Everybody’s Golf: Hot Shots Brings PlayStation Nostalgia — But Is It Really the Same Game?
Everybody’s Golf: Hot Shots is the latest entry in the long-running Everybody’s Golf/Hot Shots series. It is published by Bandai Namco and developed by Hyde Inc., and it follows 2019’s Everybody’s Golf VR as the next main release in the franchise.
Development and lineage
Everybody’s Golf began on the original PlayStation in 1997 in Japan, with Hot Shots Golf debuting in North America in 1998. The series was originally developed by Camelot and later taken over by Clap Hanz, which shaped much of the franchise’s modern identity. Clap Hanz has since moved on to other projects, including a 2021 title released on Apple Arcade under the name Easy Come Easy Golf.
Hot Shots: Hot Shots is the first mainline title developed by Hyde Inc., a studio previously associated with Tamagotchi Plaza development. It is published by Bandai Namco and is the series’ first new entry after the 2019 Everybody’s Golf VR release.
Core gameplay systems
The game retains the series’ trademark three-click golf system: start the swing, set power, then set accuracy. Players can apply spin either during a shot or beforehand depending on their chosen control style. Wind and shot timing affect results, and the system rewards precise timing and course reading.
Additionally, gear and equipment provide in-game assistance. Many items unlock over time and can change how shots behave, so progression affects play as much as raw skill.
Modes, roster and progression
World Tour is the single-player hub where each character gets a short mini-campaign of linked challenges and dialogue interludes. Matches in World Tour often include 18-hole, four-player rounds where players may need to wait while opponents take turns; this can lengthen play sessions.
The game includes standard competitive modes such as Stroke and Match Play, plus a Wacky Golf mode that adds more arcade-style, rule-driven courses. There are 30 playable characters, with series veterans like Cougar and Yuna included. Caddies accompany golfers and offer scripted comments and passive effects that interact with a relationship or affinity system. The title also features unlockable stickers and gear that provide passive buffs.
Some systems are not extensively explained in-game, for example how to best use caddy abilities, the exact steps to unlock certain characters, and the finer points of Wacky Golf rules.
Nostalgia and presentation
The Hot Shots/Everybody’s Golf name carries a long history, and this entry intentionally references that lineage through returning characters and series staples. However, the game’s visual style leans toward a clean anime look rather than the grittier, ’90s attitude some players associate with the earliest Hot Shots entries.
That change in tone partly reflects the decades-long evolution of the franchise and the multiple studios that have worked on it. As a result, the title functions as a contemporary Everybody’s Golf experience while still using several established series mechanics.
Key facts
Publisher: Bandai Namco Entertainment.
Developer: Hyde Inc.
Series history: Originated on PlayStation (Camelot), later developed by Clap Hanz; this is the first mainline entry since Everybody’s Golf VR (2019).
Core systems: Three-click swing system, wind and spin mechanics, unlockable gear and characters, relationship/caddy mechanics, World Tour single-player mode, Wacky Golf mode.
