PangYa

PangYa (, "Bang!", known as "PangYa Exhilarating Golf" in Japan) is an online multiplayer casual golf simulation game designed by Korean development company Ntreev Soft and NCSoft.
From 2005 until March 2009, the game was known as Albatross18 in North America. On March 8, 2009, control of the game was passed from OGPlanet to SG Interactive (then Ntreev USA), which closed the game for a month for technical upgrades and re-released the game as "PangYa" a month later. In May 2014, SG Interactive transferred the publishing rights to MAYN Interactive and transferred the publishing rights to SmileGate Europe in late 2014. On December 12, 2016, "PangYa"s servers in North America shut down, along its website and forums, the Korean servers were closed on August 29, 2016, and the Japanese servers, operated by Gamepot, were closed on November 10, 2017. The Thai servers, operated by Ini3 Digital, remain open.
Gameplay.
"PangYa"s gameplay is designed similar to most other golf games. The power and accuracy of a shot are determined by a meter located at the bottom of the screen, using the "three-click method": one click to activate the meter's bar, one click to set power, and one click to set accuracy. Clicking is either done by moving the mouse pointer over the bar and clicking, or simply pressing the space bar.
Should the player hit the ball with perfect (or almost-perfect) accuracy, the shot is called a "PangYa". Missing a PangYa will result in a loss of power, and either a 'hook' (where the ball angles to the left from the intended trajectory) or a 'slice' (where the ball angles to the right from the intended trajectory).
The similarity of "PangYa" with other online golf games end here. The game's graphics are anime derived, with many of its features stemming from creative imagination, as opposed to realism. Golf clubs resembling household products or baseball bats are used by some characters, and courses such as Silvia Cannon and Wiz Wiz are set in fantasy realms. Additionally, physically impossible special shots can be performed.
Game Modes.
"PangYa" has several game modes.
Clubs.
A player will start the game with the default golf club. As the player progresses, they are given the option to purchase new clubs, using either Pang or Cookies (Points in the North America server). Players can also get a free Lucky Air Knight club from the tutorial that works until they rank to Junior E. Club sets differ from each other in term of stats provided, available upgrade slots, level requirement, and appearance. Just like in real golf, PangYa club sets contain 4 basic type of clubs: woods, irons, wedges, and putters.
Currency.
The currency of "PangYa" is Pang. Pang is normally earned by finishing a hole at par or better, pulling off powerful shots, and making difficult chip-ins. Pang can be used at the Shop to buy equipment or items. Pang can also be used to upgrade equipment such as golf clubs, or the characters themselves, boosting their stats.
A cookie system has also been established on most "PangYa" servers which allows people to buy equipment and items using real cash. Rage Points system (which is a system designed to allow their respective virtual credit systems to be used with multiple games) replaces the cookie system but is identical in usage.
Ranking.
In "PangYa", a ranking system is used. As players continue to compete in more games in tournament mode or match play, they will gain more experience points and move up in rank. Most new players, if not all, start off with the Rookie F ranking and work their way up. The current maximum achievable rank is Infinity Legend A. The only exception is the Game Masters, which have their own rank, GM. When displayed in the lobby, this the highest rank of all.
Special Shots.
In "PangYa", special shots are achieved by doing different combinations of keys. The standard "perfect shot" is performed by hitting a shot that lands in the white bar, causing a voice to cheer "Pangya!". Under certain conditions, players can hit shots such as the Power Topspin, Power Backspin, and Power Curve, aiding them in avoiding obstacles or chipping the ball into the hole. More complicated shots can be achieved such as the Super Pangya, which adds 10-20 yards to a shot (depending on how many power bars are spent on the shot), as well as the Cobra, Tomahawk and Spike, which change the trajectory of the shot considerably.
Known Servers.
A list of "PangYa" servers.
Other versions.
"Super Swing Golf" series.
First unveiled at Nintendo's E3 press conference during a montage trailer, "Super Swing Golf" was announced for the Wii gaming system. The game was in joint development by Ntreev Soft and Tecmo, was released on December 2, 2006, by Tecmo in Japan, and was released on December 12 of the same year in the US. "Super Swing Golf" has been built from the ground up for the Wii but still shares similar attributes with the PC version of the game. The sequel to "Super Swing Golf", "", has also been released, featuring new items as well as the Deep Inferno, Pink Wind, and Ice Spa courses from "PangYa" on PC as well as the Special Shot 'Spike'.
"PangYa: Fantasy Golf".
On June 23, 2009, Tomy (under license from SK Telecom) released "Pangya: Fantasy Golf" for the Sony PSP in North America.
"PangYa M".
On November 18, 2014, NCSOFT (with cooperation from Ntreev Soft) announced "PangYa Mobile" for iOS and Android. Development progress was not updated for several years, but on October 5, 2017, NCSOFT licensed "PangYa Mobile" to LINE in order to launch game services in Thailand, Taiwan, and Indonesia. Thailand was the first country that "PangYa Mobile" launched in, having a short open beta period before its wide release. The game is available in Thai, Korean, Japanese, and English.
On December 30, 2019, it was announced on the official Facebook page that "PangYa Mobile" would close on February 7, 2020. However, NCSOFT has launched "Pangya M", a redevelopment version of "PangYa Mobile" on July 3, 2020. Planned to release as a cross-platform game between the mobile version and PC version in NCSoft Purple platform.