Admit it, how many of you serious gamers really expected the Wii to be a huge success? I didn’t and yet somehow the system keeps chugging along with a huge assortment of casual games. Yes, for some the words “casual games” will make them cringe while the rest of the gaming public happily jumps head first into the market. The original Carnival Games for the Wii offered an assortment of short casual games you would expect to find at a Circus, Carnival or Fair. Carnival Games: Mini-Golf instead focuses on just one game, miniature golf, with all of the wackiness seen in the original Carnival Games.

The premise is simple enough: it’s a miniature golf game with a Carnival atmosphere. Your ultimate goal is to collect prizes from the coins you earn while playing the courses. Prizes include additional items you can use to customize your character, such as shoes, shirts, hats, glasses, etc. The game includes nine courses each based upon a specific theme, such as Pirates, Farm, Wild West, Amazon Jungle, etc. Each course usually has three different holes to play and an assortment of mini games to challenge you as well. Not all of the courses are available immediately, you will have to unlock a few of the 9 courses but that shouldn’t be a problem.

The single-player game only offers two different modes, Solo and Beat the Barker. Solo allows you to play any of the courses by yourself while Beat the Barker has you competing against the Carnival leader, Barker. You will earn more prizes usually in Beat the Barker mode if you actually do beat Barker. But besides a simple one-on-one competition there isn’t much else different between the two modes. I was really disappointed that the game didn’t offer some type of career or tournament mode for single player.

Each course is usually broken down into three different holes. Each course and hole is ranked differently depending on their level of difficulty. Just as you would expect the more difficult the hole the more coins and prizes you can earn. Adventure Hole are the least difficult but will have a hidden mini game. These holes will contain a secret path that will open up the mini-game if you can make it to the path. Finishing the mini-game will give you a hole-in-one but if you don’t finish the mini-game, watch your score rise and rise. Challenge Hole gives you multiple paths to follow in hopes of getting a hole-in-one. Trick Shot is just as the name describes a hole where you have to pull off a gimmick shot in hopes of getting a hole-in-one. The Trick Shots can get old real fast because it’s all of nothing, if you don’t get the hole-in-one you’ll have to play the hole over again.

The mini-games are simple yet frustrating due to the sometimes inaccurate motion-sensing controls. For example, you get an arcade joystick style mini-game, a pointing mini-game, a tilting mini-game, a shooting mini-game and a rhythm mini-game. The mini-games are a nice diversion but the controls just don’t feel spot on. This created a sense of frustration as I missed simple tasks that I knew I should be able to complete.

The regular golfing controls were better with only the swinging motion being mapped to the motion sensing. You hold down the A button that then swing like a golf club, or just flick it towards the screen, and watch the hit meter rise. Once you get the meter to a point you want, let go of the A button and your character will swing. Really the only glaring problem with the golf controls was the lack of a birds-eye view of the hole while playing. The game gives you an overview of the hole right at the beginning but you can never select a view of the entire hole to see all of the obstacles and surprises. 

The multiplayer mode is where, like most Wii games, Carnival Games: Mini-Golf excels. You and up to three friends can play against each other in two modes: Play for Fun and Item Competition. Play for Fun lets you all play in a simple atmosphere of who can get the lowest score. Item Competition raises the bar by allowing the players to bet on items they’ve collected in the game. Whoever wins the hole also wins the items. Yep, simple gambling comes to a Wii casual game.

All in all Carnival Games: Mini-Golf is a fun game, just not the type of game that will please everyone. Gamers looking for a real miniature golf experience with tons of courses and a tournament mode will need to keep looking. Gamers looking for another game to play for hours on end with their friends might find that Mini-Golf may fit the bill. If the game would have included some more holes, a better motion-sensing control scheme and an overhead camera angle of the holes this would be an easy recommendation to everyone.

Gameplay: 6.5
The golf mechanics work well enough but the mini game controls definitely need more tightening up.

Graphics: 7.0
Bright colorful graphics make this game look like the most vibrant miniature golf courses you’ll ever see.

Sound: 5.5
Besides Barker’s voice there really isn’t much else to the music or sound effects. Nothing that will get you hooked or have you humming along.

Difficulty: Easy
Really no one should have any problem jumping in with this game. In fact, you’ll probably plow through all of the courses rather quickly.

Concept: 5.0
All we really get is a miniature golf game, with a rather limited selection of courses and holes.

Multiplayer: 7.0
Another example of the multiplayer experience being the best part of a Wii game. Of course, no WiFi multiplayer, just local only but still enough to keep friends playing for a while.

Overall: 6.2
Carnival Games: Mini-Golf will probably find its niche among gamers looking for a miniature golf game. Solid visuals, decent golf mechanics and a large assortment of prizes to collect will keep some gamers busy. The game just needs more courses and an expanded single-player mode to really make gamers come back for more.