Publisher: Zen Studios
Developer: Zen Studios

Originally published in June 2010, reprinted for additional content

Those of you who love mini-golf, but suffer from some condition that prevents you from actually playing the game, rejoice! Zen Studios has brought Planet MiniGolf to the Playstation Network.  For only $9.99 (plus tax), you too can avoid enduring summer weather and even the mildest form of exercise.

The game features five characters, four golf course “locations” (each of which has 4 different 9 hole courses, for a total of 144 different holes), a course creator, and a slew of unlockable clothing items and accessories. Additionally, the game features both single and multiplayer game modes, online content sharing, and even the ability to upload replay videos to youtube.

Planet MiniGolf sports three different control schemes. The “easy” control scheme simply requires you line up your shot, then hold the x button down until a bar reaches your ideal level of power. Another control scheme allows you to press the x button three times: once to start your swing, once to set the power of your shot, and once to determine the accuracy of your shot. The third control scheme allows you to control your shot by using the left analog stick to control your swing. You can also earn powerups during the game to help you pull off “trick shots”, which multiply the number of points you receive for making your shot into the hole.

While the interactive and multiplayer features of the game are well developed, the gameplay is repetitive and uninspired. Having taken Minigolf from the real world into a virtual one, Zen could have been much more creative about the level designs. While the physics performed realistically, many of the obstacles golfers face in real mini-golf, such as golfing from a position near the wall, were simply not dealt with by the game’s designers.

The graphics are inconsistent: characters are rendered well, whereas environments are often flat, pixilated, or simply lack detail. While the character designs are not terribly original and the costumes don’t offer much variation, the characters do bring some personality to the game.  Still, watching “Honey” shake her various moneymakers can only take this game so far.

Planet MiniGolf might be fun for some casual gameplay, but it gets old fast. The game reasonably approximates the difficulty of real minigolf, but doesn’t bring much else to the table.  Powerups don’t alleviate the monotony of the gameplay, and different colored tank-tops don’t provide much of a reward.  My advice would be to spend your money at an actual mini-golf course.

Our Score:

Our Recommendation:

Update: March 2011 (review by Jason Iatomasi)

Planet Minigolf DLC Stronghold Island brings some medieval flavor to mini golf. The DLC’s four tournaments feature castles, drawbridges, knights and catapults spread out over 36 new courses. While the gameplay is largely the same, including the same power-ups from the original courses, the holes this time around are a little easier. The medieval music helps set the tone and nicely compliments the new courses. The pack costs $2.50, and is a great deal if you’re a big fan of Planet Minigolf.

Also, Planet Minigolf now allows you to play using a Playstation Move controller. I played several holes using the Move, and I found it to be responsive and much more entertaining than just using a regular controller. While not as precise as a full-fledged Move golf game such as John Daly’s ProStroke Golf, Stronghold Island performed very well with the Move controller, which added a more realistic feel to the game.