Life is like a round of golf
With many twists and turns.

Sometimes you hit the ball straight and far
Sometimes you hit it straight
Sometimes you miss, or make a bad shot.

Each round has its uneven shots
And problems to be faced.

The rounds are too sweet and short
To curse the shots you miss.

So always play with courage
And keep playing
No matter what the line.

Never let the dangers
Destroy the joy in you.

Keep a song in your heart
Be grateful that you can play.

The round is too short and sweet
To stop enjoying it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5AFziC8xIcI&t=1s

This is my second review for this game. The first one is available here; I'm writing a new one because I feel like there's too many comparisons, too much saying it is good for merely being what other golf games are not. And while it is true that this game is the exception in the horrible genre that is golf games, using such a framework doesn't sell you at all into the searing complexity of this world or the beautiful way all these little interlocking systems cascade together to make every stroke and every hole an exciting and fresh ordeal.

The first time you play a Neo Turf Masters game after the tutorial, starting with any course not all the features are there. It begins as just feeling out the different clubs and the controls. But eventually, wind is added. Then grain, then increasingly more difficult and involved holes. There is obviously one goal - to get the ball in the hole - but the level design makes it so much more; will you glide along the fairway or will you take a complete crackshot? Will you aim low and risk the bounces or will you shoot to the sky and submit your ball to the wind? From the first stroke all of these possibilities spread out infinitely and the joy in revelling in them is unmatched. "Addictive" is a term I like to avoid in games as much as I can help it, but this game has utterly cast a spell on me.

Any game can make winning feel good, but it takes a great game to make losing feel good and Neo Turf Masters does it in spades; it's genuinely been a very long time since I've discovered a game with as thrilling a minutae and as elegant building of systems to make every action maximally engaging as Neo Turf Masters.

Sorry if this review is rambly, this game really does sweep me off my feet

Neo Turf Masters is a game so good it made me like golf. There is something intangible about the mechanics, systems, and especially presentation that elevates this game above the mundane descriptor of "golf arcade machine" and makes it one of the most thoroughly enjoyable PVP experiences this side of Windjammers. With its easy pace and high energy, it is simultaneously thrilling and relaxing. I have seen fighting game players with absolutely zero interest in golf fall in love with this game time and time again. With NAZCA behind the wheel, how could they not?

As expected from the Metal Slug developer, the game's visuals are gorgeous and the soundtrack is a treat. The star of the show, arguably, is the voice overs. Hearing the Metal Slug "rawkit lawncher!" guy shout "oh no!" as your opponent's shot splashes into an inexplicably placed waterfall on the grand canyon elicits the kind of joy that only a non-english sound team with a small budget and massive enthusiasm can achieve. All of this gives Neo Turf Masters a charm that can't be replicated by any other golf game.

The controls are simple, making the game easy to pick up, but there's a wealth of knowledge to be learned from the community the game has fostered over the years. This knowledge along with practice can produce more consistent results, but the game's reliance on tricky course design and high-speed winds keeps even veterans on their toes. A game of Neo Turf Masters starts with knowing your clubs and wind adjustments, and ends with improvising when you find your ball buried in the sand or behind a tree anyway.

Taken all together, Neo Turf Masters is a one-of-a-kind game with an unforgettable personality. But if none of this is enough to convince you, then just listen to this and you'll understand:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mNJMCZvzM2E

like a rusted out mazda miata

it shows its age, but still looks incredible
its soundtrack is all blare, but god what a sound
its all about banging those gauges like a rotary, wringing the pure power out of the arcade-slim package

a game i buy for every system i own

An arcade golf game that excels on so many levels it's honestly unreal.

The art direction is clean and tight, reminds me a lot of mid 90s PGA when it was shown on TV. The golfers themselves all look unique and stylish despite using a lot of the same assets for the swing animations. Also all the courses and UI elements are so cleanly laid out and vibrant.

Each golfer even has their own little quirks like being able to hit higher or lower, add better spin, or even just hit the ball harder. There's enough strategy that every character feels viable in a competitive play and keeps you on your toes when trying different courses.

The sound design deserves all the love in the world with one of the most gorgeous, bombastic, and fun jazz-fusion styled soundtracks with banger after banger included. The announcer is a joy to hear (especially the ON THE GREEN line) when making just the most batshit insane shots. Also Hole-in-One shots? The echo of the ball hitting the cup with the fanfare and announcer? A fucking dopamine rush like no other.

I literally cannot find a single thing to complain about this game. It's as close to perfect to me as it gets as far as a raw arcade experience goes. Grab a couple friends and get golfin'.