Another batch of budget bilge ordered from eBay arrived today. My customary first title of the group is Minigolf: The Game … maybe. It might be Minigolf 2003. Or perhaps just Golf 2003. It depends on which of the 5 companies involved with this game that you ask. This is the kind of game that really causes headaches when it comes to logging its data into MobyGames. As stated, the game mentions no fewer than 5 companies between the packaging and the in-game screens. Further, it contains 3 copyright dates depending on where you look as well as 3 different titles. Which takes precedent?

I am guessing that this game was developed by a non-English-speaking development house, as evidenced by the instructions screen. A portion is shown below and illustrates how the title for the post is derived:

Right off the bat, it’s fair to say that I prefer those 3D Ultra Mini Golf Adventures games from Taco Bell. This Macromedia Director-based game left me with the impression that the developers had never actually played minigolf, or just don’t grasp what the appeal of the game is. I refer of course to goofy courses. This overhead perspective take on the game is a bit sterile, to say the least:

You can place the ball anywhere in the circle to start. Then you use the mouse to determine the ball’s vector; the force that the ball is hit with is implicitly determined by the length of the line.

You don’t actually play against anyone. You merely play against yourself and must sink the ball in a certain number of strokes. A hole in one is worth 10 points. Each stroke beyond that is worth progressively fewer points: 5, 3, 2, 1 then 0. After the 0-pointer, you are given one more opportunity where the game warns you that you must play for your, ahem, “live”:

Play or die. The game’s final question was not difficult to answer: