Retro Replay Review

Gameplay

World Masters Golf offers a robust suite of modes that cater to both casual players and golf enthusiasts. The Tournament mode challenges you to climb leaderboards across four distinct cours­es, each with its own unique layout and difficulty. In Match Play, head-to-head contests add a competitive edge, while the Practice mode allows newcomers to hone their swing at their own pace without pressure.

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One of the game’s standout features is its support for up to eight players, making it an ideal choice for group sessions or local tournaments. Whether you’re passing the controller couch-style or linking up for a friendly rivalry, World Masters Golf keeps everyone engaged. The game also includes a thorough handicapping system that ensures matches remain balanced—even when pros and novices tee off together.

Character customization deepens the experience further. You can select from a roster of pre-made golfers or create your own avatar from the ground up, tweaking appearance, kit and equipment. This personalization not only enhances immersion but also gives you a stake in your player’s performance as you strive to master each hole. With intuitive controls and varied shot types—putts, chips, drives—World Masters Golf strikes a satisfying balance between realism and pick-up-and-play accessibility.

Graphics

Visually, World Masters Golf leans on gouraud shading technology to bring its four cours­es to life. Rolling fairways, undulating greens and scattered bunkers are rendered with smooth gradients that capture light and shadow convincingly. While the palette isn’t photorealistic, it strikes a pleasing compromise between performance and style, ensuring a steady frame rate even when the action heats up.

The inclusion of a Mode 7 camera offers a dynamic viewpoint that tracks your ball in flight, zooming out to show parallax effects as it arcs toward the hole. This cinematic flair not only looks impressive but also helps you judge distance and wind effects on each shot. The result is an elevated sense of presence—as if you’re standing on the tee watching your ball sail into the sky.

Each course boasts its own visual identity: from sun-drenched links to lush parkland settings, the environments feel fresh and varied. Subtle details like waving flagsticks, fluttering trees and animated crowds around the green add a layer of polish. Even on older hardware, the game maintains a clean, crisp presentation that keeps you invested in every swing and putt.

Story

While World Masters Golf doesn’t feature a traditional narrative campaign, it delivers a career-style progression that serves as its de facto storyline. Climbing through Tournament brackets and claiming titles on each course forms the backbone of your personal golf odyssey. Every victory writes a new chapter in your golfer’s résumé, providing a sense of achievement with each trophy you collect.

Customization plays a pivotal role in shaping your story. By crafting a unique golfer—choosing physical traits, apparel and equipment—you invest emotionally in their journey. Watching your custom avatar advance from a budding amateur to a seasoned champion creates its own narrative arc that few sports games can match without elaborate cutscenes.

Multiplayer sessions can also spawn memorable tales of rivalry and redemption. Lost strokes, miraculous putts and last-hole comebacks become stories you and your friends recount long after the controller is put away. In the absence of a scripted plot, the game empowers players to generate their own anecdotes and highlights.

Overall Experience

World Masters Golf stands out as a well-rounded golf simulator that balances depth with approachability. Its variety of modes—Tournament, Match Play and Practice—ensures there’s always a way to play, whether you’re refining your swing alone or competing in a lively multi-player match. The handicapping system and character customization make it welcoming for newcomers, while offering enough strategic nuance for veterans.

The visual presentation, driven by gouraud shading and a mode 7 tracking camera, adds flair without sacrificing performance. Each of the four courses feels distinct, and the graphical fidelity remains consistent throughout fast-paced gameplay. Small touches like animated crowds and realistic terrain features keep you immersed in every round.

Though it lacks a cinematic storyline, the progression through tournaments and the personal investment in your custom golfer deliver a satisfying narrative framework. When combined with the social buzz of friendly competition, World Masters Golf becomes more than just a sports title—it becomes a shared experience. For anyone seeking a well-crafted, engaging golf game that’s easy to pick up but hard to master, this title is a strong contender.

Retro Replay Score

6.9/10