Product Description

Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2007 takes golf gaming to new level of realism. Experience the next generation of technology as Tiger Woods comes to life -- you'll see and feel each emotion in detail, as it's displayed onscreen in the faces and movements of the golfers. Play under pressure just like pros, and go further in your game with the enhanced career mode. New Gameface tool with deeper modifications, more apparel, equipment licenses, and specialty items

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #6675 in Video Games
• Brand: Electronic Arts
• Released on: 2007-03-13
• ESRB Rating: Everyone
• Platform: Nintendo Wii
• Number of items: 1
• Dimensions: .50" h x 5.25" w x 7.50" l, .24 pounds

Features

• Tiger Woods Comes Alive - See and feel every emotion in complete detail with the introduction of all-new Universal Capture (UCAP) technology. The world's No. 1 golfer seems so real you won't believe your eyes
• Play under pressure, with bigger galleries, mass crowd movement from hole to hole, and cheers from nearby greens From working on your driving to mastering your putting skills, craft your game with training challenges in the Practice Facility
• Take on the world's best golfers on the World Tour
• All-new championship courses, including Firestone Country Club, Glen Abbey, Princeville, Spyglass Hill, St Andrews, and Bandon Dunes
• Featuring 15 of the world's top players, including Tiger Woods, John Daly, Vijay Singh, Ian Poulter, Michael Campbell, and Annika Sorenstam, the most decorated golfer on the LPGA Tour

Customer Reviews

Best video game golf experience... not the best video game
I've only had Tiger Woods 07 for the Wii for a few days and played a few rounds. My first impression is that visually, this game is no different than Tiger Woods 04 for the GameCube... there's virtually no improvement in the visual quality of the game over a version from three years ago on a previous-gen console. I've played the demo of this game on the XBox 360 and it looks fantastic there (I assume it looks equally magnificent on a PS3). So right out of the gate, we're taking a big step backwards... I would have expected some improvement in graphics, maybe not a lot, but some. There is a lot of scintillation in the textures, especially the complex stuff like trees, shrubs and grass.

The manual is pretty thin, with minimal information beyond the basic game controls. For instance, in PGA Tour mode, when you play a stroke you might get some icons appearing on the screen... but there's no indication what they mean. They obviously have something to do with the experience and skills system, but it would be nice to have an explanation of what they mean.

Of course, on to the subject that everyone is sure to be talking about... the Wiimote controls. Yes, this is the reason why I got this version of the game, with all its graphical shortcomings, instead of the XBox 360 version. Wii Sports is still an impressive game almost half a year after the launch of the Wii console, but Golf was one of the games on Wii Sports that I felt let me down the most, because the controls were so flaky and inconsistent. My hopes were that since this was a dedicated golf game, the control system would be significantly better. For the most part, I am not disappointed. There are still some strange and annoying things, but overall, a lot of them can be overcome with technique and form, I think. For one thing, I found it incredibly hard to hit a straight shot. Even holding the Wiimote with one hand and swinging it very carefully to keep it flat I found I had a strong propensity to hook it pretty badly, so I've taken to gripping the Wiimote rotated about 45 degrees and I get straight shots most of the time. The other frustration I've had with the controls is that once in a while I get an inexplicable dead spot in my backswing where the game thinks I've completed my swing, which usually results in a low-powered hook or slice way off the course. It seemingly never fails when I'm having a good game, I'll get one of these strokes and end up blowing a good score because I have to take a few extra strokes to recover.

Game play is not significantly different than previous versions of the Tiger Woods franchise. You have the EA Game Face tool for creating your character (strangely, no matter how I altered the face to try and look like my own, I can't shake the impression that the face still looks somehow like Tiger Woods). As you compete in Tour events you earn cash and experience points. You use the cash to buy new clothes and equipment that can give you skill bonuses (for instance, a certain driver might give you a bonus to your driving power/distance), as well as branded items that, once you start getting sponsorships, can help you earn additional money as a spokesperson for their merchandise. The experience points are gained for using specific skills on the course, and translate into skill increases in those skills (demonstrating control of your shot power gives you power experience points which can then be used to increase your power skill).

There is a "Play Now" mode, which, as far as I can tell (darn the lack of useful instructions!) generates 18 holes of golf from a random sampling of all the available courses, as well as an anemic tutorial mode which barely covers the basic functions of the Wiimote, and doesn't cover spin control at all, plus a Tiger Challenge mode and PGA Tour mode where you play through a calendar of tour events, each with its own purse and entry requirements, on a quest to be a PGA Tour champion.

I've never golfed in real life, and the few times I've been to a driving range for fun have been an exercise in poor coordination, so I'm probably at a grave disadvantage to someone who actually plays golf and has better swing mechanics. That said, since I don't golf, I can't really comment on how accurately the Wiimote simulates a real golf swing. I've played Tiger Woods and other similar golf games on other consoles and I usually master them pretty quickly, but adding the actual physical act of swinging the Wiimote like a golf club will definitely add greater depth and difficulty for me, I'm guessing, especially considering there are different difficulty levels which, as best I can tell (darn that useless manual again!) makes the Wiimote more sensitive and renders a more accurate representation of the swing.

I've only scratched the surface of this game, but so far I'm pleased with it. The biggest attraction that the Wii has for me is the innovative new ways in which the controller can be used, so I will continue to be drawn to games like Tiger Woods 07, that use the controller in non-traditional ways that more closely simulate the activities in the games.

Warning - This is a golf simulator
This game is one of the reasons why I bought the Wii in the first place. As an avid golfer, this game is nearly perfect. EA is known for recycling their crap over and over again but this time I think they almost got it right. People who are giving this a bad rating based on graphics need to sell their Wii.

This game is very, very difficult. It is a great simulation of real golf. If you have a good golf swing, then you can consistently hit the ball well. Not perfectly every time but pretty accurately. I have run into inadvertent swing problems that everyone is complaining about but only when I don't swing right. I can understand why some people are frustrated but the reason is because they are not swinging correctly.

So why isn't the game perfect?
1. Putting is ridiculously easy. Whether it's a 6 ft putt or a 16 ft putt, the motion is exactly the same. Also, even if you are remotely close to the path of how the ball should go, then you will sink the putt almost automatically. I like the variability in Wii Golf a lot better.

2. It is nearly impossible to hit the ball at 50% power or less. Half swing is always over 75% Maybe I just need to spend more time on my short game.

This is a great first step for the Wii franchise. There are some great game modes including a career mode where you create your golfer and increase different skills. You can join the PGA Tour and play in real events against other pros as well. Make enough money and buy clothes/accessories. I will be playing this one for a long time and it is well worth the money.

UPDATE: Still haven't really got around to figuring out the short game. I just change the club and the type of shot: punch, lob, etc to get the distance right. I am just about half way through Tiger Challenge and it is getting very difficult. I guess putting was easier before because the course was not as difficult. I still give it 5 stars based on gameplay and options. Overall still 4 stars since there are some flaws.

Fun, but I expected better gameplay with the Wii
Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2007 on the Wii had a LOT of potential. What golf fan could pass up the opportunity to swing the Wiimote like a golf club one some of the greatest golf courses in the world and using the profile of some of the world's best players? Not me, for certain.

This game is pretty fun, but there are quite a few things holding it back. As a left-hander I was a bit annoyed that there was no pro I could use at the beginning of the game. When I play a casual round with some family and friends and they're using Tiger and other pros and I'm using a custom created profile (and hitting the ball about 75% as far as they do) it's pretty annoying. The game also seems a lot less dependent on actual swing skill than I would like--my[...]was drilling chip shots from 50 yards out after a wild one-handed swing. I'd prefer something a little more dependent on swing form, even if the learning curve was steeper.

The worst thing about the game, however, is the tendency to "lose" a swing. There are times when there is apparently a communication error between the Wiimote and the game and your player takes a half swing while you're still in your backswing. This doesn't happen often but is a definite problem. I haven't played much of the tour mode (which I usually really enjoy) for fear of having one shot ruin a whole round. Also, there is an alternate "old school" control style available that uses the nunchuck to time your swing, but where's the fun in that? If I wanted to swing without using the Wiimote I'd get this game on another console and enjoy much better graphics.

That's not to say this game isn't fun. It's pretty similar to the last few years' versions with the addition of the Wiimote, which despite its flaws is still a great innovation for the franchise. Still, with Tiger Woods 2008 on the horizon I'd recommend to anyone but the most die hard golf game fan that you save your money and hope they improve on some of the gameplay mechanics.