Mario Golf (Game Boy Color)

Mario Golf (マリオゴルフGB, Mario Golf GB) is the second installment in the Mario Golf series and the first handheld installment as well. It was released for the Game Boy Color and provides the capability to interact with its Nintendo 64 counterpart. It was released four months after the Nintendo 64 version.

Gameplay
Though this game has the exact same name and a similar cover as its 64-bit predecessor, it has many variations. Camelot made a normal mode of golfing, similar to that of the Nintendo 64 version, in which the player chooses one of four characters to conquer the challenges of the golf world. However, the developer also included a new, more-involved mode of gameplay.

This new mode of gameplay had traits similar to that of a Role Playing Game. The player was granted the ability to control his or her character more freely. This game mode allowed much character interaction and environmental exploration, making this game have a slightly more detailed story than those in the rest of the series. The player could also Level Up, allowing characters to be more successful at golfing.

New Features
Mario Golf for the Game Boy Color has the ability to link with Mario Golf for the Nintendo 64. With the use of the Transfer Pak, the player can transfer data from one version of Mario Golf to the other. By doing so, the player can play as characters specifically in the Nintendo 64 installment on his or her Game Boy Color installment of Mario Golf.

The game also features a multi-player mode (unavailable in the Nintendo 3DS emulation), allowing separate players to interact in one game. It also features a special free-play mode for players interested in the golfing portion of the game; this gaming mode has no effect on the main quest.

Story Mode Characters
These characters can only be played as after being chosen for use in the Story Mode.

Non-Playable Characters

 * Princess Peach
 * Yoshi
 * Donkey Kong
 * Baby Mario
 * Bowser
 * Bob-omb
 * Shy Guy
 * Toad
 * Blooper
 * Plum
 * Charlie (Mentioned)
 * Sonny (Mentioned)
 * Harry (Mentioned)
 * Maple (Mentioned)
 * Metal Mario (Mentioned)
 * Link (Mentioned)

Courses

 * Marion Club
 * Palm Club
 * Dune Club
 * Links Club
 * Peach's Castle (Unlockable)
 * Golf Guru's Pitch and Putt (Unlockable)

Field Courses

 * Windy Valley Special Hole
 * Mini-Mini Lake Course
 * Tiny-Tots Golf Grounds
 * Raven Woods Golf Course
 * Golf Guru's Pitch and Putt

Other Locations

 * Golf Clinic
 * Club Maker's Hut

Reception
Mario Golf received highly positive reviews. IGN gave Mario Golf a perfect score of 10 out of 10, calling it one of the few must-buy games for the Game Boy Color. They also praised it for extending the standards for audio quality in a Game Boy Color game. GameSpot did not enjoy it as much, giving it a 7.2 of 10. They criticized it, saying that some of the mechanics could have used some work, such as putting. However, they feel it to be an excellent adaptation of the console version. In Japan, Famitsu gave the Game Boy Color version a 30 out of 40.

Trivia

 * In the game, three 1-Up Mushrooms can be found scattered around the map which reward the player with a level up.
 * Similarly, the four main characters of the game can be found hidden in various areas (note: players can't find the character the player uses.)
 * By holding select while choosing a character the player can play left-handed. This does not include the four main characters (Azalea, Joe, Kid, and Sherry.)
 * This game, along with Mario Tennis on the Nintendo 64 and the Game Boy Color, can no longer be transferred on the Virtual Console release because the Nintendo 3DS is not compatible with the Nintendo 64 / Game Boy Color Transfer Pak.
 * This game has a television commercial in which Mario appears placing a purple Game Boy Color as a golf ball, ready to shoot it. In the Latin American version of this commercial Mario is also voiced by Charles Martinet, making this the only time that Mario is seen speaking officially in Spanish.