Underrated Games Vol. 9
Added 09/15/2004 by Barnolde
Summary: I never played the previous Links games on PC, because well, I’m not a big PC gamer, and I find golf boring. I blindly bought Links 2004 though, because it was cheap and after hearing many good things about it, and to my surprise it was fun, while still being realistic. Links is a great looking golf game that brings everything but the boredom, heat and excessive walking of real golf home. Play the usual, yet involved career mode with your own created player or one of the many included golf pros, and use money to buy and unlock new things. I found the game to be easy to play, especially compared to other easy to play games such as Outlaw Golf, and that’s a major draw to me. I never really had a problem with aiming as it felt intuitive and responsive, yet it was not complicated to use or took long to set up. The graphics in Links are superb, the sattelite mapped courses look phenomal, as do the players themselves, this is one superb looking game. The game sounds pretty good too, you hear sounds of nature, your powerful swings, as well as well done voices, among other things. The controls are very good as well, and there’s a multitude of things to do in this game. The biggest draw in this is easily the Xbox Live play, as well as XSN support and downloadable content. Since golf isn’t a fast paced sport, the game plays very well online, and the fact that you can have a buddy go online with you is a great feature that makes Links much better. Sure golf is still a slow game, but if you like it, or you’re willing to experiment in your lineup, Links 2004 is a game made for the hardcore golf fan, yet easy enough for the casual player, and definitely recommended for the Live enabled player.
Why it didn't sell: Came out during crowded holiday season
Talk Xbox Links 2004 score: N/A
My personal Links 2004 score: 9.2
Summary: Touted as the unofficial sucessor to the amazing Virtua Tennis, Top Spin is definitely a title worthy of that crown. Anyone with a Dreamcast can tell you (including myself) about how good Virtua Tennis was, and how the two-on-two play is something that will draw you in and not let you go. One thing Top Spin has that other games doesn’t is a playable Anna Kournikova, oh yeah and it has online play too. This game has all the usual elements like career mode, exhibition and training, but if you want to enjoy all that Top Spin offers, hop online and play a doubles match. The simplistic, yet evolved gameplay of this game makes this instantly a title that appeals to casuals and hardcore, but is fun for all. There is a lot to do offline, like unlocking new things, and playing all the events that your heart desires. Like the other XSN games, Top Spin is a joy to look at (and yes, Anna Kournikova is too) for the wonderful pro player models, 3D audience, detailed and varied courts, it’s all done so well. While to some, tennis may not seem like a game with a lot of depth, Top Spin does its best to change that, offering a copious amount of things to do. Sporting some amazing graphics and adequate sound, with responsive and superb controls, this is a winner. Top Spin is easily the best tennis game on the Xbox, and one of the best tennis games of all time, go online and enjoy Top Spin in all its ball whacking glory!
Why it didn't sell: Came out during crowded holiday season
My personal Top Spin score: 9.3
Summary: The first Amped was a huge surprise for me, I went into it without expecting such a wonderful experience, and was blown away. Amped 2 is back and better than ever, continuting the trend of superb extreme sports, that are some of the Xbox’s best. Amped 2 improves upon the first one as much as it could’ve, and the landing, especially has been redone. As some of you may remember, landing in Amped was very difficult, as you had to be pretty much perfectly straight, or you’d fall, and Amped 2 is much more lenient, which offers a much more forgiving and enjoyable experience. The game is a more realistic look at snowboaring compared to something like SSX, but not being a hardcore snowboarding fan, I found it pretty easy to jump into Amped 2 and have a blast. Probably the first thing you’ll notice when you start the game is the sheer size of the mountains. The wonderful professionally built courses are much improved and easily boarder on photo-realism, while the player models look better than ever. The graphics are so amazing and detailed, especially for a game on such a large scale. The snow looks great as you glide through it, as does the ice, and the player models look like real people wearing real clothes. Professionals are not only there to play against, but their voices are there when you challenge them, and the sound effects are great as well, it really sounds like ice when you skate over it. There is the updated career mode which offers you more things to unlock, more things to do and it’s a big improvement over the first one. The inclusion of online play and XSN makes this product that much sweeter. There’s nothing like hopping online with a bunch of friends and trying to outrun and outtrick them in a lag-free environment. Amped 2 is not only the undisputed champ of snowboarding games, but like Links and Top Spin, it appeals to all players, and this game truly shows off the power of the Xbox.
Why it didn't sell: Came out during crowded holiday season
My personal Amped 2 score: 9.4
