I’m not even going to try and hide the fact that I’m a huge fan of the latest installment of Hot Shots Golf. I’ve wasted far too much time since our review copy arrived playing the title, working on increasing the loyalty of each and every character, unlocking whatever I can, and in general, just trying to make everything available that the title has to offer. It was the demo that was available on the Japanese PlayStation Network that first had me interested, though the United States has seen a few changes. What you may not know is that in the Japanese version of the game, those perverted developers made it quite easy to get upskirts shots, something that the US version doesn’t, though it still does manage to make use of Sonia’s bosom. But now, Hot Shots Golf has a little more to offer.

Normally, we’d probably just overlook adding a review for downloadable content, especially when it’s just such a minor portion of the game in many cases, but Sony has first of all given fans of Hot Shots Golf a little something extra for a good price. For a mere .99 cents each, you can add in two more characters to the list of playable personalities found in HSG. These two previously saw release in Japan as well, and unfortunately for the Japanese, the price was a bit higher at ¥ 500, or nearly $5 each.

One of the new characters you already are familiar with. Alex (who is actually known as Yukino in the Japanese version of the game) is the young lady that you see at the title screen of Hot Shots Golf, and I’m sure there has been some adjustments as far as her personal data goes aside from the name change as she now comes from the United States. Also added is Gloria, a Russia golfer. Alex will be added to the list of playable characters on the intermediate ranking while Gloria is a part of the expert stable, and not a bad addition either for players who may not have unlocked any characters at this skill setting.

All of the game rules apply to these characters as they do with the others. Just like any new character added to your list, you will need to increase their loyalty to not only to have access to more power shots and skills, but to add in more costume changes. It should also be noted that there was mention that the content was available on the Hot Shots Golf disc itself, but that’s incorrect. These characters will need to be purchased, but again, the price is definitely in favor of fans of the game. Stats for the two new ladies with the standard settings for clubs and ball are as follows:
 

So, what’s around the corner for Hot Shots Golf, aside from a follow-up to the PSP version of the game? Well, having checked the Japanese PlayStation Store just today, it seems that there’s a new course available for Japanese players that undoubtedly will show up here as well. If this bit of DLC is any indication, the Japanese price of ¥ 800 will probably be substantial decreased as well, but until that new course is available to us here, at least there are new characters, and hopefully they will be the first of many to come.

-mike-