Original Release: Pack-In Video, 1989, Famicom Disk
A simplified golf game that blends regular and mini golf, from the developer that did the initial Harvest Moon games
Putt Putt Golf (NES, Pack-In Video, 1989)
Where to Buy: eBay
How to Emulate: coming soon!
Review by: C. M0use
“Putt putt” is one of our many regional names for mini golf, but this Famicom game is somewhere between that and actual golf on smaller but more obstacle-strewn courses.
It kinda reminds me of a Super Famicom title I played semi-recently, Out of Bounds Golf, to the point that I wonder if it didn’t have the same development team behind it. Both games have a similar unconventional style, it sometimes feels more like you’re hitting a kickball than a golf ball, and you’re encouraged to ricochet the ball off course walls and various obstacles. This one is different in that you got an assortment of random athletes, whimsical creatures and gross bugs also roaming about the landscape either getting in the way of things or sometimes lending an assist.
This is also quite simplified even compared to the usual 8-bit golf game, with no club selection and no wind to worry about. The most complex part is short-range putting, which basically just takes the usual fooling around for a while to get the feel of the game’s arbitrary sense of distance and power.
It’s actually pretty good, one of the more enjoyable golf games on the Famicom that I’ve tried so far. Turn the sound off or put the headphones down right from the start, however, as the very short music loops are super repetitive and annoying.
Links
Videos