Mario Golf

Summary

Genre: Sport
Number of players: 1-4
Rumble Pak: No
Controller Pak: No
Expansion Pak: Not used

Review

Not the first golf game for the N64, but Mario Golf - as you may just have guessed from the title - features Nintendo's mascot character Mario, as well as a number of his friends and enemies, in a golf game that doesn't pretend to be taking place in the real world. Mario has been cropping up in a number of games other than his standard platform adventures lately, and as a rule they've all been pretty good games. Does Mario Golf follow this trend?


Gameplay: The game features a number of modes. There is the standard tournament mode, in which players compete in an 18-hole championship against 29 other competitors; a stroke match, where players play through 9 or 18 holes alone; a minigolf game with two 18-hole courses to choose from; a versus mode where you compete against a single opponent; and the 'ring shot' mode, where you must hit the ball through a number of rings set out in the course, and still get par or better. Each mode presents its own challenges, but the underlying golf game beneath it remains the same.

The basic golf mechanism involves first selecting your club from the 14 available, then aiming your character. In the time-honoured golf game tradition, you then start the power gauge moving by pressing A, pressing it again as close to the top as possible, and a third time when the marker reaches the bottom. The resulting shot will then be hit, be it good or bad. Much of the strategy and skill comes in aiming your shot so you will get the best distance and placing, yet also leaving room for the possibility of hitting an imperfect shot.

The game uses this system extremely well, and after a while you will fully get to grips with the mechanism and be able to plan ahead properly. Additional variables such as wind, ground surface and whether your character has a draw or a fade affect the complexity further. Suffice to say that there's a lot to be going on with, and it's a lot of fun. The game feels innately 'right', and can be both immensely satisfying and exasperating, depending on how lucky you get. All in all, it's top fun to play, and the different modes add a lot to the game.


Challenge: There are six distinct courses with 18 holes each, in addition to the two mini-golf courses and a practice course. That proves to be more than sufficient, and there are some very tricky holes in these courses. Each time you play a hole, it is slightly different than the last time you played it, thanks to wind and rain conditions. Some strategies can be learned, but there's always a measure of careful planning, hitting good shots under pressure, and a fair bit of luck. The various modes of play increase the game's life considerably, and the ring shot mode can be diabolical in its trickiness. It'll last a long time, and still always retain its 'pick up and play' appeal. Top stuff.


Graphics: The characters all look satisfyingly realistic, and are well-animated - although at times they seem a bit static. The courses themselves are varied, realistic (in a sense, since gigantic mushrooms and pink trees aren't exactly your usual golf-course scenery) and well-designed, and the overall presentation is very solid. There is nothing mind-blowingly amazing, but it's hard to find fault with the graphics.


Sounds: Each course has its own music theme, which is pleasant background music which is content to quietly add to the game's feel without ever being really noticed. To be honest, you don't really need any more, since concentration needs to be focused on the gameplay itself. Sound effects are your standard and yet satisfying whacks as the ball is smitten, but other than this and the characters' speech samples, which are clear and evocative enough, there aren't really any sounds to speak of. To put it shortly, the sounds are fitting and appropriate, but rather barren.


Multiplayer: Up to four players can play, although only one player at a time can take a shot. The competitive aspect of the game is intense, particularly as one player is seldom more than a couple of shots ahead of another, and there's always the potential for a 'bad hole' to suddenly even things up. Besides most of the standard modes being available, there is the additional 'club slots' mode, which provides each player with a slot machine before each hole, which determines which clubs can be used on that particular hole. It's an interesting novelty, and provides for some rather taxing strategy. Overall, multiplay can be fun and highly competitive, and handicaps can be set to even things up - as well as the ability to get your character to call out insults while another player is preparing their shot. Multiplayer is a very enjoyable part of the game.


Summing up: A surprisingly enjoyable and believable golf game, with enough variety and courses to sustain long-term play. A great control system and lots of character make this a very nice package.


Gamesmark: 88%


Reviewer: Maverik



Tangycheese's opinion: You may have noticed the disturbing trend on the N64 to release crap golf games. Fortunately, this one is an exception to the rule, and is very good fun to play indeed, especially in multiplay. A very good golf game, easily the best on the N64. If you like golfing games, you won't go wrong with Mario Golf.