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This game rocks!

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 3 / 6
Date: October 24, 2003
Author: Amazon User

A whole lot better than Tiger Woods 2004. Extremely deep career mode, awesome models, and a totall awesome tournament style presentation. It rocks.

A putting system that works!

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 10 / 11
Date: November 15, 2003
Author: Amazon User

Links 2004 has a putting system that works. You can click a grid on/off and then swing around 180 degrees from your ball to look from behind the hole and line up your put according to the break of the green. On a long putt, pick a spot on the green about half way to the hole (using the tracer) and hit over that spot. Just like real golf. I didn't like the putting at all in Tiger Woods 2003 XBOX, and if the putting system is not enjoyable I quickly lose interest in the game. After all, putts are 40% of the strokes taken. I have not tried Tiger 2004 yet, so I don't know if it's been improved. Driving and chiping are easy to pull off in golf sims....thank you Links 2004 for bringing a good putting system to the XBOX.

Links has some silly and tiresome special effects, slow-mo and others, but fortuneatly, a tap of the green button fast forwards through them faster than can be believed. In fact, if your in a real hurry, you can fast fwd after hitting every shot and play 9 or 18 in record time.

This game may be the one to get me online with an XBOX live kit so I can play against online opponents.

Tiger Who?

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 6 / 7
Date: November 19, 2003
Author: Amazon User

Simply stated, Links 2004 is the most realistic golf title to grace console gaming ever. Links has been the mainstay in PC golf for more than a decade, and now enjoys a new 3D engine with its arrival on XBox.

The first thing you might note is that most of the courses on Links 2004 -- St. Andrews and Oakmont being the exceptions -- have never hosted a major championship, in comparison to Tiger, which features numerous major venues. Don't let this keep you from making a great purchase. Whereas Tiger has the majors, Links has variety. The West Coast, the Northeast, the Desert Southwest, Hawaii, Canada, Australia, Scotland -- it's all here, and rendered in incredible detail. Just look at the shadows cast by the tall pines of Greywolf, or the ocean meeting the lava rocks of Mauna Lani. The lighting and texture work is so realistic, there have been times I thought I was watching a real tournament. The galleries are equally impressive -- unlike the PC version of Links, tournament attendees clap their hands and move around, seek cover when an errant shot comes their way, and don umbrellas when the weather takes a turn for the worse. The folks in Tiger don't even do that!

Aside from great graphics, the control scheme is second to none. If you've been diagnosed with carpal tunnel syndrome thanks to the spin system in the console versions of Tiger Woods, or have just found it to be too reminiscent of arcade golf, you'll appreciate Links' use of the right thumbstick to generate ball spin in the direction of your choice. You'll also need to be accurate with your use of the left thumbstick. Any deviation from a straight path will result in an off-target shot. This added challenge in a much-welcome addition to console golf, in my opinion.

Links 2004 boasts a deep career mode. Start off with little, earn new abilities and money in skills challenges, tournaments, and various matches, and graduate from rookie to pro, pro to champion, and ultimately to golf legend. Similar to Tiger, you can purchase distance, control, recovery, and putting attributes with your winnings. You might not be able to buy new socks, reading glasses, or hairnets like you can in Tiger, but that adds nothing to the core gameplay, anyway. Links is the meat and potatoes golf simulation for fans of the sport. Oh, and being able to play as the realistic digital counterparts of young golf phenomenon Sergio Garcia, LPGA sensation Annika Sorenstam, Masters Champion Mike Weir, and the funky hat wearing Swede, Jesper Parnevik, is nothing to laugh at, especially since each model - amateurs included - is given even greater attention to detail only Tiger himself is given in his own game. Amazing stuff.

Commentary might present the only marginally sore spot of the game, and that's only because Microsoft has attempted to do something more with tournament scripting. Just like a televised event, there's the host-figure, a color commentator (played by Ken Venturi), and an on-course reporter. The problems come when they attempt to say something specific about your progress, like "he's won three tournaments to get into this championship here at Oakmont," with "three" and "Oakmont" being inserted choppily into the sentence. But I commend Microsoft for trying to make each event more immersive, much more like these commentators aren't just observing one game, but an entire career, as they do in real life. And unlike Tiger's approach of addressing you, the gamer, and offering advice to you, personally, Links 2004 sticks with addressing players by their user-selectable names or nicknames and comments to you, the viewer, on lie, wind, weather, and other such issues. 2005's edition will need to be more seamless, but this is a great first effort.

