Great review as always mate. Used to absolutely love this game. Remember getting this for christmas one year with my console, and absolutely rinsed it. Still looks surprisingly good too! Shame the Actua series got culled from the following console generations.
Thanks, Dave. I dig it a lot. I wish I could say I was as enthused about the other golf games as much as I was about this game but they just got it so right. I'll be honest - when it said, "Actua" in the title, I rolled my eyes and was not expecting ANY of this.
I'd...uh...hold off on that enthusiasm. You might not like what I've got to say about it. haha Nah, just kidding. After playing Pebble Beach, I did have some good points raised. So it will be one worth watching. The downside? It's the second last...maybe last of the 5 Golf games I'm reviewing. But they're all definitely coming which is now good.
Such a joy to watch. You should host the mtv awards or something. Love the Saturn and your videos, man. I wonder which of the sat golf games is a 'hole in one'. #bad humor
Thanks, Dbn! Appreciate the kind words. I guess I shouldn't have started out so strong with this title but when I was reviewing them, it was just so easy to review - it just ticked all the boxes. The next one is interesting (to say the least).
Looks like a solid golf game, and I agree that adding some kind of soft background music to it would make it more enjoyable. I have a hard time getting into any golf games other than Hot Shots Golf though.
As someone who couldn't care for Golf, this one was surprisingly easy to get into. Other golf games in the past had to have some gimmick to sucker me in. But this just gets all of the elements right which makes it certainly easy.
Welcome back. When talking about the delay in the button press when swinging, it got me thinking. Do you play your Saturn on an LCD/LED or a CRT television?
CRT, Nem. I'm old school. I needed it for my Virtua Cop review. In a few of my intros you might even be able to see it in the bottom corner if I have the camera shifted over far enough. I have that room set up pretty well - games wall which includes unplugged consoles in the far corner like the SNES, Mega Drive, SMS, etc, computer, TV mounted to the wall behind the webcam with a PS3 and Xbox 360 attached and a CRT with Sega Saturn. Everything I need, really.
Everything is good! It's just life that is stopping me. It was actually last school holidays (about 5-6 weeks ago) when I played and did the write up for them. So there is a good chance I will have some time in these Christmas holidays too to do some more. But apart from the 5 golf games, I have another 3-4 after that so there will be plenty to fill up the roster between then and now.
That and the fact that last week I got given a PS3! I've never owned one so I've spent the last couple of days going through the entire library and finding out what games I want. It's not retro so you won't see it here. But I HAVE been playing Motorstorm on it which is where I got the idea for the video description. Awesome game. The graphical improvements since the Saturn are much better even if the Saturn is a better console. But, I might be a little biased. ;) haha
Carters Retro Reviews Hahaha I get what you mean, every saturn game is beautiful in my eyes even when compared to the ps4. People look at me funny when I tell then that Gale Racers a better game than the latest GT even though the draw distance almost makes the game virtually unplayable. Please do yourself a favor and get both Catherine and Valkyria Chronicles (A sega game) , you dont get a choice to choose between them. Vanquish (Another sega game) is also another great ps3 game alongside Guilty Gear Xrd if you want to play a gorgeous fighting game, or even Ultimate Marvel vs Capcom 3, both are really fast paced and just a bunch of fun against friends even if you dont exactly know what youre doing. Its also home to loads of great JRPGS but the notable ones are the Tales Of games and Ni No Kuni imo. Borderlands 2 alot of fun if you have friends thats willing to play with you 24/7 cause it is one long rpg fps and Earth Defense Force 2025. Metal Gear Rising (Story isnt important so dont worry if youre not that into mgs) and Bayoneta are extremely well made action games from platinum that are well worth the purchase. Metal Gear Solid 4 is a must if youre into/interested in the metal gear solid games or just stealth games in general. There are also a bunch of really good PS2 hd releases but I dont think they count as ps3 games (Sotc/Ico, R&C, KH 1.5,2.5, FFX,X-2 ect.). Sorry if I got carried away but I just want to make sure you dont miss out on any of the ps3's greatest gems that not alot of people talk about nowadays. Theyre all for the cheap though so I doubt any of these are going to get you bankrupt like most saturn games but they will eat your all of your time faster than you can say "Oh shit the ps5 is out". And I know its called Carters RETRO reviews but I really wouldnt mind seeing some ps3 games on the channel. Itll give you the great opportunity of playing all the games you missed out on and we'll hopefully get more of you so its a win win situation (And plus youve covered almost every notable saturn game there is, I honestly dont know how long you can keep going until you get desperate enough to review the weird Visual Misc imports on the saturn. Dont get me wrong I love my saturn as much as the next guy and Ill keep playing it from time to time, but if you want to expand your viewership and give yourself easier and more fun material to work with (Ill be willing to bet that its going to be next to impossible to review 5 golf games without repeating yourself a bunch of times) then why not review some obscure games on the ps3 or any other console even if its not from the saturn era. Either way Ill be here waiting for you to upload your next video and sticking with you till the end! (Jesus this message was needlessly long)
