HAL's Hole in One Golf retrospective: Links awakening | Super NES Works

Another HAL creation: Hole In One Golf follows up on the company's landmark MSX take on the sport, adds in a Japanese golf legend, removes the golf legend for good measure, and allows players to explore a single course with exhaustive detail (via an isometric perspective that just might have served as the basis for Kirby's Dream Course).

[@cashnelson2306]

I've never seen such a gift for titles.

[@jedgrahek1426]

The level of research you did for this (and your videos in general) is really, really exceptional. I have fond memories of playing NES Golf with my father as a young child, and the information about its significance as a an omawari for the switch was very emotionally impactful. Thank you.

[@mrjotz]

My family played this one a bunch back in the day. We got REALLY good at it.

[@XISMZERO]

So glad you covered Hole In One. I remember being thrilled at how much legacy the Japan version had with Jumbo Ozaki. This was one of our first SNES games alongside Mario World and I remember the opening "zoom" shot being so next level graphically. Overall, a smooth, fun and solid serious golf title, even if it only had one course. Supremely love the fusion soundtrack (of course, by Ando and Ishikawa), especially that super funky topography music and synthy flutes.

[@WrathOfNolla]

And boy-howdy did that soundtrack make good use of its drums.

[@fingrati]

I've always admired HAL's releases for Nintendo systems, as each one is always of excellent quality.

[@Kafei2006]

True Golf Classics: Waialae Country Club which would come to the US market in November 1991 (according to GameFAQs), which would be two months after this one in that territory, was for me the most impressive early golf game for the system, featuring early, flat shaded polygonal 3D on the system without the help of any extra chip in the cartridge... Though the game had no animation as a result, and shifting the camera angle would ask the console a second or two to redraw the image with the different angle, but at least you got the benefits of being able to view the terrain from many different angles, which to me changed how golf games played, forever. I hope that one gets covered at some point in SNES Works!

[@PandaXs1]

my dad used to love this game. my dad also returned (???) UN Squadron after playing it once, depriving me of that game being in my childhood (though I guess in all fairness he was probably expecting a combat flight sim and not some weird horizontal scrolling shooter). my grandpa was the one really into golf, though, and he probably at least heard of Jumbo Ozaki. too late to ask now, guess I'll just wonder about it forever 🤷

[@SuperChadwicktron]

My favorite golf game growing up I rented this from Box Office Video many times.

[@FrothingManiac]

I like that all the golf courses exist on the mode 7 map, but I can't help but think that it came about as a compromise as it reminds me of how all the tracks in F-Zero are put on the same graphic.

[@HybridAngelZero]

The Legend of Jumbo: The Links to the Past. Iwata, you're a true hero to this day

[@ManuelBilderbeek]

That semicircle power meter reminds me of the MSX2 game "The Golf" by Pack-In-Video, which has a very similar thing.

[@kicksex]

I had no idea there was so much to say about this game Love the history lessons too

[@djnekroman]

How can anyone thumbs-down a Jeremy Parish video? What the hell? Anyway, great work as always! Watching this just makes me wanna play Neo Turf Masters, though. (The best golf game of all time.)

[@ChristopherSobieniak]

It's a shame people have to be asses about it.

[@ztoxtube]

I was gonna say something about Neo Turf Masters. I saved a few hundred dollars by getting the SNK disk on PS2. ON THE GREEN!

[@ztoxtube]

I really dig that music you used at the end with "next episode" and other videos. Reminds me of Syd Dale.

[@leonardwei3914]

It's from the Anime Neon Genesis Evangelion, the same music they play for previews to the next episode.

[@retrorun]

Great review. Ive played it recently. Took some hours to be able to complete the course just under PAR. I feel like its a nice game to play with a friend.

[@tapewormbike9214]

"There'll be HAL to pay!" Oh Jeremy, there is a special circle of actual hell for people who make puns like that. Also, wonderful video as per usual, thanks for your amazing work!

[@sbi168]

I could care less about golf but this series makes me want to keep watching them all

[@Wuss2ns]

The visuals are great though! Wow!

[@hansamurai]

Today (Dec. 6) would have been Satoru Iwata's 58th birthday. Seems like an appropriate video for today.

[@JohnnyMatherson]

HAPPY BIRTHDAY IWATA! :( (づ｡◕‿‿◕｡)づ

[@Urvy1A]

All it took was a Poyo Boy to save HAL

[@JeremyParish]

Is there anything Poyo Boys can't accomplish if they put their tiny little minds to it?

[@THEmuteKi]

Shot meter redesign appears to be inspired by the nearly contemporary Links: the Challenge of Golf by Access Software

[@JeremyParish]

I believe it's actually taken from this game's own predecessor, Hole in One Professional - you can see it in the archival footage of that game I included.

[@THEmuteKi]

Jeremy Parish dang, that does predate even Links. HAL were electronic golf visionaries.

[@mavrick45]

you should make a video about unnecessarily long passwords hahaha

[@sunnohh]

Favorite creator!

[@krank23]

I'm just here for the puns.

[@ArtistMaterial10]

Gotta ask, any one know the song he uses for the "Next Episode" segment?

[@ninto55ssequesterrecording8]

Very late answer, but he uses the episode preview song from Evangelion.