A Retro Golf Experience or a Bogey?
Over recent years, a handful of new golf games have launched onto our modern gaming systems. But, if we’re honest, despite there being a few good golf games on Xbox, only a couple of franchises have really been worth checking out.
With the might of 2K (PGA TOUR 2K25) and EA (EA SPORTS PGA TOUR) behind them, chucking money left, right and centre as they try to deliver the most realistic, most optimum of golf games, you could probably see why few others have attempted to take a swing at the market. Those are games which are visually superb, content rich, licensed up and able to provide a virtual golfing experience that is about as close to the real-world game as you are likely to find.
But total realism and cutting edge visuals aren’t always what gamers are after. Sometimes they just want old-school fun; a whack around the chops with nostalgia. And it’s that which is provided in Golden Tee Arcade Classics.
A Deep Dive into Golfing History
If you’re a gamer of a certain age, you’ll know all about the Golden Tee games. An arcade staple some three decades past, it was they who delivered some of the finest golfing experiences to the arcade world. At least, finest golfing experiences for the time – the mid 1990s and early 2000s. With a trackball system readying itself for play, and enough content included to keep the quarters flowing, Golden Tee was loved by many.
But is it still relevant in today’s market? Do we really want to be playing games from 30 years ago on our modern systems, especially when EA and 2K have been able to craft some of the most immersive golf games of their own?
Well, it’s complicated. But weirdly, Golden Tee Arcade Classics scratches an itch. For a time.
As you may realise from the title, there is not just one game included in Golden Tee Arcade Classics. There aren’t two either, nor a mere three. Nope, you can double that, as what you’re looking at here are six ‘different’ golf games: Golden Tee 3D Golf, Golden Tee ’97, Golden Tee ’98, Golden Tee ’99, Golden Tee 2K, and Golden Tee Classic.
As the names suggest, this is the evolution of Golden Tee over a number of years, and whilst the basics of each are extremely similar, each do come with a number of courses present. Yes they are ‘different’ games, but it’s sometimes hard to pinpoint the changes which were introduced with each. Instead, it’s very much down to the courses to provide the variety.
Emulating the Original Experience
Each of the games included in the Golden Tee Arcade Classics combo are, from where we are sat, near as damn replicas of the arcade games of the era. That’s something you would expect from the teams at Atari and Digital Eclipse, with them even throwing in some arcade flyers from back in the day for you to look over; virtually of course. It’s these which show how the games were sold to the masses back in the day, and whilst you won’t spend too much time checking out those flyers, it’s a nice addition to the historic nature of the bundle.
That old-school vibe worms down to the games themselves too. Each comes complete with up-to 4-player local golfing opportunities, as you pass the controller to one-up your mates, smashing pars for each course, nabbing birdies, eagles, and – more than likely – a bogey or five. There are a host of different game settings and modifications that can be made too, as you look to utilise various screen settings (CRT FTW!?), skill levels and more.
The Tricky Trackball: Mastering Power and Precision
Of course, the name of each game is to shoot as low as you can go, navigating your way across up-to three courses in each of the games, placing yourself on AI populated leaderboards, honing skills and attempting to prove your golfing skills to the world. The thing is, Golden Tee is a game from decades ago, and that means it is fairly brutal in its difficulty; no more so than in judging power.
We’ve played multiple rounds across all of the golfing experiences in Golden Tee Arcade Classics, and still have not yet mastered the ‘power’ of a shot. That’s not because Atari and Digital Eclipse haven’t given us the tools to do so either, for they have, even helping out by auto-selecting the best club for each and every shot. We’re just putting it down to our own incompetence and lack of skills. With a ‘trackball’ system well implemented, Golden Tee is a tricky old beast to harness.
The workings of the trackball are pretty good though. There are professional and aim assist options in place, and there’s no doubt that making the most of the latter does ease up on the difficulty slightly. The thing is, being able to accurately work out distances and power outputs is a right bugger.
