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Mario Golf: Advance Tour Review - GBA

Golf with a story line - what's this?

Only Nintendo could be the first people to put RPG and Golf in the same sentence. Mario Golf: Advance Tour is indeed an RPG, where you can travel around the land searching far and wide for new golf courses and mini games. Join Neil and Ella as you enter multiple tournaments, to become a pro, and then even some day challenge the most famous golfer of them all, Mario.

Gameplay

In a game of Swing and Hit, golf isn't much of a game in real life, and is only really played by grumpy old men and surfers unless there's money at stake. With that however, golf in the form of video games have always offered that special moment of graciousness when you hit a hole in one, or finish with a score better than Tiger Woods. Links 2004 on Xbox showed us that golf games can look almost realistic. Mario Golf: Toadstool Tour showed us that golf games can be given extra additions to make the game not only more challenging, but also more enjoyable.

In the gameplay menu, you'll find yourself with 3 different gameplay options: Story Mode, Quick Game, and Multiplayer. All being self explanatory lets not delve into them too much. Story Mode is by far the most innovative part of the game, where you start by walking across the bridge up to the door of the Marion Golf Club. You walk along with your fellow friend (either Ella or Neil depending on who you chose to be), your two soon-to-be arch-rivals, and Kid - he's your teacher and guide to learn the basics of the game. After one long-arse intro, you'll be sent off to work your way around the club, before retiring to your lodge.

This is where you can choose whether you want to do some singles action, or have your partner following you around for some doubles action. Doubles mode is often quite frustrating at early stages, and even sometimes at later stages of the game. You may set up perfectly for an Eagle on a Par 5, and then find that your team mate doesn't know how to hit the ball. Often where they lack skills in driving, they make up for it in putting; however the putting is very hard to learn how to do accurately. The bar moves too quickly, and it's quite hard to do a soft putt. The slopes are also very frustrating, as it's quite hard to master it when no expected path is given. Overall though, it's a good system for a GBA game, with an interesting learning curve.

The Marion Club is massive, and there are people all around willing to give you advice on your swing, and different techniques to master your game. Along with people, you'll also find a semi-interactive environment where you ... (continued next page)