Review of Super Mario Golf: Super Rush
Mario Golf: Super Rush includes seven different courses. There are also seven total courses in Mario Golf: Super Rush, which is three fewer than the 10 in the original version of the game. However, that’s three too many. Each course offers a unique environment for golfers to overcome. The XC courses from Mario Golf: Super Rush isn’t quite as good.
The first course, Sand Park, has a nice little trolley that allows you to cart around obstacles such as sandbags and barrels without taking turns. The second course, Sand Slot, involves a trolley that allows you to cart around various objects on the bottom of the screen while avoiding obstacles on the top of the screen. The third course, Green Hill Zone, features a miniaturized Mario running along pipes. Moving forward causes him to shake his tail, and moving backward causes him to slide along a small dirt track. The fourth course, Mountain Valley, has a slope on the left side while the right side has grassy areas. Taking turns while playing this course allows you to take the time to look at your golf ball and use it to drive towards a tee shot location on the upper right corner of the screen.
It is possible to play the game as a rookie or as a seasoned pro. In fact, you can even switch between the two during play. The downside to this feature is that it causes your score to decrease when you take too many turns. Although there are many courses to try, the XC course types in Mario Golf: Super Rush remains the same. All ten holes have a green color, which can help improve your score.
This version of Mario Golf has many new features, but most importantly it offers motion controls. Hitting irons shot will earn you two points, a greenside bunker shot will drop you five points, and a putt will drop you ten. You can also purchase extra clubs, such as clubs with dual purposes, an extra grip, and other rare items using coins obtained through gameplay. Each of these items can only be purchased once you’ve earned a certain amount of points throughout the game, and once you purchase them they are usable for the entirety of your next play session.
Just like the other games in the Mario Golf series, Mario Golf: Super Rush includes both online and offline tournaments. There are two different kinds of tournaments: real-time and classic. The real-time tournament mode is just like the ones you’ve played in past Mario Golf games. There are several categories, and you’ll compete by first entering your highest score bracket. There are also four awards to give out, the first two being the most credits you’ve earned, and the second two being the most holes you have played.
The classic mode is much the same as that of its online counterpart. You’ll still be competing against the many other players, and you’ll be given several different clubs to use in your next swing. When you select a club, you’ll be asked to swing, and after doing so you’ll be given another choice: change clubs, or start over. You can even continue moving through holes by selecting the move through option and moving your back foot or forefoot to affect your speed.
A new feature in this game is the feature called motion controls. Basically, when you make a swing using your motion control, your character will create the necessary arc/sway with the in-game camera to get the ball into the hole. There are two types of motion controls: standard and turbo. Standard moves can be performed by holding down the bumper button, and turbo moves are performed by quickly pressing the turbo button. Using these motion controls, you can improve your golf game by adjusting the difficulty level as well as the length of your drives, among other things.
As you progress through the various courses on the main game screen, you’ll earn stars which unlock new courses and stars. As you earn stars, you’ll move up to the next level, and once you pass a certain number of stars, you’ll enter the Mushroom Kingdom. Here, you’ll compete not only with the many other players who have unlocked the mushroom kingdom, but also with the characters that Mario can take along on his quest: Wario, Luigi, Yoshi, Daisy, Bowser, Koopa Troopa, Dry Bones, Dry Bowser, and Mario himself. In the final level of Super Mario Golf: Super Rush, you’ll play the role of the last sane human in the Mushroom Kingdom, and you’ll face the nefarious Bowser.