OK, so now I don't feel bad when I write a long response haha. Catherine is now on the list, I already own Valkyria Chronicles on Steam, Vanquish I've passed on - no interest, I love me some Guilty Gear and if I can ever find it for a reasonable price it will be there, UMvC3 wasn't on the list but is now, and do you mean Tales of Xillia? If so, both 1 and 2 are on my list, so it Ni No Kuni (someone told me it was the best RPG on the console), pass on borderlands 1...2...anything, Earth Defense Force 2025 LOOKS cool but I have been told it has nothing but technical issues like REALLY bad framerates, so I should be one of the Earth Defence Force on PC, I already have Bayoneta on Wii-U (along with its sequel, no less), these are the remake/HD/remasters I want: Journey Collectors Edition, God of War Collection, Devil May Cry HD Collection, ICO & Shadow of the Colossus, No More Heroes: Heroes' Paradise and Metal Gear Solid HD - Collection, with a priority on Dragon's Crown and Odin Sphere Leifthrasir, plus all 10 Dynasty Warriors' games, Blur, all 5 of the WRC: FIA World Rally Championship, all 3 Yakuza games, Asura’s Wrath and the Disgaea package that has 3 titles in it. Whatever that is. And that is still missing a whole bunch, it's a start. I also appreciate the support. I don't know if my channel will ever get to the level of productivity it once was but it will take a lot for me to stop altogether.
Carters Retro Reviews Hahaha, I always thought I was the weird one on UA-cam that actually replies with sentences instead of just insulting the other person's mom. Defense Force does have its bugs (No pun intended) but it's one you definitely should get if you can find it for a cheap price since the frame rate or technical issues are no where near making this a bad game, but that's subjective since it really depends on how much fun you get from killing millions of insects and destroying buildings in Japan (Which is really ironic since you're supposed to be the Earth Defense Force yet you do more damage then they do) but the best way I could explain it is if it was a movie, it would be an extremely cheesy horror B-movie from the 80s that is pretty boring if you watch by yourself but with friends can make it the most fun you could possibly have. You really have a good list going on and I'm happy you mention the MGS legacy edition since I can't believe I forgot to mention that. You're also smart for getting ps3 games now because alot of people are trying to get rid of them to afford ps4 games and since the ps4 isn't back wards compatible, then there really isn't a reason to keep them which makes some games dirt cheap. There is also Tales of Graces F which is a personal favorite and the HD collection with symphonia (But I think there is a physical disc bundle with all 3 of the tales games so get that instead). Dragon Crown is another amazing game with stunning graphics and art style, like you said there is no way to list all the great ps3 games on one comment. Looking forward to the golf reviews and even if life is getting too difficult to manage alongside the channel, never look at uploading videos as a job and only do it when your minds clear and as stress-free as life allows you to be. Cause you'll feel burnt out and always look at making reviews as a tedious stressful addition to your life. Either way its nice knowing that your back, take care.
Its kind of funny because even though the majority of the games I play are rpg's and anime style games, there are still times that I'm drawn to a golf game if its lying around. I caught myself playing golf games at friends houses if there is nothing to play that I'm interested in. They may not appeal to me per se, but there is something addictive about playing them .
That is weird. I know you love your RPGs but I wouldn't have picked you for a golf game enthusiast. I don't think any of these I have played will convert anyone but it's funny how you can find a game completely out of left field. All it does is solidify my theory that everything is a time and a place thing when you can enjoy something that you typically wouldn't otherwise enjoy. There have been times where I do mention that in my recommendation like Off-World Interceptor Extreme. I liked it but wouldn't suggest it to others. Same with DragonHeart.
This was a pretty good golf game for it's day, i can't remember if it was better on Saturn or PS1, but the PS1 also had a sequel which was also brilliant. The commentry was quite funny in some of these Actua Golf titles, but it was repetitive.