Ambient sounds, on the other hand, are well above the standards set for console golf by the Tiger Woods 200x series. Crowds aren't dead silent while you're getting ready to hit -- there's a persistent low murmur that elevates into elation after a great tee shot or putt, or into moans and groans after your ball finds the rough or water hazard. There's also variety in terms of the degree of their response, unlike Tiger, which seems to offer only one flavor of excitement. The sounds of birds chirping and brooks babbling in the background are plentiful and further immerse you into the experience. Links 2004 has clearly raised the bar for audio in golf games.

There will be people who insist Tiger is the better game, that it features more golfers, or that it has more known courses. But if you're a fan of golf and great golf games, you owe it to yourself to pick up this title!

Fantastic Golf SIm

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 0 / 0
Date: November 19, 2003
Author: Amazon User

Best golf game i've ever played, graphics are gorgeous and the gameplay feels really solid. Online is a blast and once XSN is running it will be even better.

Tough Call in 2004 between Tiger and Links

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 16 / 19
Date: December 12, 2003
Author: Amazon User

Links 2004 is a beautiful game. I have been avid golf game fan way back to the Commodore 64 so I have some knowledge of the games.

If you owned outlaw golf and enjoyed it (uhhg) this is not the game for you. Tiger Woods 2003 was a great game and for those who own it will be hard to get back to the shot bar method. However if you play in advanced mode you can get rid of the bar.

The choice for you to purchase Tiger 2004 or Links 2004 is a tough call. If you owned TG Woods 2003 you might want to try something different. I have played TW2004 and enjoyed the many un-lockables its great game and you really can't go wrong.

I give a very slight edge to Links. I am in the middle of Links 2004 and the putting is much better. Though I got sort of use to the caddy telling me exactly what to do in the TW. I think the graphics on links are better. I think the flight of the ball is beautiful. I suggest starting the game in the middle setting. If not you will get use the yellow bar telling you exactly where to hit. Links is more a golf fans game. I think TW2004 is more of an arcade type game. I think it is fairer to call the spin as you shoot not after the ball is in the air. I bet the demographics for golf games are more for adults so why do they slam the rap and loud music in TG franchise. (To get younger fans) I like in Links that I was able to drop my own music in the game. I put in an Enya CD and it is really kinds nice.

I took one star away because of Microsoft's pushing of the LIVE system. I imagine live is great but for those of us on a budget it's a tough cost to swallow. I hope in links 2005 they focus more on un-lockables. The one problem with LIVE a lot is they forget that most people play the games by themselves but don't have high speed and a LIVE subscription. TW2004 does have a lot more stuff you can do by yourself.

I sound back and fourth because I am. It's a tough call if your rich buy both.

What can I say..Microsoft has proven it again...

1 Rating: 1, Useful: 2 / 11
Date: December 19, 2003
Author: Amazon User

You've proven that you are only out for a buck and could careless about putting out a quality product. It is amazing that the Links franchise could go from one of the greatest golf games of all times in Links 2001(PC) to what is the worst golf game since the days of the regular NES system. There is no control on this game whatsoever, chipping is a joke, and the putting is the worst system I have ever seen. You are in no control of what goes on. The player simply hits buttons and hopes for the best on this game. It's so depressing, the mighty Links franchise has fallen and fallen hard. Trust a real golfer folks, if you want realism, get Tiger Woods 2004 for any system. Even if you are given this game, return it immediately, your health will appreciate it. As I said, Microsoft proves every time it releases something that they could careless about quality(for those of us who have to run Windows SUXP you know what I mean).

Tiger Woods 2004 -or- Links 2004...???

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 20 / 21
Date: December 27, 2003
Author: Amazon User

If you are deciding between Tiger Woods 2004 or Links 2004, I will tell you the differences.

GAMEPLAY:
Both games are set up very nicely. Both have the great analog swing. The only problem with Tiger Woods is once you have your player stats maxed out it becomes unrealistic because your drives go 370 yards consistently, which makes the game too easy. Links, it takes awhile to max your stats, and once you do its still realistic, meaning you'll need a good drive and good second shot to make it on the Green in 2 on a par 5. As far as putting, Links has Tiger beat by a huge margain. On Links you get a nice chart layout and the analog putting feels so real. On Tiger it gives you a caddy tip and the grid really stinks. To spin the ball, Tiger still has the arcade feel where you spin the ball after its hit. On Links you choose the spin before you hit it, just like in real life.
ADVANTAGE: LINKS 2004

COURSES/GOLFERS/ITEMS(UNLOCKABLES):
Tiger Woods has a ton more courses, compared to only 9 on Links. Tiger also has a lot more PGA Golfers on the game, like Tiger, Vijay, Daly, Furyk, and more compared to Links 3 golfers. Tiger Woods has THE BEST create a golfer ever!!!! Links you choose a player model and change his clothes. In Tiger you can create your player (identical to you!) and have all kinds of unlockables to fit to him including clubs, shoes, gloves, hats, etc. There is just so much.
ADVANTAGE: TIGER WOODS by far!!

