Game Review

Released in 1990, the latest (at the time) entry in the Jack Nicklaus golf series came out around the same time as the formidable Links: The Challenge of Golf. The latter was, in many respects, the better game of the two, however Jack Nicklaus had two major advantages that actually could end up making it your preferred game. The first is performance; the 256 color MCGA/VGA graphics in Links are gorgeous, but that comes with a price: you'll want a fast system! Even though the game doesn't require more than an 8088, I found ideally you need an 80386 (preferably a fast one) or better for the rendering times to be reasonable; when the game first came out I had an 8086 and you could almost play a real round of golf in less time. The second advantage is the course architect which is missing entirely from Links. This feature adds hours of fun both designing and playing your own masterpieces. Although Jack Nicklaus doesn't look nearly as good as Links, it does still sport 256 color MCGA/VGA graphics and even on slower systems the screen drawing time is pretty brisk (the quick drawing times more than makes up for the less photo-realistic images). Gameplay isn't shabby either, utilizing the usual power bar and multi-tap system that essentially became standard for golf games. All around this is a fun package that makes a nice balance between advanced technology yet runs well on old systems and I highly recommend it! One drawback, however, is the sound; while a number of sound cards are supported for a catchy little intro theme, sound effects during the game are only through the internal speaker. Drats. Accolade also followed up this entry with Jack Nicklaus Golf & Course Design: Signature Edition which features the same great gameplay and course architect while upgrading the graphics and sound to be on par with Links (although you will need at least an 80286 for this one).