Mario Golf: Toadstool Tour

"Wouldn't you know it, I'm horrible at golf!"

I remember fond memories of playing miniature golf years ago on weekends, those were great times. I suppose hitting helpless golf balls was my way of venting aggression, because when I putted I did so with all the strength I had. Many times, usually on my sixth or so stroke, I would just become annoyed with the whole game and hit my little green ball (I liked green) as hard as I could, PGA style. This would send it shooting through the air and into the parking lot, if not across the entire highway. I won't lie, golf is just not my game. Clearly I'm terrible at it, but for some reason back then I always found it fun in one way or another. Yes, those were the days.

Enter Mario Golf: Toadstool Tour.

I never played Mario Golf on Nintendo 64, but I assume anything I missed in that game was made up for tenfold in this one. Something possessed me to check out this game, and never being a fan of golf games in the past I thought it would be no different... well, except for the abundance of overly cheerful Nintendo characters. How wrong I was. Though it didn't make me feel nostalgic about mini-golf, it did offer a refreshing alternative to certain sports titles that attempt to take themselves much too seriously. Mario Golf: Toadstool Tour is exactly what it tries to be: a comedic game filled with golfing Mario characters, nothing more. Who knew such a game could be so fun and addicting? Oh yes, probably those who played the N64 version. Well, who knew I would enjoy a non-platforming Mario game that doesn't involve go-cart racing?

Upon turning on the game I witnessed a lengthy scene involving Wario and Waluigi trying in vain to sink a shot. Strangely, Waluigi's golfing skill is almost as bad as mine, in real life that is. Suddenly they're both attacked by Bowser, stomping mad after being hit in the eye by their ball. Oh well, this is just another day in the world of Mario Golf. Shortly after I was finally taken to the main menu to select my character. I chose Koopa Troopa, because he rules.

Gameplay: 10/10

The first thing you'll notice is the different game modes. Up to four players can play at a time, and playing against live people is always more fun than playing against the computer. Once you've selected a player, you're taken to a screen that displays the play modes. Most of your time will probably be spent with the main game, Tournament, which puts you up against every other character in a competition for first place on each course. There are also other modes, like Character Match which allows you to go one-on-one with the computer and Speed Golf, a game where you compete for the fastest time. There's even a Training Mode to get you started. Those make up only a small handful of the total games available to you.

In Mario Golf: TT, obviously the point is to play golf. It may appear easy at first, but once you've opened up some of the more difficult courses, things will begin to become more and more difficult. Skill plays an important role, but it's best to just try your own strategies on different holes rather than hitting impossible shots.

The controls are certainly a strong point here. All you have to do to aim is simply adjust the range mark to where you want to hit and then swing. Also, you can switch between the overall power of your swing and change clubs on the spot to suit your style. When it comes to swinging, there are actually two different ways to go about it: auto-swing and manual swing. By using the auto-swing, all you have to worry about is selecting the power of your swing. The manual swing allows you to also select the impact zone, giving you a better advantage over other golfers. By using the manual swing, you have much more control over your shot. Manual swing also comes in handy more when you're close to the hole and want to sink a birdie or better; relying too much on auto-swing will probably not improve your strategy.

The camera is very stable, almost too stable for a game that doesn't have a much required use for one. The main reason for using the camera is to see the location of your ball on the course versus the location of the green. Occasionally you'll literally be up against a stone wall or a clump of trees, and in order to not make a shot blindly in such a case you'll have to pan around with the camera and possibly tweak the position of the grid. You can also display an overhead view of the course to get a more accurate idea of the remaining distance to the green (hole.) It is important to use the camera to make tough shots easier to pull off, but other than that it doesn't serve much of a purpose. Hmm... okay, I suppose that is an important thing to have around.

The game does its best to simulate not only the game of golf but also the various things that can effect the velocity and direction in which your ball travels by including such things as wind speed and weather conditions. This is all pulled off very nicely and adds a considerable amount of challenge. It takes a bit of skill to overcome these obstacles and still maintain a low score. Besides these obstacles, there are also things such as sand bunkers, water and many, many trees. Then there are the Chain Chomps...

