Minna no Golf 5 demo hits Japanese PlayStation Store
by Jonti Davies 
{ Mar 15th 2007 at 9:00PM }
If you don't already have a dummy Japanese PSN account, now's the time to make one. We've spent the past 19 minutes downloading a playable demo of Clap Hanz' Minna no Golf 5, which is the PS3 debut for a series that's also known as Hot Shots Golf and Everybody's Golf. The demo weighs in at 241MB, and a quick play reveals what could be the greenest game of 2007 -- it just needs some frame-rate improvement in places and we'll be sold. The final product is due for release in Japan this July.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Hikaru @ Mar 15th 2007 10:23PM
Whoa! 1st post! Minna Ganbare!
Psaakyrn @ Mar 15th 2007 10:38PM
Bad choice of screenshot though, that's still rather brown.
zmaster123 @ Mar 15th 2007 11:13PM
I mean seriously, who wants to play a golfing game pick up motorstorm or graw2 for crying out loud.
Douglas @ Mar 16th 2007 1:05AM
Jeez, upskirt FTW...
joel @ Mar 16th 2007 12:09AM
Arrgh! Honestly, isn't there anything exciting going on in the gaming world? The last week has been dull, dull, dull. Seriously, I'm straining looking for good news.
Negativecool @ Mar 16th 2007 12:21AM
I've said this before, the Hot Shots series is the only games my wife likes to play...and if she doesn't play anything, it makes it harder for me to kill a few hours playing. (like I used to as a single undergrad...stay away from marriage to keep your gaming freedom...stay AWAY!)
Now that Hot Shots Golf 5 is out, all I have to do now is talk her into putting down $600 and another couple thousand on a sweet HDTV and we're set to go on the next installment of her favorite game...right?....Who's taking bets on when THAT will happen?
Car2oon @ Mar 16th 2007 12:36AM
Whoa guys! This is Hot Shots Golf were talking about! I love this series. Can't wait for this version!
RoboJoel @ Mar 16th 2007 2:37AM
Wow, that actually looks impressive. All I remember hearing about this game is how it's making the PS3 look like less of a Power Machine... but those are some unbelievably beautiful visuals, easilly topping the already unbelievably beautiful Viva Pinata and Blue Dragon.
...Shame Mario Golfers will have to be alright with a prettied up Toadstool Tour whenever Nintendo gets around to announcing a Wii entry in the series. Stuff like this that makes me wish Wii had more RAM and a more powerful GPU. Zelda: The Wind Waker and Conker: Live & Reloaded are still the best looking games from ye ol' generation, IMO... and, IMO, This is looking to be a an early contender.
Never cared for Hot Shots after the original... and Mario Golf. Gonna be weird plopping down $660 for a game I'm not entirely sure of :P
Knoxximus @ Mar 16th 2007 2:37AM
*agrees with Negativecool*
Kannon @ Mar 16th 2007 4:06AM
Just get Tiger Woods PGA on Wii and you wont ever go back to a traditional controller for golf.
Anonymous @ Mar 16th 2007 3:06AM
I prefer Tiger Woods and Mario Golf for when I get that golfing itch (and it's winter and I can't go golfing myself) but this game looks like it might be a welcome addition to the genre. No way in hell would I pay 60 dollars for this game though. Not a chance.
Razeen @ Mar 16th 2007 5:56AM
This game screenshot is like online golf game that popular in my country.
But, i will wait this game.
sheppy @ Mar 16th 2007 9:13AM
"Just get Tiger Woods PGA on Wii and you wont ever go back to a traditional controller for golf."
Unless, of course, you LIKE traditional controllers and got your fix of spastic arm controls with WiiSports.
Matt B @ Mar 16th 2007 11:56AM
Great news. My friends and I have loved the Hot Shots series. I just borrowed HS FORE! from my fried the other day to play on my PS3. Good thing I did so I can gets some much needed practice in for when this comes out. :D
Jeff @ Mar 16th 2007 12:02PM
I'm surprised it's taken this long for a demo to come out. This was one of the two games Sony had running at their showroom in Ginza before the launch of the system (the other being Gran Turismo HD). So... six months on from that and we only now have a demo? I'd expect a full game by now. I mean this is Minna no Golf, it's basically just a formula anyway at this point.
I will likely pick it up, though, and probably in its original Japanese incarnation. In the last few editions of Hot Shots, they have replaced the super-deformed Japanese characters with annoying white trash equivalents that I could have done without.
This game will sell well in both territories, though.
kftgr @ Mar 16th 2007 8:14PM
Super Swing Golf kicks all their butts in fun. Pangya! :) It supports both swing and button controls too.