Hot Shots Golf: Open Tee 2 Hands-On

Hot Shots Golf: Open Tee 2 is the second handheld game from Sony and developer Clap Hanz for the PlayStation Portable. The original game, released in 2005, stayed true to the Hot Shots formula, with cute characters, fictional courses, and entertaining arcade golf action. We've spent the past few days with Open Tee 2 and can safely say that, new features aside, the formula still holds true this time around.

Open Tee 2's single-player modes are Training, Stroke Play, Challenge, and Minigame. The Training mode provides simple courses and a no-pressure environment for getting used to the game's controls. If you don't like a shot, you can try it over again or reset the wind speed and direction, then give it another mulligan. You can also choose to play any hole on the course at any time (and hit from any tee), so you can get your skills in order before tackling Stroke Play and the Challenge mode. In Stroke Play, you'll tackle any of the game's 12 courses that you've unlocked in a straight match for score.

You'll probably spend the majority of your time in Open Tee 2's single-player game with Challenge mode. Here, you play a variety of courses with unlocked characters across a number of match types; from straight-up stroke play to match play against another CPU-controlled player. As you win matches, you'll earn cards that will grant you new accessories and items for your golfer. These include new hairstyles, clothing items, and assorted paraphernalia (such as a huge flower to wear in your hair or a bundled baby backpack).

Beating Challenge mode matches will also unlock new golfers, as well as better items, such as clubs and balls that will give you power or accuracy bonuses. You'll need to choose which of these items you want to equip your character with before a round begins; once you're out on the links, you'll be stuck with the gear you chose when you teed off.

The final single-player mode is Minigame. There's only one in the game here--a hole-in-one contest that will have you trying to land your ball in one of three large target areas per hole; each worth a set number of points. The goal is to earn as many points as you can at the end of your round. The holes vary in size, with the smallest holes earning you more points than the larger ones.

Controls in Open Tee 2 are straightforward. The normal swing uses a horizontal meter and three button presses to control shot power and accuracy. The easy swing uses two button presses; one to set the shot in motion and the other to determine your power. When playing with the easy-shot option, the accuracy of your shot is determined by the game automatically and, as we found out, not always ideal. In addition, you can influence the movement and spin of your ball by pressing any direction on the D pad while in midswing.

The recently released Hot Shots Golf: Out of Bounds for the PlayStation 3 proved that the Clap Hanz development team is taking online play seriously. That game had a fully functional online lobby where you could hang out in between rounds, as well as tournament support for up to 50 players. While Open Tee 2's online play doesn't have quite as many features, it's still ambitious, supporting Wi-Fi competitive play for up to 16 players, as well as ad hoc match play multiplayer games for up to eight players.

Hot Shots Golf: Open Tee 2 looks to hew closely to the standard formula the series has come to be known for--attractive visuals, anime-inspired character designs, and fun arcade golf action. So far, the game is hitting all of the marks it needs to ahead of its early June release, and you can expect to see more on the game in the coming weeks.