PGA Tour 96

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a game by Electronic Arts, and Hitmen Productions
Genres: Sports, Simulation
Platforms: PC (1995), Sega GenesisGenesis (1995), SNESSNES (1995), 3DO (1995), GameGear (1995), GameBoy (1995)
Editor Rating: 7/10, based on 5 reviews, 7 reviews are shown
User Rating: 8.0/10 - 2 votes
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See also: Sport Games, Golf Games, PGA Games

There are still people who say that the best golf game ever is most definitely Links. These people own 386s, wear cardigans and think that cd-rom is a passing fad. They've never played Doom, think Deathmatch is what you use to light a cigarette, and say 'in your opinion' when you're trying to have an argument with them. Fools. There's more to life than Links. There's PGA 486 for example, and now there's PGA Tour 96.

If it ain't broke...?

Well, to be honest, I thought you couldn't get much better than the last effort - with a beefy machine it was tops. Yeah, the access time was pretty slow and it took a while to load up, but it was worth the wait. All those beautifully rendered fairways, golfers and options, it just looked gorgeous and played like a dream. If the golfers had been wearing funny trousers and HA Sports had released some more courses, it would never have left my disc caddy.

As it is, the disc accessing and screen re-draw rate has been speeded up by 200% so it's much quicker to play - a bonus if you aren't the proud owner of a spanking new Pentium.

EA has also added this new 'Waggle' feature which not only enables you to hit the ball 'fat' or 'thin', but makes it a bit more difficult as well. Apart from that, there's little else to say apart from the fact that it's still the best golf game available for the pc, it's jam-packed with options, and that as EA Sports plans to bring out more course disks very soon it's probably a good idea to go and buy it right now, even if you already own a copy of PGA 486. And that's my opinion.

Download PGA Tour 96

PC

System requirements:

  • PC compatible
  • Operating systems: Windows 10/Windows 8/Windows 7/2000/Vista/WinXP
Genesis

System requirements:

  • PC compatible
  • Operating systems: Windows 10/Windows 8/Windows 7/2000/Vista/WinXP
  • Game modes: Single game mode

Player controls:

  • Up, Down, Left, Right - Arrow keys
  • Start - Enter (Pause, Menu select, Skip intro, Inventory)
  • "A" Gamepad button - Ctrl (usually Jump or Change weapon)
  • "B" button - Space (Jump, Fire, Menu select)
  • "C" button - Left Shift (Item select)

Use the F12 key to toggle mouse capture / release when using the mouse as a controller.

SNES

System requirements:

  • PC compatible
  • Operating systems: Windows 10/Windows 8/Windows 7/2000/Vista/WinXP
  • Pentium II (or equivalent) 266MHz (500MHz recommended), RAM: 64MB (128MB recommended), DirectX v8.0a or later must be installed
3DO

System requirements:

  • PC compatible
  • Operating systems: Windows 10/Windows 8/Windows 7/2000/Vista/WinXP
GameGear

System requirements:

  • PC compatible
  • Operating systems: Windows 10/Windows 8/Windows 7/2000/Vista/WinXP
Gameboy

System requirements:

  • PC compatible
  • Operating systems: Windows 10/Windows 8/Windows 7/2000/Vista/WinXP

Game Reviews

If you thought golf was boring, think again. PGA Tour '96 is a beautiful game that packs more wallop than a John Daly drive.

PGA features nine pros, three courses, and diverse modes like Tournament and Skins. The control is more consistent than Tom Kite, and the accurate swing meter enables you to shoot precisely.

The graphics are a little grainier overall than in the PlayStation version, but the amazing images of digitized golfers and individual swings look like something you'd watch on TV.

The sound includes classical music in the introduction and digitized voice during gameplay, but the announcer often repeats himself.

PGA Tour '96 is a game as rare as a hole-in-one and a must-have for 3DO golfers.

Game Gear sports fans get a taste of the green with PGA Tour '96. While the green looks good, the slow screen redraw will make you think you're stuck in a sand trap for good.

Although the graphics are slightly better than the Game Boy version's, too many small "enhancements" like the putting grid and the tips before each round really slow the game down.

