Mario Golf (series)

Mario Golf (マリオゴルフ Mario Gorufu) is a sports video game series developed by Camelot Software Planning and published by Nintendo. The series brought the Mario universe to golf, even though Mario himself had appeared in multiple golf games on older systems. Mario Golf, the first Camelot game to use the Mario branding, debuted on the Nintendo 64 in 1999 and was ported to Game Boy Color. Releases followed of one game for both the Nintendo GameCube and the Game Boy Advance, while the fifth installment was released for Nintendo 3DS in 2014. The handheld versions feature role-playing game elements, where the console versions do not.

The N64 and Game Boy Color versions can communicate with each other via Transfer Pak connectivity, and the GameCube and GBA versions can do the same via the Game Link Cable; the connectivity features allow players to upload characters and data from one game into the other.

Gameplay
Players can play as a variety of recurring Mario characters, including Mario, Luigi, Princess Peach, Princess Daisy, Yoshi, Donkey Kong, Wario, and Bowser among others. The first- and second-generation Mario Golf games also feature original human characters created by Camelot specifically for these games, like Plum, Sonny, Harry, Maple, Charlie, etc. (all of whose surnames are anonymous, as with Mario and Luigi); none of these characters have made any reappearances save for Plum, who has appeared as a trophy in Super Smash Bros. Melee and as a sticker in Super Smash Bros. Brawl.

Mario Golf games are typical golf games, where the player's objective is to hit the ball into the hole using as few strokes as possible. The games in the series specifically have simplified "pick-up-and-play" type gameplay, which does away with many of the complicated real-life aspects of golf as found in other games relating to the sport, such as Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2000 on PlayStation, which was released around the time Mario Golf debuted. However, despite the simplicity of the games' appearance and play style, they run on very deep game engines. Before each swing, the player chooses a club, a general direction, and a range for the ball to travel. During the swing, the player determines power by timing a button press for a marker to stop at the desired point on a power meter; at this point, the player can choose to influence the direction of the ball by applying spin. Players can alternate between auto and manual shots, with the latter providing the player with more control, albeit at a higher risk of a poor shot. Many of these gameplay aspects, such as spin, are affected by characters' individual statistics. These relate to features such as control of the ball and the general height of shots, which determines how much the character's play is affected by environmental factors like wind, rain, and relief of the land. The first- and second-generation Mario Golf home console games also have characters use recorded voice samples to comment on their opponents' shots.

Mario Golf games contain several gameplay modes and variants of golf, including the traditional stroke and match play, speed golf, ring shot, mini golf, and skins match. The main mode is "Tournament Mode," where the player competes against artificial intelligence (AI) opponents on a series of courses to win trophies. As the series progressed, new modes were introduced, such as "Character Match," where characters battle computer-designated AI opponents to be upgraded into "star characters" and gain statistical enhancements; "Coin Attack," where players can collect coins scattered around courses; and "Ring Attack," where players are required to direct the ball through rings of varying locations, angles, and diameter while keeping on or under par.

The courses in Mario Golf games are based on traditional locations within the Mario franchise, such as the grounds of Princess Peach's Castle in the Mushroom Kingdom. Most courses have features adapted to the Nintendo world. As the series progressed, more complex terrain and exotic features were introduced into courses, and courses were designed that resemble real-life golf courses. More advanced courses offer a higher frequency of difficult terrain and elevation, as in bunkers, which limit the accuracy and range of shots. There are also hazards themed after the Mario universe: these include lava pits, Thwomps, Chain Chomps, etc., which will incur penalties if landed on; and Warp Pipes, which can change the location of the ball.

Gameplay menu
In the five installments of the Mario Golf series, many gameplay menus appear. Below they are listed alphabetically.

Courses
In the five installments of the Mario Golf series, many courses appear.

Mario Golf (Nintendo 64)

 * 1. Toad Highlands
 * 2. Koopa Park
 * 3. Shy Guy Desert
 * 4. Yoshi's Island
 * 5. Boo Valley
 * 6. Mario's Star
 * A. Luigi's Garden
 * B. Peach's Castle

Mario Golf (Game Boy Color)

 * 1. Marion Club (Morning)
 * 2. Palm Club (Afternoon)
 * 3. Dune Club (Evening)
 * 4. Links Club (Twilight)
 * 5. Princess Peach's Castle (Fantasy)
 * Golf Guru's Pitch and Putt

Mario Golf: Toadstool Tour

 * 1. Lakitu Valley
 * 2. Cheep Cheep Falls
 * 3. Shifting Sands
 * 4. Blooper Bay
 * 5. Peach's Castle Grounds
 * 6. Bowser Badlands
 * Congo Canopy

Mario Golf: Advance Tour

 * 1. Marion Tourney
 * 2. Palms Tourney
 * 3. Dunes Tourney
 * 4. Links Tourney
 * Final. Mushroom Tourney
 * Elf's Short Course

Mario Golf: World Tour

 * 1. Forest Course
 * 2. Seaside Course
 * 3. Mountain Course
 * Sky Island
 * A. Peach Gardens
 * B. Yoshi Lake
 * C. Wiggler Park
 * D. Cheep Cheep Lagoon
 * E. DK Jungle
 * F. Bowser's Castle
 * D1. Toad Highlands
 * D2. Koopa Park
 * D3. Layer-Cake Desert
 * D4. Sparkling Waters
 * D5. Rock-Candy Mines
 * D6. Mario's Star

Playable characters
In the eight installments of the Mario Golf series, many Mario characters appear. Below they are listed alphabetically.

Trivia

 * A golf course appears in the background of the Mushroom Kingdom stage of the Adventure Mode of Super Smash Bros. Melee, as a reference to the Mario Golf series. The Mario Golf series is also mentioned in Luigi's Diary in Paper Mario.
 * Mario Golf is referenced in the Death Note manga, when Ryuk asks Light Yagami if he wants to play Mario Golf.
 * In Nintendo Monopoly, there is a Coin Block/Brick Block card that rewards the player with $100 for winning a golf tournament.
 * This series defies many common trends regarding the stats that Mario characters tend to have. For example, Mario, a balanced character in almost every game, has one of the longest drives in every Mario Golf game, while his brother Luigi, who is also often balanced, is a weak driver but has good control over the ball. Wario, typically a power character, is a middle-class driver in this series. Princess Daisy, usually a technique or balanced character, is a power-hitter similar to Mario.