Game of the Week #17

Metal Mario · 11-07-2009, 10:11 PM

Mario Golf (N64 & GBC, 1999)

Though Mario had starred in a small number of sports games (notably Golf for NES and Game Boy, NES Open Tournament Golf for NES, and Mario's Tennis for Virtual Boy) in previous years, it was 1999's Mario Golf that truly gave birth to the line of Mario-themed sports titles that continues to expand today. Mario's later forays into tennis, soccer, baseball, and basketball all owe their origins to the success of Mario Golf (and you may judge the game for that as you will).

Mario Golf was praised for its deep and realistic gameplay, as well as for its simplified mechanics and user-friendly approach to a sport that otherwise would have been too nuanced and complex for players of all ages and skill levels. It introduced new characters named Plum, Sonny, Harry, Maple, and Charlie, and provided the first appearance of Baby Mario since SMW 2: Yoshi's Island. Other playable characters include Mario, Luigi, Wario, Yoshi, Princess Toadstool, Bowser, Donkey Kong, and Metal Mario (!!!).

A Game Boy Color version of Mario Golf was released around the same time as the N64 version. It featured role-playing elements, and critics actually scored it higher than the N64 game.

11-07-2009, 10:11 PM	#1
Metal Mario Veteran Member Join Date: Dec 1999 Gender: Posts: 16,435 Thanks: 72 Thanked 190 Times in 127 Posts	Game of the Week #17 Mario Golf (N64 & GBC, 1999) Though Mario had starred in a small number of sports games (notably Golf for NES and Game Boy, NES Open Tournament Golf for NES, and Mario's Tennis for Virtual Boy) in previous years, it was 1999's Mario Golf that truly gave birth to the line of Mario-themed sports titles that continues to expand today. Mario's later forays into tennis, soccer, baseball, and basketball all owe their origins to the success of Mario Golf (and you may judge the game for that as you will). Mario Golf was praised for its deep and realistic gameplay, as well as for its simplified mechanics and user-friendly approach to a sport that otherwise would have been too nuanced and complex for players of all ages and skill levels. It introduced new characters named Plum, Sonny, Harry, Maple, and Charlie, and provided the first appearance of Baby Mario since SMW 2: Yoshi's Island. Other playable characters include Mario, Luigi, Wario, Yoshi, Princess Toadstool, Bowser, Donkey Kong, and Metal Mario (!!!). A Game Boy Color version of Mario Golf was released around the same time as the N64 version. It featured role-playing elements, and critics actually scored it higher than the N64 game. Last edited by Metal Mario; 12-15-2009 at 10:58 PM.