What's New with Tiger?

Football, basketball, baseball, and hockey games all have one significant feature already going for them for every annual update: massively updated rosters with new skill ratings for all the players. A golf game on the other hand—Tiger Woods PGA TOUR® 06 specifically—has a little extra work to do in order to convince last year's owners that this years game is worth the price of admission.

Luckily, that means great attention has been paid to upgrade the innovative gameplay and layer engrossing feature after engrossing feature onto an already critically acclaimed title.

A professional gentleman of leisure.

So what exactly is new with this years offering? Here are a few of the more major additions:

• Dual analog swing mechanics
• Rivals mode
• Gamebreakers
• Wagers
• More licensed players and courses

Two-Stick Control
Simulations fans can rejoice as the new swing controls allow you a great deal of added ball control and finesse. You still use the left thumbstick for your backswing and downswing, but you can now add top spin, back spin, and side spin to your ball as you see fit during your swing with the right thumbstick. Simply press up for top spin, down for back spin, or left and right for fades and draws as you use the left thumbstick for the basic swing mechanic.

What's more, you can mix and match as you see fit, so if you need a little fade with a touch of back spin, you can do just that. Plus, since the control is analog, you can adjust the degree of intensity as well (for instance, pull back just a little for some minor back spin).

That's a bold statement.

This new dual analog control isn't specific to woods, irons, and wedges either, so don't forget to put a little extra English on your ball with the putter too.

Rivals—Through the Years
In a slight break from reality, the new Rivals mode allows you to tackle challenges and legendary players throughout history in the time period to which they belong. Go back to golf's historic beginnings, deck yourself out in gear specific to the time period, upgrade your abilities, sink your teeth into skill challenges (like driving contests), and work your way up to the grand master of each era (for instance, Ben Hogan during the Golden Age).

Also, Tiger Woods himself has traveled back in time with you to prove he's the best in any era, so watch out as you compete against not only the legends of the game, but the current world's best as well.

Gamebreakers
Introduced in the now classic NBA Street, the Gamebreaker is in full force in Tiger Woods PGA TOUR 06. A Gamebreaker will give you an instant one-shot boost, so you can drive farther and more accurately, putt a cleaner line, and lay up that perfect pitch with just the right amount of backspin.

Build your Gamebreaker meter by playing well consistently, as each green and fairway in regulation, and each birdie, par and eagle slowly build your meter, not to mention the more remarkable shots (a chip in or a hole in one). Of course, start to stumble and so do your chances at a Gamebreaker, so stay away from the bogies and missed fairways.

A quick round in Central Park.

Wagers
For those that need a little extra incentive and a little added pressure, you can now "up the ante" on various challenges. For example, you can put $500 on the line in an early heads-up match by selecting from a variety of different wagers:

• Play without the Power Boost Ability.
• Play an entire round where every lie is the worst possible.
• Play with one ball and one ball only. Hit one shot out of bounds in or land it in a water hazard and you're done.
• Incur a one stroke penalty every time you hit a tree.

You get the idea. For veterans of the series, these little wagers can drastically help give you the extra bit of challenge you've been wanting.

New Talent, New Courses
Of course, while huge rosters of players like a basketball or football game might require aren't needed in a golf game, that doesn't mean more licensed professionals and more real-world courses aren't added every year.

You can look forward to playing old favorites like Stuart Appleby, John Daly, Vijay Singh, and of course Tiger himself, but there's some new blood as well. Hit the links with some up-and-coming players like Chris DiMarco, Luke Donald, and Ian Poulter, along with recent Master's champion Mike Weir.

New to the golf course roster are seven new licensed courses such as the Jack Nicklaus-designed Reflection Bay in Las Vegas, the Pumpkin Ridge Golf Club in Oregon, and the Blue Monster at Doral. Naturally, there are a few new fantasy courses designed by the experts at EA to delve into as well, including a new one getting rave reviews that takes place in Central Park in New York.

The Tiger Woods PGA TOUR series once again steps up to the tee and delivers a remarkable golf simulation for everyone to enjoy: Whether you're a hardcore simulation fan or a casual gamer, the gameplay mechanics and outstanding new features can't help but impress.

Article by Alex McLain