Taunting is another humorous thing they've added to the game. When playing against an opponent, whether they're real or the computer, you can simply move the control stick or press a button to taunt them. Yes, it's mean, but it's justified sometimes. I remember playing through a Character Match against Peach, a notably worse golfer than even myself who seemed to have an obsession with purposely hitting her ball right into nearby trees. THAT deserves to be made fun of, even if she was being controlled by an inanimate object.

In addition to the Training Mode, Toad will provide a brief tutorial on the basic controls and swings if needed. In addition to that, Boos will float across the screen if you hesitate a long time before a shot and will give basic hints... or flash a sign that says ''You're a slow player!'' Viola! Any problems adverted.

Graphics: 10/10

The Mushroom Kingdom is a happy, happy place! Most of us have at some point witnessed the landscapes of the Italian plumber's paradise. Mario Golf: TT is basically the same, but features more than just an environment filled with Bob-ombs and green pipes.

The majority of the game takes place on golf courses, how graphically spectacular could it possibly be? ''Spectacular'' would not be the word for it, but regardless it definitely provides a polished look to an already great game! The places where some of the courses are set can't possibly be in the same world, but then again Mario does tend to appear in various settings throughout each of his games, why would this be any different? The courses are all a sight to behold and look perfect, even the not-so-stunning training course. The Egyptian course, my personal favorite, while not incredibly varied does provide excellent eye candy as you're putting away. Some holes will even take place at different times of the day, anywhere from sunrise to nightfall. It really makes you wonder just how far each hole is from one another in order to take that long to get to...

As said earlier, there are different weather effects featured on certain courses or holes. It can be sunny, raining, or even storming (and who in their right mind would golf in the middle of a storm??) While none of this looks like anything new, it still adds to the quality of the graphics and can even be helpful to you. For example: the wind circles and blows across the sky randomly, allowing you to determine its direction and aim you swing accordingly. The backgrounds are far less detailed, but are still clearly visible for what they are. Usually you won't see anything other than mountains in the distance or far off trees. Still, given the same cartoon touch everything retains that certain Mario feel.

The characters themselves look better and better with every game. Even Birdo, who I believe hasn't surfaced since the 2D era, looks remarkably well done. Each character has his or her own specific animation when swinging or putting, like Donkey Kong who only uses one hand as opposed to Koopa who uses both. There's even attention given to smaller things, like clothes realistically moving in the wind or when the character makes a move. If you've seen the newer Mario games then you know what to expect here, only slightly better.

Sound: 10/10

Gah! I hate Toad's voice, he sounds like something off of Sesame Street! Luckily you won't hear him enough to gag, and what little he does say is only a single line for each explanation he gives.

The remaining sound effects are your typical Mario sounds... with a little golf mixed in. Your character will make a goofy little sound when they swing and, depending on the game mode, might make another goofy sound accompanied by a victory dance. None of this is a bad thing and fits the theme of the game. There is barely any voice acting at all, and most of that comes from the mysterious guy who comes out of nowhere and says things like ''Nice Shot!'' and ''Nice Birdie!'' None of this is annoying thankfully. Others you'll hear are the chirping of birds and, of course, the ball being hit which sounds surprisingly realistic.

The music is very standard in Mario games, and the music present in this game is along the same lines as music in the Mario Kart series. It's very upbeat and has random sound effects scattered in. You'll most likely forget ever hearing the music within a few minutes, but as it's playing it's almost relaxing.

Replay: 9/10

I personally replay through games even if there isn't a single extra thing to get, but since not everyone is like me then you'll be satisfied to know that there is plenty to do upon completing the main game. You can unlock different characters and play through enough side games and alternate courses to last quite a while. Eventually it will be over, but it should take a while for you to do it all. Even when you have done everything you can possibly do, you can still brush up on your game or try to get a better time on Speed Golf. Besides, since most of the fun comes from playing against other people, you shouldn't be finished with this game anytime soon.

Overall: 10/10

Mario Golf: Toadstool Tour is one of those rare gems of gaming that has something for everyone. If you're like me and lose more golf balls than sink in real life, you should still give this game a chance. If you played and loved the N64 version then this is definitely your game. If not, then this may be a whole new experience like it was for me. I personally despise most sports titles, but Nintendo has made a keeper in my book (whatever book that is... err... never mind.)

Reviewer's Score: 10/10, Originally Posted: 08/17/03