All posts tagged in Golf Story
Feb 23, 2023
In 2017, indie game developers Sidebar Games dropped an absolute gem of a game called Golf Story. It took a sport that I (and perhaps many of you) never really liked, and made it fun. Through quirky characters, off-the-wall dialogue, and oftentimes unhinged quest line, there’s a lot to love about Golf Story.
If you’re unfamiliar with Golf Story, you play as an unnamed male character who gives up everything he loves for his last shot at accomplishing his dreams of becoming a professional golfer. Golf is central to the game, but not the only thing players get to experience. Players fight skeletons, steal snow from a group of bandits, and complete other silly quests. There’s so many odd antics to keep players involved and entertained.
Then there’s Sports Story, the long-awaited sequel.
Sports Story Brings Back the Staples
This highly ambitious sequel picks back up with Golf Story’s protagonist, who is tasked with investigating the suspicious activities of golf giant Purestrike, as well as the Iron Dragons yakuza. Sports Story brings back the quirky dialogue and oddball NPCs that made its predecessor such a delight. Players get to meet the feisty Iron Dragons, haughty sports royalty, and even pirates!
Of course the golf element is back. Players get to compete in and complete a variety of full courses, mini golf courses, putting greens, and other challenges. You’ll encounter any number of difficulty levels, too. Track down or buy new golf clubs, as well as find golf balls with different abilities to help complete courses. Level up your golf skills, aim well, and don’t forget to take the wind into account while you plan your shots.
The Other Sports
Sports Story branches out beyond just golf, obviously. In fact, it includes volleyball, cricket, soccer, BMX riding, fishing, and tennis, which has its own whole side story. I was incredibly excited about the prospect of other sports. Sidebar Games really did a great job on the golf aspect, so I thought surely the other sports would be just as good. I was wrong
Luckily, many of the sports are side items, though you do need to complete several in order to level up your license to move on to other quests and areas. I think I dislike BMX biking the most. You press A to pedal and B to jump. Which means, I’m holding the controller awkwardly, and having to struggle to hit those two buttons as needed. You also need to tilt the bike with the left joystick as you come down from a jump. Landing flat allows you to continue pedaling with minimal stopping, while landing poorly causes you to bounce and lose precious time.
All of the other sports in Sports Story were troublesome, too. The activities you need to complete with them were fairly dependent on direction, but there was no way to direct the ball. The soccer minigames were few and far between, but weren’t too bad. The tennis, however, was the worst. At some point you enter the tennis academy to complete that long, tedious side story. You learn four different shots that use varying strengths and speeds, but there’s no aiming involved. So, completing minigames where you have to hit paper balls into a trash can, or aim the ball at targets is all up to which direction the ball machine happens to shoot the ball.
Some of the Quests Were Disappointing…
As much as I love the return to goofy that made Golf Story so charming, it’s simply not enough to carry a game. It helped ease the blow of all the other sports being so mundane. However, Sports Story used a lot of fetch quests to move the story forward. I’m all for some fetch quests as they can be useful, but this was more like Fetch Story than Sports Story.
Between the numerous quests and the humdrum sports mechanics, I found the game tedious to play and complete. It felt like Sidebar Games packed Sports Story full to make it feel like a longer play, but failed to make it great to play. And don’t get me started on the ending! I won’t outright spoil it for anyone hoping to play, but the ending was unsatisfying. It made the point of going through the story unfulfilling as nothing happens. The powers that be just decide they’re ok with the status quo for now, and that’s it, roll credits.
Final Thoughts
Even having finished Sports Story, I still desperately want to love it. Sidebar Games really knows how to bring golf to life in a fun way. They’re also great at delivering punchy, quirky lines that make characters charming in a weird way. If the developers had managed to make the other sports better to play, and nixed so many of the fetch quests, Sports Story would be great. As it is, it’s merely ok in my book.
