Super Ultra Dead Rising 4 Mini Golf, which I’ll just be referring to from “Mini Golf” from now on, is the latest DLC for Microsoft’s zombie action title.  Although the series is usually goofy enough, Mini Golf turns up the dial an appropriate amount.  After all, you are playing Putt Putt on a collection of zombie infested courses.  At the price of $10 USD, Mini Golf could be a perfect addition to Dead Rising 4, and perhaps give us a reason to boot it up once again.

Putt-Putt: Golf and Gore

Dead Rising 4 Mini Golf doesn’t pretend like it’s anything more than it is.  Playing a quick game of Putt Putt with the undead is already an interesting concept; the game doesn’t need to reinforce it.  After picking between four different characters, you can take on any of the DLC’s courses.  There’s six to choose from, ranging from “Santa’s Village Fairway” to “Landmark Lanes”.  Each course is made up of four unique holes, each with an appropriate par setting.

Zombies roam the field, offering bonus rewards when killed by the flying golf ball.  They don’t really obstruct the ball’s path, which is good, rather providing a satisfying explosion of blood and guts.  Beyond that, zombies play little role in the overall mechanics of the game.  However, killing a few zombies often makes bad shots feel worthwhile.  In this way, almost every shot you take in Mini Golf will usually benefit you.

Holes usually have power ups and explosive barrels littered around the environment, as well as additional currency collectibles.  Even if you completely mess up a shot, you might hit a barrel, causing an explosion of zombies and henceforth currency.  The act of watching the ball complete its course is entertaining, especially when you nail a hole-in-one.

Zenny and the Art of Customization

The aim of the game is to win, but even sub par performances can be rewarding.  As you destroy zombies, do well on courses, and generally play the game, you’ll accrue Zenny.  Zenny is used to unlock customization options for your character, and a lot of the content is pretty cool.  Since the six courses can be finished up in around 2 hours, having a good set of unlockable items provides replayability.

There’s a total of 79 items to purchase spread across some entertaining categories.  You can get new sets of clubs, trading in a giant pink hammer putter for a foam hockey stick.  There are different colored exo suits, hats and helmets, and custom balls to purchase.  It’s all pretty ridiculous, with giant reindeer heads for helmets and basketballs to tee off with.  I found searching the store and choosing new items quite enjoyable, and it set me apart while playing online.

Play Styles and Stylish Plays

Mini Golf offers you quite a few ways to play, including offline single player and local and online multiplayer.  I enjoyed a few courses offline, as well as in a private match with my friend.  The experience was definitely more enjoyable with some friendly competition, but holds up better in offline single player.  The game has a tendency to stutter visually, and odd graphical glitches pop up briefly from time to time.  None of this hinders gameplay, but usually the playback of the other players’ shots.

I was particularly glad to see local multiplayer as an option, allowing up to four players.  The “take a shot, wait your turn” mechanic of Mini Golf is perfect for small parties, as is the juvenile comedy.  Look no further than “ball busters”; power ups that put other players at a disadvantage.  I definitely laughed aloud quite a few times, and had fun cheering on my buddy as he made a particularly cool shot.  As a proverbially cherry on top, the underlying soundtrack is comprised of remixed Capcom classics.  There’s quite a few Street Fighter tunes here to enjoy, as well as a handful of other surprises I’ll let you hear for yourself.

The Bottom Line on Super Ultra Dead Rising 4 Mini Golf

As a stand alone experience, Mini Golf is well worth the price of admission.  Definitely play it with a friend if possible, otherwise I recommend finding an online match for the most entertainment.  As an extension of Dead Rising 4, it’s a good excuse to restart the software, but it’s not going to thrust you back into the swing of the main game.  All in all, the experience is definitely entertaining, albeit brief (and eventually a tad repetitive in visual style).  If you don’t own Dead Rising 4, it’s not a reason to purchase the entire game like Forza Horizon 3’s Hot Wheels DLC.  However, if you own the season pass, already own the main game, or were planning on purchasing it anyway, Super Ultra Mini Golf is a great DLC to tack on.

Rating: 8/10