Mario Golf: Advance Tour

"Good but green reading tough"

Oh man. This game has so much fun and re-playability it's impossible to mention it all here. Yet this has to be the best portable golf game I've played to date.

Graphics: 7/10 The graphics of this game raised some curious eyebrows. The still pictures in ths game are amazing such as the pictures of the credits. Also the graphics of the world you walk around in is impressive. However, I gave this a 7 because the course graphics could use some work. The slopes on the green are arrows. If I could actually read the slopes, I'd be shooting -15 all over the place. Instead I'm shooting -8/9.

Game-play: 9/10 WOW!!! This game has so many different modes is unbelievable. For single player you have 10 game modes which include both normal and star tournaments, stroke and match play, go-go gates, club slots and speed golf among other modes. Multi-player has a few less with a few new modes including skins. In total that's 17 total game modes you can do outside of story mode. Plus there is a way to edit your taunts and a glossary if you don't understand a word in Mario golf you see. Story mode is almost just as expansive.

Story: 10/10 In story mode, you take the role of a young protege of the golfer kid who you named when you first turned the game on. You start approaching the Marion clubhouse racing your rival Buzz to the bridge. As you meet with the commissioner of Marion clubhouse, you start to wonder if you will become as legendary as kid and hope to play Mario someday. And thus your story to become the ultimate golfer begins. This story mode has so much to offer it can hardly contain itself. You travel around the world completing practice challenges to improve your skills and as you do you gain experience points to put towards improving your stats. Hence the RPG part of the game. As you complete challenges if you think you are good enough you can challenge the club tournament and if you win you advance to the next one. Sounds boring? It isn't. The folks at Camelot employ a great storyline in this game. The best I've seen in a sports game actually. As you complete tournaments you will unlock new tournaments and mini-games in that world. There can also be sudden changes in your game by receiving a hidden item by finding it or doing a good deed for someone. There are also custom clubs you can get later in the game.
I'd say that's a lot to offer for a sports game.

Controls: 10/10 For those of you who have played Mario golf toadstool tour for Game-cube you will recognise this control style. up + down to select your club, L+R to select distance, A to start power meter, then A or B to set power and if B, A or b again to set impact. I gave this a 10 because these controls are easy to learn but difficult to master. That's what I like about sports games.

Final Judgement: 9/10 This game has so many aspects to it I just had to give it 9. the only problem I had was with the greens. I've been shooting 6 more than I usually do with any 3D golf game. However because of all the replay value and how fun this game is, I give it 9.

Rent or Buy: Buy. Definitely buy. If you love sports games, Buy it. If you love RPG 's, buy it. If you don't like either, rent, then buy. I'd recommend this game to anyone, it doesn't matter what kind of games they like.

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 07/13/05