Mario Golf (Nintendo 64): Difference between revisions

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'''''Mario Golf''''' is the first installment for the [[Mario Golf (series)|''Mario Golf'' series]] and was released for the [[Nintendo 64]] in 1999. It was developed by [[Camelot Software Planning]]. Though several sports games featured ''[[Super Mario (franchise)|Super Mario]]'' characters in the past, ''Mario Golf'' is considered the first game in the modern "Mario Sports" line. It would be followed by several titles encompassing a variety of sports. Its [[Mario Golf (Game Boy Color)|Game Boy Color counterpart]] was released later that same year.

The game was re-released for the [[Wii]]'s [[Virtual Console#Wii|Virtual Console]] in 2008 and the [[Wii U]]'s [[Virtual Console#Wii U|Virtual Console]] in 2015, and was released on [[Nintendo 64 - Nintendo Switch Online]] on April 15, 2022.

{{br|left}}

==Introduction==

Mario, Luigi, Peach, and Plum are making some shots on the golf course. As each of them make their shots, their names appear on screen. They are each complimented for their amazing shots, as they each try to make a hole in one. Later, as the four are fetching their balls, Mario already spots his ball. Peach then calls Mario over to see if the ball in front of her is hers. Mario checks to see, but the ball actually belongs to Yoshi (or Donkey Kong). Another ball suddenly zooms in, and the ball turns out to be Baby Mario's. Yoshi carries Baby Mario on his back (or Donkey Kong would carry Baby Mario), as their names appear on screen, surprising Mario and Peach, who laugh it off. Luigi then looks for his ball, but soon spots it, while spotting Toad with an O.B flag in the process. Luigi slaps his face, and shrugs, not knowing that Mario, Peach, and Plum are standing around him, laughing. Lakitu then flies by, as the game's logo appears on screen.

In this game, the golf ball makes a different sound when it bounces on the green than when it bounces on the fairway. In later games, both terrains produce the same sound for the ball.

===Scores===

Depending on how many strokes the player required to take to hit the ball into the hole, players receive a score and a name for the score. The following is a list of them, from best to worst scores:

|-

!width=25% |Name

|-

|[[Par]]

|The player has sunk the ball without taking any extra strokes or having less strokes.

|-

==Game modes==

''Mario Golf'' features 10 game modes:

===Tournament===

*Number of Players: 1

This mode consists of a tournament between the human player and 29 computer players in an 18-hole course (though the computer players aren't seen except in the leaderboards). Despite this, there are only 14 playable characters in this game. The CPU player names range from characters from franchises such as ''[[Super Mario (franchise)|Super Mario]]'' to ''[[:Category:The Legend of Zelda series|The Legend of Zelda]]'' to ''[[:Category:Star Fox series|Star Fox]]'', as well as the first names of real people, usually localisers and voice actors. The player's objective is to finish the tournament in the top three positions to earn a [[Trophy]]. The player earns the most Course Points when they finish a tournament in 1st place. [[Birdie Badge]]s can also be earned by finishing a hole with [[Birdie]] or better. While selecting a tournament, Boo Classic is misspelled as "Boo Clasic". While continuing a hole on either the Yoshi Championship or the Boo Classic, their tournament names will also be swapped.

===Get Character===

*Number of Players: 1

The player competes in a '''Match Game''' against another computer player. In this game, the player with the fewest strokes gets a point. However, if the player in the lead wins enough points that they would be mathematically ahead even after losing all remaining matches, the game will end early. If the game is tied after 18 holes, [[Sudden Death]] starts. If the player wins, they unlock that character.

===Ring Shot===

*Number of Players: 1

===Speed Golf===

[[File:MG64 Speed Golf Wario.png|thumb|[[Wario]] beginning a round of [[Speed Golf]].]]

*Number of Players: 1

The player must finish all 18 holes as fast as possible.

===Stroke Play===

*Number of Players: 1-4 (CPU allowed)

A standard game of golf. The winner is the player with the fewest total strokes.

