Golden Golf?

Mario Golf: Advance Tour is one of the strangest hybrids I've ever seen. The very front of the box proclaims "RPG Golf" as if these were two terms that we've all been waiting to see in the same word bubble. But this Frankenstein's monster has a lot going for it, and in most ways exceeds its Gamecube big-brother, resulting in one of the most enjoyable video-game golf experiences I've ever played.

Gameplay:

The GBA version of Mario Golf revolves largely around a Story Mode, in which you roam around -- overhead RPG-style -- speaking to the various characters that populate the area. The world is not as vast as your average RPG, but certainly more than we've ever seen in a golf game. It doesn't take too long to realize that the plot is irrelevant and elementary, and that talking to all these characters is basically a very elaborate menu system -- rather than choosing what course you want to play, you have to go talk to somebody so you can hit the links.

As you play through rounds of golf, however, your character does develop in an RPG manner. With each completed challenge, you gain experience points which you can spend on various attributes (drive distance, fade and draw, etc.). Unfortunately, the interface for all this is unintuitive -- there are meters which represent your skills in various areas, but it's unclear how you're meant to interpret them. Some will seem to top-off early in the game, or randomly go back down again. Still... it's fun to level up your character and watch him (or her) improve as you progress through the game. You can also find different sets of golf clubs with different abilities built-in to them.

The actual golfing is remarkably identical to the Gamecube version. The predicted trajectory of your ball is clearly drawn for you, based on the club you choose and the power you specify. But the actual trajectory will depend on other factors that you need to mentally add to the picture -- wind and terrain being the most important. The trajectory also assumes a perfect swing, which will depend on your skill in timing the button presses necessary to make a shot.

Swinging comes in two forms -- basic or advanced. In the basic mode, you just press the button when the meter reaches the power you desire, and the rest happens by itself. In doing this, you leave some of the swing up to chance, and lose a good deal of control over where the ball goes. The advanced mode allows you to set the power in a similar manner, but then requires you to time the downstroke. Proper timing allows you to hit the sweet-spot, and to impart spin on the ball, giving you much greater control over the outcome. Playing in basic mode is a nice option for the younger crowd, but advanced mode is much more satisfying, and replaces luck with skill.

The putting game is simpler, and requires only one button press, regardless of whether you want to play basic or advanced. Putting is rarely a challenge, and can usually be accomplished by leaving your aim set to the default and slightly overpowering your shot. The oversimplified putting is unfortunate, and is the only aspect of gameplay which falls behind the bigger GameCube version.

Rounds of golf can be played as singles or doubles. When playing double, you are paired up with a computer-controlled partner. This partner can be leveled-up just like your own avatar, but will play poorly regardless of how many experience points you pump into him/her. On one hand, this makes the doubles matches frustrating, since each great shot you make is matched by a lousy one from the other player. On the other, it forces you to golf out of bad situations, adding an additional element of challenge.

When not playing standard golf, you can try your hand at training challenges to earn more experience. Some require you to land the ball within a certain area multiple times. Others require you to stay within par while hitting the ball through gates set up around the course. These challenges will help you level up your character while helping to teach skills that will be useful in the regular matches. It's a nice setup that rewards you for learning more about the game.

Interestingly, unlike the GameCube version, you only rarely play as any of the Nintendo characters. This is an odd design decision in a game called Mario Golf, but only a cosmetic one.

Graphics:

Camelot made extensive use of their Golden Sun engine when creating this game, and those who have played their RPG will not have trouble seeing the similarities. The overhead role-playing segments look almost identical to Golden Sun, with nicely drawn sprites and backgrounds. These pretty images are occasionally marred by suspect use of gratuitous "Mode-7" sprite scaling effects, creating jagged looking characters. But overall, the RPG segments are the best-looking parts of the game.

While golfing, the game is dominated by a pseudo-3D overhead map. Basically, it's a painting of a golf course, slightly tilted away from your perspective to give a vague illusion of depth. Obstacles like trees and hills are painted flat against the course, and only look natural when centered on the screen. As objects stray towards the edges, they skew unnaturally, breaking the illusion. When used in brief spurts (like the overhead map in Golden Sun), this effect is tolerable. But as 90% of the game, it begins to seem cheesy. Still, on the small screen, it's not totally offensive. It looks terrible on the Game Boy Player, however.

During your actual swing, the game shifts into a "behind-the-golfer" perspective. Here, the game employs a clever rendering routine which creates an accurate environment for your golfer, wherever he is on the course. It's a neat effect, but has absolutely no bearing on gameplay since your shot is already lined up and ready to go at this point.

Sound:

In almost every review I write, I say that the sounds are average. For once, I can say something else. This game has extraordinary sound. In fact, it's so similar to the GameCube version that I'm not really sure how they fit all these noises on the cartridge. The music is particularly shocking, with incredible instrumentation. Absolutely stellar. And, as a bonus, since the Nintendo characters appear only sporadically, you don't have to deal with Mario's offensive stereotypical Italian gabbing all the time.

Challenge and Replay:

Unfortunately, the game is not difficult. Considering the game allows you to level up, it doesn't give you much incentive to do so. It's not difficult to top these courses if you understand how to control your swing. It will take one night to finish the main courses. The RPG elements will keep you occupied for much longer, however, adding a considerable degree of replay value.

Connectivity:

Mario Golf is one of the few games that makes good on Nintendo's GBA/GameCube connectivity features. You can port your entire character over to the Gamecube and have him compete in the GameCube courses. Even better, you can earn experience there which can then be used to level up your character back on the GBA. Only by connecting the two games can you unlock every single course and bonus (which is a bit cheap, but that's how it is). The GameCube game can be bought used at a reasonable price, and adds a considerable amount of value to the GBA game.

Summary:

Mario Golf: Advance Tour is a nicely crafted golf game, employing some minor RPG elements to add some depth. The graphics aren't as slick as they could have been, but the play is excellent, and a very worthy addition to any GBA library. Those who own the GameCube version will be able to maximize the value of the already excellent cartridge.