Perhaps there was more going on behind the scenes than just the game becoming more and more ambitious than originally planned, and that contributed to Sports Story being alright. Players found a secret dev room hidden within the game that pointed at troubles within the team or company. Sidebar Games has since released some patches to remove that information from the game.
Ultimately, I give it:
You can find Sports Story (and Golf Story) on the Nintendo Switch shop.
If you’re looking for more golf fun, try Golf With Your Friends or What the Golf.
- Dec 28, 2022
An Equally Quirky Sports RPG Sequel to Golf Story
Remember Sports Story, the unconventional sports RPG game by Sidebar Games and sequel to the off-the-wall Golf Story? It was announced 3 years ago, and was originally slated for a mid-2020 release. Sidebar Games announced in August 2020, that the game would unfortunately be delayed. Sports Story had grown into a highly ambitious project, and they wanted to ensure every element made it into the game.
In Sports Story, you play as the same main character introduced in the first game. He had given up golf as a kid, but wants to get back into the swing of things. The story in the sequel is a direct continuation of the story from Golf Story. You’ll still be able to embark on a golf adventure in varied locales both ordinary and fantastical. However, the game includes far more activities than just golf.
You’ll enter a renowned tennis academy to become a tennis pro, but you’ll also get to do things like mini-golf, BMX, cricket, volleyball, and even fishing. Make friends, and even enemies, in your quest to become a sports great. Explore dungeons, commit espionage, play mini-games, find buried treasure, and even meet the queen! Don’t forget to compete in the Decasportathon to make Coach proud.
And of course, there’s no lack of the signature quirkiness that made Golf Story so great.
Now Available!
Sidebar Games announced on December 23rd that Sports Story is now available! You can pick up the highly anticipated game on Nintendo Switch!
In case you’re unfamiliar with Golf Story, be sure to check it out. It’s a fun, silly game.
- Sep 1, 2021
After receiving great feedback from one of my followers, I made a list of best cute games available for Switch.
As I’m sure you’ve totally figured out by now, I really love playing cute games on my Nintendo Switch. Between the relaxation factor and the adorable graphics, I just can’t get enough of the Nintendo Switch. Now, I have put together a list of my favorite cute games that are currently available for purchase for the Switch. I hope you enjoy all these games as much as I do!
Little Dragons Cafe
Little Dragon’s Cafe Little Dragons Cafe is the latest game by Yasuhiro Wada the original Harvest Moon creator. In little Dragons Cafe players choose between a boy or a girl, who are twin siblings. You will be able to gather ingredients and cook recipes in order to run your very own Cafe. Furthermore players will be able to raise a dragon. A fully grown dragon can even be used as a method of transportation to reach far away spots on the map. MORE INFO HERE
Story of Seasons Friends of Mineral Town
Despite there now being a rather saturated farming simulation game market, Story of Seasons: Friends of Mineral Town still manages to earn a place amongst popular games such as Stardew Valley and My Time at Portia. In my personal opinion, it even manages to surpass such games in certain ways due to it’s adorable simplicity. The game features a charming close knit town, harvest sprites with unique personalities, and is unburdened with too many anxiety-provoking features. ( MORE INFO HERE )
Dragon Quest Builders 2
The game combines the best from an RPG game and mixes the formula with a crafting and building game. For the first time players in Dragon Quest Builders 2 will be able to go on a journey with up to 4 players in an online multiplayer coop experience. Exploring, crafting, building and more are all part of the game and can now be enjoyed with your friends. MORE INFO HERE
Stardew Valley
You’ve inherited your grandfather’s old farm plot in Stardew Valley. Armed with hand-me-down tools and a few coins, you set out to begin your new life. Can you learn to live off the land and turn these overgrown fields into a thriving home? [steam excerpt] MORE INFO HERE
Doraemon Story of Season
For the ones who are not familiar with Doraemon Story of Seasons, it is a crossover game that combines the best out the beloved farming sim Story of Seasons and the more adventure driven Doraemon. The game was already released in Japan back in July and received overwhelmingly positive feedback from fans. MORE INFO HERE
