Mario Golf: World Tour Review

*Note: Due to server maintenance, our time with the online modes were limited. The full review of the online features will be done after the game’s launch.*

Ahh the Mushroom Kingdom. The home of so many memories throughout my brief time on this planet. Travelling to the far away universe of…wait, what? The Mario universe takes place on our very own planet Earth? What’s going on here? Oh well, moving on to the task at hand, it’s time for some golf with Mario Golf: World Tour.

With a cast of classic Nintendo characters, Mario Golf: World Tour takes you on a trip across the planet playing on some of the most uniquely designed courses the series has ever seen (Don’t worry, we won’t spoil the courses for you).

Taking the classic “click for power, click for accuracy” control scheme, Mario Golf updates its controls with the twist of adding topspin and backspin to the ball. These effects are easy to add to the ball, but it’s not always a good decision to add backspin on every approach. Far too often has that little mistake resulted in the ball being pulled 10 yards or more off the green.

As far as game modes go, there is “Mario Golf” mode where you can just pick up your 3DS, select your character and play a quick round of golf either locally or online.

There is nothing from this game that makes it stand out as anything more than a good, but not great, golf title.

The new major game mode that Nintendo brought to the table is the “Castle Club”. This mode allows players to take their created Mii characters, buy items and compete in tournaments, course championships or simple practice rounds on one of the game’s four major courses.

This mode can only be played using a Mii character as it is made to represent a country club-like atmosphere. And all things considered, it captures the club experience pretty well without having to spend $500+ a year on a membership.

You can walk around the clubhouse freely, and come and go as you please. It’s a cool concept that can be built upon for future installments.

Graphics wise, the game looks phenomenal. Mario Golf looks good in both 2D and 3D mode, and is by far the best looking game in the series. There really isn’t much more you can say about the visuals in the game. They are just that good.

A major disappointment with the game is the lack of a mid-round save that allows you to come back and pick up where you left off. Sometimes all you have time for is a hole or two, but Mario Golf doesn’t allow you to start a round, play a couple holes and save the rest for later. No, you either play the whole round in one sitting, or you lose everything and start over.

Mario Golf: World Tour is a game that, while fun when playing with friends, doesn’t offer much in terms of heavy replay ability if you don’t have access to the online modes. There is nothing from this game that makes it stand out as anything more than a good, but not great, golf title.

Even with the new online gameplay, if you are looking for a game that will be groundbreaking to the series, Mario Golf: World Tour isn’t really it.

The game will have, for the first time in Nintendo’s history, paid DLC that will add six new courses and four golfers over a three-pack period. This should add a little extra life to the game as the packs are released.

That being said, the gameplay is a good as it’s ever been for a Mario Golf title. The controls are simple, the courses are fun and the variations in the elements to deal with make this game a fun experience for any fan of the series.