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Everybody Loves Golf. It’s a pretty broad statement to tack onto your video game, but if you look at the game behind the name, then who can blame the developers. Everybody Loves Golf was a PSP launch title, and arguably the only decent one. It had cutesy graphics, a viciously addictive gameplay base and it was portable. We’re still playing the original, which meant that the prospect of a sequel, imaginatively named Everybody Loves Golf 2 was a certain purchase. Also known as Hot Shots Golf 2: Open Tee, Sony’s latest outing is a continuation of the previous title in every way possible. It’s got familiar courses, art style and single player options. You’d be mistaken in thinking it’s the same game. Does Everybody Love Golf successfully spread its affection, or does it get the cold shoulder?
Everybody Loves Golf 2 seems to be a firm believer in the age old mantra we continually quote; “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” While we often spurt the phrase when we see a few similarities between a sequel and its source material, Everybody Loves Golf 2 takes it a step further and repackages the exact same game. There are new courses, characters and items but at the same time there’s repetition of old courses, similar design choices and same graphics engine. If you’re still playing the original, then there isn’t much reason to upgrade. As you work your way through the campaign, you’ll start off on the easier courses, which are the repeat appearances. It’ll be an extreme case of Déjà Vu for the veteran player. The challenge mode is where you’ll spend your time; levelling up the abilities of your characters, unlocking special items to customize your golfers and involving yourself in match plays / tournaments. You’ll work your way up a linear ranking system, slowly progressing to more difficult courses and adepter opponents. It’s as addictive as the original and suits the portability of the console down to a tee (pun - intended). If you’re moving from the original to the sequel, you may suffer from some fatigue, but other than that you’ll dive right in. Elsewhere is the standard Stroke Play, Training and mini-games. With little reward, you’ll ignore them for the Challenge mode that continually dishes out loot for your effort.  The gameplay system joins the feature list by being the same. You press X to start a power meter, press it again to set the power and then press it once more, timing it with a line. You can add backspin, side spin and top spin to get around obstacles or get a few more precious inches on your drive. The controls are simple allowing for an intended pick-up-and-playability. It’s Everybody Loves Golf, just a bit shinier. That said, the “Good Shot” font and sound effects are a near identical rip which is extremely lazy design. If you’re a single player gamer, then there’s really no reason to purchase the latest version, especially when you can grab the original for under a tenner. If you enjoy squaring off against fellow golfers around the world, you finally can by using the PSP’s infrastructure connection to join online multiplayer. Once you get connected (which isn’t 100% accurate), the game’s a treat. It’s impressive stuff and it adds some extra legs to the title. If it hadn’t been included, we’d have been quick to dismiss Everybody Loves Golf 2. If you missed it the first time around, the give your PSP some love. If you’re a fan of the original and craving for an evolution, you will be disappointed. On the other hand, the game’s got everything you’d want, just with a new lick of paint. Score: 7/10
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