Hot Shots Golf is a series of games that has always delivered both style and substance. Quality over quantity is the mantra that it follows, and to good effect. Hot Shots Golf: Open Tee portrays the world of golf in comically bright colors with a memorable cast of clichés and caricatures, as did its predecessors. This game is not only akin to its console cousins in terms of gameplay, but also in terms of graphics. The only noticeable differences are some jagged edges on models and the distinct lack of caddies skidding across the green to show you where your ball landed. These infractions are so minor, however, that they go almost unnoticed throughout the entire game. Show this one to your friends and watch their jaws drop.

The sounds are equally impressive. Never before has the “crack” of iron hitting cork been more welcomed by the ears. Not only do all the golf-related sound effects find a good home here, but so too do the natural sounds from the course. Water, animals, and the sounds of golf balls skipping over rocks or rolling through grass not only accompany, but amplify the gameplay experience. So too do the tunes, which seem to take on an elevator musical appeal, but at the last minute veer off into something far more entertaining.

Golf-fearing people need not shun games like Hot Shots Golf: Open Tee. These quirky titles have been exposing people to the sport of golf for many years in the best way possible: as a form of entertainment. In Open Tee, the game of golf is no longer a slow, hush hush type of event. Instead, it is represented in a colorful, exciting manner, complete with special effects and memorable characters.

Open Tee sports a comic cast of 10 Japanese stereotypes as golf players, ranging from school girls to old drunken men. With these characters you play on any of six golf courses to unlock clubs, balls, outfits, and more characters. As you play with certain characters, their Loyalty rating goes up, granting that player some nifty skills with which to sink more balls. The items you unlock aren’t for show either; each item adds to your player data and cumulatively upgrades a number of skills that carry over to every player you use.

The players and items you unlock can be used in a variety of modes. You can play a fun Stroke game against the computer on a course with an adjustable amount of holes. Multiplayer mode supports up to eight players ad-hoc. While this is all good if you can find other people with a PSP, the lack of any hot swap capabilities seriously devalues the competitive nature of Open Tee. Being able to have two players go at it with each other on the same handheld is a feature that no game like this should be lacking.

The real core of the game is Challenge mode. This is where you unlock most of the items in the game, as well as spend the most time, increasing your loyalty for the characters you play with the most. Challenge mode is broken up into various rank categories. You start out on the bottom rung and compete in challenges against the computer which are either one-on-one rounds of golf with another character, or tournaments in which you must place first. As you play your rank goes up, and when you reach the next level you get a new course and more challenges to compete in.

There is also a Putting challenge where all you do is putt nine holes on any given course. There are multiple cups at each hole, each worth a different amount of points if you are able to sink the ball. This is a fun addition to the game, and it really shines when you play against a friend.

A basic understanding of golf helps you play Hot Shots Golf: Open Tee, but anybody can pick this game up and figure out how to play in a matter of minutes. The difficulty arises in trying to time your shot meter and also figuring out how to judge the wind, path of the ball, and slope of the ground. Once you get the hang of how these principles work in the game, you’re well on your way to maximizing the fun in each round of golf you play.

Hot Shots Golf: Open Tee has a deceptively simple control scheme. At first glance it appears that all you need to do is time two different meters in order to send your ball to its home. Upon further examination you will notice that the angle of the ground affects the ball, and you can put spin on your shot to alter its course. Each character has different stats in regards to how far they can drive the ball, the level of impact they can get, etc. These stats are affected as you progress through the game by various items that you can outfit the characters with.

This version of Hot Shots Golf has gone all out in letting you customize each character. Not only does unlocking items increase stats, but they can be used to affect the outward appearance of the characters. The game sports circa 250 items for you to personalize each character with.

Hot Shots Golf has been and continues to be a fun series of games. Hot Shots Golf: Open Tee is definitely one of the better titles out there for the PSP. Despite its lack of a two-player mode on a single PSP and a couple of jagged edges, it still manages to pull out in front of the pack. If you own a PSP, you should definitely own this game.