Customer Reviews

Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2003

5 star:		(31)
4 star:		(11)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

There's just something about golf that lends itself to video game translation. I've played and loved numerous translations over the years: NES - Mario Golf; GENESIS - PGA Tour Golf, PGA Tour Golf II, European PGA Tour; SEGA 32X (I know, I know) -Golf Magazine Presents 36 Greatest Holes of Golf Starring Fred Couples; PlayStation - Hot Shots Golf 1 & 2; Dreamcast - Tee Off, Nettou Golf; PS2 - Hot shots Golf 3, Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2002, and now Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2003. I state my history with video game golf not to try to establish some kind of credentials, but to establish my love for the genre. Some people are RPG fans, some are FPS fans, some are old school shooter fans...I'm a video game golf fan.

Having said that, Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2003 (henceforth TW 2003) is the best console golf game ever. What makes it so good? In a word - game play.

To me, the game play of TW2003 begins and ends with the analog swing. To my knowledge, this series was the first to use this method, and it is so brilliant that it has revolutionized the entire genre. When I finally succumbed to the PS2 dark side (leaving my beloved Dreamcast), the first game I purchased was Hot Shots Golf 3. And MAN did it rock. For exactly 2 days. Then a friend of mine brought over TW2002. Given that all things new are inherently evil and must be mistrusted and hated, I dutifully despised the game and it's analog swing. Give me back my meter and 3 clicks for crying out loud! And what, no grid for putting? ... Except by the 10th hole, it didn't. Suddenly it dawned on me that the genre had finally moved forward, rendering the 3-click swing meter games an archaic yawn fest by comparison.

TW2003 brings the analog swing back, and refines it at the same time. I've read many reviews and seen comments that the swing is much more forgiving than it was in TW2002. I COMPLETELY disagree. It is much harder to nail that perfectly straight drive or approach in TW2003 than it was in TW2002. That is a good thing, as it offers that 'possible to do' - 'impossible to master' type of game play. On the analog swing method alone, I give TW2003 a 10/10 for game play.

As far as game modes, options, and replay-ability - I'm going to score all of those under a Value heading. TW2003 affords a plethora of ways to play, an unprecedented number of courses, a random course generator, and the ability to peace together your own courses from the existing courses. Simply put - TW2003 gets a 10/10 for Value.

Graphically, TW2003 is an improvement over TW2002, but not a leap. The graphical quality of the courses is the same (the courses brought over from TW2002 look exactly like there TW2002 counterparts, save for Black Rock Cove), but the player models are far superior. Some of the faces (Parnevick comes to mind) are so life-like they are scary. Still, the graphics sometimes show seams on the putting surface, the backgrounds sometimes blur, the jaggies are annoying, and the foliage heavy "Predator" course can be a pain to navigate because the trees are so pixilated. Even though it is not graphically flawless, it is generally excellent. My score: Graphics 8/10.

TW2003's sound is decent. I've noted some 'clips' in the audio - particularly the commentary, from time to time. Aside from that, the sound content and quality are good. From the roar of the crowd, to the sound of a well-struck ball, the sounds you'd expect (and some you wouldn't - no, I won't spoil it for you) are in there. However, the music though good, seems out of place. The 'I Am Number One' theme from TW2002 seemed to fit the game better than the EA Trax found here. Sound 7/10

For all of the scores and commentary above, I can bottom line this as such: TW2003 currently stands as the pinnacle of an addictive genre. It is a game without peer, and is a must have for any fan video game golf. Purchase and enjoy!

I love this game, it's a very nice improvement to 2002. Graphics are great the sound is great and there are more courses to play. The Tiger Challenge is much longer and is much more challenging with tournaments and skins games added to it, rather than straight match play. Finally EA brought back the two player game, this drove me nuts in 2002. You can finally play against your friends, instead of playing that dumb speed golf option. The graphic detail of the players' faces is much improved also. If you liked 2002, buy this game, you'll love it.

I thought the previous Tiger Woods 2002 game for the PS2 was already the best golf game ever made. I was doubting whether to get this new edition, but I am glad I did! It's got more golf courses (all superbly rendered), more graphics, better sound effects than the last game had. One of the fictional golf courses, the Highlands in Scotland, is not only well designed, but while you are playing it you'll hear the wind howling like in a gothic horror story. Some of the new fictional golfers are challenging and funny. If you like golf games, you won't be disappointed.

If you've played Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2002, and though it was good wait til you play 2003. Everything about it is better, including gameplay, which is a little more difficult.
GRAPHICS: They are much better, more detail, on everything including the characters faces and clubs.
SOUNDS: A little bitter, different club sounds, better crowd noises, and sometime frog and crickets.
Some new courses are TPC at Scottsdale, St. Andrews, Torry Pines, and The Predator.
Some new characters are Ty Tyron, Charles Howell III, Mark Chalcavechia, and some new made up characters.
There are many other awsome new things in this game.
All in all its far better than 2002, if you liked 2002 I highly recommend Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2003, I just bought it and its definately worth the money.

I got this game for Christmas, and at first I wasn't to excited. But I played probably 3-4 hours a day till now, and Im about 97% complete!!
In the Tiger Challenge mode you are challenged by 25 of the games best golfers. About 9 of them are fake people created by EA Sports, but the other 16 are real PGA pros. Once you beat them, you earn money, you unlock them, and sometimes you will unlock a course.

Courses: St. Andrews, Sawgrass, Spyglass, Scottsdale, The Predator, The Highlands, Poppy Hills, and many more.

Earn Bronze, Silver, Gold in 50 scenerios.

Win trophies in 26 tourniments.

Characters include: Tiger Woods, Super Tiger Woods, V.J Singh, Jim Furyk, Mark Calcaveccia, Ty Tryon, Charles Howell III, Steve Stricker, Dominic "The Don" Donetello, Edwin "Pops" McGregor, Cedric "Ace" Andrews, and tons more.

Play Skins, ONLINE EVENTS via EA Sports, Speed Golf, Practice Tee, Skill Zone (Hit targets set up around 4 courses for money and practice.)

Create a user profile and watch him or her get better as you put money into skill points.

I recomend this game to anyone who plays golf. It seriously can help you with your swing! And even if you dont play golf still buy this. It is worth every penny and more. Definatly best game in my archive.

The games graphics and gameplay are awesome!! I really haven't enjoyed a golf game for any platform since PGA TOUR II for Sega Genesis until I played Tiger 2003. The courses are beautifully recreated and are very lifelike. The only problems I have with the game are as follows:

1. You have to earn alot of money in order to unlock certain courses

2. When in tournament mode, there isn't much diversity in the scores. The scores of the 128 golfers in the tournament ranged from -7 to -3. That takes away from the realism of a real life tournaments. It would be nice if I wasn't the only player who was over par(15 over par to be exact)

Other than these trivial complaints, the game is almost perfect.

Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2003 is the best golf game I have ever played. The graphics and technical side of the game are near flawless. The swing system is not entirely intuitive, but upon a moment of play it becomes second nature. The golf courses and fine details of the grass, sun, and sand combine to form a spectacular gameplay experience. The few drawbacks of the game, annoying announcers; bad music; and an occasional propensity to hit the ball in from the tee or the fairway, can't even take away from the jaw dropping, tell your wife to hold on, skip your favorite sports team's last game of the season, fun.

Okay. Anyone that enjoyed the 2002 version of this game will go nuts for the 2003. More courses, More golfers, More scenarios, More options, and more of everything that made 2002 the best golf game ever (now the 2nd best).

I can honestly say that I am very happy that they did not go too far in changing the mechanics of this game. I believe the 2002 version perfected the swing mechanics and the ball control. These aspects are still a part of this game. I think they just tweaked it and made it a bit tighter resulting in a little more realism as far as hooks and slices go. It isn't necessarily more difficult, just more realistic.

The Graphics in this game are breathtaking. The golfers look great, and the courses even greater. You will go crazy on The Predator. Awesome.

If you like golf...get this game. You will not be disappointed.

Have you ever played golf games like Hot Shots Golf 3 or Fuji Golf? If you have, you'll remember having to click once to start a strength meter, click it again to start the accuraccy meter and once more to stop it which requires quick hands, a lot of practice and really good hand eye cordination. Well Electric Arts has solved the hastle of that and come up with a new system. Now you, the gamer, move your players body to get good accuracy and pull back the club and let go to hit it at the desired strength. This new system gives you more contol than any other golf game. This is not only a must have for all sports genre game fans, but for all gamers!

EA Sports proves that it's still the undisputed king of the video game sports world with the latest installment of the Tiger Woods golf franchise. Admittedly, previous entries in the Tiger Woods series were less than perfect. Tiger Woods 2001 was so poor and plagued with problems that I, and many people that I know, didn't even give Tiger 2002 a rental, let alone a purchase. Thankfully, this year's model is a vast improvement; not just on 2001 (and presumably 2002), but on every console golf video game EVER made. Yes, that is a bold statement. I could describe Tiger Woods 2003's awesomeness to you, but there's a 1000 word limit on this review. Just take my word for it and believe me when I say that this game owns like few games ever have. The only negative thing I can say about it is that once you start playing, you might find yourself losing hours out of your day playing it!