70%Nintendo Switch

I think Luigi said a bad word in this game but I don’t remember which one

90%Nintendo 64

https://pastebin.com/ujuYBU7R

80%Nintendo 64

Rolled credits twice, first after beating the Bowser Character challenge, and finally after beating the "Boo Clasic". Played through all tournaments (did not win the Mario Open, as that course is just brutally difficult), collected 76 birdie badges, and did not attempt any ring challenges.
Boy, is the first Mario Golf a difficult one. From the outset, the game hands you nothing, and you have to go out and earn it yourself. While this was initially a bit off putting, it made unlocking characters who I typically never choose or care about in Mario spin-offs like Mario and Bowser feel special, and led me to look at Mario as a legendary golfer instead of just a default skin. But boy did those character matches get brutal. I found if I played them on the easier courses it was a bit better, but I would typically play the challenges, unlock a new course, and play the subsequent character matches on that course until I unlocked the next one, wash rinse repeat. I only deviated from this with Bowser, who I could not beat on Yoshi's Island, so I took him back to the first course. And that AI is brutally good by the end of the challenges, netting -10 rounds like it is nothing. While this was frustrating, it led to one of my favorite 18 hole rounds in any golf game, where after hours of banging my head against the Boo Clasic (I know it is misspelled I just think its funny that made it in the game), I switched to Harry, played a bogey free (until 16) round, then ran through it again, shooting -2 on the front nine, opening the back with a brutal +2, but putting my foot on the gas pedal on the back nine to make it to 18 at a tie for first at-7, where an errant shot put me in the bunker after 2 shots, forcing me to make a clutch sand save to hold onto -7 under and win by one stroke.

This round showed me that despite the limitations of the shot types available, and despite the fact that, you know what, this isn't mechanically the best game, that's still super rush, this game is still a ton of fun, providing some tense moments and giving me exactly the adrenaline rush I am looking for when I play a sports game.

And now sometimes, this game will feel a lot more like math class, trying to figure out the exact yardage you should be shooting when there is a wind change, elevation change, and bad lie all at once. But with all of that, it makes pulling off a difficult shot extremely satisfying, or sometimes a bit of luck, which is cool too. So to summarize, while there are better golf games out there visually, with the courses, or with the gameplay, this one still has a ton of charm, a ton of difficulty, and a ton of fun to be had. Give it a try on NSO

100%Nintendo 64

Best golf game out there

70%Nintendo 64

More fun than real golf lol.

60%Nintendo 64

This one is a hard one to rate, honestly. Not because it is particularly good or bad or anything, but more because of the game itself. This was one of my first experiences to the golfing genre, so consider me a lesser experienced player to the golf genre, but I felt like this game was significantly more difficult than it really needed to be. The game requires constant uncanny precision in where you aim your shots, as well as consistent frame perfect button presses to pull those shots off. Miss one hole, and you might have doomed your whole run. Obviously I would expect a lot of golf games to be very precision focused, but considering this is Mario, and I am sure that the target demographic here is kids or people who don't play golf games that regularly, the difficulty here is insane. I might even go down on saying that this is one of the most demanding and difficult games I have ever played, and I've played through Ninja Gaiden Sigma on hard mode. So the lower rating is really more of a "this game is not for everyone" rating, rather than an inherit "this game is slightly above mediocre" rating. If you enjoy games where you can spend years perfecting your craft, then this game is for you. Otherwise, I would probably recommend a different golfing game. I am curious to try more games in the golfing genre, despite the kick in the pants that was trying to finish this game, so maybe if you see me reviewing other different golf games, they will be slightly more informed.

100%Nintendo 64

I've literally played this game every year since I got it. This is one of my favorite games of all time. Definitely in the top 10, which is honestly just nuts. Like how is it so good. Really wish they'd make another one of these.

80%No Platform Specified

Certain elements of this N64 edition of Mario Golf
haven't held up as well as some would have hoped, in
its transition to the Virtual Console -- the graphics,
the characters, the lost connectivity. But, even then,
it's undeniable that the core gameplay serving as the
foundation of this experience has remained unaffected
by its age. The simple, straightforward way to pick up
and play, the multiple different modes, the ability to
lose yourself in simply going for the green for hours
on end -- it's all still here. And that makes Mario
Golf a worthy candidate for download. If you've played
and enjoyed any of the Hot Shots titles, or Toadstool
Tour on the GameCube, or even just the free copy of
W
ii Sports Golf that came packed in with your
system, give this N64 original a shot. You won't be
disappointed.