My Time at Portia
Start a new life in the enchanting town of Portia! Restore your Pa’s neglected workshop to its former glory by fulfilling commissions, growing crops, raising animals, and befriending the quirky inhabitants of this charming post-apocalyptic land! [steam excerpt] MORE INFO HERE
Harvest Moon
HM: Light of Hope In celebration of Harvest Moon’s 20th Anniversary comes an all new Harvest Moon title for Steam! Harvest Moon: Light of Hope Special Edition! The game encompasses twenty years of the spirit that have made the franchise what it is today! [steam excerpt] MORE INFO HERE
Yonder
For those with their head in the ‘clouds’, who have not yet played or heard of Yonder: The Cloud Catcher Chronicles, it is an aesthetic open-world adventure game. It was initially released for PC and PS4 on July 18th 2017. It will be released for Switch on 17th May 2018. The game can be purchased as a physical copy, or alternatively can be downloaded from the Nintendo eShop for a reasonable $26.99. MORE INFO HERE
The Legend of Zelda Links Awakening
If you are like us, you just can’t wait to get your hands on the newly remastered version of The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening. The adorable graphics alone are enough to keep us on the edge of our seat, waiting to find out exactly what else is new with this awesome epic classic. With the recently released fact sheet from Nintendo, we now know just a little bit more about what to expect. Not that we needed more than the beautifully polished graphics, that is. MORE INFO HERE
Luigis Mansion 3
Of course, you are probably all aware of this title that released just this past Halloween on the Nintendo Switch! I have been playing the game myself and do agree with other critics that it is the best game of the series to date in terms of graphics, gameplay including the new moves (Slam is my new fav), and Gooigi. Another significant addition that made all the difference, the game autosaves every time you walk through a door. MORE INFO HERE
Pokemon Sword & Pokemon Shield
Pokemon Sword and Shield is finally here for the Nintendo Switch as of November 15th, 2019! For those of you that will only be choosing one of those games and aren’t quite sure yet which one to go for, I’ve made a list of exclusives to help! There will be different things in either Sword or Shield which are as follows: Gym Leaders, Exclusive Pokemon, Legendary Pokemon, and Gigantamax Pokemon with a higher rate of appearance in Max Raid Battles. MORE INFO HERE
Golf Story
Golf Story is an uber-cute and silly golfing simulator that combines the relaxation of golfing with the stress of crushing defeat looming in the shadows. Take pride in driving that little white ball all across the eight unique environments , cleverly designed to simultaneously inspire joy and rage! Enjoy going head-to-head with your friends in varied and select-able modes, difficulties and maps. MORE INFO HERE
Cat Quest II
Cat Quest II is a fast-paced open-world action RPG where you play as both a cat and a dog cooperatively. Explore a massive world filled with monsters, dungeons and quests, as you strive to bring peace back to your kingdoms during a time of war! See below for the newly released announcement trailer! This sequel returns to the world of Felingard to expand on the original with more explosive spells, expanded weapon options, an exciting new character switch mechanic, and local co-op! MORE INFO HERE
Disney TSUM TSUM Festival
In case you missed it, Disney Tsum Tsum Festival is an exceedingly charming party game that features the Tsum Tsum versions of your favorite Disney characters. It was released in Japan back in October, and is finally releasing in the West on November 8th. The game is so cute, in fact, you can even purchase a themed console! MORE INFO HERE
A Hat In Time
A Hat in Time is a game that has maintained overwhelmingly positive feedback on Steam since its launch in late 2017. A few months after its Mac and PC release, it was also brought to PS4 and Xbox One, but there were no plans to bring it to the Nintendo Switch at the time. That has now changed! Very recently the news surfaced that it was not only confirmed to be coming to the Switch, but has a physical release date of October 18, 2019. MORE INFO HERE
Super Monkey Ball Banana Blits HD
It’s been 5 years since we’ve had any entries into the Super Monkey Ball series, and 7 since we’ve had any on a console. Fans of the series won’t have to wait much longer to catch up with Aiai and the gang, though. SEGA has officially announced an HD remake of Super Monkey Ball: Banana Blitz! MORE INFO HERE
