Shawn64

Last week, Shawn64 (real name Shawn Noel) took his own life. He was only 17 years old, but had produced many polished, professional games. His games showed a creativity well beyond his years. We gamers have lost a very special person.

Shawn's games tend to be more action oriented than the games I usually cover in this blog. However, this week, I am going to review my favorite Shawn64 game. I will return to the series on programming logic games next week.

Name: Mini Golf Pro
Author: Shawn64
License: Freeware
Website: http://www.shawn64.com/

Aren't there enough mini golf out there already? Do we really need another one? Hell, I wrote a simplistic mini golf game myself ten years just to learn Java. Despite the plethora such games, Shawn found a way to bring something new to this genre. The result is my favorite mini golf game.


Most mini golf games try to emulate the game you play down at the local family fun center. What Shawn did in Mini Golf Pro was to shake things up by adding all kinds of fun things that cannot occur outside a computer game. There are pinball bumpers, conveyor belts, teleporters, free shot power ups, and many more. Sure, there are still bumpers, water hazards, and the occasional windmill. The combination of old with new is genius.

Mini Golf Pro comes with three 9-hole courses and one 27-hole course. Plenty to keep you busy. The graphics are top notch. The music track is soothing. The controls are simple and solid. I highly recommend this game.

I will miss you Shawn.