- The effortless way to experience disc golf
- It’s never the same course every day – the random permutations are fun
- In disc golf, the floor is filled with lava, so reach the baskets with as few shots as possible
- Try to get some achievements in inventive ways
Is it a bird? A plane or maybe an alien spaceship? It turns out to be a frisbee whose UFO-inspired shape was fashionable in 20th-century America. Although the fad passed before we were able to determine the truth about the existence of these mysterious guests, we can always enjoy disc golf, a sport centered around frisbee.
It exists in a subset of niche sports that is overshadowed by its mainstream cousin, golf. Fortunately, Short Circuit Studio has made an effort to convey its charm in a portable format, making the sport more accessible considering the tiny number of golf courses around the world.
Explore the drives there
The goal is basic: you throw the disc into five baskets located around the map, or more precisely within its circular range. To achieve this, you have three types of throwing techniques. Meet Putter, Midrange and Drive; these correspond to compact, medium and long range respectively.
The putter, as the name suggests, is used to place the puck into the basket if you are near it. Diameter is self-explanatory, while Drive is useful for covering long distances between two points. There is also a button that allows you to choose whether to turn the disc left or right, and its effect is most noticeable on mid-range throws. Once everything is set up, you prepare your photos by dragging and holding, then releasing to watch the disk take off into the sky.
Throw and fly away!
You don’t progress step by step like in Candy Crush. Instead, you’re greeted with a different golf course every day, with randomly generated layouts and basket placement. On Mondays, you may encounter a tundra that will reflect your Monday blues; on Fridays you can go to a tropical beach to celebrate the upcoming weekend.
Flexibility is at your fingertips; the game doesn’t dictate a path for your disk, nor does it force you to follow a chronological sequence to score points. It’s up to you to find the optimal path with the fewest throws possible. There’s a whole range of achievements that can be unlocked in fun ways and are the best way to flex your inventive muscles.
There are lots of elements that make it challenging. Not only do you have to avoid leaves that cause the discs to ricochet, but you have to take the topography into account when making your throws to make sure they don’t miss their target – or worse, end up in the depths of deep water. If you’re up for some pranks, you can chase the pigeons with your discus – it’s a great reward for them when they raid the stall near my house.
Plate in drip
Tiny Discs will also satisfy your inner fashionista, allowing you to add unique charm to your saucer friend. In the closet you will find trail effects and stickers worth several hundred coins that you will earn after completing the course. If you don’t like delayed gratification, you can buy them outright at the right price. Other than that, there is no arbitrary update system that can improve your drive.
Each course is tastefully decorated in the minimalist cel-shading style that Short Circuit Studio is known for. In terms of music composition, all you get is funky beatboxing that accompanies aesthetically pleasing visuals that can break the immersion at times.
Here’s the catch
Prepare for the ad apocalypse because it’s crucial for replayability (and to a lesser extent cosmetic). As it stands, you only get one free game per day. Subsequent attempts in the same field or repeating those from the previous day will cost advertising.
However, there is always the option of paying a flat fee of four pounds (approximately RM22.90) for an unlimited play pass, which is a fair starting price to maximize your fun and avoid losing your sanity due to advertisements. For competitive purposes, the Ranked Match mode is sneakily hidden behind a trophy icon, but it feels more like a waiting game due to the matchmaking time that stretches on forever.
The lack of an upgrade system can be a double-edged sword. While the coins have no apply other than cosmetics, the game is free of any level upgrade system that increases your ability to throw discs, much to the chagrin of minmaxers. On the same note, if you don’t like the design of your drive, you’ll save yourself having to constantly watch a cascade of dead ads just to accumulate coins.
