Review: Mario Golf The Toadstool Tour
Well what can I say as a forward to this Mario sports title, I really do not like watching Golf, and I really had not tried plying Golf because I can not afford it. This being the first Golf Game I have ever owned, I have to admit that that my expectations were low because I had bought into the whole boring persona everyone gives the sport, but could Mario Golf the Toadstool Tour change my idea of the genre of games, let alone an entire sport?
Story:
Mario and company decide to get together to see who is the best Golfer in the Mushroom Kingdom, ok not the most original of stories, but it gets the job done.
Graphics: Mario Golf looks good, and holds the look and feel of the Mario Universe well, right down to the odd obstacles. Even the Trees that are out of bounds and the Birds in the air are fully rendered and each character as always has their unique look and sometimes hilarious cut scenes.
Music:
Mario Golf is full of the familiar sounds of Mario and crew. All of the music captures the feel of the Mario games. The sounds are also faithful to the Mario series and the characters and items that they represent.
Control:
Control wise the Toadstool Tour gives Even the Tiger Woods Series a run for its money, while still holding the feel of a more arcade style game, you can auto swing, to get your shot by only using the A button, or you can get a little more complicated and learn to customize your shot for the given situation. Learning what iron to use when and where is made easy and simple to learn for those not usually used to golfing, and the different views allowed to you to make the shot make shooting the ball where you want it easy and fun. The controls are not perfect though, because the zoom (the most useful viewing mode) and club selection is on the same stick you can sometimes switch clubs on you when you don't want to, so you have to keep you eyes open for this.
Design:
Simple Controls open the game up to new players, and the advanced controls, unlockable characters, Mini games, specialized modes, and GBA link mode (which adds another new element to the game because you can also import your GBA characters to the Toadstool Tour and gain them experience points in the Gamecube game) all adding longevity to the game. The mini games are fun and you will be unlocking new characters and Star characters for a long time, unless your GBA character is really pimped out, and it takes you a couple of days or so to do it like it did me.
Fans of Mario games, golf games, and 4 player fun will love this game, if you like fast pacing in your games rent first, because even though it is faster paced than most golf games, it still may prove to be too slow for many gamers. I loved Mario Golf so much so that I now am getting interested in actually going out and playing a round on a local course when the money frees up, it even encouraged me to try out other golf games, this game is highly recommended to everyone and anyone.
Graphics
8/10
Game play
9/10
Sound
8/10
Fun factor
10/10
Tilt
10/10
Average score
9.0
Mario Golf the Toadstool Tour:
Pros:
Might Change your mind about golf
Good graphics
A lot of great unlockables
4 player fun
Good soundtrack
Cons:
Action on screen may be a slow for casual gamers
Placement of the club selection trigger could have been better