Golf Video Games: Top 20 Golf Games of All-Time

15. Jack Nicklaus 5

Jack Nicklaus’ series were some of the most criminally underrated games in gaming history.

Developed: Eclipse Entertainment

Published: Accolade

Release Date: February 1998

The Jack Nicklaus games came out at time where PC gaming was waning and considering how niche golf games are the Jack Nicklaus games were never going to get off the ground.

Which is a shame because this was a groundbreaking series. With this game, in particular, there were a number of absolutely fantastic and unique design choices.

In the gameplay department, this game decided to go in a different direction as far as swinging your club is concerned. Instead of doing the tried and true 2-button, 3 click swing, Jack Nicklaus 5 introduced the MouseMeter.

This was a feature where you moved your mouse and your virtual golfer would move along with you. So, you would bring your mouse back and go down once your golfer would get to the top of his swing to strike the ball.

Then you had the course designer. This was something that was in previous games, but this was completely overhauled and so deep that you could get lost for hours designing courses.

Also, this was the first game in the series where you could download golf courses. So, in theory, you could play on thousands and thousands of golf courses. Just tons and tons of replay value in Jack Nicklaus 5.

Unfortunately, the Jack Nicklaus games did not sell well at all and this would be the final game in the series published by Accolade.

For the company as a whole, this ended up being one of the final games Accolade would publish as they closed their doors for good in 1999.

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