Mario Golf: Advance Tour (Gameboy Advance)
Developed by: Camelot Software Planning
Published by: Nintendo

With this year’s installment of EA’s Tiger Woods PGA Tour bringing new levels of realism and control to the world of virtual golf, you have to wonder if there’s still a place for games like Mario Golf Advance Tour anymore. After sitting down to play it, I have to say that the answer is a resounding yes. It may not be revolutionary, but on handheld systems where the processing power isn’t quite ready for hyper-realism, Mario Golf is exactly the kind of game you want to play — colourful, creative, easy to jump into but hard to put down.

Camelot have previously developed a number of Mario Golf and Tennis titles for other Nintendo platforms, often using their experience with RPGs such as Golden Sun and Shining Force to incorporate a unique story-based RPG twist to these sports games. In the past it has worked well, and with Mario Golf Advance Tour it is once again the Story mode that really sets it apart from other golf games. You meet two aspiring young golfers, Neil and Ella, who are students at the Marion Golf Club with the hopes of eventually working their way up through the ranks to become champs at every golf club in the area… and maybe even earning a chance to tee off against the ultimate golf pro, Mario himself.

You are free to explore the golf club premises, talking to other golfers, examining the environments, and searching for hidden items and valuable tips. The main portion of the game involves entering singles and doubles tournaments, and challenging specific competitors on the course. In addition, there are numerous training facilities, mini-games and other challenges throughout the world to ensure that you never get bored. Things like “Go-Go Gates”, a mini-game where you have to par each hole while also passing your ball through a series of gates, a driving range, chipping and putting greens, and other wacky stuff. By doing this you gain experience and actually “level up” your 2 characters. Interesting to note, however, that you never actually control your doubles partner; he or she is CPU-controlled during games but you still have to spend experience points to increase his/her skills. One qualm about the Story mode is that there appears to be only one save slot, but this may be because of the numerous saved highlights and replays that also take up memory space.

The graphics are not true 3D but use Mode 7 (the same technology showcased in the original Super Mario Kart) in order give the illusion of three dimensions and it looks quite good… probably better than any golf games I remember on the SNES. In order to fit everything into the GBA’s small screen, however, the main perspective view is very high overhead and you never get to see a close-up of the terrain that the ball lands on after the shot. Because of this, the game doesn’t feel as involving as it could with a more dynamic shot cam.

The controls are pretty much the standard we’ve come to expect from golf games over the years. The typical timed 3-click procedure will handle most of your club swinging needs, but with a few tiny amendments. There is a simplified 2-click auto swing for beginners that activates the 3rd click for you with semi-random timing. For grizzled veterans who are already comfortable with the technique, you can also add top spin or back spin with a quick double tap of A or B at the end of the swing. More advanced swing options are also available, including a “Power Shot” (only 6 allowed per game, but your supply won’t decrease every time you achieve a perfect shot) and an “Impact Mode” that puts spin on the ball by manipulating the club’s impact point on the ball. Both of these concepts seem to have been swiped from Camelot’s own Playstation classic, Hot Shots Golf. Putting is unfortunately the easiest part of the game, with the actual lie of the green having little influence on the movement of the ball.

Multiplayer options are pretty broad, from stroke play to skins play to doubles (alternating shots) teams and closest-to-the-pin contests. Although it says on the box that a link cable is required, you can play with up to 4 people using a single GBA, which is convenient and cost-efficient. Of course, there are some added bonuses when playing a linked multiplayer game, such as the ability to taunt or praise your opponents with pre-defined messages.

The game even has a glossary of golf lingo for the real newbies proving that yes indeed, they have thought of pretty much everything.

Mario Golf Advance Tour is supposed to be the handheld companion to Toadstool Tour for the Gamecube. They are different games with different courses and styles, but the control schemes are similar. There is an option to link up and use your character from the GBA on the Gamecube one, but I doubt this is a big selling point for anyone.

My only regret with this game is that they didn’t fully embrace the game’s stylistic strengths. If the game is going to be cartoony rather than realistic, then you should go all out with it. Why not have cartoony interactive obstacles on some of the courses, or have wild power-ups that can give you mega distance or mess up your opponents’ swing? There are extra courses that can be unlocked but still, the game feels at times like too much of a true golf sim. As for the RPG stuff, why not do more with it? Create environments that actually feel like more than an elaborate menu system and characters that have more to offer than just generic golf advice. Sure this goes against the actual core gameplay, but hey it’s never been done before and that’s my point!

Aside from the role-playing elements of the game, Mario Golf doesn’t really add anything new to the genre, and that is a bit disappointing. However, its deep and engaging design make it probably the best handheld golf game to date, and gives you tremendous value for your money. It may not be a hole-in-one but it’s definitely a birdie putt for the win. — Sean