I know what most readers are probably asking: Why the heck is EX reviewing a golf game?? What if I told you that this Japanese golf game featured the voices from GUNDAM WING, SAILOR MOON, MARMALADE BOY, AH! MY GODDESS, RECORD OF LODOSS WAR, METAL GEAR SOLID and more? Now that I've got your attention, simply put, MINNA NO GOLF 3 (HOT SHOTS GOLF 3) for the Sony PlayStation 2 is one of the coolest, cutest and most fun golf games ever created.

Imagine cute, wacky, funny, anime characters playing golf on beautiful, stunning golf courses from around the world, and you have an inkling of what makes MINNA NO GOLF 3 so good. When it was first released on the original PlayStation back in the day, the game was already an instant success, selling over one million copies in Japan alone! With this new version, the gameplay has been tweaked to perfection, the graphics are powered by the monster that is the PS2, and the characters are alive with the excellence that is the stellar Japanese anime seiyuu cast they have assembled.

The first things that catch your attention are the courses. Stunning, beautiful courses, like the Sakura Cup, where gamers are introduced to eighteen absolutely wonderful Japanese courses, complete with sakura cherry tree blossoms, blowing daintily in the wind. Check the water near the various ponds and rivers that decorate the courses, and you'll begin to understand the beauty. Then there are the stunning Hawaii courses, played overlooking the idyllic Pacific Ocean. Plus many, many more courses.

The detail extends beyond just the obvious. There are small graphical touches like the wind (varying each time you play), which causes sakura petals to blow around on screen, or a small ant that's crawling along near the flagpole. And then there are the cool anime SD characters. Cute, funny and cool, these characters add tons of personality and charm to the game. Their animations are wonderful, and it really feels like you're playing a really good game with anime characters.

Besides the graphics, the next big factor that makes this game so good is the gameplay and play mechanics. It is a really simple, fun party game! The golf game is pretty fun and challenging, with a good, steady learning curve. You can simply use just one button, "Circle," to measure your power, and then hit it again to start your swing, and hit the same button one last time to execute. That's it.

If you want to get fancy, you can start holding the control pad in different directions as you swing to add spin to the ball (topspin, backspin, hooking it to the right, etc.). While it may seem very simple, there are a lot of other factors that keep this entertaining and challenging. For example, you have to keep track of your terrain (it will tell you the percentage of full power you can get at the bottom right corner of the screen), the weather (as wind will affect the trajectory of your ball), and the exact time you hit the ball itself. But again, these things don't hinder you from thoroughly enjoying the game.

The highlight of this game would have to be the many modes to play from. You have "Vs. Mode" where you challenge the various unique "Master Golfers" (all very humorous, cool anime characters) to a one-on-one golf match. If you beat them, you can unlock them and use them for play in your own games. There's Tournament Mode, where you enter into a tournament and earn rankings. If beat certain cups, you gain experience points and unlock new courses to play in, and increase your ranking. Add to that Stroke Play, and Internet Global Mode, and you have a full game. But add to that, Multiplayer Mode (where up to 4 players can play at once), Mini-Golf Mode (cool), and a wacky Golf Shop that you can buy capsules, clubs, new caddies, wallpaper and more, and you have the makings of the ultimate anime golf party game.

But the true highlight, and what gives this game so much coolness and life is the audio. Sony Japan went out of their way and hired some of the best Japanese anime seiyuu (voice actors) to play the main characters, and it shines though. How about: Kouda Mariko (Miki, the main character of MARMALADE BOY), Inoue Kikuko (Belldandy in AH! MY GODDESS and Aluminum Siren inSAILOR MOON), Okiayu Ryoutarou (Treize Kushrenada in GUNDAM WING, Yuu in MARMALADE BOY), Orikasa Ai (Ryoko in TENCHI MUYO!), Hisakawa Aya (Skuld in AH! MY GODDESS, Kero-chan in CARDCAPTOR SAKURA), Otsuka Akio (Solid Snake in METAL GEAR SOLID 2), Touma Yumi (Deedlit in RECORD OF LODOSS WAR, Urd in AH! MY GODDESS), Nagashima Yuko (Caldina in MAGIC KNIGHT RAYEARTH), to name a few of the all-star cast.

Yes, quite simply, having all these famous anime / videogame character voices as the golfers and caddies in MINNA NO GOLF 3 is nothing short of awesome. They add an immense amount of personality to this game that already has great gameplay, wonderful graphics and long replayability (to open up all the secrets, courses, extra golfers, caddies, etc.). And add to that, the fact that you can play with up to four people at once, and you have one of the best PlayStation 2 games released this year! The only bittersweet aspect is that those of you waiting for the U.S. version will be missing out: Sony America has stated that they are going to cut out all the Japanese voices, and they are going to redo all of the anime golfers to make them more "Western-friendly." So expect a much more boring, straight-up golf-sim when it comes out in the U.S.

If you're an anime fan and love fun, addictive-as-heck, carefree games that you can hop into, or have at parties, then this is it. Who wouldn't want to have Belldandy cheering you on as you make that hole-in-one and prove that you're the next Tiger Woods?

Rating: 9.5 / 10.0