Tiger Woods PGA Tour Golf 08

Good on the Wii

Reviewed by kngzmexican on September 09, 2007  |  report this review

Just over five months ago, EA released Tiger Woods PGA Tour 07 for Nintendo Wii. At the time of review, we thought it was odd, as EA usually followed the classic "Our games are one year ahead of reality" pattern, and Tiger Woods 07 was actually releasing in 07. Fear not Wii patron, EA hasn't fallen behind, because it's still 2007, and we've got a new Tiger Woods sitting on shelves. What can five months of development time do for a franchise that was missing so much the first time around, you ask? The answer is not a whole hell of a lot.

Last year's Woods Wii effort wasn't necessarily a bad game, it was just an amateur effort that missed the boat in a few key areas. On the flipside, this year's Woods Wii title isn't necessarily a bad game, it's just an amateur effort that misses the boat in a few key areas. We poke fun at the five-month development cycle, but to be honest, Tiger Woods 08 took the extra time to implement a new interface, add a few modes, work in the token 08 improvements from other console versions, and fine tune the swing mechanic slightly -- and that's about it. No global changes, no graphical improvements, no online, and no Mii integration. Tiger Woods 08 might as well be Tiger Woods 07.1 because it's nearly the same game with a few basic changes, and fits the score perfectly.

That isn't to say these changes aren't for the better -- they're simply not enough to really warrant a second purchase for the avid Wii golfer. This year's interface still makes use of clean IR control, now working in a far brighter and truly "next-gen" look by going with a more experimental style. Instead of simply throwing an option tree over a backdrop, this year takes on a strange honeycomb-like presentation, having all the menus scroll up and down with a quick flick of the Wii-mote. It's better, but it isn't really a dramatic change overall becasue you'll still have access to all the main modes and game types that 07 offered.

As far as 08-specific changes go, there are a few, but they're pretty basic. Included this year with all 08 versions of Tiger is the "Player Confidence" system, which works with your created player to add real-life drama to clutch shots. Essentially the game watches how you perform in certain areas, and establishes patterns based on your specific results. If you've got a problem hitting that clutch drop shot when the fairway favors a slight tilt to the right, your player will show visible issues with that shot, including a drop in stats, a rumbling Wii-mote, and some added heartbeat sound effects during your swing. It really is a welcome addition to the Tiger Woods package, as it plays off your weaknesses, forcing you to make that clutch shot when both you and the computer know it's a tough order to fill.

The list goes on, including a new taunting system for multiplayer that allows local groups to manipulate player spin, air conditions, or add audio distractions while their friend attempts to take a shot. It works, bu