Cool review, lots of interesting points. Somehow I've never been interested in golf simulators despite my usually being drawn to any turn-based game. This does look very nice though. I seem to recall reading that this was one of the first if not the first golf game to use motion capture, and the animation has held up well over the years. You criticize the spite trees but I've found that scaled sprites often look sharper and more realistic than polygon models of the day. As far as gameplay goes, I have to mostly take your word for it, but you do such a great job describing it that I can almost feel like I'm there playing the game. On a final note, the commentator remarked "Too much elbow" and you didn't make a masturbation joke! Are you feeling okay? ;)
How do you do that? Mask all of that excitement behind a thinly veiled mask of sarcasm? haha I know what you're thinking, "5 of them? I guess it could have been worse. There's still one he's missing." I actually found a copy of it at Cashies online but it's in rubbish condition and I'm a stickler for condition. I shouldn't be considering it's age. Should be content with the fact that it still plays. It's probably not even worth the $17 the Victorian Cashies want for it.
+Carters Retro Reviews I am sure like any great series the videos will build in excitement all the way up to the 5th and final video. It will be the lord of the rings of Sega Saturn golf game reviews.
TIL what a Fat Shot is when the golfer's club hits the ground prior to making contact with the golf ball. That's not something the golfer ever wants to do (except with bunker shots), and it can lead to a layer of turf/sod coming between the the clubface and the ball. So I you'll need to curb your excitement then. lol
Got this back in the day and even then it looked as rough as a badger's arse. Like all golf games of the time if sits uneasily between nice sharp 16bit golf games like Leaderboard and Irem Skins and later 3D efforts on Dreamcast/PS2/Gamecube era that looked far better. I see little point in playing golf games from the PS1/Saturn/N64 era because they are just dog ugly.
It's weird that you feel that way because the primitive graphics of the SNES or Mega Drive look sharp yet lack any kind of detail. Granted, this is still a weird midpoint but there are aspects I think are better than their 16bit counterparts. This game specifically, I think is pretty bland graphically (re: not bad but not good, either) compared to some of the other games of its era. Also, I completely concede if you can find a game that looks better than this but plays just as well if not, better.
Played this for the first time today with a friend..We both really enjoyed it! Fun, easy game to pick up and play.
Great review as always mate. Used to absolutely love this game. Remember getting this for christmas one year with my console, and absolutely rinsed it. Still looks surprisingly good too! Shame the Actua series got culled from the following console generations.
Thanks, Dave. I dig it a lot. I wish I could say I was as enthused about the other golf games as much as I was about this game but they just got it so right. I'll be honest - when it said, "Actua" in the title, I rolled my eyes and was not expecting ANY of this.
glad go to see you back man, I await the pebble beach golf review!
I'd...uh...hold off on that enthusiasm. You might not like what I've got to say about it. haha Nah, just kidding. After playing Pebble Beach, I did have some good points raised. So it will be one worth watching. The downside? It's the second last...maybe last of the 5 Golf games I'm reviewing. But they're all definitely coming which is now good.
And thanks for the kind words, John. :)
Such a joy to watch. You should host the mtv awards or something. Love the Saturn and your videos, man. I wonder which of the sat golf games is a 'hole in one'. #bad humor
Thanks, Dbn! Appreciate the kind words. I guess I shouldn't have started out so strong with this title but when I was reviewing them, it was just so easy to review - it just ticked all the boxes. The next one is interesting (to say the least).
Looks like a solid golf game, and I agree that adding some kind of soft background music to it would make it more enjoyable. I have a hard time getting into any golf games other than Hot Shots Golf though.
As someone who couldn't care for Golf, this one was surprisingly easy to get into. Other golf games in the past had to have some gimmick to sucker me in. But this just gets all of the elements right which makes it certainly easy.
Welcome back. When talking about the delay in the button press when swinging, it got me thinking. Do you play your Saturn on an LCD/LED or a CRT television?
CRT, Nem. I'm old school. I needed it for my Virtua Cop review. In a few of my intros you might even be able to see it in the bottom corner if I have the camera shifted over far enough. I have that room set up pretty well - games wall which includes unplugged consoles in the far corner like the SNES, Mega Drive, SMS, etc, computer, TV mounted to the wall behind the webcam with a PS3 and Xbox 360 attached and a CRT with Sega Saturn. Everything I need, really.
Where have you been man, its great to see that youre back to uploading reviews! Its been 2 months since your last video, everything okay?
Everything is good! It's just life that is stopping me. It was actually last school holidays (about 5-6 weeks ago) when I played and did the write up for them. So there is a good chance I will have some time in these Christmas holidays too to do some more. But apart from the 5 golf games, I have another 3-4 after that so there will be plenty to fill up the roster between then and now.
