Putt Nutz Hands-On - Hitting the Links

If you've ever killed an evening at the miniature golf course, then you know how fun the sport can be. The developers at Black Mountain Games are aiming to re-create that same accessible and amusing atmosphere with its upcoming miniature golf title, Putt Nutz. We recently sat down with a PC build of the game to get a feel for this unique spin on the world of miniature golf.

The cartoon world of Putt Nutz revolves around a family of minigolf fanatics, known as the Putts, who venture to a mysterious atoll called Volcano Island. As soon as they reach their destination, the family begins minigolfing their way into the heart of Volcano Island--each hole brings them one step closer to their archenemy, the Gopher King. As you progress through the game's 72 holes, you'll run into a wide variety of course types and obstacles as the family tries to make their way to the private island, a minigolfing paradise that is the final course.

Just as in real minigolf, the fun and challenge of any course are the holes themselves, which often feature sharp bends, barriers placed in the middle of the "fairway," and moving obstacles, such as windmills, all designed to impede your progress to the hole. In Putt Nutz, windmills will be the least of your problems, as the intricately designed holes have a number of obstacles in your path: moving platforms, steep downhill slopes, exploding barrels, holes that drop your ball into the ocean (and cost you a shot in the process), even crabs and cockroaches that will interfere with your ball's position. Luckily the courses aren't designed strictly to punish you; you can collect rewards on each course, such as shot bonuses (which subtract a shot from your hole total), and best of all, collectible balls.

Specialized golf balls make up a big portion of the gameplay in Putt Nutz. There's no shortage of variety here, as there are more than two dozen individual ball types to collect. Each ball has a different power and is thus uniquely situated for some of the challenges that appear in the courses. A "pause" ball, for example would be the perfect solution for a hole that features moving platforms. As the ball approaches the edge of a drop-off, it can be stopped for a short period of time as it waits for the platform to return, and then it continues along its path to the hole. Another example is the "stink" ball, which is effective at keeping away creatures that might be intent on interfering with your ball. Once you've chosen a ball for a hole, you have to use it until you reach the cup, and once you've sunk it, it's gone, so you'll need to choose wisely. You are given plenty of opportunities to earn more of these specialized golf balls, which can be acquired on courses or through minigames. Furthermore, each of the six Putt family characters in the game features a unique power ball.

Controls in Putt Nutz are about as easy as swinging a putter. After choosing the ball you wish to play and aiming with your mouse, you simply hold down the left mouse button over the ball icon on the right-hand side of the screen. Once the power meter fills up to your liking, you let go and then left-click once more to let the ball fly, or right-click, cancel the shot, and start all over again. Before you tee off, you can change your tee position from one of three spots, just as in the real game.

With a wide variety of courses--one takes place underwater, and another has the Putt family shrunken to miniature size while they play golf in the engine room of the family boat--and a vibrant and attractive cartoon look to the gameworld and characters, Putt Nutz is shaping up to be a fun minigolf game that should be accessible to everyone in the family. The game supports up to four players on both the PC and PS2 versions, and the developers are currently aiming for the game's release by the end of the year.