Mario Golf

"Everybody's Golf again...?"

I was one of those people who actually had the original Golf on gameboy, whihc was downright awful. Far too simple to get eagles albatrosses, even a hole-in-one every now and then if you felt like it but i got this because it looked good and souneded interesting.

The first thing I did when i got it two days ago was feel shocked about just how identical this game is to Everybody's Golf I + II on the psx. The Similarities are unbelievable. It really is a graphical worse Everybody's Golf for the Gameboy Colour, but let's take a more in-depth look into this game...

Graphics: 6

Another reviewer down there said the games graphics were unbelievable in Mario Golf, but I don't know if has eye trouble or something because personally, I thought the graphics were terrible. I give it a 6 only because you can see what you're doing. The whole hole is flat, don't believe what your overhead screen shows you. And there's an option that says 3D mode? All this does is give you a postcard view of your golfer taking his shot, with the totally un-3D view.
So yeah, they're poor. The menu's are at least colourful and easy to get through because of the little option bars. The use of coloruing is not good either in the actual game because their only ever seems to be about 6 colours that get used. And check out the last courses purple sky, and the deserts bright orange sky too. Sickening.

Sound: 2

Again, this same reviewer down there also said the sounds were great and the music brilliant??? He should face reality because these tunes may as well have been made by a little kid on an electric keyboard. The music's downright criminal, so i had to turn it off. The sounds are... ok. You get the little dink when the club hits the ball and that, but that's all when you knock the music off. That reviewer also mentioned a techno track that he loved? I'm sorry, but he obviously hasn't ever gone out clubbing because I've heard this tune and again, awful.

Gameplay: 10

This is where Mario golf excels. There is SO MUCH to do in this game. But there is only something like 4 modes; VS, career, practice, and 1 round game. But the career mode at least has so many different games in it for you to enjoy. there's not only the obvious courses which are tournaments for you to compete in, but there's challenge matches vs CPU players, bonus games, a place for you to change your clubs and probably a lot more. There's also secret characters in there but they I have not got yet.
the controls are so easy to use. In fact, they're probably TOO easy to use. It makes you feel like there's something missing because there's only two commands you need in the actual game. But they work, so I can't moan too much at them.

Lifespan: 10

I haven't fully completed it yet, but there's a lot in this game for you to feast ya eyes on so it'll probably take a few weeks to get everything in the game. that's the problem with games today though. A few weeks and then you've completed it? I loved the old games like jet set Will and Manic miner that would take you months to complete just cos you couldn't do that pixel perfection needed jump. They were REAL games.

Overall

A excellent game marred only by the things that aren't important in games. In fact, this is a classic example in which you can prove that graphics are not what makes a game but gameplay IS.
If the graphics had ben made a lot more easier on the eye and if the sound... well if the current sound was just chucked out a window and replaced with someother music, then this game would have got at least a 9.

One Line Verdict: Everybody's Golf minituarised.

Reviewer's Score: 7/10, Originally Posted: 07/26/00, Updated 07/26/00