Untitled Goose Game
This stealth game with a simple premise and slapstick humor created by House House, has recently become an internet sensation, memes and all. I have been following along Untitled Goose Game’s journey since 2017 and have been preparing myself to honk at, annoy, and steal from all of the townspeople. Thanks to the developers, I was able to play a copy on the Nintendo Switch and I was not disappointed. MORE INFO HERE
Songbird Symphony
In case you missed it, Songbird Symphony is an endlessly adorable side scrolling platform game with loads of heart. Go on a musical adventure of discovery to find what truly makes you special. Sing and chirp your way through a wonderful world full of adversary. Explore a beautifully rendered pixel world on a heartfelt journey to find your origins. MORE INFO HERE
WorldNeverland – Elnea Kingdom
The sandbox game features a large number of charactersthat you can interact with, making the environment feel more alive, the developer promises. WorldNeverland – Elnea Kingdom has been out on mobile devices for quite some time now, and has seen more than 50 recent updates. Each one of them brought new features, improvements and more. MORE INFO HERE
What is your favorite Nintendo Switch Game?
If I missed any cute games that you think should be added to the list, please let me know in the comment section below! If you need any other Switch related items, I’ve got you covered
- Dec 11, 2019
So many unique genre mash-ups for indie games were announced during Nintendo’s Indie World Showcase, like Boyfriend Dungeon and The Survivalist, including Sports Story! Sports Story is not only a game with various sports, but also a dungeon-crawler full of mini-games and other activities! This adventure RPG, developed by Sidebar Games, is a sequel to Golf Story, and an exclusive to the Nintendo Switch releasing in Mid-2020. The game is also listed as a multiplayer game of up to 4 players, although it remains to be seen if that’s only for certain aspects of the game or for the whole campaign.
Here are some of the things you can do in the game:
- Embark on a golfing adventure in both ordinary and fantastical places.
- Undertake full-time study at a renowned tennis academy.
- Make friends and enemies in your quest for sporting excellence.
- Dungeons, espionage, mini-games, buried treasure and you get to meet the queen.
- Make your coach proud by competing in Decasportathon.
If it’s anything like Golf Story (the colors, the whimsy, the silliness), a winner of awards and a game that truly stood out to me, than I expect really great thing from this title! The developers mention that it is a sequel because of some familiar characters and the story is set sometime after, although it is definitely its own game with a lot more features!
- Dec 4, 2019
The independent game community is quite a strong one, and has produced many games available for Switch!
Maybe the best thing about an indie game is that you know whoever made it really cared about what they were making. A true passion for one’s work tends to show in the final product. This much cannot always be said for some of the bigger games out there, that take many people to create. Many times, indies are even made by a single person with a drive to share a part of themselves with the world.
If you also happen to always be on the lookout for a good indie game that you can play on the Nintendo Switch, here is a list of the ones that I personally like and are available now. I like to keep track of the news on upcoming indies, like Calico and Mineko’s Night Market, as you know. But knowing about games coming soon is never as fun as finding out about some hidden treasures you may not know about that you can play immediately.
Baba Is You
Baba Is You is cute little puzzle game that uses word combinations to solve puzzles and proceed through the world. In the game, you will use your character to move different parts of sentences to change the world around you. You can sometimes even change the goal you have to achieve simply by moving the right words to the right place. The game has a very simple yet cute feel, and costs only $15.00 through the Nintendo eShop.
Untitled Goose Game
With the exploding popularity of this title, it might come as a surprise to some that Untitled Goose Game is actually an independently made game. Developed by House House and published by Panic, Goose Game hit huge with the gaming community for its whimsical and hilarious theme. Take on the role of goose that is determined to break the world to pieces with simple shenanigans. You can try out this indie hit for yourself now for just $19.99 through the Nintendo eShop.
