The Neo Geo had some amazing experiences and brought arcade perfect gameplay to the home. Many of these games have aged so well, that they still play better today than many recent games. There is something of a timeless nature to them in general, but one genre that stands out is the Neo Geo sports games. One of these sports games stands out particularly well as a game that is extremely inviting to all types of players, no matter their playstyle, and that game is Neo Turf Masters, one of the best golf games ever made.
Admittedly I am one of the few who doesn’t get the appeal of golf games, and this one did take its time to grow on me. That being said however, I can see why Neo Turf Masters is so beloved. The game has simple, easy to learn controls and amazing game physics. This enables players to quickly get the hang of things and go wild in the gameplay. The courses in the game go beyond what would be possible in real life, giving it an over the top feeling and the result is a game that can appeal to anyone at any time.
This is a fast-paced game, that fully embraces its arcade nature, and eschews tradition. Most golf games of the time used a two click swing system to determine the hook or slice of the ball, but this game did things differently. Instead, Neo Turf Masters uses a single click to determine the power of the shot and a second for the height of the shot, which hook and slice being buttons B and C, in order to make things easier to understand and pick up. This is not even getting into the match play mode for two players, which managed to nail a multiplayer mode perfectly.
The game has a set of characters and courses to choose from, and each play differently, with their own attributes and skills, which makes the character selection actually matter. SNK went all out here and made a golf game, that has aged extremely well. Its easy to pick up and play, but to compensate its reduced difficulty, it has unrealistic course layouts and highly variable wind. Rather than make you frustrated though, it makes you want to keep playing and get better. This is golf done right and a masterpiece by SNK and Nazca.
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