The Most Successful Golf Video Games In History
You might not necessarily think that golf would be a sport that translates well into the virtual gaming world. However, you would be wrong. Some of the most successful games are golf themed. As you will see, some are a bit more serious than others. However, golf has been a favourite of gamers since the earliest days. PGA Tour was one of the earliest incarnations, and it started life as an MS-DOS game.
PGA Tour as a format
It was one of Electronic Arts first games, and they released versions for the Sega Genesis and Amiga in 1991. In 1992 they created a version for Nintendo’s SNES. When Sega launched its hand-held Game Gear console with a colour screen, Tengen made a version of the game. At a time when games were often glitchy and riddled with bugs, PGA Tour stood out as one which worked well. It was praised for its realism, sound and gameplay.
PGA Tour was the beginning of a successful partnership between golf and video game companies. When Tiger Woods shot to fame, he became an incredibly marketable property. Woods became the star of the PGA Golf games. From 1998, the games were called Tiger Woods PGA Tour, and sixteen games were made in that time.
One of the reasons PGA Tour games were so popular is because of their accuracy and realism. Augusta National Golf Club insisted that the presentation and playability of the course were a carbon copy of the actual course. It took EA’s development team three years of work to replicate the course so that it could appear in Tiger Woods PGA Tour 12. Along with this, they also had strict rules to follow from Nike to make sure that their clothing and branding all appeared in the light they wanted it to.
The partnership with Woods came to an end in October 2013. At the same time, EA’s licensing agreement with Augusta National Golf Club was also terminated. EA said that the split was a mutual decision. The deal was worth $ 7 million a year at its height.
World record golf
Undoubtedly, the PGA Tours games are the most successful golf video game series. Tiger Woods PGA 08 sold 2,841,563 units on its own. However, it is not the best-selling golf game of all time. The world record for a golf game is held by Nintendo’s 1984 Golf. Released in 1984 for NES, the game sold 4,009,599 units.
Not all golf games take themselves as seriously. Some players are interested in something other than a golf simulation. No matter how great the putting and teeing off is, there is nothing quite as thrilling as trying to win some money at online games.
Golf with the chance of a jackpot
There are lots of golf-themed online slots to play. Across North America we’ve seen many new casinos launched online have a wide selection of golf titles to choose from. You can often play these in demo mode, which allows you to find your way around the game without staking any money. Then, once you have mastered the reels and wilds, you can make a deposit and try your luck.
Look out for titles like Lucky Shot from Microgaming, Golden Tour by Playtech and Hole in Won by Rival Gaming. You might find that your success at the slots bags you a jackpot. However, it is essential to remember that, ultimately, the house always wins, so be sure to play for fun.
Super Mario takes up golf
There cannot be a much more fun golfing game than Mario Golf. The game was released on the Nintendo 64 in 1999 and was the first in a series of Mario Golf games. At the time of the release, Mario was not known for playing sports, and people were skeptical about whether the idea could work. However, gathering his friends and enemies for some competition on the greens proved to be a success for Nintendo.
While the visuals are a little dated, the game is still great fun to play and a go-to golf game for fans. The Mario Golf series has sold 8.58 million copies worldwide, with sales estimated to be worth $418,430,000. Games in this series include titles like Mario Golf Toadstool Tour and Mario Golf Super Rush.
Originally they were console games designed to be played on the big screen. However, recent releases have been for the Switch. For example, Mario Golf Super Rush for the Switch has sold 2,350,000 units worldwide and is the highest-selling of all these golf games. One of the reasons the game is so popular is that it is a multiplayer game where up to four friends, locally or online, can challenge each other to a round of golf.
What The golf?
What The Golf is another game which does not take itself too seriously. It is not a typical golf game and is packed with surprises at every hole. The game features ridiculous physics, which makes for hilarious gameplay.
Players have to hit all kinds of things other than golf balls. The game’s premise is ‘everything is golf’, and it allows you to build levels. What the Golf has excellent gameplay, and its success can be put down to being great fun to play. It is available on iOS, Nintendo Switch and Windows PC. Being cross-platform makes it accessible to everyone. It is a game that can be downloaded as an app and played on the go.
