Common Sense Media Review
By Paul Semel
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Entertaining but ad-heavy arcade mini-golf for all ages.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 5+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Download
Videos and Photos
NanoGolf: Hole in One
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's It About?
In NANOGOLF: HOLE IN ONE, you play mini-golf. Using your device's touchscreen, you have to determine where to aim your ball, and how hard to hit it, in an attempt to get it in the hole in just one shot. While you're aiming and taking your shot, you hopefully manage to send the ball over some coins along the way. Except that these holes have some hazards you won't find at your local putt putt course, things like teleportation pads. The game doesn't have a story or a career progression; it's just for fun, so don't expect an explanation for the odd hazards.
Is It Any Good?
While it is a bit too heavy with ads, this fun and unnatural arcade mini-golf game will satisfy fans of the real thing. In NanoGolf: Hole in One, you use your device's touchscreen to determine how hard to hit your ball, and in what direction, in an attempt to get a hole in one in mini-golf. But this is easier said than done, since these aren't just simple putting greens, and, like in real mini-golf, it may require more than just banking your shot off the wall at just the right angle. These holes also have some physically impossible hazards, like teleportation pads that will move your ball from one area to the next. There's also hazards that grab your ball and spin it around until you tell it when to shoot it away.
As fun as this might sound — and it is a lot of fun — the game is mired in ads. It asks you to watch one to keep playing when you fail (though you can also buy a second try), and runs ads randomly between rounds. And, to the surprise of no one, there's also an ad-free version for the low, low price of $2.99. But just as there are games with way more ads, there are other mobile golf games that weren't nearly as fun or as clever. The courses are tricky, the unrealistic hazards and clever, and the controls work well enough that you can actually avoid the hazards and beat these holes. Which is why, this weekend, you'll just might find yourself on the pixelated greens of NanoGolf: Hole in One.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about spending money. In Nanogolf: Hole in One, you can play the game to earn the coins you need to keep playing, or you can watch some ads, which will also sometimes run randomly, so do all the ads make this less fun for you? Do you think the run so many so you'll be tempted to purchase the ad-free version?
Nanogolf: Hole in one relies upon physics so players can aim shots towards holes on courses, but how can you use physics in the real world? Would you be able to use what you've learned in the game at a real mini-golf course?
App Details
Did we miss something on diversity?
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by
Suggest an Update
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
See how we rate