With the technical wizardry of next-gen consoles, one would expect the latest Tiger Woods release to play a better round of virtual golf on those machines.  Well, I’m here to say that finally the Wii has the leg up this year.  With finely tuned motion control, near endless single-player options, and fleshed out online capabilities, this iteration scores big (well, in golf terms, low). 

EA has rebranded its Wii version Tiger Woods PGA Tour 09 All Play.  The last two words are key here: anybody can play this version.  But don’t think that this game is dumbed down.  Not in the least.  The interface is cleaner, bubblier, and all-around more inviting for casual gamers.  The graphics, while significantly below the Xbox 360 and PS3 versions, are still above average for Wii games. 

There are three difficulty options.  The All Play option makes swinging as simple an action as possible, with no fade or draw detection.  The Standard option utilizes a fade/draw mechanic that you control with the IR, not the Wii remote.  Of course, the Advanced option hardcore players will want to use is the most sensitive detecting motion. 

How are the motion controls?  Nearly 1:1, which is the best any golf game has done to date. With the recent announcement of MotionPlus, a more advanced tech for the Wii mote, fans can surely expect golf games to be even better next year.  But until then, I’ll take this version any day.   Of course, the controls aren’t perfect.  While swinging drives and irons is a lot of fun, dialing in a specific distance is not always as easy.  And you can position your swing at halfway or full-power, the speed and motion detection is not quite accurate enough to make it easy.  It definitely takes some practice, no matter what difficulty mode you’re playing on. 

While the swing is a blast to play, the putting is not as much fun.  It’s almost impossible to make a successful putt without craning your head to the screen to watch the power gauge.  This distracts from the game. Also, the detection for putting and chipping is not entirely accurate. 

But despite those nit-picks, Tiger is a great game. The Career mode is incredibly fleshed out, with Tiger Challenges remaining intact.  But now the skill upgrade system gives bonuses the better you are.  For instance, you smack a drive down the fairway; you’ll get bonus accuracy points.  It’s a great RPG mechanic that makes the game a lot more realistic. 

New this year is the Club Tuning option.  If you want to make a permanent fade to compensate for a draw on your irons, do it.  Want a lower angle on your driver?  Go for it. In terms of customization, the possibilities are endless.  Tiger 09 also offers advice from Tiger’s real life coach.  He’ll give you tips and let you replay portions of holes you've screwed up on, to rebuild your confidence meter. 

Tiger also offers an extensive online mode and multiplayer that will keep you busy till the next iteration comes out.  Seriously, the amount of content in the multiplayer is insane.  From mini-golf to capture the flag, the developers really got creative thinking up some new games to keep the Tiger party going.

Gameplay: 8.0
The 1:1 swing mechanic is awesome this year, making Tiger All Play a blast to play.  But the draw/fade detection is still not quite right; and putting is very hard with spotty motion detection.

Graphics: 8.5
Gone are the brown tones of the earlier Wii Tiger games.  This game has a new, brighter look (and one that occasionally keeps up with its next-gen brothers).

Sound: 8.0
The mix of tunes in this game is awesome. I would play a CD of this music in my car. Sadly, the commentators are extremely annoying and rarely have anything new or witty to say.  Environmental noises are good, though.

Difficulty:  Medium
Depending on your difficulty setting, this game can be played by anybody, from hardcore to casual players.

Concept: 9.0
A lot of rethinking went into this title and now the Wii Tiger is finally on track with All Play.

Multiplayer: 10.0
With so much replay value, this game is perfect for a family of golfer wannabies.

Overall: 8.5
Aside from a few issues with the motion control, this is the best golf game on the Wii right now.