Hot Shots Golf: Open Tee 2 (PSP)

Goofy golf that’s seriously fun.

There's nothing like a little positive reinforcement when you perform well.

The 12 courses in the game include favorites from past games and brand-new courses.

The first Hot Shots Golf game came out over a decade ago, and the series has remained a perennial favorite with PlayStation gamers ever since. And it’s with good reason--the controls are simple enough for anyone to pick up, and the cartoony aesthetic means that it appeals to both sports and non-sports people.

The next iteration in the franchise is Hot Shots Golf: Open Tee 2, the sequel to the first Hot Shots on the PSP. The controls remain super accessible: Adjust the shot direction, and then hit the ball, hitting X the first time to establish shot power and a second time to determine accuracy. Putting is even simpler control-wise, but requires the oh-so-tricky art of reading a green that separates out the amateurs from the pros.

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From a technical standpoint, the game looks great, with crisp, bright graphics. There’s almost no wait time between shots, as the character is zoomed forward to the ball in fast motion, and load times between holes themselves are practically nonexistent.

This time around there will be 12 different courses, twice the number from the last game; there are also 24 golfers, up from the 10 in the first Open Tee. There are also plenty of unlockables, including clothing, hairstyles, and rare items that you can earn and then outfit your character with.

Challenge mode and stroke play both make a return on the single-player side, as does the training mode where you can practice up for tournaments. There’s also a putting minigame where you try to earn the highest score possible, kind of like a shooting range. The biggest new addition for Hot Shot Golf fans, however, comes on the multiplayer side of things: In addition to eight-player local multiplayer, you’ll now be able to compete in online matches with up to 16 players. Now that’s reason to go celebrate at the 19th hole.

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