Jack Nicklaus' Greatest 18 Holes of Major Championship Golf
Golf simulation featuring 18 of Jack Nicklaus' favorite holes.
Jack Nicklaus' Greatest 18 Holes of Major Championship Golf, a golf simulation from Sculptured Software, first hit shelves in 1988 under Accolade. It launched across many systems, including the NES, and kicked off a series of games bearing the golfer's name. Upon release, its title was the longest of any software product.
Quick Facts
- Developer
- Sculptured Software; Beam Software (TG16)
- Publisher
- Accolade
- Konami (NES)
- Tradewest (Game Boy), Victor Entertainment (X68000, MSX2)
- Released
- 1988 (initial release) (NA)
- Series
- Jack Nicklaus
- Genre
- Sports (golf)
- Modes
- Single-player, multiplayer
- Designer
- Ned Martin
- Producer
- Keith Orr
Facts from the source article.
Gameplay
The game assembles Jack Nicklaus' favorite 18 golf holes into a single course, drawing from Augusta National Golf Club, Muirfield, Pebble Beach Golf Links, Royal Lytham & St Annes Golf Club, and the Old Course at St Andrews. The Game Boy version adds Muirfield Village as a course. Players can choose between Stroke Play and Skins modes, with up to four players in multiplayer. Eight CPU opponents, including Jack Nicklaus, are available to compete against. An image of Nicklaus appears between holes offering tips. The TurboGrafx-16 version, Jack Nicklaus' Turbo Golf, differs: the CD-ROM format includes five courses with a 360-degree view and Nicklaus giving advice between courses, while the HuCard cartridge version contains only The Australian Golf Club and eight rival golfers plus Nicklaus.
Release
Accolade first published Jack Nicklaus' Greatest 18 Holes of Major Championship Golf in 1988, and at launch it held the record for the longest title of any software product. By August 1989, Commodore 64 and PC versions were out in the United Kingdom, with Amiga, Amstrad CPC, and Atari ST editions planned for that autumn. An Apple IIGS release followed by late 1989, and a Classic Mac OS version arrived by 1990. Konami handled the NES port, which hit the U.S. in March 1990 and the U.K. in August 1991. Additional ports appeared for MSX, PC-88, and X68000. On the TurboGrafx-16, the game was renamed Jack Nicklaus' Turbo Golf and came in both HuCard and CD-ROM formats during 1990 and 1991. The PC Engine CD-ROM version was called Jack Nicklaus' World Golf Tour, while its HuCard counterpart kept the original name. Tradewest published the Game Boy version, Jack Nicklaus Golf, in the U.S. in May 1992.
Reception
Computer versions drew criticism for slow load times when generating new screens and for an off-disc copy protection scheme considered difficult to use. Some critics compared the game favorably with the Leader Board series. Graphics on the Amiga, Amstrad CPC, and Commodore 64 versions received some praise. Amstrad Action called the CPC version the best golf simulation on that platform, but noted it would appeal mainly to golf fans and experienced computer golf players, limiting its popularity. CU Amiga-64 praised the Amiga version's gameplay but criticized minimal sounds, putting, and slow computer opponents. Zzap!64 faulted the Commodore 64 version's sound effects, blocky scenery, and unusual color schemes. The Games Machine criticized blocky scenery, murky colors, simple sound effects, and poorly animated golfer sprites in the CPC and ST versions, though it praised the digitized image of Nicklaus in the Amiga version. Tom Malcom of .info called the Commodore 64 graphics adequate and the sound abominable, but deemed the game a good choice; he praised the Amiga gameplay but felt graphics could be better and wished Nicklaus' advice could be turned off. Bob Wade of Amiga Format praised the sound. Tony Hetherington of Your Amiga criticized bad putting controls and called the game playable but bland. Amiga Action recommended the game but considered Leader Board superior. Amiga User International recommended it for those who had not already purchased Mean 18.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who developed Jack Nicklaus' Greatest 18 Holes of Major Championship Golf?
Jack Nicklaus' Greatest 18 Holes of Major Championship Golf was developed by Sculptured Software and Beam Software (TG16).
Who composed the music for Jack Nicklaus' Greatest 18 Holes of Major Championship Golf?
The music for Jack Nicklaus' Greatest 18 Holes of Major Championship Golf was composed by Paul Webb (Game Boy) and Advance Communication Company (TG16).
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