Mario Golf

Mario Golf
Developer	Camelot
Publisher	Nintendo
System	Nintendo 64, Virtual Console
Release Date	Nintendo 64 JP June 11, 1999 US July 27, 1999 EU September 14, 1999 Virtual Console JP September 30, 2008 US October 6, 2008 EU January 23, 2009
Rating	ESRB: E

Mario Golf (known in Japan by the less confusing title of Mario Golf 64) is a Mario-themed golf game that was released for the Nintendo 64 in 1999.

Gameplay

Mario Golf follows the standard gameplay of other golf video games while adding a cast of Mario characters and settings. The characters each have different skills, and players can play practice holes as well as tournaments. Other characters could be unlocked.

The game had Transfer Pak compatibility with the Game Boy Color counterpart. Linking the games allowed the player to temporarily use characters from the handheld game in the Nintendo 64 game and earned experience for the Game Boy Color game.

Legacy

Although it was preceded by the more obscure Mario's Tennis for the Virtual Boy, Mario Golf received a better reception which seemed to kick off the subseries of Mario sports games. The only other Mario sport to be covered on the Nintendo 64 was Mario Tennis.

Ports and Remakes

• Mario Golf was released for download as part of the Wii's Virtual Console in 2008. Due to the limits of the Virtual Console, the Transfer Pak functionality was omitted.

Sequels

A Mario Golf game was released for the Game Boy Color within the same year. It was a companion game which focused on an original set of characters and featured RPG elements. The next console game would be Mario Golf: Toadstool Tour in 2003.