Jack Nicklaus 6: Golden Bear Challenge

• Platform: IBM PC Compatible
• Release Date: August 04, 1999
• Genre: Sports
• Style: Golf
• Similar Games: Jack Nicklaus 5 (IBM PC Compatible), Tiger Woods 99 PGA Tour Golf (IBM PC Compatible), Links LS 1999 (IBM PC Compatible)

Game Description

Jack Nicklaus 6: Golden Bear Challenge is the 1999 version of the popular Nicklaus series. You can now play either as Jack Nicklaus himself or against him in one of several modes of play (tournament, match play or skins). The game ships with six Nicklaus designed courses including Nicklaus North (Whistler, Canada), Cochise at Desert Mountain (Scottsdale, Arizona), Montecastillo Golf Resort (Terez de la Frontera, Spain), Muirfield Village (Dublin, Ohio), Sherwood Country Club (Thousand Oaks, California) and Shoal Creek Country Club (Birmingham, Alabama).

JN6:GBC supports multi-player golf on the internet and allows you to join, watch or host games. Golfer creation has been reworked and now features a system of distributing points to various aspects of your on-screen golfer's skills. There are a dozen game modes available including Stableford Scoring, Skins, Match Play and several tournament options (Handicap Flight, Open and Seasonal play). Three swing techniques are available from the traditional 2 and 3 click meters to a Mouse Meter designed to emulate a golf swing.

A top feature of JN6:GBC is the course designer that allows the user to recreate any real golf course in the world or design fictional or fantasy courses limited only by imagination. The game includes a Course Converter that allows conversion of the hundreds of courses designed for the previous title, Jack Nicklaus 5, to be used with JN6:GBC. New printing functions and nearly complete customization of playing conditions, modes and golfers are also part of the package.

Roots & Influences

Jack Nicklaus 6: Golden Bear Challenge is the 1999 version of the hugely popular Nicklaus series of computer golf games that have been developed during the decade of the 1990's. The game is obviously influenced by the PGA Tour and international golfing venues and focuses on emulating the play of golf at all levels. As computer golf games become more and more sophisticated, new features such as alternative modes of play and realistic emulation of golf swings appear and this title is no exception. The Golf Designer continues to be the number one feature of the Nicklaus series and far outshines similar golf simulations on the market (circa 1999) as the option allows for the ability of user designed golf courses at no additional expense to the user. In fact, at the time of release in March 1999, there were nearly 300 user designed courses available for the previous title, Jack Nicklaus 5, all of which can be converted for use by JN6 with the Course Converter.

Review: Overall

With the release of Jack Nicklaus 6: Golden Bear Challenge, it's very evident that the gap between the Nicklaus series and the perennial front runner in cyber golf, the Links series, has been closed considerably if not eliminated altogether. Unlike previous games in the Nicklaus series, JN6:GBC uses an innovative, almost RPG-like system for character generation. Depending on which of the five swing meter speeds (slow, moderate, medium, fast, very fast) you choose, you are given skill points (in five increments of 20) to be distributed among the various skills assigned during the golfer creation process. Skills include full shot power, full shot accuracy, sand play, around the green (chipping and pitching) and putting.

There are 12 modes of competition in JN6:GBC and at the time of release, free multi-player action on the Internet was supported at www.zone.msn.com. For solo play, the advent of a seasonal mode allows you to literally build and play an entire PGA tour if you wish. Whether you enjoy competing against other human opponents or not, the Internet is still an important aspect of JN6:GBC as evidenced by the literally hundreds of homespun courses created by fans of the series that are available as freeware. As usual, one of the biggest advantages to owning JN6:GBC is the nearly unlimited number of courses you can either download from various sites on the net, e.g. www.coursedepot.com, or create from your own imagination. An entire community of the game's fans provide free downloads for aspects ranging from textures and backgrounds to objects, rounds played and designer forums.

None of this would be of much interest, however, unless the game itself supported realistic game play and courses through its graphical presentation and execution. Although the game does not utilize 3D acceleration cards per se, the 3D custom rendering of the terrain and backgrounds is simply gorgeous and complements the options for animation, picture-in-picture and various customizable camera viewpoints. The game features three separate swing modes as well as player choices of customizable aspects such as gimmes, mulligans, maximum hole scores, conceding holes and more. In fact, there is little in the game that cannot be customized (including flags and clothing). Individual rounds can easily be played in under 30 minutes.

Beyond excellent game play and looks lies the pìèce de résistance, namely, the capability of creative course design that allows you to render fictional/fantasy layouts or nearly replicate any course in the world. The section of the manual devoted to course design is actually longer than the basic playing section and can be supplemented (recommended) through use of the aforementioned designer forums on the Internet. With the existence of hundreds of courses designed with the preceding title, Jack Nicklaus 5, the necessity of converting those courses for JN6:GBC use was a must and the game designers accommodated the requirement.

JN6:GBC contains many more features than the major ones addressed above. Full golfer rotation before the shot, adjusting shot trajectory, setting up draws and fades, grid options on the green (configuration and color based), practice swings, weather, voice analysis and commentary by Jim Nantz and Gary McCord, displays, printing functions and keyboard shortcuts round out this outstanding addition to PC golfing.

Review: Enjoyment

I enjoy playing the nearly unlimited variety of courses (six come with the game with literally hundreds available for free download off the Internet) available for GBC. Even more so, I enjoy not paying $15-$25 per add-on course. With 12 modes of play possible, the seasonal aspect alone creates a year-long adventure in golfing unsurpassed by any other computer golf game (circa mid-1999). Even background computer golfer names used as competition can be adjusted to real-name professionals (men, women or seniors).

Review: Graphics

Beautiful textures and backgrounds, smooth golfer animation and reactions and a deep color palette. No 3D card acceleration option but given the smoothness of the built-in rendering system, the option isn't needed or missed.

Review: Sound

Ball striking and ambient environmental sounds are enormously important to the "feel" of the game. Even more importantly, customizable sounds can be utilized by course designers and placed throughout a course, hole-by-hole, location-by-location. For example, that annoying sound made by the Cessna that keeps buzzing your home course can be recorded and programmed into your design. Nantz and McCord can get repetitive but can be stifled by the commentary option if desired, although McCord can be funny and irreverent at times.

Review: Replay Value

The vast repository of add-on courses available over the Internet ensures limitless replay as do the graphics, game play and human competition (Internet or hot seat). Replay value scores a definite hole-in-one.

Review: Documentation

Helpful 108-page manual covers game play aspects, setup options and course design, although the latter could be a bit more in-depth. However, online designer forums (Internet) provide plenty of supporting information.

Production Credits