Super Stickman Golf 2 Review

Super Stickman Golf 2 is formulaic in the best of ways. Consider the enhancements that came from the original Stick(man) Golf to Super Stickman Golf - same great gameplay, inventive new courses, a great soundtrack, new super balls, and even eventually multiplayer. It was a very good game that became great thanks to the work that was done on it. That is the formula for SSG2: it adds more great things to an already great package.

The gameplay is the standard hybrid of golf with physics-based "artillery" games where the goal is to launch the ball around a two-dimensional course, trying to get it in the cup in as few strokes as possible. To add it to the craziness, there's limited-use ball powerups that can freeze water upon impact, stick to walls, and even more. One new powerup is a hole magnet that draws the ball to the hole. Courses integrate new elements like portals, sticky walls, and more.

The big new addition to the game is a long-awaited one: turn-based multiplayer. The first SSG got a live multiplayer mode in an update, but no asynchronous mode, which seemed like an omission because of golf's turn-based nature. Turn-based multiplayer has one player challenging another, choosing the nine-hole course, and then playing through the hole first. The next player watches the replay, plays that hole and then the next one, switching off with their opponent until all 9 holes are completed, and the person with the fewest total strokes wins. The winner gets 1000 XP and 2 Golf Bux; the loser gets 500 XP and 0 Bux, with draws giving 750 XP and 1 buck to each player. Fans of the live race mode multiplayer will be glad to know that it's still here, but the turn-based multiplayer is such a natural fit for the game and is so much fun that it's the star of the show: it's very, very easy to get hooked on this.

Yes, the game now has in-game currency, which is used on speeding up level-ups to unlock some of the super balls & new costumes, and on the hat lottery to get new hats. Hats are not just stylish, they also contain gameplay modifiers, like additional power, a slower power meter, or sticky super balls. Golf Bux can be earned by completing achievements, or collecting them throughout the courses. Golf Bux can also be bought with real-world money, along with a few other upgrades like the last shot power indicator, additional multiplayer match slots, and an XP doubler. All are optional upgrades, and the powerups can be earned in-game, but spending money can definitely help in a concrete way. Such is the modern app economy.

Super Stickman Golf 2 is exactly what I could have hoped for from this sequel: new courses, new rockin' music from Whitaker Trebella & additional contributors, and of course, the turn-based multiplayer. Much like the originals, this is definitely worth checking out.