Everybody’s Golf Hot Shots Review: Bandai Namco and Hyde's Nintendo Switch Outing Misses the Mark

Everybody’s Golf Hot Shots arrived on the Nintendo Switch and Switch 2 platforms on September 4, 2025, marking a major shift for the long-running golf series often known as Hot Shots Golf in the United States.

Developed by Hyde and published by Bandai Namco, this latest entry takes a legacy first carved out by Camelot and later meticulously refined by developer Clap Hanz, and attempts to bring its vibrant, lighthearted take on golf to a new generation of players.

The Everybody’s Golf series, renowned for its charming aesthetic and deceptively sophisticated three-click swing system, has built a dedicated fan base over more than two decades.

Previous mainline entries and numerous handheld spin-offs—primarily crafted by Yokohama-based Clap Hanz—delivered deep mechanics wrapped in whimsy and character, setting a high bar for successor titles.

With an eight-year gap since the last main release, Hot Shots was highly anticipated by series veterans and newcomers alike. However, Hyde’s Everybody’s Golf Hot Shots struggles to deliver the polish and responsive gameplay that the franchise is known for.

The three-click swing system, a hallmark of the series, is severely hampered by erratic frame rates on both Nintendo Switch (20–40 FPS) and Switch 2 (which offers a slight improvement).

In previous entries, the visual presentation ran at 30 frames per second but ensured that swing meters and timing-based UI operated at a snappy, responsive 60 FPS, making shot precision satisfying.

In Hot Shots, Hyde has tied all elements to the same inconsistent frame rate, creating noticeable input lag and frustration.

Once past the awkward controls, players find a familiar structure beneath pervasive performance issues and slow progression.

The game launches with just two golfers and a single course unlocked, gradually expanding to a healthy roster of thirty characters and ten courses.

However, unlocking content is a protracted effort, further complicated by a loyalty system for each golfer and the addition of temporary stat boosts via in-game consumables.

The onboarding includes a comprehensive tutorial, but with fundamental swing mechanics broken, mastering the intricacies becomes challenging.

Visually, Hot Shots aims to evoke the charm of its predecessors—iconic for cutesy avatars, lively caddies, and playful course designs.

Unfortunately, both the artistic direction and technical execution are lacking.

Compared to the PlayStation 3’s Everybody's Golf 5 and 6, the new courses appear flat and disjointed, with character and environmental models that lack polish.

Character animation, described by some reviewers as awkward and over-animated, impacts the game’s appeal, while persistent voice lines quickly grow grating. In terms of content, Hyde introduces a few new modes, including a World Tour story with visual novel-style dialogue and the Wacky Golf mode.

The story elements, which can be skipped entirely, add little to the experience, while Wacky Golf’s unpredictable ticket-based gameplay stands out as a rare highlight, injecting much-needed levity into an otherwise faltering package. Ultimately, Everybody’s Golf Hot Shots fails to live up to the pedigree set by its forebears.

Incorporating series staples without matching their quality, it suffers from technical shortcomings, tedious progression, and lackluster presentation.

As a point of comparison, Clap Hanz’s own spiritual successor, Easy Come Easy Golf, received a performance update on Nintendo Switch on the same day as Hot Shots’ launch, further highlighting the missed opportunities in Hyde and Bandai Namco's newest outing.

For fans seeking accessible and engaging golf gameplay on Switch, alternatives may offer a better swing at fun. Everybody’s Golf Hot Shots is available now via the Nintendo eShop as of September 4, 2025.

Nintendo Switch Nintendo Bandai Namco Switch Namco Golf Bandai Everybody’s Golf Hyde Everybody’s Golf Hot Shots Clap Hanz Easy Come Easy Golf Hot Shots Golf Switch 2