The Best Toys of 2006 –Pre-teen

Golden Tee Golf: Home Edition

Manufacturer: Radica
Ages: 8 and up
Suggested Retail Price: $40

What it is
For years, Golden Tee Golf has entertained golf fans and arcade lovers. Now you can play your favorite arcade-style game at home with this plug-and-play version that is easy to set up and learn.

Radica's home edition of Golden Tee Golf re-creates the arcade game's graphics and game-play to a tee and even features the arcade-style trackball control system.

Why it's fun
Golden Tee Golf is a fun group game because of its simplicity and the trackball. Teeing off with the trackball allows for greater control over each shot. The more force you put into rolling the trackball the greater your swing will be, that means you will want to apply less force for putting on the green. Watching someone try to really whack the ball is often as entertaining as taking a swing yourself.

Who's going to love it
Golden Tee is great for all ages. Adults and kids will enjoy playing the home edition, primarily because the skills required to be successful at this game are not dependent on age or physical ability. Everyone who can run the trackball is on the same plane as skill develops. In fact, developing skill at this game is one of the most intriguing and fun things about it.

What to be aware of
The game console easily plugs into a video player or directly into the TV.

The unit requires four "AA" batteries, which are not included.