Ever since the game was announced, I've been wondering how Tiger Woods PGA Tour would play on the Nintendo DS. After all, the handheld's second screen seemed tailor-made for a golf game, whether for displaying a course map or score sheet or for something more innovative. For better or worse, EA Sports went the innovative route, at least nominally so, with the game's swing mechanic.
As you'll see in our review of the game, the touchscreen swing meter found in the DS Tiger game is a surprisingly effective tool for hacking your way through a round of 18. With different options for swing power, boost, direction, and spin, every swing can be at least an ostensibly unique experience. The game's shortcomings--including dodgy touchscreen responsiveness when lining up shots or putts and very little contour information on the greens--only slightly mar an otherwise decent golf title. It will be interesting to see how EA improves the Tiger experience on the DS as time goes on.