The Touryst
You are just arriving at the Monument Islands. Want to go swimming? Or rather take a dive into the deep sea? Or do you want to visit the amusement arcade, do some shopping, dance at the beach party? Fancy some surfing? Or will you talk with the strange old tourist and listen what he has to say about these ancient mysterious monuments…This action/adventure arcade puzzler developed by Shin’en Multimedia is available now for only $19.99 in the Nintendo eShop.
Kine
Kine is a 3D narrative puzzle game about three daring machines that aspire to be musicians. Embark across a theatrical dreamscape by solving a wide variety of increasingly difficult 3D puzzles. Guide Euler, Quat, and Roo as they struggle to form a band and find their big break! Kine is developed by Gwen Frey, published by Chump Squad, and is available for only $19.99.
Overcooked 2
The Overcooked games are pretty well known at this point. Dash around the hectic kitchens to prepare all manner of insane and intricate dishes. Play solo or with friends in an attempt to not be overcome by demand, and “overcook” all of your dishes. Overcooked 2 is currently available on the Nintendo Switch and costs $24.99. A bit more pricey than the rest of the Indies, but rest assured that much TLC has gone into making this game as fun and whacky as possible.
Stardew Valley
Everyone who is anyone knows about Stardew Valley. The epic life-sim game took the world by storm and already has had some-likes spawn in its wake. Live the life you want and build the farm of your dreams in Stardew Valley. With so many wonderful updates to the game, and always more to come, Stardew is one that will be played through the ages. You can try this amazing title for yourself on the Switch for just $14.99.
Cuphead
Cuphead has been reputed as an adventure certainly worth your time and money, especially with a price tag of currently only $14.99. Cuphead is a hand-drawn run n’ gun game with heavy focus on boss battles. The game is designed in the old-school 1930’s rubber hose animation style, and even includes some classic jazz to keep the tempo matching the art. To get your hands on this whimsical title, simply visit the Nintendo store now.
Golf Story
Golf Story is an uber-cute and silly golfing simulator that combines the relaxation of golfing with the stress of crushing defeat looming in the shadows. Take pride in driving that little white ball all across the eight unique environments , cleverly designed to simultaneously inspire joy and rage! Enjoy going head-to-head with your friends in varied and select-able modes, difficulties and maps. Golf Story is available through the Nintendo eShop for $14.99.
Night In The Woods
Night in the Woods is an autumnal themed indie adventure game. Highly relatable to many, the game shows the crumbling former mining town of Possum Springs. After the protagonist, Mae Borowski, drops out of college and returns to her hometown, she finds things as gloomy and hopeless as ever. But this time there’s something more. Strange and eery occurrences are happening. And there’s something in the woods. This charming game with beautiful music can be purchased for only $13.99 on the Switch eShop.
Moonlighter
During an archeological excavation – a set of Gates were discovered. People quickly realized that these ancient passages lead to different realms and dimensions. Rynoka, a small commercial village, was found near the excavation site – providing brave and reckless adventurers with treasures beyond measure. Moonlighter is an Action RPG with rogue-lite elements that demonstrates two sides of the coin – revealing everyday routines of Will, an adventurous shopkeeper that secretly dreams of becoming a hero. Try out Moonlighter now for the Switch for just $12.49!!
Ittle Dew
tItle Dew takes the player through a vibrant journey of discovery and engaging puzzles. You will play as Ittle Dew and her adorable sidekick Tipssie who end up on a remote island filled with loot and an endless amount of mysterious adventures. Ittle Dew is an adorable and action packed indie game that you can try now for just $9.99, a great deal on such a wonderful “ittle” game.
These are currently my favorite indie titles available for the Switch, but I’m always keeping my eye out for new ones releasing on this super-awesome console.
