During the pandemic, Mario and his friends and mortal enemies had little to do. The usual kidnapping and rescue adventures were restricted by Mushroom Kingdom public security. This meant that the gang was unable to enjoy a long-forgotten passion: playing golf on courses inhabited with magical creatures, death traps and large mushrooms.Mario Golf: Super Rush, the first installment of the series, is the first since 2003's Toadstool Tour. Much has changed over the 18 years. We'll be reviewing how the Nintendo Switch jaunt compares later. Let's first meet our golfers, and take a look at their clothes.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementMario. He is who he is. It's hard to manage a company. Every little eccentricity or quirk is going to cause international media panic. So we are presented with a simple, white-and-red traditional outfit with a quarter-zip at the sleeve. Gloves custom-branded. You won't get much from him.AdvertisementWario might be conniving and snarling but this outfit is unbeatable. Our antihero is a swashbuckling, GregNorman-esque gambler on course. He wears a wide-brimmed cap to better hide from constant FBI surveillance.AdvertisementAfter filming a turbulent season of Diners and Drive-Ins in Hell, the big ol spiked dinoturtle is ready for some R&R.AdvertisementAdvertisementYoshi plays in the nude. Mario is constantly embarrassed by it. Mario can get a few highballs before you ask about it. Or better, don't.AdvertisementWaluigi's free-flowing swing is not suited to the restrictive clothes. However, he did not have the time to change after following Indiana Jones through Venice's canals.AdvertisementAdvertisementRosalina doesn't even know how to swing a club! She uses her magic wand to make the club swing by herself. It is a violation of spirit, even if it is not against the Rules of Golf which do not prohibit the use of wands, but it is still a violation of letter. Does this make me look bad?AdvertisementSuper Rush is the title of this edition. It introduces speed, which is the new element. You can run while you are playing golf. You will sprint all through the game. This is especially true in Battle mode where players push each other and try to win holes. Speed Golf is an option where your score is not as important as how fast you finish. There are penalties for not moving fast enough. There are also course-specific rules. For example, in the desert course you must complete your round before running out of water. Regulars inform you that there is a local tradition whereby you must play the course for as long as possible before succumbing to dehydration. The outwardly happy Mario franchise is separated from its dark subtext by a thin layer of paper. Boo, the ghost, has a special shot to haunt balls upon impact.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementYou can run a lot. What do you not get to do? This list is disconcertingly long. The game is incomplete despite the fact that Nintendo will be making more downloadable content available in the next months.There are two options for single players: You can play a round with yourself or you can use the game golf adventure mode. This is an RPG-like experience that takes you through five courses and the charming towns surrounding them. As you play as your own character, you gain skills and attributes as the journey takes you from the Mushroom kingdom to the forests, desert, and so forth. This is a great opportunity to play small parts in the Mario universe. Birdo, who has since reformed from her rebel days of spitting eggs at Mario in her early rebellion days, runs a boarding home for characters visiting town for a tournament. Shy Guy acts as the groundskeeper. The Hammer Brothers act as instructors. Although the story mode is relatively short, it only takes a few days to complete and can be difficult to keep your eyes on. Instead of playing golf, you spend a lot of time doing forced training exercises. You run back and forth between Toad and the gate, where he constantly tells you that the course isn't open for play because of a weather condition. Real-life golf involves a lot more than just driving from your car to the clubhouse to check in, and then returning to the clubhouse to fix the broken breaks on your cart. This is not something a video-game can recreate.AdvertisementAdvertisementIt would be fine to have a simple tournament circuit.Although the gameplay is simple and intuitive, there are some missing components that could increase precision. You can't see the trajectory preview so you don't know where the ball will land or how it will curve. There is no indication of whether shots will go uphill or downhill. This makes it difficult to adjust the shot accordingly. You might be wondering, "Who is this insane person asking for more precise metrics, yardage numbers, and slope adjustments in a cartoon-golf video game for children?" Here's my response:Waluigi is a king and deserves a title worthy of him. It will hopefully be there with some more updates from Nintendo.
