Review - Mario Golf World Tour on the Nintendo 3DS!

It's been 10 years since Mario Golf: Advance Tour but Mario and the gang are finally returning to the course and are ready to tee off in the new 3DS game Mario Golf World Tour.

Right off the bat, let me say that this new title is a huge success. I've been a fan of this series but this is the best in the line by far. The game offers 17 characters (1 of which is your Mii) and 10 playable course. Nintendo is furthering these numbers with some great downloadable content (DLC) which offers 4 more characters and 6 more courses. The standard characters are the usual characters for the series but DLC characters offer newcomers Toadette, Nabbit, Rosalina, and Gold Mario. 

Now let's run through a Speed Course and take a look at what the game has to offer. The new courses are a lot of fun and offer some challenging holes of golf which fans will love. These courses are supplemented with some nice music but at times the music can seem pretty plain and similar to music from other titles. Perhaps some more classic themes from various Mario titles would help. The visual look of the game is crisp and clean. Controls are simple and the game gives you the option of button control or touch screen control while playing. Though most will probably opt for the button controls. Switching between game modes shows gamers an 8-bit loading screen which is a really fun touch to the game. The "Castle Club" offers a great country club feel to the game and holds many features. Customizing your Mii with new equipment and clothes (which can change your Mii's in-game performance) is a wonderful feature that I love. You can also find online play and tournaments here that are smooth and a welcomed feature, especially for a sports game. A big change to online play is that all characters play a hole at the same time instead of stroke for stroke so holes, and full tournaments, move at a much quicker pace.

There is a lot to praise about this game but there are some drawbacks as well. One thing taken away from this game from previous games that I feel is a huge mistake is the ability to save a game mid-course. This feature would have made this the ultimate on-the-go game. Play a whole or two and save and go about your day. Unfortunately, this feature was taken away. Yes, you can simply close your 3DS to enter sleep mode but if you are watching battery life this can become problematic. Another key feature in this game that I feel has no real point is the Streetpass function. Players you streetpass with will visit your Castle Club where you can see their customized Miis, names, and handicap score. This may be nice but it serves no useful function in the game.

Between tournaments, challenges, and regular play there is plenty to keep you occupied in this game. Because of all the different game modes and unlockable items replayability is very high in this game.

Overall, this game is amazing. If you are not a golf person this may not be the best game for you but even still, if you give it a shot you may find it just as addictive as I do. This is a great "on the go" game that will catch everyone's attention. I highly recommend it to all gamers!

Rating: 9/10