Mario Golf: Advance Tour

Mario Golf: Advance Tour is the fourth installment of the Mario Golf series and the Game Boy Advance counterpart of Mario Golf: Toadstool Tour for the Nintendo GameCube. It continues the RPG-style of the Mario Golf series. It is advertised as being Role-Playing Golf. The game was re-released on the Wii U's Virtual Console in August/September 2014.

The game is compatible with the Game Boy Advance Wireless Adapter.

Menu

 * - Confirm
 * - Back
 * - Select
 * - Left-Handed Character
 * - Star Character
 * - Change Clubs (once unlocked)

Field

 * - Confirm
 * - Back
 * - Move
 * - Menu
 * - Change Clubs (in Menu Screen)

Golf

 * - Start Swing/Choose Power (automatic)
 * - Choose Power (manual)
 * + - Topspin
 * + - Backspin
 * + - Super Topspin
 * + - Super Backspin
 * - Change Direction/Change Clubs
 * - Increase Power Bar
 * - Decrease Power Bar

Characters
The game features eight playable Mario characters in all, four of which have to be unlocked. There are also even more exclusive human characters that Camelot made for the game. The two main characters in Mario Golf: Advance Tour can be transferred to the Nintendo GameCube game Mario Golf: Toadstool Tour if the Player uses the GBA to GameCube link cable. Star versions of the Mario characters can be unlocked by beating them in a Character Match, which increases distance but decreases impact. Character stats can also be altered by using Custom Clubs that have been obtained in the Story mode. Character statistics are listed below. Drive - How far the ball travels in the air for on a perfect shot with a driver (1W). Trajectory - What direction the ball travels in when hit. For right-handed players, if the ball curves to the left, it's a draw; to the right, a fade; far to the left, a hook or far to the right, a slice, and vice-versa for left-handed players. Height - How high or low the ball travels in the air. The higher the ball travels, the more affected by wind it is, the higher it bounces, and the more it is affected by spin. The lower it is, the less it gets affected by wind; additionally, it makes the ball bounce further, roll more and get more affected by lie. Impact - The amount of the sweet-spot marker left for certain shots. Less makes bunker shots much harder to land and often results in mis-hits. Control - The amount of movement away from the targeted spot when hit off the perfect impact point. The higher the amount, the less the ball moves from the target spot. Spin - The amount of affect spin has on the ball. Having a higher amount will mean that the ball will roll further with the use of spin.

Player Characters
The player can select either Neil or Ella as their player character once the game begins. The character not selected with become the players doubles partner. Both characters names can be changed, within a 5 character word limit. Neil and Ella's starting stats can be changed by earning EXP to level up, up to a maximum level of 99. Leveling up will allow the player to increase shot distance, impact, control and spin, as well as straightening, lowering or heightening the trajectory of the shot. Listed below is the starting statistics of both characters.

Quick Play Characters
These characters are usable for Quick Play in both single player and multiplayer. Donkey Kong, Bowser, and Waluigi are playable in a handheld console Mario Golf game for the first time after previously being playable in at least one home console installment. The characters originating from outside the Mario Golf series have unlockable Star versions that will dramatically increase shot distance will also lowering Impact. These can be unlocked by beating the character in a Character Match.

Non-Playable Characters

 * Buzz
 * Helen
 * Piranha Plant
 * Boo
 * Pokey
 * Toad
 * Toadsworth
 * Koopa Troopa
 * Klepto
 * Blooper
 * Monty Mole
 * Grampie
 * Grammie
 * Daisy (Mentioned)
 * Birdo (Mentioned)
 * Diddy Kong (Mentioned)
 * Bowser Jr. (Mentioned)
 * Shadow Mario (Mentioned)
 * Petey Piranha (Mentioned)

Courses
Additionally, Star versions of the tourney courses can be unlocked to play in Quick Play. Each of the star versions of the 18 holes must be unlocked with separate conditions, such as completing a challenge in story mode or linking to Mario Golf: Toadstool Tour. If a Star hole is not yet unlocked, that hole will be the regular version of the hole.

Story
The player plays as either Neil or Ella, with whichever character not chosen becoming the player's doubles partner, and enters golfing tournaments to surpass the greatest golfer, Mario.

Stroke Play
A standard round of golf. Settings include changing course, tees, number of holes and green.

Character Match
Compete against a selected character in Match Play rules.

Doubles
The player selects another character to be their doubles partner and can select to play Stroke Play, Character Match, 4 Slots, 3 Slots and Skins Match.

Speed Golf
The player must play a set of holes as fast as possible.

Club Slots
Using point tourney rules, the player plays on a course that they select but are limited to the clubs that they obtain by spinning a slot machine. Clubs are reset and the slot machine is spun each hole.

Go-Go Gates
On a select few courses, the player must hit the ball through rings and complete the hole in a par or better.

Near Pin
Only Elf's Short Course is selectable. Players are scored based on how close they are to the pin.

Training
The player can select on hole from any course to practice on. Wind speed and pin position can be changed.

Star Tournament
A tournament played on the star versions of the story mode courses.

Doubles Star Tournament
The same as Star Tournament, but played in doubles.

Collectibles
Throughout the game, several collectibles appear as items that the player may find in the map. They include 1-Up Mushrooms, Drinks, and Custom Tickets.

1-Ups
1-Ups increase the players level by 1. They can be found in various places.

Bottles
Bottles can be found in various places on the map. They increase distance by 3, 4, or 5 yards, depending on the drink. There are Muscle Drinks, Hyper Bottles, and Super Bottles.

Custom Tickets
Custom Tickets are used to order clubs from the Club Maker. Different Tickets give different Clubs that the Club Maker can make.

Custom Clubs
Custom Clubs can be made using Custom Tickets at the Club Makers Shop. These will alter the characters stats.

Pre-release and unused content
An earlier build features a different layout for the Marion Clubhouse than in the released game.

References to other games

 * Super Mario 64 - An arrangement of "Inside the Castle Walls" can be heard in part of the music on the Mushroom Course.
 * Mario Golf: Toadstool Tour - The music and overall structure of Mario Golf: Advance Tour are similar to this game.
 * Mario Golf (Game Boy Color) - Kid, Sherry, Joe, Azalea, Putts, Grace, Tiny, and Gene Yuss reappear in this game. Also, the story mode is nearly identical to this game.

Trivia

 * When the player prepares to putt for an albatross, the "Albatross Putt" text spells "albatross" as "albatoross".
 * The BGMs played during the chance for getting a Par (or higher) and Bogey (or lower) are swapped compared when they are played in Mario Golf: Toadstool Tour.
 * Wario and Waluigi's voices are played incorrectly when selecting them in the character menu. Wario uses Waluigi's voice and vice-versa.
 * Peach, Wario, and Waluigi all strike poses from a certain frame shot of their losing animations from Mario Golf: Toadstool Tour as their selection image. Peach and Wario use a frame from their bogey animations, and Waluigi uses his double bogey's (and lower).