Neo Turf Masters

Introduction:

Golf games are placed in a funny group by gamers. People who don’t play golf in real life usually dig this more laid back and casual take on the sport. The gaming landscape has such an abundance of golf video games that one can get lost in the sea of that genre. Many turn to Golden Tee for their golf fix. Released in 1996, Neo Turf Masters wasn’t the first golf game for the Neo Geo MVS. MVS developers were definitely reaching the peak of their technological prowess around that year, and so our friends at Nazca were able to bring us something special.

Story:

Golfers gather around and compete for the lowest stroke count in a tournament. Not much to it other than having some intense matches. There could have been a story on why the golfers look like they are swinging their club at the other player when they lose, though.

Graphics: 👾

Bright and colorful... you’ll be seeing a lot of greens and blues. For the era the graphics are good. This was around when the 32 bit consoles were gaining ground, so the 2D sprites didn’t impress as much as they would’ve earlier in the decade. The main screen does have some depth to it with some graphical tricks akin to Mode 7 on the Super Famicom. The maps themselves are clear and vibrant; you will have no problems discerning what objects are on the course. The one point where I can criticize the graphics is how repetitive they can be at times. The golfer avatars aren’t that much different from each other. The courses themselves are from around the world but other than the beautiful horizon on each of the course’s background, there isn’t much to differentiate them.

Sound: 🔊

The sound in this game is 10/10—straight up without question. The sound effects are standard golf sounds; they all sound excellent, loud, and clear and make every swing an event. The voices are the same amongst the golfers but are very quotable along with the announcer and her cute voice. After a couple of rounds you WILL be following her in screaming “ON THE GWEEN”. The music is some of the best and most relaxing stuff I’ve ever heard in a Golf game. Each course has its own theme so you’ll get some variety. The composer worked some magic to make each individual song never grow old and you’ll be humming each song long after your session ends. Without overtly using countries' ethnic identities, the music for each course still captures the spirit of said course (if that makes any sense). Like, the Japan stage screams “Oriental golf course” without using traditional Japanese instruments.

Gameplay: 🕹️

The gameplay is some great stuff. The game works like every other golf video game that has come out (i.e. you try to complete each course with the lowest stroke count as possible). Neo Turf Masters—being an arcade game—had to keep the integrity of the sport while speeding up the gameplay to get as much revenue as possible. This inadvertently helps the game’s pacing and adds to the addictive game flow. If you do not act quickly, you will be forced to shoot or miss the swing so there is always a bit of tension when trying to plan your shot. You think this would dumb down the gameplay, but it really does not; there is hardly any assistance from the computer when planning a swing. The mini map will tell you the direction of your intended shot, the wind's direction and speed, and the remaining distance from the hole... but that’s about all the help you'll get.

Once you get the general gist of what to do, the gameplay becomes addictive and very rewarding. When caught in a hazard, swinging a great shot gives you a sense of satisfaction unattainable in a game like Mario Golf. You really have to use your brain to determine which club to use and how terrain to deal with the terrain you're currently in and putting grain. It sounds simple on paper (and maybe even a little average) but it’s really something you have experience for yourself. The courses themselves are challenging and make every successful game even more satisfying. Give it a shot if you're thinking about playing some golf games! The pace of the courses will have you wanting to try them over and over again, working towards perfection.

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