Mario Golf Review

October 6, 2008 - Some games are just naturally addictive. You turn them on, you pick up the controller, and ten hours later you realize you forgot to go to class, or eat anything that day, or sleep. Today that quality is quickly ascribed to popular MMOs played online, but in the N64 era the simple, uncomplicated fun of games like Mario Golf could create the same situations -- because when a game gets its core mechanics just right, it's easy to lose yourself in the experience (and lose track of time as a result).

Mario Golf is a cartoony simulation of the sport of golf developed by Camelot Software Planning, a company known in the '90s for the success of its Hot Shots Golf games on the PlayStation. Those games found popularity through the uncomplicated way they presented the sport, and it's the same straightforward mechanics that fuel the addictiveness of this Mario-branded version produced for Nintendo.

Essentially, you press the A Button. That starts your swing's power meter moving, as a cursor on the bottom of the screen travels to the left. You then press the A Button again to set your swing's level of impact, and the cursor starts heading back to the right again. A third and final press of A set your swing's level of accuracy, and your shot is complete -- the animation takes over, and you watch how well you've just done at pressing the same button three times in a row.

It's the kind of easy, pick-up-and-play design that everyone can enjoy, from the hardcore down to kids who've never played a video game before -- but for those looking for a bit more depth, there are optional elements you can also employ. You can press B to activate a Power Swing, which can give your drive a considerable amount of added distance if completed correctly. You can adjust the point at which you make contact with the surface of the ball, which will influence its direction and spin. And you can alter the angle of your shot, in case you find yourself stuck behind a tree or other such obstacle and need to curve the ball around to get past it and back out onto the green.

The mechanics are spot-on and feel just right even now, nine years after the original release of this game. Certain other elements, of course, are more affected by the passage of time.

The graphics are noticeably dated, especially when compared to the Wii-compatible GameCube sequel to this game, Mario Golf: Toadstool Tour. The characters and environments all have that blocky N64 look to them, and you won't find a lot of Mario-related elements here -- this is essentially a Hot Shots game with Mario characters added in, so the courses don't take place near Bowser's Castle or anything like that. That, again, was something the sequel brought to the table.

Additionally, some players may be turned off by the character selection -- you can't even play as Mario to begin with, unless you count his baby-sized alter ego. You have to earn the right to select most of the golfers in the game by beating them in head-to-head "Get Character" matches. (The matches are actually a lot of fun, and you get to feel a considerable level of accomplishment when you finally defeat some of the final opponents. But, still, several newcomers to this game will certainly be confused that only four characters are available from the start.)

And, finally, one aspect of the N64 original has been cut out completely in this Virtual Console re-release is Game Boy Color connectivity. When this game first arrived in 1999, it had the ability to link up with the GBC version to unlock additional characters. Because that can't be done any more, there's no way to get those final four slots on the character select screen filled -- a shame, because Kid and the others from the GBC Mario Golf were a lot of fun, back in the day.

Closing Comments
Certain elements of this N64 edition of Mario Golf haven't held up as well as some would have hoped, in its transition to the Virtual Console -- the graphics, the characters, the lost connectivity. But, even then, it's undeniable that the core gameplay serving as the foundation of this experience has remained unaffected by its age. The simple, straightforward way to pick up and play, the multiple different modes, the ability to lose yourself in simply going for the green for hours on end -- it's all still here. And that makes Mario Golf a worthy candidate for download. If you've played and enjoyed any of the Hot Shots titles, or Toadstool Tour on the GameCube, or even just the free copy of W ii Sports Golf that came packed in with your system, give this N64 original a shot. You won't be disappointed.