graphics are not great, at least not in the same sense as those of ZANY
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GOLF, but they are very good and have not been slighted in a game where the
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physics of play is the salient feature. HOLE-IN-ONE doesn't dazzle or distract
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with color or animation. It entertains at a basic level, that of clean family
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fun (a rare commodity), and it does so without resorting to car chases,
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explosions, or bouncing hamburgers. Assuming sales warrant it -- which I hope
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they do -- DigiTek plans to release additional course disks.
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For once, the review blurbs on a game package are accurate. HOLE-IN-ONE
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MINIATURE GOLF is a jewel glittering in the sand.
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HOLE-IN-ONE MINIATURE GOLF is published and distributed by DigiTek Software.
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*****DOWNLOADED FROM P-80 SYSTEMS (304) 744-2253
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