CAREER MODE:
In Links you play in a series of Tournaments to earn cash to buy attributes. In Tiger you can play through an entire "almost real" PGA Tour season with the real events, like at Kapalua (the Merceds Championship) starting in January in Hawaii. Also included are the 4 majors, just named something different. This gives Tiger a major advantage as far as replay value.
ADVANTAGE: TIGER

OVERALL:

Tiger Woods has a ton more options, courses, golfers, unlockables. The gameplay is a little more unrealistic (not like Mario Golf or Hot Shots Golf though) and the putting is not as good as Links. The create a player and career mode is awesome.

Links has the better gameplay but lacks the options and unlockables cool stuff found in Tiger. The gameplay is so much more realistic than Tigers though, and the graphics are better.

If you are looking for a game with better gameplay and don't care about the options, get Links. If you are someone who loves the all the good unlockables and true PGA Tour season play, get Tiger.

a change of pace for Tiger fans

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 3 / 4
Date: January 04, 2004
Author: Amazon User

the difference between Tiger Woods 2003 and Tiger Woods 2004 is very marginal, not much changed. so if you're in the market for a new golf title, Links 2004 is just the ticket. both games are similar, with Links taking a slightly more conservative approach. Links' career mode is well-done and will take some time to complete and rise through all of the different levels. each tour level has a nice array of different tasks that must be finished before progression to the next level is obtained, which bodes well for the long-term aspects.

on the links, you'll find putting is a more pleasant experience with Links 2004 than TW. not that it's easy, or completely aggravation-free, but certainly easier to deal with. the actual tee-shots and fairway drives are easy and take the least time to master. control-wise, you really need to get good at Links to have the feeling that you are "in control." it's easy in TW to aim with precision, whereas Links can be challenging if you're trying to judge distance. and the meter moves very quickly, forcing you to improve or die trying. unfortunately, the audio commentary in Links is horribly fractured and robotic-sounding. it has become a running joke of every matchup a friend and I have (Sam... putts for... EAGLE...) how they expected that level of incongruous commentary to not come off as a really laughable joke is beyond me. but the condescending repetition of TW isn't much better.

being a Tiger Woods vet in the market for something different made the choice easy for me, and the many XBox Live compatible features might sway you in favor of Links also. but for those who have never played Tiger Woods, it might be a tough choice. you really can't go wrong with either.

Links 2004

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 0 / 2
Date: January 07, 2004
Author: Amazon User

I bought Tiger Woods 2003 last year and loved it. I was hoping that TW 2004 would be on Xbox Live, but no. So I tried Links. I like the gameplay and the graphics in both games, but it is the online play that makes Links a better game. The tournaments and announcers in Tiger Woods are better. Fortunately, you can mute the announcers and play your own music if you want to. Nice to go out and play 18 with your friends across the country.

Don't buy this for the Xbox Live and XSN features!

1 Rating: 1, Useful: 1 / 3
Date: January 10, 2004
Author: Amazon User

I'll start off by saying that I was highly anticipating the release of this game on the Xbox console. Finally, a world class golf simulation that can played on Xbox Live and in tournaments with XSN! After a month of frustrations, I'm giving up on this game and going back to Tiger Woods 2004.

Microsoft has some serious issues with Xbox Live and XSN that continue to worsen as the load on their system increases. 80% of the time your Links 2004 scores will not post after completing a round of golf. You might have had the best round of golf but it won't post to your Xbox Live statistics. So, what's the point of playing online?

XSN sounds like a great feature. Play online tournaments against other golf junkies. Great idea, poorly implemented by Microsoft once again. Again, you can pretty much bet that once you finish a round of golf that your scores will not post properly to the XSN system and thus you either lose the round stats or lose the tournament completely!

Don't purchase this game unless you want to join the legions of frustrated golfers on Xbox Live and XSN. If you are playing this offline then maybe it's a good game for you. But, in my opinion, Tiger Woods 2004 has more features, more courses, better career play mode and better sound and graphics.

This release is a major disappointment for me.

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