That and the fact that last week I got given a PS3! I've never owned one so I've spent the last couple of days going through the entire library and finding out what games I want. It's not retro so you won't see it here. But I HAVE been playing Motorstorm on it which is where I got the idea for the video description. Awesome game. The graphical improvements since the Saturn are much better even if the Saturn is a better console. But, I might be a little biased. ;) haha
Carters Retro Reviews Hahaha I get what you mean, every saturn game is beautiful in my eyes even when compared to the ps4. People look at me funny when I tell then that Gale Racers a better game than the latest GT even though the draw distance almost makes the game virtually unplayable. Please do yourself a favor and get both Catherine and Valkyria Chronicles (A sega game) , you dont get a choice to choose between them. Vanquish (Another sega game) is also another great ps3 game alongside Guilty Gear Xrd if you want to play a gorgeous fighting game, or even Ultimate Marvel vs Capcom 3, both are really fast paced and just a bunch of fun against friends even if you dont exactly know what youre doing. Its also home to loads of great JRPGS but the notable ones are the Tales Of games and Ni No Kuni imo. Borderlands 2 alot of fun if you have friends thats willing to play with you 24/7 cause it is one long rpg fps and Earth Defense Force 2025. Metal Gear Rising (Story isnt important so dont worry if youre not that into mgs) and Bayoneta are extremely well made action games from platinum that are well worth the purchase. Metal Gear Solid 4 is a must if youre into/interested in the metal gear solid games or just stealth games in general. There are also a bunch of really good PS2 hd releases but I dont think they count as ps3 games (Sotc/Ico, R&C, KH 1.5,2.5, FFX,X-2 ect.). Sorry if I got carried away but I just want to make sure you dont miss out on any of the ps3's greatest gems that not alot of people talk about nowadays. Theyre all for the cheap though so I doubt any of these are going to get you bankrupt like most saturn games but they will eat your all of your time faster than you can say "Oh shit the ps5 is out". And I know its called Carters RETRO reviews but I really wouldnt mind seeing some ps3 games on the channel. Itll give you the great opportunity of playing all the games you missed out on and we'll hopefully get more of you so its a win win situation (And plus youve covered almost every notable saturn game there is, I honestly dont know how long you can keep going until you get desperate enough to review the weird Visual Misc imports on the saturn. Dont get me wrong I love my saturn as much as the next guy and Ill keep playing it from time to time, but if you want to expand your viewership and give yourself easier and more fun material to work with (Ill be willing to bet that its going to be next to impossible to review 5 golf games without repeating yourself a bunch of times) then why not review some obscure games on the ps3 or any other console even if its not from the saturn era. Either way Ill be here waiting for you to upload your next video and sticking with you till the end! (Jesus this message was needlessly long)
OK, so now I don't feel bad when I write a long response haha. Catherine is now on the list, I already own Valkyria Chronicles on Steam, Vanquish I've passed on - no interest, I love me some Guilty Gear and if I can ever find it for a reasonable price it will be there, UMvC3 wasn't on the list but is now, and do you mean Tales of Xillia? If so, both 1 and 2 are on my list, so it Ni No Kuni (someone told me it was the best RPG on the console), pass on borderlands 1...2...anything, Earth Defense Force 2025 LOOKS cool but I have been told it has nothing but technical issues like REALLY bad framerates, so I should be one of the Earth Defence Force on PC, I already have Bayoneta on Wii-U (along with its sequel, no less), these are the remake/HD/remasters I want: Journey Collectors Edition, God of War Collection, Devil May Cry HD Collection, ICO & Shadow of the Colossus, No More Heroes: Heroes' Paradise and Metal Gear Solid HD - Collection, with a priority on Dragon's Crown and Odin Sphere Leifthrasir, plus all 10 Dynasty Warriors' games, Blur, all 5 of the WRC: FIA World Rally Championship, all 3 Yakuza games, Asura’s Wrath and the Disgaea package that has 3 titles in it. Whatever that is. And that is still missing a whole bunch, it's a start. I also appreciate the support. I don't know if my channel will ever get to the level of productivity it once was but it will take a lot for me to stop altogether.
