Developer: Camelot Software Planning Publisher: Nintendo

Released: July 26, 1999 Rated: E 8/10

Up until the most recent release on the Switch, Mario Golf: Super Rush, I think most would agree that the Mario Golf series had been one of Nintendo’s most consistent franchises or subseries. Not only had Mario not yet experienced a bad round out on the links over the span of about 20 years, but the argument could be made that any of the five entries was the best outing yet. And no, this does not include Mario’s likeness in any NES or GameBoy offerings such as NES Open Tournament Golf that don’t feature him by name. This series, and almost the entire Mario sports spinoff franchise save for one Virtual Boy pack-in, begins in kind during the summer of 1999, following the poaching of Camelot Software Planning from Sony – one of the rare cases of the N64 getting one over on the PlayStation and not the other way around. While Camelot would continue to work on RPGs for Nintendo as well, having initially gained notoriety for their excellent Shining series titles for Sega, they got their first chance to stretch their legs by developing the first Hot Shots Golf title for the PS1. While Hot Shots did just fine and even continued to improve following this first release, getting to use the Mario window dressing and overall Nintendo flair on their next golf title clearly benefited both sides immensely, as Mario Golf kickstarts the plumber’s athletic revival doing just about everything right, even if there’s plenty of room to grow in making future titles even more Mario-centric.

Anybody who has ever played a classic three-click-meter golf game will immediately feel right at home with Mario Golf, and after a few holes, once the timing is down, should be squared to go past the base mechanics of the game, ready to take on pretty much any course, opponent, or just a simple round to pass the time with hardly any trouble. From there, improving at the game and lowering your score is a personal endeavor with tricks that are extremely simple in execution, but a challenge to master and put to use at the most opportune times. Spin and trajectory, for example, are modified by simply holding the control stick during your shot, which takes practice in divvying up your attention span and making precise use of the analog stick. Power shots, on the other hand, are a simple toggle at address, but are limited to six per 18-hole round, so should be used opportunistically. That is, of course, unless your shot timing skills are up to snuff, as a perfectly executed shot will give you a freebie and not detract from your remaining power shots. This is certainly not a game for the purists, though the presence of princesses, babies, and giant Koopa monsters should have proven as much, but anyone appreciative of arcade-style accessibility in any sports title will be right at home here.

Though there are only six courses in the game, which provide a bit more of a staircase than a difficulty curve, it would be dismissive to think that Mario Golf is light on content, especially compared to a lot of other golf games of the era. Even at only six, the courses are a huge strength in providing the character of the Mushroom Kingdom, starting with two fairly straightforward local country clubs in Toad Highlands and Koopa Park. Jumping over, then, to Shy Guy Desert, amongst pyramids and steep drop offs into sandy valleys is your first major scenery change. Yoshi’s Island and Boo Valley continue ramping up the visual design and difficulty, before Mario’s Star really caps things off with a tough course featuring holes shaped like various Mario characters and items. Both the roster of characters and selection of game modes are similarly laid out in that they have a decent amount of Mario flair and arcade-style fun factor, but aren’t fully committed to the bit just yet. A diverse roster isn’t quite as exciting when it’s equal parts Bowser and Wario alongside Harry and Charlie, who are essentially plain leftover character models from Hot Shots. This also kind of deters players from viewing the Get Character matches as a primary game mode on par with tournament mode, as seeing a silhouette for “guy with a straw hat” doesn’t really give the same amount of excitement as one that’s clearly Yoshi or Luigi for your next unlock.

Speaking of game modes, however, this is another place where Mario Golf really packs a lot of punch, even outside of AI match play. Offering a tough field to beat in tournaments is a great single player option, but various modes such as club slots and speed golf offer up a great way of mixing things up, especially in multiplayer settings where, for better or worse, waiting players can taunt their opponents with soundbites from their characters. Even single player offers ring shot mode, which offers an even better way to practice than just hitting the range, as learning to handle an extreme draw or fade with harder-hitting characters like Bowser is the key to knocking strokes off your game and claiming those later tournament wins. The only mode that’s really a big letdown is the mini-golf, which is probably due to connotations for Western players. A more fitting way of looking at the two miniature courses is probably just as putter training, as 36 holes shaped like letters and numbers is a lot less exciting than what a Mario version of classic mini-golf obstacles could be.

Although it’s certainly not a requirement for a golf game to blow players away with presentation, Camelot even does a solid job on this front, especially with their established knack for great music. They toe the line exceptionally well with music that offers great, catchy melodies and a bouncy tempo, without being a distraction from the game, though the added pomp in a high pressure situation or sad music after a bad hole is also key to the experience. 

Though it’s not the most consistent in terms of tone or use of the license, the central feeling of quality gameplay and charm really gives a solid foundation for the series to use in future entries. And tons of polish on those base mechanics ensures players are likely to stick around to see everything the game has to offer, or at least keep it in rotation for multiplayer or low-intensity gaming sessions. Even without courses that wind around turrets in Bowser’s castle or fairways lined with holes for Monty Moles to pop out of and toss your ball away, Mario Golf is easily the best golf title released stateside and can stack up mechanically to just about any other arcade golf title you can think of. 

Continuing Legacy

Along with some truly amazing sequels where Mario and friends hit the links, Camelot has kept up making the Mario Tennis games as well as the Golden Sun series, maintaining a close relationship with Nintendo as a second-party developer. Curiously, their only game not published by Nintendo since their relationship began here with Mario Golf is also a golf game. We Love Golf! was released for the Wii in 2007, published by Capcom and featuring many of their characters. It’s very curious, as it feels as if Camelot continued working on another Mario Golf for a system that would be perfectly suited for one, only for Nintendo to balk at the idea and Capcom to come in and pick it up. 

Additional Information

Saves: Cartridge

Compatible with: Transfer Pak (Mario Golf), Rumble Pak

Players: 1-4

Print Guides: None

Aggregate Critical Reception (GameRankings): 87.32%, based on 13 reviews

Other releases: JP, June 11, 1999

EU, September 14, 1999

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