Hooking, Slicing, and Course Variety
Thankfully, there are ways around things. Hooking and slicing shots, as you pull back on and push forward through the trackball are easy to action, whilst utilising the wind power on each hole is a sure fire way of gaining a few extra yards – or finding yourself deep in some trees, a bunker or water hazard. It’s easy too to play the greens, mostly as anything even remotely on target will see your ball sunk. Just don’t get us started on the short play, on pitching up in an accurate manner…
Courses across the Golden Tee Arcade Collection are good too. Each is reasonably different to the next, taking you through the most green of courses into desert areas and the like. Whether you play Aspen Lake, Sea Haven, Stone Valley, Scorpion Bend or any of the others, it’s in these in which replayability of Golden Tee comes about, each helping build your skills for future rounds.
Retro Graphics and Basic Audio
Of course, we can’t possibly sit here and say that anything in Golden Tee Arcade Classics actually looks good. Throughout, it looks like a collection of games from the late-90’s, mostly because that’s what they are, with super pixelated visuals attempting to replicate the world of golf as best they can.
It is, however, all smooth and quick enough to play, as that little pixel ball of yours is whacked from pillar to post. It’s very much a similar outcome for the audio – this is about as nostalgic as you would expect; extremely basic in what it allows.
Beyond Golf: World Class Bowling and Shuffleshot
But what if six golf games and multiple courses aren’t enough for you? Well, Atari have also seen fit to throw in a couple of further extras too, in the form of World Class Bowling and Shuffleshot.
World Class Bowling is by far our favourite of the two games here, with both Regulation and Flash games present. Chucking a ball down an alley, adding spin, making the most of the area you have is a good way of passing five minutes or so. And we’ve found that this is very much a game that comes alive the more you play it, as you look to increase PB scores, nail some Strikes, Turkeys and more.
We’re less interested in the Shuffleshot mini-games though. Available through various game modes and rulings, it’s all very much shuffleboard in an old-school stylee. The thing is, if you thought getting a handle on the trackballing of golf was tricky, it’s nothing when compared to trying to slide a puck down a board, ensuring it lands in a points zone. The less we see of Shuffleshot, the better.
We’ll be honest, you may not find tens of hours of play in the Golden Tee Arcade Classics collection. But you should enjoy what is here just enough to warrant a few hours of golf, bowling and – if you must – the shuffleboard action. The reason? Well, it’s all pretty repetitive, and very old school. Perhaps too old school for utter enjoyment.
A Nostalgic Swing with Mixed Results
We’ve appreciated the opportunity to go swinging our way through a variety of courses and numerous versions of Golden Tee golf. We’ve also enjoyed rolling balls down an alley. But will we continue to do so in the future, after this review period? Possibly on occasions, is the answer. Whilst it is fun for a bit, the most minor of changes between games and absolute ballache of a power system – something that means randomness is all too frequent – do override that fun.
By all means grab your clubs and take a trip back to yesteryear with Golden Tee Arcade Classics, but if you’re serious about your golf, there is no doubt the much more modern offerings are head and shoulders more enjoyable.
Just remember, the current virtual golfing world may not be in such a good place without these classics pushing it along. And in that hit of nostalgia may sit a round or two.
Important Links
A Hole-in-One? Golden Tee Arcade Classics is Now on PC & Console – https://www.thexboxhub.com/a-hole-in-one-golden-tee-arcade-classics-is-now-on-pc-console/
Golden Tee Arcade Classics Collection Swings onto Xbox and More this July – https://www.thexboxhub.com/golden-tee-arcade-classics-collection-swings-onto-xbox-and-more-this-july/
Buy Golden Tee Arcade Classics on Xbox – https://www.xbox.com/en-gb/games/store/golden-tee-arcade-classics/9n9d128lcm0t
I unfortunately purchased this game. I think it’s absolutely awful and is not indicative at all of the original.