Press Release: Nuclear Nova introduces GL Golf 1.0 for iPhone and iPod Touch
by Eric March on September 19, 2008 at 11:26 am
Golf is not an exciting sport to watch. In fact, the only thing that could be more boring for a spectator is if someone decided to make a sport out of competitive bonsai pruning. Golf is actually rather fun to play in digital form, though, and I do likes me a good golf game. So far as I can tell there has only been one decent swipe taken at making a good 3D golf game for the iPhone — Par 72 Golf — and I’ll be honest, it’s not bad at all, though it misses the critical ability to apply slice (spin) to your shots, which is a bit of an egregious oversight. Also, Par 72 is overpriced. Fortunately, Nuclear Nova are stepping up with the release of GL Golf:
Meadville, Pennsylvania – Nuclear Nova Software is proud to introduce GL Golf 1.0, their award winning 3D golfing game for iPhone and iPod Touch. By leveraging the iPhone’s unique abilities and interface, this Open GL game offers a realistic physics system and smooth, fluid graphics for compelling game-play.
Up to four players can golf five unique courses. Everything in a real game of golf is included, such as water hazards, sand traps, trees, bushes, wind, four seasons, different times to play, and much more. Other unique features include game saving, 3 difficulty modes, mulligans, as well as different sets of clubs.
Supported Languages:
* US EnglishSystem Requirements:
* iPhone, iPhone 3G or iPod Touch 2.0Pricing and Availability:
GL Golf iPhone Edition 1.0 is only $7.99 USD and is available exclusively through Apple’s App Store.Nuclear Nova Software
GL Golf iPhone Edition 1.0
Purchase and DownloadLocated in Meadville, Pennsylvania, Nuclear Nova Software is a privately funded company founded in 2002 by Jake Leveto. Jake is currently studying at the Rochester Institute of Technology for Microelectronic Engineering. Nuclear Nova Software was founded with the intent of developing unique and challenging games with compelling game-play for the Mac platform and iPhone. Copyright 2002-2008 Nuclear Nova Software. All Rights Reserved. Apple, the Apple logo, iPhone and iPod are registered trademarks of Apple Computer in the U.S. and/or other countries.
Okay, the good: There are some very nice features packed in here. Not only can you slice, but you can apply backspin, which adds another dimension that even many home computer golf games lack. Functionally, GL Golf hits all of the check boxes and comes closer to being a golf simulator than most. Unfortunately…
The bad: Its focus on functionality seems to have come at the expense of the UI and visuals. Graphically, it is not very flattering. The UI is clunky and utilitarian, utilizing built-in iPhone controls (buttons and sliders) nestled in an area reserved specifically for the interface. The sliders in particular are too narrow to be easily controled with any degree of fine granularity, and although this is not essential to gameplay, it speaks to some poor design choices. The in-game graphics are also pretty threadbare: The most basic of polygon-based objects and fairway topography is married with two dimensional trees and flat textures that look like an early-beta Quake engine with no lighting and a sky texture that is straight out of the Photoshop Filter->Render->Clouds menu. Also, there’s no one holding your club. It’s an ethereal club and some golf balls, which gives it an odd kind of abstraction that tends to stick out.
Still, even despite all of that it’s gameplay that is the most importat part, and if nothing else GL Golf does provide that much. Whether that’s worth the $8 cover price to you is another matter entirely, and I suppose it comes down to a question of whether you want a functional game or a pretty one, because whether GL Golf or Par 72, it’s one or the other.
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Posted in App Store, Gaming Related, Press Release, iPhone Related
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