Putt Putt Golf 3D

Any golf game that advises you to complete each hole in as few shots as possible clearly isn't aimed at proficient golfers.

Putt Putt Golf 3D is more than a little condescending in this regard. While it states the obvious rules as though you're new to the game, it's pitched at a much higher difficulty level. You end up feeling like a dummy, and this game of miniature golf also goes tiny on good design.

It's hard to fathom just who this game is aimed at. The holes are far from easy, while the brightly coloured graphics look like an animated Disney film on acid.

The frankly sickly graphics aren't where Putt Putt Golf 3D earns its stripes however. Gameplay is, of course, the most important element and in this, at least, it's proficient.

Each hole tasks you with clearing a number of hazards en route to potting the ball. The designs are certainly inventive, though as you progress, they cross the line from challenging to frustrating.

Thankfully, the controls are usable.

A sliding scale allows you to sweep down or pull up and view the hole from above. Similarly, changing the direction of your putt is a matter of sliding a finger across a gauge. The amount of power you put behind the ball is handled via a swiping movement on yet another on-screen scale.

Unfortunately, the power gauge has problems. The pace of your shot relies on a quick swipe, but the game often fails to read your input if it's applied too quickly. When a hole require precise timing, it's bothersome to have to swipe several times before the game reacts.

The balance of the holes is suspect too. Some early holes – which, in reality, should take no more than one or two strokes - have pars of three or four. Conversely, many holes that come littered with traps and obstacles aplenty have the very same par.

Of the game's six courses, completing some of them feels like a matter of luck. The uneven difficulty and untested par rules make some holes unnecessarily hard. Since new courses are unlocked only if you manage par on the preceding course, unlocking every hole can be a real challenge.

Up to three friends can join you in Pass and Play mode, joining Time Trial and one-off Quick Play modes.

The local multiplayer option is the most interesting of the alternative modes, though you're unlikely to be interested much given the experience in the single player Championship.

From a rudimentary viewpoint then, all the boxes have been ticked.