Hot Shots Golf Open Tee 2 is the follow up to the hit PSP launch title. Adding new courses, characters, unlockables, and introducing online play, there’s a ton of new content here for both newcomers and Hot Shots veterans alike.

Not much has changed graphically or sound-wise from the first Hot Shots Golf Open Tee. The courses and characters look pretty good, but don’t expect any polygon increases. Other than different layouts for the menus and different content, this looks virtually identical to its predecessor. Sound is in the same boat, with new caddies and character voices, but using the same background sounds and effects.

The game sports 12 courses to test your golf skills, blending new and old locals. To go along with that, there are 20 characters and 5 caddies to keep you entertained. As you start the game, there are only 2 golfers and 2 caddies available. You unlock more of each by playing through the Challenge Mode, which is the heart and soul of any Hot Shots game. If you’re OCD about unlockables, there’s more here than you can shake a stick at. Each event in Challenge Mode is associated with one type of extra, including Head accessories/attire, Body clothing, and standard accessories. By winning each event, you get 1-2 cards to choose from to unlock one of these items (winning by large margins gives you 2 cards). Once you collect 10 cards at each difficulty level, you can challenge a character to unlock them for future use. The cards also provide attribute boosts. Collecting 5 of each type will increase your power, spin, or control. These boosts apply globally to all characters you use, so things will only get better as you play through.

On the gameplay front, not much has changed from the previous PSP title. You use the standard 3 click swing mechanic, but an Easy mode is available if you can’t get the hang of it. I would have really liked to see the new Advanced swing mode from the PS3 title make its way over to Sony’s handheld, but no luck there.

The biggest addition to Hot Shots Golf Open Tee 2 is an online multiplayer mode. You can connect via WiFi to play tournaments or head to head matches with anyone else in the world. In the matches I played, I didn’t notice much lag at all and it was easy to find a game at various times of the day. Definitely great if you’re tired of just mopping up on the AI.

Even though the gameplay has remained unchanged, there’s still plenty of new content here to keep you coming back for more. The Hot Shots series has always had an addictive quality to it, and Open Tee 2 is no different. You’ll go through an entire PSP battery charge without blinking and still want to come back for more. If you’re a Hot Shots fan or a fan of golf, definitely pick this one up.

Overall: 8.5 of 10

Click here to see what our scores mean