Super Swing Golf Season 2 review

Super Swing Golf is like a quirky second cousin to Sony's big-headed Hot Shots Golf, with similar gameplay and courses - albeit ones populated by pirates, bouncing creatures, magical balls and household items that double as golf clubs. Its fantastical storyline and colorful presentation seemingly belie Super Swing's gameplay depth, but the experience is layered with nuance and countless options, while the excellent motion swing returns unchanged.

Key issues from the original have been smartly addressed. Whether using the motion swing or the three-click button system, you no longer have to navigate the entire length of the Wii Remote to line up a shot, and you can now skip past much of the in-game visual fluff for a streamlined experience. Expanded practice options and a post-swing analysis icon make Season 2 a much more accessible sim, to boot.

The frustrating PangYa Festa single-player mode of the original has been dropped in favor of Tour Mode, which thrusts players into an adventure across more than a dozen courses via maps that resemble Mario Party game boards. Through short matches against the more convincing A.I. opponents, you'll unlock characters, clothing and additional locales to tear up with your nine-iron in tow. Multiplayer remains a highlight in Season 2, with four-player support and compelling minigames (Balloon Pop, Darts), though online play is really overdue for this console conversion of a Korean MMO.