Neo Turf Masters

Neo Turf Masters
Developers	Nazca Corporation Saurus (NGPC)
Publisher	SNK
Producers	Takashi Nishiyama Y. Kohdoh
Programmer	H. Yamada
Composer	Takushi Hiyamuta
Platforms	Arcade, Neo Geo AES, Neo Geo CD, Neo Geo Pocket Color
Release	29 January 1996 Arcade WW: 29 January 1996 Neo Geo AES WW: 1 March 1996 Neo Geo CD JP: 3 May 1996 NA: 1996 Neo Geo Pocket Color JP: 29 July 1999 NA: 31 July 1999 EU: 1 October 1999
Genre	Sports
Modes	Single-player, multiplayer
Arcade system	Neo Geo MVS

Neo Turf Masters is a golf video game by Nazca for the Neo Geo, released in 1996. This is also one of the first two titles by Nazca before being acquired by SNK; the other series being the popular Metal Slug.

The game was released as an arcade cartridge (MVS) and as home cartridge (AES), as well as for the Neo Geo CD console. The Neo Geo version was later re-released as part of the SNK Arcade Classics Vol. 1 compilation for the PS2, Wii and PSP, as well as for the Wii Virtual Console. The game has also been ported to the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch by Hamster Corporation as part of their Arcade Archives series (under the title Big Tournament Golf, due to a trademark conflict with Augusta National Golf Club over the "Masters" name). Developer DotEmu released a standalone iOS and Android port in 2016.

A version for the Neo Geo Pocket Color was later released in North America in 1999. The NGPC version features cartoonish, less detailed graphics compared to the Neo Geo version which had partially digitized sprites and realistic art. This version was later re-released as part of Neo Geo Pocket Color Selection Vol. 1 in 2021.

Although improved for the Neo Geo platform, the game is in many ways similar to Major Title 2: Tournament Leader by Irem. This was because the game was programmed by a group of former Irem employees who had already worked on Major Title 2.

Gameplay

Error creating thumbnail: File missing

Arcade version screenshot

The game is a fast-paced, arcade-style golf game. Players choose from two game modes, stroke play for one or two players, and match play for two players only.

Competing on one of four fictional golf courses located in the United States, Japan, Australia and Germany, players choose from one of six players with different attributes:

Name	Nationality	Skills	Drive	Precision	Technique	Stamina	Putting
George Spinner		Young Hero	•••	•••	•••	•••	•••
Thomas Stewart		Technician	••	••••	•••••	••••	•••
Frank Adams		Veteran	•	••	••••	•••••	••
Robert Landolt		Shot Maker	••••	•••••	••	••	••••
Fernando Almeida		Power Golfer	•••••	•	•	•	•
Toyoshige Takeno		Putt Master	•••	••	••••	••	•••••

Unlike many golf games of the era which used a two-click swing system to determine the hook or slice of the ball, Neo Turf Masters uses a single click for the power of the shot, and a second for the height of the shot; hook and slice are selected with buttons B and C before making the shot. This makes the game much easier to pick up and play than its more technically demanding contemporaries, but it compensates for this reduced difficulty with fiendish (if somewhat unrealistic) course layouts and highly variable wind.

Reception

In Japan, Game Machine listed Neo Turf Masters as the twelfth most-successful arcade game of March 1996.

IGN gave the Virtual Console release of the game 7.5 out of 10 stating "If you're the type of gamer who appreciates SNK's arcade style and can jibe with the idea of juiced-up, high-speed golf, Neo Turf might be well worth your 900 Wii Points".

External links

• Neo Turf Masters at GameFAQs
• Neo Turf Masters at Giant Bomb
• Neo Turf Masters at Killer List of Videogames
• Neo Turf Masters at MobyGames