Overall – 30%
30%
You would think a game about minigolf would have a competent physics system, but Minigolf Adventure makes every last ball feel like a lead weight. It’s simply not fun to play, and no amount of variety can change its poor fundamentals.
With its pint-sized courses, colorful balls, and crazy obstacles, the world of minigolf knows no borders and no race. For those who don’t have a course near them, Revulo Games hopes to bridge the gap with their portable-friendly rendition Minigolf Adventure. Unfortunately, this release proves to be a poor substitution for the real deal.
Minigolf Adventure Review
Those who have hit more traditional fairways will find the world of Minigolf Adventure a bit more relaxed. Courses are much smaller, par counts are high, and even the holes have been super-sized. While the objective is still the same – get the ball into the hole in the opposite end of the course – it is boiled down to its most basic elements.
The control scheme found here has been streamlined as well. After choosing the proper camera angle, one can aim their ball in the direction they want to go and keep their eye on the power meter. As it rises and falls in power, players choose the moment they want it to stop and then follow through with their stroke. No need to worry about a three-click meter like Everybody’s Golf, or even a two-click system like Mario Golf: Super Rush – this system is simple at its core. Sounds straightforward enough, right?
While the core gameplay elements get the job done in Minigolf Adventure, it’s the broken physics that make it incredibly tough to swallow. Each ball feels like it’s a lead weight, barely getting any sort of momentum when rolling along. Looking to bounce against a wall to get the perfect shot? Nope, that’s not going to happen; instead it will more or less stop in its tracks the moment you hit an obstacle. Hills seem to do fine, but anything beyond that will prove to be an exercise in futility.
Things are made that much trickier with its force field system. In select levels, there are different fields that have magnetic properties, increased friction, or constant force in a different direction. What was already proving to be a difficult matter is made that much worse with these elements in play.
Unfortunately, they do little to break up the overall monotony of the title. Worlds are uninspired “Forest,” “Frozen,” and “Desert” motifs, with a set number of holes each. Unlike those that pay a visit to their local Scandia or Golfland (California residents know the ones), there’s fewer obstacles at play. While it would have been fun to see a giant castle, windmill, or dragon pop up, there’s nothing to speak of outside of the occasional wall. It’s a huge missed opportunity, and it prevents Minigolf Adventure from having any sort of personality.
With each hole in its Arcade Mode, players are tasked with collecting a set amount of diamonds before sinking their shot. Each hole is ranked from one to three stars, with additional stars unlocking different colored balls outside of the lowly default white ball – even 8-balls and soccer balls make their appearance. It doesn’t do much to alleviate the tedium of it all, but it is still appreciated nonetheless.
Outside of the main Arcade Mode, players can also dive into Quick Play that has no additional rules, High Score that focuses on maintaining less time and fewer shots, a Hot Seat mode that is turn-based, and a Race mode that has people playing speed golf. One is limited by the course selection from Arcade Mode, but there is still a fair amount of options to choose from nonetheless.
You would think a game about minigolf would have a competent physics system, but Minigolf Adventure makes every last ball feel like a lead weight. It’s simply not fun to play, and no amount of variety can change its poor fundamentals.
This review of Minigolf Adventure was done on the Nintendo Switch. The game was purchased digitally.
With its pint-sized courses, colorful balls, and crazy obstacles, the world of minigolf knows no borders and no race. For those who don’t have a course near them, Revulo Games hopes to bridge the gap with their portable-friendly rendition Minigolf Adventure. Unfortunately, this release proves to be a poor substitution for the real deal.
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