===Mini-Golf===

*Number of Players: 1-4 (CPU not allowed)

Like Stroke Play, but in mini-golf courses. Despite the rules being the same, CPU characters cannot be played against. The player selects from two courses, and each hole is par 3. It has three settings: Green (green-themed with a normal ball speed), Slow (blue-themed with a low ball speed), and Fast (red-and-yellow-themed with a high ball speed). [[Luigi's Garden]] has the first nine holes looking like numbers 1 to 9 and the last nine holes looking like letters A to I. The first 17 holes of [[Peach's Castle (Nintendo 64 golf course)|Peach's Castle]] look like the rest of the alphabet letters and Hole 18 resembles a question mark. In Training, Mini-Golf courses do not play the Training BGM and instead play their own.

[[File:MG64 Driving Range Logo.png|thumb|60px|Driving Range logo.]]

*Number of Players: 1

The player can play any course and hole, as well as change the weather settings. [[Driving Range]] is only available in this mode.

===Match Play===

*Number of Players: 2 (CPU allowed)

Like '''Get Character''', but with two players and there are no characters to be unlocked.

===Skins Match===

*Number of Players: 2-4 (CPU allowed)

The winner of the hole gets a point. In a tie, the points are carried over. The winner is the one with the most points.

===Club Slots===

*Number of Players: 2-4 (CPU not allowed)

Like '''Skins Match''', but with randomized clubs (though the player can use the putter at any time). Despite the objective being the same, CPU players cannot participate.

   

==Courses==

|-

|'''[[Toad Highlands]]'''

|-

|'''[[Koopa Park]]'''

|-

|'''[[Shy Guy Desert]]'''

|-

|'''[[Yoshi's Island (golf course)|Yoshi's Island]]'''

|-

|'''[[Boo Valley]]'''

|-

|'''[[Mario's Star (golf course)|Mario's Star]]'''

|-

|A.

|'''[[Luigi's Garden]]'''

|-

|B.

|'''[[Peach's Castle (Nintendo 64 golf course)|Peach's Castle]]'''

|-

|}

*Hole 2 - [[Boo]]

*Hole 3 - [[Wiggler]]

*Hole 5 - [[Thwomp]]

*Hole 6 - [[Lakitu]]

[[Kid]], [[Joe (Mario Golf series)|Joe]], [[Sherry]], and [[Azalea]] can also be unlocked through a Transfer Pak. In the Virtual Console port and Nintendo Switch Online, the Transfer Pak feature to transfer these characters from the Game Boy Color version was removed.

|-

!width=8.3%|

|width=25% colspan=3|

|-

|-

|-

|-

|width=50%|208 yards

|-

|-

|}

|width=25% colspan=3|

|-

|-

|-

|-

|width=50%|210 yards

|-

|Low Fade

|-

|Ray

|}

|width=25% colspan=3|

|-

|-

|-

|-

|width=50%|212 yards

|-

|High and Straight

|-

|Ray

|}

|width=25% colspan=3|

|-

|-

|-

|-

|width=50%|215 yards

|-

|High Draw

|-

|Fireball

|}

|width=33% colspan=4|

|-

|-

|-

|-

|width=50%|220 yards

|-

|Low Fade

|-

|Ray

|-

|Character Match #1

|}

|width=33% colspan=4|

|-

|-

|-

|-

|width=50%|230 yards

|-

|Standard Straight

|-

|Rainbow

|-

|Character Match #2

|}

|width=33% colspan=4|

|-

|-

|-

|-

|width=50%|240 yards

|-

|High Draw

|-

|Ray

|-

|Character Match #3

|}

|colspan=4|

|-

|-

|-

|-

|width=50%|250 yards

|-

|Low Fade

|-

|Thunder

|-

|Character Match #4

|}

|colspan=4|

|-

|-

|-

|-

|width=50%|260 yards

|-

|High Draw

|-

|Ray

|-

|Character Match #5

|}

|colspan=4|

|-

|-

|-

|-

|width=50%|270 yards

|-

|High Draw

|-

|Fireball

|-

|Character Match #6

|}

|colspan=4|

|-

|-

|-

|-

|width=50%|245 yards

|-

|High and Straight

|-

|Ray

|-

|Collect 50 Birdie Badges.

