PS3 Fanboy

Who doesn't love Hot Shots Golf? The answer is: nobody. While we're not enthusiastic fans of the sport on television, we do love picking up the virtual golf club and playing a few rounds of Hot Shots Golf with a few friends. Today's amazon.com Deal of the Day is all about Sony's famed golf franchise.

Update: PS3 game is out of stock, it appears. The PS3 version of the franchise, Out of Bounds can be picked up for only $26 -- that's more than half off! The latest PSP game, Open Tee 2 can be picked up for $20. Both feature robust online multiplayer, and a plethora of content that'll have you swinging for hours. Either way, you win.

[Via CAG]

Have an extra buck in your PSN account? Maybe you'll want to spend it on new Hot Shots Golf characters. They'll be available for a dollar each. Alex skill level will be intermediate; Gloria's is expert. Both characters will be available to purchase on the 15th.

Due to the DLC, a patch will be applied to the game later this week as well. The patch is required for all players of the game, even if they opt not to buy any of these characters.

It's all in the title, really. If you're curious about the artistic direction behind Hot Shots Golf: Out of Bounds or just want to check out some more cutesy golf action, feel free to watch. You'll learn about the new shot system. How is it more "realistic" than previous iterations of the franchise? You'll know, when you watch the video with Clap Hanz' lead artist on the project, Keisuke Futami.

Also politely known as Hot Shots Golf: Out of Bounds outside of Japan, Hot Shots Golf 5 is getting a host of new features on February 7th in Japan. Hopefully, these additions will appear for all of us when the game is released in March. The free update adds two online modes: Stroke and Match. The former allows stroke play for four players. The neat thing is you can run around the course freely while chatting away with your friends. Match mode is a one-on-one battle with several predetermined rules set by you and/or your opponent.

The update also lets you tweak rules in the game, like forbidding the use of certain skills in certain missions or holes or whatever. The online lobbies get a facelift too, allowing you to make it so only friends can get into your lobby, or people at similar skill levels. This update is free, but priced downloads aren't far away -- two new characters will appear across February and March, with a new course to be offered in April. Sounds like we're getting the game just in time!

At a recent NYC media event, PS3 Fanboy was able to get our hands on a newly localized version of Hot Shots Golf 5. The newest iteration of Clap Hanz's casual golfing game keeps the franchise's highly accessible gameplay, but gains a new level of unprecedented detail and personality, made possible by the PS3. The visuals are impressive, but considering how old the Japanese original is, it no longer has the "wow" factor it had when we first saw the game.

The build we played featured the same characters from the Japanese game and the same charming voice acting from the Japanese original. However, localization is not yet complete, and the Sony representative on hand was unable to comment whether or not both English and Japanese language tracks will remain in the game. We urged them to -- let's hope they take our advice.

The traditional three-press model returns in Hot Shots Golf 5, which has you timing button presses to determine the strength of a shot. However, a new advanced mode of swinging has been introduced. In this mode, you must look at the character and the position of their club. As they lift their club, you will press X to command them to swing. Because it doesn't use a HUD, it's a very natural way of interpreting the sport, although it does take some time getting used to. Supposedly, you'll be able to add a bit more slice and spin to the ball in this mode.

Solid graphics, solid gameplay and fantastic presentation make Hot Shots Golf 5 a worthwhile addition to the PS3 library. The beginning of the year is usually slow for games, but this will certainly make a splash when it releases in March, exclusively for the PS3.

One of the best PS3 games to come out this year never made it to the States. Hot Shots Golf 5 tore up the Japanese sales charts thanks to its attractive graphics, accessible gameplay and ultra-cute characters. PS3 Fanboy has learned that SCEA will finally release one of our favorite games in the States in March 2008. We're certain that a downloadable demo will strike the PSN before that, though.

Check out new screenshots from the game in our gallery: