It’s not all action and adventure. A plumber needs some time to relax, and this is what Mario does here; a Mario who is at his chubbiest and most realistic this time around, with him looking like a pensioner who’s simply enjoying life on a golf course – and that’s the beauty of this humble NES title that is simply and aptly named Golf. This is more about enjoying the game and less about focusing on winning. With its minimalistic approach to gameplay and audio-visuals, the result is something with great pick-and-play value and a casual, soothing atmosphere. Join Cubed3, as it continues to re-remember Mario’s journey through the decades.
There are no Career or Training modes, no Extra Challenges, no story to speak of, no collectibles, nothing. Golf is…well, golf at its simplest. 18 courses, a golfer, his clubs, his ball, and that’s about it. This is not a complaint, but a compliment. The simplicity of this little piece of software is exactly what makes it so fun to everyone, golf fans and otherwise, as everyone can pick it up and start playing.
The only thing that might perplex greenhorns is the scoring system, but it’s simple, really. It’s all about reaching the hole on the other side of the course with the least amount of hits. That’s all. Now, simplicity doesn’t imply a lack of challenge. On the contrary, Golf plays a lot like a puzzle game, as one needs to think how to hit to send the little white pixel where it needs to go.
In practice, one views it all from a bird’s-eye view, where they must first choose the direction and then press a button to have Mario on the bottom-left window start his swing. Players can then decide how strong the hit will be, and whether they will send the ball straight ahead, or with a slight tilt towards left or right, and all this via the traditional power meter – which, by the way, was the innovation this actually brought forth into golf video games. Kudos, once more, Nintendo.
Oh, sure, Golf doesn’t play solely as a puzzler, as it needs a little bit of trial and error – but that’s a part of the experience and not a flaw. Yup, the constantly more challenging courses can get annoying, but as mentioned before, try to play for the fun of it, and not to win.
Something that many might find disappointing would be the look and sound of Golf. They shouldn’t. Yes, it belongs in those very early days of the NES, but still, these “archaic” games had so much charm in their own unique ways. It’s just boring green and blue on every single course, and yet Golf manages to look good. Even when it comes to music, or lack thereof, its total absence helps in creating a neat, calm atmosphere, as if you are truly there enjoying a game of…well, golf!
Oh, and the “ooo000OOO000ooo” SFX of the ball flying up and down is awesome.
