The TPS Report - Games, Beats 'n' Blogs

PSP Double-Whammy - Mercury & Hot Shots Golf Reviewed
Posted by Diggler - 4/6/2005 13:05

The PSP's current line-up is certainly one of quality, not quantity. While the three launch titles I nabbed with my unit all impressed, I definitely feel like I just flat out need more games for it. For that reason I find myself exploring genres I wouldn't normally touch, and with that in mind I picked up these two peculiar beasts this week...

Hot Shots Golf: Open Tee

Hot Shots Golf is a cute and cuddly sports sim that's surprisingly addictive. Golf fan or not, it's worth grabbing

I'm not a big golf guy. In fact the last golf game I played before this was Links 386, whose title alone should drop some hints as to the era it was released in. Still, I find myself oddly drawn towards Hot Shots Golf. Perhaps it's the cartoony presentation, which just seeps with crazy fun. Maybe it's the prize system, which awards you with all sorts of items and goodies as you progress, from clothes to accessories that spruce up your toon. Or perhaps it's just that little Michael Jackson style "hee-hee!" you scream on victory.

Whatever it is, there's a wonderfulness to Hot Shots that's hard to pin down. It's oh so easy to get to grips with, yet is deep and challenging enough to survive the long haul. Wind, clubs, even choice of balls - there's a surprisingly large amount to master and explore for a title that on first glance appears more child-like in its presentation. A game of golf, while not normally how I'd choose to spend my time, is perfect for the pick-up-and-play nature of a handheld too, made all the more wonderful in this game thanks to the sheer speed at which you can tear through a game.

At the same time, Hot Shots Golf is so damn addictive that you'll keep coming back for more and more. It's that desperate need to kit your character out in the next unlockable item that keeps you going, yet it's the sheer fun of the thing that ensures a great time while you do it.

The game features impressive camera work that shows off your shots nicely

My only real beef with this thing, is that while it enjoys wi-fi capable multiplayer games, it lacks a "take it in turns" gameplay mode for playing with your mates on one unit. This is a big bummer for me, with so few fellow punters owning PSPs this side of the pond.

Graphically it's fine. This is one big cheesy cartoon at the end of the day, with your typical anime style Japanese characters. The courses in particular look pleasing to the eye, if not overly detailed. It's the sound which somewhat lets it down however, with cringe-worthy elevator music that you'll most likely turn off after 10 seconds.

All in all Hot Shots is just a solid PSP title. Whether you want a nice chill-out game for a summer's afternoon, or something for a quick bash on between commutes, it fits the bill nicely. The fact that a golf hater such as myself has played so many hours of this thing and yet gained so much enjoyment from it is a real testament to just how damn much you need to buy the sucker.

Mercury

Mercury is another solid title, however unlike Hot Shots, I wouldn't necessarily recommend everyone grab this one, and I'll explain why in a second.

Archer Maclean's Mercury is a beautiful little puzzler

Mercury is a puzzle game, and the concept is relatively simple. You're given a blob of mercury, and you have to get it to the finish line in a series of escalatingly complex mazes within a given time limit. Standing in your way is everything from conveyer belts, colour coded gates, evil bad guys to worst of all...good old gravity.

And ya know what? It's damn fun too. The controls are glorious, with this being the first time I've found a genuine use for the PSP's analogue nub. You use it to tilt the world, thus steering your blob of mercury towards its goal, and it certainly proves the nub responsive and worthy enough for game usage unlike I originally predicted.

The game looks surprisingly good. Architecture is fine, with nice shadows and colourful textures. The blob itself is what shines though, featuring the best liquid physics I've ever seen in a game - hand-held or not - and it damn well looks good enough to drink. It's wonderful seeing this thing slip and slide all over the place, breaking up into smaller puddles and dripping over the edge of gaping chasms.

The physics on the blob is what carries the game. It's not only responsive, but looks and feels glorious

As a result, the first few worlds of Mercury are some of the best fun I've yet had on my PSP, and I'm kind of in love with it. The only single problem holding it back, is that it slowly mutates into some of the most fiendishly tough gameplay yet seen in a puzzle game. This thing is pretty damn hard.

For me, that's not such a bad thing. There's something to be said for replaying the same level over and over, trying to figure out the ideal solution to a complex problem, and the subsequent rewards you reap when it eventually pays off. The sheer satisfaction Mercury provides as a result of this, make this is one of my favourite PSP games currently on release.

But I've always been a glutton for punishment - someone who kinda relishes hardcore challenge in my games. For those who detest frustration and often switch on god mode in your favourite FPS, Mercury might be a little too tough for you. Let's be honest, who bought a PSP just to chuck it against the wall in frustration when you die the 100th time in a minute? Which I must say, you'll be doing an awful lot of here.

A shame really, as Mercury kicks some hella arse, that aside. Along with Lumines, it's another fantastically inventive and original puzzling beauty. Who'd have expected that from the PSP?

And with that, I'm off for another game...

(Pictures courtesy of Ignition USA & PlayStation)