

This sixth entry in this long-running spin-off series sees Nintendo’s iconic mascot take to the green for the first time since Mario Golf World Tour on the Nintendo 3DS. The latest collaboration between Nintendo and developer Camelot Software feels like a title rushed to market. Mario Golf Super Rush is enjoyable in bursts, but it’s not quite up to par. Instead of simply taking your shot, watching to see where it goes, and then magically appearing next to your ball, it places as much importance on what happens in between strokes as the swings of the club itself. This fresh take on a round of 18 holes is where I found the majority of my enjoyment coming from. Speed Golf is the new twist on the formula this time around, and it’s fair to assume is what inspired the “Super Rush” part of this games name. The mode that does spark some joy is Speed Golf.

The standard modes of match play and stroke play also provide comfort and familiarity, and as with every mode (aside from story campaign) these can be played solo or with up to three other players for a relaxed time with Mario and friends, but they’re so old and worn that while they’re certainly comforting, they’re nothing to get excited about. It’s these simple button presses as the power bar fills up on the right hand side of the screen, coupled with the subsequent sound of club hitting ball that evokes nostalgia and takes me to a happy place.

The core mechanics remain, and apart from the obvious visual improvements, it doesn’t feel a million miles away from how it did 25-odd years ago: Line up your shot, press A to begin your swing, then A again (or B if you want to apply backspin) to lock in the power of your shot. The original Mario Golf (titled NES Open Tournament Golf) is the first game I really remember playing, as I graduated from crawling around and tangling in my dad’s controller wires to holding the pad myself.