The music is standard Game Gear tin-speaker surround sound, but the sound effects are below average, and there are no crowd sounds.

Although not as access-ready as the Game Boy, this cart is still a lot of fun. Just like in the real PGA, when the action actually gets going, it's a great game.

The top Genesis golf series has finally teed off on the SNES.

T∙HQ selected the strong elements from the old Genesis games to concoct this fairly enjoyable SNES version, but sharp features like backspin and 3D terrain are absent. Many basics are still here, though: ten pros, eight courses, and a fairly responsive version of PGA Ill's power meter.

Despite the irritatingly slow screen redraw, the graphics sport nicely detailed backgrounds and fluid sprite movements. The vanilla music and infrequent effects score a bogey, though.

Patient gamers will find a good round of golf despite these flaws. While it doesn't top Genesis PGA III, this first SNES outing gets the job done better than its lame Genesis counterpart.

ProTips:

  • Always underpower pitches by about 5 percent to compensate for the log roll.
  • Adjust your aim to compensate for winds faster than 10 mph.

EA Sports tried to cram its marvelous PlayStation PGA game into a Genesis game, and it just didn't fit. The glaring compromises appear in the erratic graphics and incomplete controls.

Bungled Shot

PGA '96 doesn't step that far ahead of its Genesis precursors. Create your own player or choose from ten pros (like Lee Janzen and Fuzzy Zoeller), then hit one of three courses in Stroke, Skins, Tournament, Match, Shootout, and Practice modes. You can still choose your clubs, adjust the wind, and put draw, fade, and backspin on the ball.

The trouble begins with the controls. As in the PlayStation version, your club swings through a blue arc that you stop in order to set the power and accuracy.

But the shot-planning features of the PlayStation version (the yellow targeting arrow) and of the previous Genesis versions (the swing meter's percentage marks and the putting view) have fallen off the golf game. These shortcomings prevent you from precisely calculating your shot, robbing you of the ability to play tight golf.

ProTip:

  • If you've developed pinpoint accuracy, go for an eagle on a par 5 hole by maxing out the power on your first two shots so that you land on the green.
  • On putts that rise up an incline or break to either side, hit the ball a little harder to cover the extra distance.
  • Shots with wooden clubs have a long roll, which can interfere with precise shots when landing on the green. Use some backspin as a countermeasure.

Graphically, the brightly colored 3D terrain imbues the courses with a more realistic look, and the lifelike digitized sprites move fluidly. In close, though, the 3D effect often looks too choppy and geometrical, like you're playing in a world of triangles.

Worst of all, you'll fidget through an intolerable 5- to 15- second wait every time the screen redraws. The sounds add to the mediocrity with the usual chirpy birds, decent ball noises, and flaky music.

Missed Far

Genesis golfers should stick with PGA Tour IE, the pinnacle of the series. If you're dying for a fresh round of golf, check out the masterful PlayStation game.

PGA Tour 96 is a Super Nintendo Entertainment System and a PC (MS-DOS) golf game that takes place during the 1995 PGA season. Instead of offering several generic courses, the three available (Spyglass Hill, Sawgrass and River Highlands) are in 3D, with height differences visible (as well as the limited 3D abilities of the console allow). The game features many professional golfing stars and various modes from stroke play to match play and even tournament mode. Gameplaywise, PGA 96 uses the tried-and-proved triple click system - one to start the swing, other to set strength and a final one for accuracy.

With PGA Tour '96, the Game Boy clubs its way onto the links. This minute golf game is actually fun.

It takes a pretty boring car trip to have to play golf on a portable, but PGA actually doesn't suck. All the standards are here (club selection, swing meter, even course overview), but the most appealing aspect is the plug-and-play feel.

The graphics and sound aren't spectacular, but your eyes and ears won't suffer much. Your golfer has a complete swing, and the game does a nice job of following the ball.

PGA Tour '96 is as easy as looking foolish in plaid pants. Don't pay green fees, don't worry about everyone else's score. Just swing with this decent cart.

Snapshots and Media

PC Screenshots

Sega Genesis/Mega Drive Screenshots

SNES/Super Nintendo/Super Famicom Screenshots

GameGear Screenshots

3DO Screenshots

GameBoy Screenshots

See Also

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