Publisher: Activision, www.activision.com
Ages: 10 and up
Parental Advisory: Strategy game that will only appeal to older kids who are into golf.
A the "Tycoon" in the name implies, Activision's Golf Resort Tycoon lets you develop, design and build golf courses; play through your courses; and customize a golf resort. And if you've ever dreamt of building a golf resort of your own, the competent title may be worth a look.
As the "II" in the name implies, this new version of Golf Resort Tycoon offers new challenges and environments and a 3D mode that lets you compete against computer-controlled players on your courses. The ultimate goal is take your resort from a lowly single-star resort to one that has a coveted five-star rating.
The less money that you start with, the higher the difficulty and the bigger the challenge. To be successful in the game, you'll have to add the right golf services, lodging and maintenance facilities, restaurants, and more. While this may all sound fairly straightforward, how you actually raise your ratings within the game is something of a mystery.
If you like, you can take on the game's challenge modes that ask you to accomplish specific goals, such as make a certain amount of money in a limited amount of time, and more. An entertaining aspect are the gophers that continually infest your courses as they did to the course in the Caddy Shack movie.
A helpful tutorial walks you through the basics of building a course, and developing and maintaining a resort. After that, you're pretty on your own. Golf Resort Tycoon is generally not difficult to learn and play, but if you want to raise your resort's rating, be prepared for lots of trial and error.
Beyond the usual strategic elements in a typical "tycoon" style game, Golf Resort Tycoon II offers a golf game that lets you compete against computer controlled characters. Here the game offers an adequate three-click system to set distance and aim shots. While the system lacks the precision of those in die-hard golf titles, it's generally enjoyable to play. The game also offers a good selection of clubs and depicts decent ball physics.
Graphics are alright, as are the audio effects and sound track. As long as you're not expecting a realistic, virtual golf experience, the cartoon style graphics are adequate.
Golf Resort Tycoon II is part of Activision's Value Line of low-cost software, and it's a good fit. There's not much that makes this game stand out and it doesn't offer a realistic golf simulation. But if you love golf, you may find something to like.