Carters Retro Reviews Hahaha, I always thought I was the weird one on UA-cam that actually replies with sentences instead of just insulting the other person's mom. Defense Force does have its bugs (No pun intended) but it's one you definitely should get if you can find it for a cheap price since the frame rate or technical issues are no where near making this a bad game, but that's subjective since it really depends on how much fun you get from killing millions of insects and destroying buildings in Japan (Which is really ironic since you're supposed to be the Earth Defense Force yet you do more damage then they do) but the best way I could explain it is if it was a movie, it would be an extremely cheesy horror B-movie from the 80s that is pretty boring if you watch by yourself but with friends can make it the most fun you could possibly have. You really have a good list going on and I'm happy you mention the MGS legacy edition since I can't believe I forgot to mention that. You're also smart for getting ps3 games now because alot of people are trying to get rid of them to afford ps4 games and since the ps4 isn't back wards compatible, then there really isn't a reason to keep them which makes some games dirt cheap. There is also Tales of Graces F which is a personal favorite and the HD collection with symphonia (But I think there is a physical disc bundle with all 3 of the tales games so get that instead). Dragon Crown is another amazing game with stunning graphics and art style, like you said there is no way to list all the great ps3 games on one comment. Looking forward to the golf reviews and even if life is getting too difficult to manage alongside the channel, never look at uploading videos as a job and only do it when your minds clear and as stress-free as life allows you to be. Cause you'll feel burnt out and always look at making reviews as a tedious stressful addition to your life. Either way its nice knowing that your back, take care.
Its kind of funny because even though the majority of the games I play are rpg's and anime style games, there are still times that I'm drawn to a golf game if its lying around. I caught myself playing golf games at friends houses if there is nothing to play that I'm interested in. They may not appeal to me per se, but there is something addictive about playing them .
That is weird. I know you love your RPGs but I wouldn't have picked you for a golf game enthusiast. I don't think any of these I have played will convert anyone but it's funny how you can find a game completely out of left field. All it does is solidify my theory that everything is a time and a place thing when you can enjoy something that you typically wouldn't otherwise enjoy. There have been times where I do mention that in my recommendation like Off-World Interceptor Extreme. I liked it but wouldn't suggest it to others. Same with DragonHeart.
golf! hole in one touchdown. Hey Carter got any of that angeldust bro. I need it for teeing off.
haha, that's why it has taken me so long to make this review - busy teeing off. haha
Lol just take it easy before the next review, if ya make it.
haha, thanks Lance.
This was a pretty good golf game for it's day, i can't remember if it was better on Saturn or PS1, but the PS1 also had a sequel which was also brilliant. The commentry was quite funny in some of these Actua Golf titles, but it was repetitive.
Cool review, lots of interesting points. Somehow I've never been interested in golf simulators despite my usually being drawn to any turn-based game. This does look very nice though. I seem to recall reading that this was one of the first if not the first golf game to use motion capture, and the animation has held up well over the years. You criticize the spite trees but I've found that scaled sprites often look sharper and more realistic than polygon models of the day. As far as gameplay goes, I have to mostly take your word for it, but you do such a great job describing it that I can almost feel like I'm there playing the game.
On a final note, the commentator remarked "Too much elbow" and you didn't make a masturbation joke! Are you feeling okay? ;)
Thanks, AA!
5 golf reviews in a row.... yay.
How do you do that? Mask all of that excitement behind a thinly veiled mask of sarcasm? haha I know what you're thinking, "5 of them? I guess it could have been worse. There's still one he's missing." I actually found a copy of it at Cashies online but it's in rubbish condition and I'm a stickler for condition. I shouldn't be considering it's age. Should be content with the fact that it still plays. It's probably not even worth the $17 the Victorian Cashies want for it.
+Carters Retro Reviews I am sure like any great series the videos will build in excitement all the way up to the 5th and final video. It will be the lord of the rings of Sega Saturn golf game reviews.
Oh, I will be climaxing all over the place. wait no
5 golf games review in a row? that's a Fat Shot
TIL what a Fat Shot is when the golfer's club hits the ground prior to making contact with the golf ball. That's not something the golfer ever wants to do (except with bunker shots), and it can lead to a layer of turf/sod coming between the the clubface and the ball. So I you'll need to curb your excitement then. lol
3:11 speak for yourself, it's just not the same without Craig Stadler
Got this back in the day and even then it looked as rough as a badger's arse. Like all golf games of the time if sits uneasily between nice sharp 16bit golf games like Leaderboard and Irem Skins and later 3D efforts on Dreamcast/PS2/Gamecube era that looked far better. I see little point in playing golf games from the PS1/Saturn/N64 era because they are just dog ugly.
It's weird that you feel that way because the primitive graphics of the SNES or Mega Drive look sharp yet lack any kind of detail. Granted, this is still a weird midpoint but there are aspects I think are better than their 16bit counterparts. This game specifically, I think is pretty bland graphically (re: not bad but not good, either) compared to some of the other games of its era. Also, I completely concede if you can find a game that looks better than this but plays just as well if not, better.