|}

|colspan=4|

|-

|-

|-

|-

|width=50%|275 yards

|-

|Low Fade

|-

|Rainbow

|-

|Collect 30 Stars in Ring Shots.

|}

|colspan=4|

|-

|-

|-

|-

|width=50%|280 yards

|-

|High Draw

|-

|Flame Ray

|-

|Character Match #7

|}

|colspan=12|

|-

|-

|-

|width=50%|285 yards

|-

|High Draw

|-

|Fireball

|-

|Collect All 108 Birdie Badges.

|}

|colspan=3|

|-

|-

|-

|-

|width=50%|202 yards

|-

|}

|colspan=3|

|-

|-

|-

|-

|width=50%|205 yards

|-

|}

|colspan=3|

|-

|-

|-

|-

|width=50%|200 yards

|-

|}

|colspan=3|

|-

|-

|-

|-

|width=50%|204 yards

|-

|}

|}

===Non Playable===

|-

|[[Boo]]

These appear intermixed with playable character names in the leaderboard in Tournament mode. Many are cameos and other references, including to real-life employees and associates of [[Nintendo]] at the time.

{|

|

*Andy

*[[Fire Bro]]s.

*[[Fly Guy]]

*[https://www.mobygames.com/person/51938/gail-tilden/ Gail]

*[[Goomba]]

==Reception==

''Mario Golf'' garnered generally favorable reviews. GameSpot describes the game as easy to play, by having simple features and by "removing the guesswork for gamers who are not familiar with the subtle nuances of golf" that may put off many players. IGN stated "When it comes to the intricacies that make golf the most loved and frustrating game on the planet, Mario Golf has it all. Challenging, but you will be drawn into it because of the nature of golf and your fear that the "little cartoon game" is mocking you".

|-style="background-color:#E6E6E6"

|Release

|James Mielke, [https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/mario-golf-review/1900-2544728/ GameSpot]

|8.7/10

|-

|-style="background-color:#E6E6E6"

|colspan=2|Compiler

|colspan=2|[https://www.gamerankings.com/n64/197859-mario-golf/index.html 87.32%]

|}

===Sales===

''Mario Golf'' is the 37th best-selling game for the Nintendo 64, selling approximately 1.5 million copies worldwide - 650,000 copies each in North America and Japan, and 200,000 elsewhere - and it would later be re-released as a Nintendo 64 "Player's Choice" title.

*''[[Super Mario 64]]'' - Names of several characters in this game appear on the score Board, and many sound effects from this game such as camera change are used. Also Metal Mario is playable and has the same sound effects. Mario's Hole-in-one animation is the same as his victory animation from this game.

*''[[Wario Land II]]'' and ''[[Wario Land 3]]'' - One of Wario's alternate color schemes in ''Mario Golf'' is the monochromatic outfit he wears throughout these games, despite the fact that that outfit is a product of technical limitations, not artistic choice.

*''[[Mario Kart 64]]'' - Some of the sound effects from ''Mario Kart 64'' are also used, such as "item drop" and "1st lap complete".

|JapR=Mario Gorufu Rokujūyon

|JapM=Mario Golf 64

|ChiT=瑪利歐高爾夫64<ref>[https://www.nintendo.com.hk/topics/article/a_210924_07.html 新的服務計劃「Nintendo Switch Online + 擴充包」將於10月下旬登場。在Nintendo Switch上將可遊玩Nintendo 64等的作品。] ''Nintendo HK''. Retrieved September 24, 2021.</ref>

|ChiTR=Mǎlì'ōu Gāo'ěrfū 64

==External links==

{{MG N64}}

{{Super Mario games}}