Top Player's Golf

Top Player's Golf[lower-alpha 1] is a golf arcade video game developed and originally published by SNK on May 23, 1990.[1] It was one of the launch titles for both the Neo Geo MVS (arcade) and Neo Geo AES (home) platforms in the United States, the second golf game created by SNK after 1988's Lee Trevino's Fighting Golf, as well as one of the two golf games released for the Neo Geo, with the other one being Nazca Corporation's 1996 Neo Turf Masters.

Top Player's Golf
Developer(s)SNK
Publisher(s)SNK
Platform(s)Arcade, Neo Geo AES, Neo Geo CD
Release
1990
  • Arcade
    • WW: 23 May 1990
    Neo Geo AES
    • WW: 1 July 1991
    Neo Geo CD
    • JP: 9 September 1994
    • NA: October 1996
Genre(s)Sports
Mode(s)
Arcade systemNeo Geo MVS

In the game, the players compete with either computer-controlled opponents or against other players in matches across various golf courses set in two country clubs. Despite being initially launched for the Neo Geo MVS, Top Player's Golf would be later released for both Neo Geo AES and Neo Geo CD in 1991 and 1994 respectively, and has since been re-released through download services for various consoles, among other ways to play it as of date.

Top Player's Golf received mixed reception from critics after its initial launch with praise towards the presentation and digitized voice samples but many were divided in regards to the gameplay and visuals.

Gameplay
Gameplay screenshot.

Top Player's Golf is a golf game similar to Lee Trevino's Fighting Golf and other golf titles from the era, where players compete in matches on various golf courses set across two country clubs. There are three game modes and four golfers to choose from at the main menu:[2] Stroke Play is the main single-player mode where one player compete against CPU-controlled opponents in 18 holes. Match Play is similar to the first mode, except that two players compete against each other and the player with the lowest score wins.[2] The last mode, Nassau Game, in which one player competes with either a CPU or another human opponent and the player with the lowest score wins, with events such as longest drive or closest to the pin contests appearing on occasions.[2] Before starting each mode, players have the option of having a caddie for advice and tips in how to complete a course. If a memory card is present, the players are allowed to save their progress and resume into the last course the game saved at.[2]

Development and release
Top Player's Golf became one of the first games released for the Neo Geo MVS (left) and Neo Geo AES (right) when both systems were launched in North America.

Top Player's Golf was initially launched for arcades on May 23, 1990.[3] It was also released during the same period for the Neo Geo AES, when the system was originally a rental-only system for video game stores and hotels in Japan before this was later reversed due to high demand and came to the market as a luxury console on July 1, 1991.[4][5][6] It was later re-released for the Neo Geo CD on September 9, 1994, as one of the launch titles for the system,[7][8] featuring an arranged CD-quality soundtrack and other changes.[9][10][11] The game has received a re-release in recent years on various digital distribution platforms such as the PlayStation Network, Nintendo eShop and Xbox Live. It was also recently included in the international version of the Neo Geo mini.[12]

Reception

In Japan, Game Machine listed Top Player's Golf on their December 15, 1990 issue as being the twentieth most-successful table arcade unit of the month, outperforming titles such as Quiz H.Q..[20] The game received mixed reception from critics after its initial launch.[21]

Notes
  1. Japanese: トップ・プレイヤーズ・ゴルフ, Hepburn: Toppu Pureiyāzu Gorufu

References
  1. "極楽VGブラザーズ: SNK - Top Player's Golf". Beep! MegaDrive (in Japanese). No. 7. SoftBank Creative. April 1990. p. 100.
  2. Top Player's Golf user's manual (Neo Geo AES, US)
  3. "Top Player's Golf [Model NGM-003]". arcade-history.com. Archived from the original on 2014-05-02. Retrieved 2019-03-18.
  4. Quartermann (April 1990). "Gaming Gossip". Electronic Gaming Monthly. No. 9. EGM Media, LLC. p. 28. Archived from the original on 2019-01-06. Retrieved 2019-03-18.
  5. "Arcade Alley - Behind The Scenes At The 1990 ACME Show... - SNK's Neo-Geo". Electronic Gaming Monthly. No. 10. EGM Media, LLC. May 1990. p. 37. Archived from the original on 2019-01-06. Retrieved 2019-03-18.
  6. "NEO GEO Soft > 1991-1992" (in Japanese). GAME Data Room. Archived from the original on 2018-10-01. Retrieved 2019-03-18.
  7. "NEO GEO Soft > 1993-1994" (in Japanese). GAME Data Room. Archived from the original on 2018-10-01. Retrieved 2019-03-18.
  8. "Neo•Geo CD: The Arcade In A Box - Top Player´s Golf". GamePro. No. Premiere Supplement. IDG. Spring 1996. p. 108. Archived from the original on 2018-11-29. Retrieved 2018-11-27.
  9. "News - Neo-Geo CD hits the street". Edge. No. 14. Future plc. November 1994. pp. 10–11.
  10. "Cutting Edge - UK launch for Neo-Geo CD". Edge. No. 15. Future plc. December 1994. pp. 6–8.
  11. "CD Version Differences". Neo-Geo CD Covers. Archived from the original on 2018-10-20. Retrieved 2018-10-19.
  12. S. Good, Owen (June 10, 2018). "SNK announces the 40-game lineup for the Neo Geo mini-console". Polygon. Archived from the original on 2018-06-10. Retrieved 2019-03-18.
  13. Knight, Kyle (1998). "Top Player's Golf (Neo Geo Advanced Entertainment System) - Review". AllGame. All Media Network. Archived from the original on 16 November 2014. Retrieved 2018-10-21.
  14. Rignall, Julian (November 1990). "Complete Guide to Consoles - The Complete Games Guide - Neo Geo - Top Player Golf". Computer and Video Games Mean Machines. No. 4. EMAP. pp. 86–88.
  15. "Neo Geo For Real! - Previously Played... - Top Player's Golf". GamePro. No. 30. IDG. January 1992. p. 103. Archived from the original on 2019-01-06. Retrieved 2018-10-22.
  16. "Reportaje - Clásicos en CD -- Titulos disponibles para el nuevo formato de SNK: Top Player's Golf". Hobby Hi-Tech (in Spanish). No. 1. Axel Springer SE. March 1995. p. 29.
  17. "Tests - Neo Geo - Top Player's Golf". Joystick (in French). No. 8. Anuman Interactive. September 1990. p. 113. Archived from the original on 2016-03-03. Retrieved 2018-10-22.
  18. "Console News - Neo Geo: Top Player's Golf". Joystick (in French). No. Hors-Serie 3. Anuman Interactive. July–August 1991. p. 60.
  19. Yanma; Itabashi (July 1992). "Super Soft 大特集 - 今、『NEO・GEO』がおもしろい！: トッププレイヤーズゴルフ". Micom BASIC Magazine (in Japanese). No. 121. The Dempa Shimbunsha Corporation. p. 208.
  20. "Game Machine's Best Hit Games 25 - テーブル型TVゲーム機 (Table Videos)". Game Machine (in Japanese). No. 394. Amusement Press, Inc. 15 December 1990. p. 25.
  21. Drevet, Cyril; Scamps, Olivier (December 1990). "Stop Info - La Neo-Geo De S.N.K. -- Top Player's Golf". Player One (in French). No. 4. Média Système Édition. pp. 14–16.
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