Review: Mani Golf - Fore!

Overview

Golf is usually played in well laid out courses, but what if you played golf in the most bizarre circumstances. That's what you do in Mani Golf which is a 2D side scrolling golf game where you bounce the ball off walls to try to get it to the cup located all over the place. You'll play with bouncy mushrooms, platforms in the sky, and on a T-Rex fossil to name a few.

Features

There are two 18 hole golf courses, and every hole is scored based on strokes below par, and time taken. Game Center is included for online high scores and achievements. To control your shot you just pull back, aim, and release for the ball to fly through tight squeezes, and try to ricochet into the cup, and you can tilt for some added spin.

The Good

Mani Golf is simple to control to allow you to focus on the complex courses. Every single hole is a different challenge with most having the ball start far below the cup, and you try to work your way upwards. You can make it to cup in any way you can, but the holes are set up for specific interaction with the walls and platforms to make it with a three under score. For every level there is a way to get three under, and an albatross similar to three stars as in Angry Birds and Cut The Rope. You'll want to replay levels to get albatross on every level, and you just need to solve the hole layout puzzle to do so. Then there is Game Center for online high scores and achievements to add to the replay factor. The game is really nicely designed with bright cartoonish graphics for every hole that are retina quality. The physics are well done so the ball reacts accurately to hitting stone platforms, and there are movie backgrounds as well. There is a nice soundtrack to listen to, though listening to Gaylord Mulligan is a bit annoying.

The Bad

Just playing through the two courses goes by pretty quickly, but if you replay for albatross there is plenty of time to spend with the title. The ball can rim out of the hole counterintuitive to the physics which can cost you a stroke from time to time. Also the tilting mechanic doesn't affect the ball as much as you would expect so it's tough to land on platforms, and specific patches in the level. The main character is annoying enough to mute your device.

The Verdict

Mani Golf is a fun arcade golf game as you simply pull back and fire through complex holes. The game is engaging enough to keep you replaying levels to better your score. The game is really well designed in most regards, but you do want to see more when you come to the finish. For $0.99 Mani Golf is worth it that is fun for golf and non golf fans alike.

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