Front Page Sports: Golf

Front Page Sports: Golf features two golf courses: Pete Dye Golf Club in West Virginia, and the Prince Course in Hawaii. Player customization options include the selection of skin color and gender. Clothing, including pants, can also be customized. The game includes an option that enables computer-controlled golfers to learn how to improve their golfing. The game features a golf swing method known as TrueSwing, in which the player moves the computer mouse backward and forward to simulate the golf swing. The game also includes a traditional three-click swing method. The game features several multiplayer options, including LAN and modem. At the time of release, players could also log on to the Sierra Internet Gaming System (SIGS). ==Development and release==

Front Page Sports: Golf was developed by Headgate Studios and published by Sierra On-Line. Sierra purchased Headgate Studios in 1996, giving the latter company additional resources to perfect the game. Front Page Sports: Golf was once planned for release in November 1996. The game neared completion as of April 1997, and it was released for Microsoft Windows shortly thereafter. ==Reception==

Front Page Sports: Golf was critically acclaimed. Jeff Lackey of Computer Games Strategy Plus called it "a very pleasant surprise" and "a true breakthrough" in computer golf, stating that it revolutionized the golf swing method and that as a result, it "has likely changed the face of all golf games to come." Malcolm X Abram of the Atlanta Journal and Constitution wrote that the TrueSwing method "is instantly more absorbing than the traditional three-click method", while Gordon Goble of Gamecenter considered the TrueSwing natural and unrestrained. May considered the TrueSwing to be the game's "biggest innovation" but stated that it requires practice. Game Revolution considered the TrueSwing realistic and impressive, but also stated that it "definitely takes some getting used to." T. Liam McDonald of PC Magazine was disappointed with the TrueSwing, stating that it "leaves too many shots short." McDonald considered Front Page Sports: Golf to be a "modest golf game" that needed improvement in order to compete against other golf games. Some critics praised the graphics, although Goble considered them slightly inferior to Jack Nicklaus 4 and the Links LS games. McDonald noted inconsistencies with the graphics, such as "nice grass textures but flat and pixelized object rendering." Kaiafas stated that the graphics were "certainly good, but nothing stellar." Kaiafas praised the game for using 3D golfers rather than the FMV golfers typically used in other games, as 3D allows the golfers to react in real time to the mouse swing, as well as have various post-show reactions. May also praised the polygonal golfers, stating that they had faster animation and a wider range of motions and emotions. Game Revolution also praised the golfer designs and their post-shot reactions. The game also received some praise for its sound, its multiplayer options, and its physics. Goble stated that the ball movements were "consistent and startlingly authentic". May praised the realistic gameplay and the ability of the computer-controlled players to learn, while Game Revolution praised the ability to customize the golfers' pants. Goble stated that the game "is hampered somewhat by rare technical flaws" such as crashes, and stated that like other golf games, it "is strong in some areas and weak in others". Lackey complained of poor artificial intelligence at times, as well as bugs, which Sierra aimed to remedy with a patch. ==References==