Aqua Teen golf on par with other classics

• By RICH LOUP
• 2theadvocate.com Staff
• Published: Nov 23, 2007

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Golf is a sport dripping in decorum and tradition.

So it only makes sense that Midway would be the one to put out a golf game centered around the characters of  Aqua Teen Hunger Force, a cartoon airing as part of the Cartoon Network’s Adult Swim.

After all, Midway has been thumbing its nose at some of the stodginess of sports for years, and who better to aid them in this links endeavor than Master Shake, Frylock and Meatwad in Aqua Teen Hunger Force Zombie Ninja Pro-Am.

Some of the classic Midway sports games of the last 10 or 15 years include NBA Jam and NFL Blitz, two titles that appealed more to the mischievous side of gamers. Two-on-two basketball games, seven-on-seven football games, basketballs on fire, rim-shattering dunks, players doing triple-somersaults after being tackled were some of the nontraditional acts featured in these games. Then, of course, there was Midway’s Blitz: The League, a football game that featured non-NFL teams mixed with controversial storylines (drug use, gambling, prostitutes, etc.)

With that background in mind, Zombie Ninja Pro-Am carries on the Midway tradition of shaking up the traditional sports backdrop. Your ability to fight is as important as your golf skills. What Pro-Am lacks in steadiness, it compensates for with humor. If you get frustrated with the pace or direction of the game, you may still be laughing so hard that it doesn’t matter how many holes of golf you actually play.

Shake decides he wants to play golf, so Frylock and Meatwad tag along. Since Shake has never played golf before, he practices by launching golf balls through the windows of his neighbor Carl and into a nearby swimming pool.

The mere presence of Frylock and Meatwad is funny enough. There has never been a scene in the history of golf quite like Meatwad holding up a “Quiet” sign as Shake tries to launch golf balls into house windows. Somehow, I’m guessing golf legends Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus wouldn’t approve. Tiger Woods, this generation’s Palmer or Nicklaus, might enjoy the Aqua Teen trio’s antics, as long as the Aqua Teen trio’s antics weren’t affecting him.

Perhaps the most frustrating aspect of the game play is having to battle your way from shot to shot. Crabs, boxes, trees and Carl are the initial opponents, and you must use the Aqua Teen characters to kill them so that the trio can continue its golf odyssey. Later on you’ll face several opponents, including the Plutonians, who do their best to keep you from getting in 18 holes. As you progress, there are other mini-games, video features and other bonus content unlocked for your enjoyment.

So if you’re looking for steady, reliable golf action, Aqua Teen Hunger Force Zombie Ninja Pro-Am isn’t for you. But if you have a sense of humor and a little patience, you’ll find that golf has never been this much fun.