Minna no Golf 6

Current Game Specific Guides:

• Menu Translations
• Trophy List Translation
• Online System
• Shots + Points Guide

Minna no Golf 6 Review [Game Version 1.00~]

Minna no Golf 6 [Mingol6] is the first Minna no Golf to be released on the Sony PlayStation Vita. It is released as Everybody’s Golf [Vita] and Hot Shots Golf World Invitational outside of Asia. Once again it is a first time release on a new system so there isn’t much expectation for the amount of characters and caddies available. It  Currently there are 13 playable characters and 6 voice caddies with 6 playable courses, including possible additional content obtained from the PlayStation Store. As I obtained the game nearly two weeks after release… rushing the complete the game was quite a task. Single Player Challenge mode is actually quite short, if you wanted to rush it, it is possible to do it within a day and also complete with the King of Kings trophy. Mingol6 features five different shot styles to choose from including the former Traditional Shot and Mingol5’s Advanced Shot…

So what else is different in Mingol6 compared to Mingol5:

• Game Engine… Mingol6 was originally developed as a Portable series game so the Game Engine is based off MingolP. This means a lot of attention to detail is missing and the physics is completely different. Also means bad news for those looking for multi-player pass and play the game with their friends. Being a flagship title of the series it is strange to have that feature removed just because it is a Portable Console.
• Static Winds… As it uses the Portable Engine it does not have the decimal variable in the wind which means it can be easier to line up long chips and there is less to worry about. Except the wind does not reveal now until you reach the green.
• Cosplay Characters… Instead of preset colours to choose from, you can now mix and match the parts from the different coloured sets. This is the only customisation available for the characters despite it uses the MingolP Engine as base it does not support the same complexity of character customisation the Portable series is known for.
• Extra Power Shots… New technique that replaces Full Power Mode and is activated using the gyroscope and accelerometer sensors to perform. It does make for some interesting shots… Especially when there is quite a few holes that you can drive with Ex-Power.
• Loyalty System… Reduced from 13 to 4 Levels. Each Level is associated with an ability rather than misc character details.
• In Game Shop… This was a nice blast from the past. The older versions of the series featured an in game shop which you went to buy equipment, costumes and extras… Mingol6 allows you to buy your Lobby parts also from a Capsule Machine in exchange for your game shot points.
• PlayStation Vita Capabilities Demo… Basically a lot of the game contains bits and pieces that allow you to show off the abilities available to the PSVita. Most of which doesn’t really add to the game play from what I have found, they are mainly fun to play around with then you never use them again when you’re actually playing or concentrating on the course.

It’s time to go on to the game play. Game play for Mingol6 comes in five flavours, three of which are quite similar in appearance but vary slightly in execution… with the two others being the returning shot styles. [More information on the Shot Styles available in the Shots Guide.] Personally I think three shot styles would have been enough as I don’t see how it differs from Traditional Shot in theory as you are pressing the same thing and the power increments the same. However Advanced Shot is slightly more detailed in Mingol6 with a visual arc for the power setting… putting also has a small visual change where the lines disappear when you are watching the ghost ball. Though this time all shot styles have the same distances so there is no incentive to use any one shot style.

Game system for Mingol6 is a combination of the different Mingol series up until now, there is a single player Challenges section which you play to unlock new items and characters at the shop. Also the loyalty system is connected with the characters special abilities similar to that of previous series with a more reasonable number of four hearts for Max Loyalty. It still takes awhile to Max a character but if you play 18H courses it fills up a lot faster.

Special shots… Everything but 1W Power Rabbit and Turtle shots made it through to Mingol6. Mainly because Full Power is replaced by Ex-Power and therefore makes Rabbit and Turtle shots redundant. The usual special shots including the new Homing Spiral is still available in this release of the game.

Courses included in Mingol6 are very beautiful; but unlike Mingol5 the courses aren’t modelled off one big course that is sliced into pieces. So there is no alternative fairways to play to for different strategic approaches, but some courses will still feature alternative routes regardless. The difficulty of the courses however doesn’t seem to matter as much due to the Perfect Impact or Die situation of drive shots, an easy course can become just as hard as the later courses due to this aspect… So all courses require a decent impact ratio and skill to keep it all together.

There are several Online Modes featured for Mingol6. Some of which are currently unavailable and will be released in upcoming updates. Currently the game supports an Online Lobby system with the Grade Tournament system featuring only Grade Free rounds of up to 30 players, but even though it is Grade Free it still records wins and participation details. For those without the time to play online or would like to play at their own pace there is the Daily Tournaments option. Compete with everyone else in three tournaments  everyday: 9H Out, 9H In and 18H round. The results are given out the next day and you can see where you rank with everyone else in the Mingol6 world.

Positive aspects I’d share about Mingol6, it is a great game to keep you playing even if you’re not one to play Online much the Daily Tournaments would be just as entertaining and you don’t have to be committed. Extra Power Shot is a very nice replacement for Full Power Mode and Rabbit/Turtle Power Shots due to it being more skill based and controlled when you master it. The music used in game follows more closely in style to the classic Mingol games which is definitely welcomed.

Negative aspects to point out is a lot. But it won’t effect those looking forward to this game. The Online Pass Region Locking accounts and ability to go Online with any account you want to use with your console. Though this is a good and bad thing, in the current state it means we are stuck with one account or one region to play online. The lack of courses and characters released that usually follows up a previous title should include characters from the previous title, it seems to be a new title release instead. Level of concentration required to play the game feels more demanding than other titles which can deter those who are casual gamers. No ability to multi-player golf without another PSVita console with copy of Mingol6. Game does not run in the Native Resolution of the PSVita  and while the in game videos displays how beautiful it could be, yet you can never experience 960×544 resolution yourself, meaning the game is truly not HD or near HD in anyway… You’re basically just playing another PSP title.

Recommendation… If you played the PSP version and really looked forward to more, then this is your game. You should feel right at home with the physics and calculations and there is not much you need to think too much about to get right into the game. On the other hand if you have been playing Mingol5; unless you truly love the series, it is probably a title you can do without. The differences in feel and difficulty difference between the two games can be quite off putting, chipping is different, putting is different and the game graphics quality does not feel up to the reputation that the PSVita deserves. Otherwise if this is your first Mingol title and you are looking for a challenging game and pass time then look no further, Mingol games are the most fun and rewarding for those who put time into giving it a try.

Initial Rating… 7 out of 10. Currently as the game stands it is fun but because every second Mingol game is supposed to contain about double the content, it feels as we are not getting the full game. If they are holding back and updates will bring more content then that is acceptable. However Online Mode without Game Rooms makes the game all about touring and with the higher demand of concentration required to tour it just isn’t as relaxing of a game as it should be.

Specifications:

• PlayStation Vita Display 960×544.
• 1~30 Player Network Play Support.
• PlayStation Network Support.