Mario is definitely not merely one of the very most recognizable gaming characters, but one of the most recognizable characters in the world overall. As the mainline games like Mario Odyssey feature platforming perfection, Mario and the friends and even enemies have also been in numerous spinoff titles through the years too. Camelot Software has been the developer behind several of these, most notably the golf and tennis offerings, and now they are back again with another one known as Mario Golf: Super Rush.
There have been countless golf the related video games over the years, with varying control schemes and mechanics across them. The Mario Golf franchise in particular happens to be arcade-like in fashion, especially with a number of its more fantastical mechanics introduced over the years. This is a common trait from the Mario sports games and Mario Golf: Super Rush isn't any different. The game includes a roster of 16 Mario characters from over the years, including staples like Wario and Yoshi, in addition to some newcomers like Pauline and King Bob-omb. You can also choose to use a Mii like a seventeenth character in a few game modes too, with them also being the star from the game’s single player campaign.
The basic gameplay here's pretty simple to learn, because they want an accessible experience for players right from the start. There’s the usual choice of different clubs to use, aiming the shot, choosing just how much power to use with the power meter and the like, and even such things as adding topspin or backspin to the shot. Wind can enjoy a significant factor on drives when teeing off as well as when putting, where elevation also really comes into play. Curve shots and super-curve shots also can be vital to obtain around obstacles, particularly when you get to the Golf Adventure mode. Fundamental essentials types of mechanics that you would expect in pretty much every round of golf, but Mario Golf: Super Rush has much more into it that you should learn as well like the Special Shot that charges on a meter and may help much you out over time.
Mario Golf: Super Rush has three main game modes to choose from, Play Golf, Solo Challenge, and Golf Adventure. Play Golf is the go-to option if you would like to jump right into some Mario Golf action, but there are a few choices to select from there. Standard Golf is the typical golf experience, where one can choose a a few different settings, including up to four players as well as what play style you would like between button and motion controls. Solo Challenge is identical thing as well, but simply with one player and doing either score attack or time attack across 18 holes.
Golf is definitely the most easy sport to adapt to motion controls due to the fact the swinging of a club can be easily emulated. The motion controls in Mario Golf: Super Rush handle this perfectly, offering the best choice for players that are looking to become more active and pretend they're actually around the green with Mario and company. For all those classical gamers that could desire a a bit more preciseness in playing though, there are the default button controls which work perfectly and are probably the option most players goes with long-term.
The Standard Golf option is far from all Mario Golf: Super Rush provides players though, as there are two completely new types of golf in this game referred to as Speed Golf and Battle Golf. These are in which the Super Rush part of the title is necessary, because the game no longer approximately striking the ball. Speed Golf at its core is the same at standard golf in where you have to hit the ball before you get it into each hole. However, the major change here's that you now have to run after and chase down your ball after each hit. There's two versions of this available, one where players are rewarded points for finish order on each hole based on overall time or one in which the goal is simply to have the ideal time at the conclusion period.
Running after the ball can be achieved in a few different ways. You have the regular walking speed that you want to prevent, since hold down B and run a bit faster. Then there is the Super Dash which you can use by pressing L to dart ahead quickly as well as lower other players in the manner. The downside of running and also the Super Dash though is that they consume your stamina meter, particularly with the latter technique. There are also Heart items scattered across the courses though that you can pick up to replenish some of your stamina meter, but your other opponents are likely attempting to do the same. For this reason you need to be strategic with the way you make the mad rush to your ball every time.
Playing Speed Golf could possibly get rather crazy at times, but nothing gets as wild as the new Battle Golf mode. This takes the thought of Speed Golf and mixes it having a battle royale setting almost. Rather than a large course split into up to 18 holes, Battle Golf takes place in one arena that houses nine total holes all relatively close to each other. The goal here is to be the first one to sink your ball in three holes and obtain flags as a result, all while avoiding a barrage of different obstacles to create this difficult. There's also Rush Events which happen for each minute, for example adding ice or Bob-ombs round the hole. The previous few flags in Battle Golf get absolutely insane sometimes, which adds that intensity. This actually was a great addition for individuals wanting a short get and play experience of the game, but it definitely won’t be for everyone.
Mario Golf: Super Rush also offers players online multiplayer, that is something you would come to anticipate in almost any modern golf game. The one offered here is incredibly basic though, just letting you play each one of the three aforementioned gameplay types online. You can do this by either developing a room or finding existing rooms, allowing you to play with either friends or random people around the world. The disappointing part though is the fact that some sort of tournament option both offline and particularly online would have been nice to have seen be included, but hopefully that is something which could come later as part of the promised updates for that game post-launch.
One of the best aspects of most of the Camelot developed Mario sports titles have been the only player modes. They have almost always designed a point to offer story driven campaigns past the normal modes where you just play the respective sport. That trend has continued with Mario Golf: Super Rush too using the new mode referred to as Golf Adventure.
Golf Adventure puts you in charge of your personal Mii character who's a rookie alongside several other characters including Toadette, Boo, and Charging Chuck. These characters are your rivals during this mode, often showing up in competitions against you. The journey starts within the same household throughout Bonny Greens, where you are introduced to the mechanics from the game along with some challenges.
This is to will first uncover the leveling system for the Mii, that is pretty simplistic. The more challenges and competitions you complete, the greater EXP you'll earn and as a result level up. For each new level you reach, you will get a point that may be spent to upgrade your Mii in a single of 5 categories. These categories include Power, Stamina, Speed, Control, and Spin, which could also degrade over time while you level up further. You have free rein to determine which route you want to go with your Mii over time, with plenty of suggests be had during your experience.
The Golf Adventure mode is basically split up into five areas in line with the courses in the game. All these courses possess a hub space around them that you should explore. There isn’t a great deal to do in every of those, but there are some challenges and the like that you should try out for some extra EXP. The main goal in each would be to complete the respective badge qualifier to upgrade one stage further, with the eventual goal being to get the Platinum Badge.
Each new location also introduces new wrinkles into the mix, including new gameplay styles in addition to smaller gameplay mechanics which come into play. Including the inclusion of XC Golf in Ridgerock Lake, in which you have to go from hole to hole in a area full of elevations and obstacles like tornadoes and complete them all within a certain quantity of shots. The last few regions of Golf Adventure also add boss battles into the mix, that are quite enjoyable to experience.
Having variations on the basic gameplay does make Golf Adventure feel fresh throughout, but the random nature sometimes makes you almost wish they'd tied to similar ideas at times and delicate each of them instead. Golf Adventure as a whole feels just a little undercooked in certain areas, never quite reaching the heights of the single player options in other Mario Golf games of history. This really is mainly because of not only the dwelling, but the lack of an interesting story or anything using what we already know to be charming characters.
The Mario Golf franchise happens to be a relatively consistent series that you can count on to a minimum of supply you with a solid golf experience. Mario Golf: Super Rush keeps that trend going, giving players fun and easy to understand gameplay alongside a good, but still a little underwhelming single player campaign. The introduction of Speed Golf and Battle Golf really help to raise the sport for those searching for something a bit more, making Mario Golf: Super Rush a game to at least check out on the Nintendo Switch.
The Verdict
While it might not be the best entry within the series, Nintendo has at least managed to make par with Mario Golf: Super Rush by offering the core arcade style golfing experience players come to expect alongside some enjoyable new game types that will hopefully still get better still with future updates.
