Parents' Guide to Vista Golf

Though it has some vision problems, and is too silly for serious golfers, this arcade-like mini-golf game will delight anyone who likes to putt around. In Vista Golf, you use simple touch controls and physics to play through a series of mini-golf holes. Except that while the mini-golf place near your house has you contending with that slow turning windmill and doors that open and close, the courses in this game are suspended on platforms and on islands, which means you have to contend with your ball falling off the course and into the ocean. There's even little ramps on the sides, almost as if the designers want you to knock your ball into the water. All of which makes this as much like pool as it is like golf. But while this is fun, especially for pool people who like to think about how to bank a shot just right, it's not without its problems. Like real mini-golf, serious golfers will think this is silly. As for serious mini-golfers, while you can adjust the camera for your shot, there are times when the palm trees block your view from every helpful angle. But then, that's just part of the challenge. Either way, if you're a fan of mini-golf -- or, well, pool -- you'll have fun putting around with Vista Golf.