Editing Mario Golf (series)

The '''''Mario Golf''''' series is a video game series primarily developed by [[Camelot Software Planning]] and published by [[Nintendo]]. It stars [[Mario]] and other characters of the [[Super Mario (franchise)|''Super Mario'' franchise]] participating in golfing events. The series was preceded by ''[[Golf]]'', which starred Mario, who was known as Ossan in this game. A variant of this game called ''[[Stroke & Match Golf]]'' released for the [[VS. System]] had two different versions, one starring Mario and the other starring a [[lady golfer]]. The series' namesake [[Nintendo 64]] game, ''[[Mario Golf (Nintendo 64)|Mario Golf]]'', was released in 1999, and it is often misconceived as the first game of the series, especially in the {{iw|wikipedia|Western world}}. Aside from an entirely different [[Mario Golf (Game Boy Color)|handheld counterpart]], releases followed one game for both the [[Nintendo GameCube]] and the [[Game Boy Advance]], while the sixth installment was released for the [[Nintendo 3DS]] in 2014, and a [[Mario Golf: Super Rush|seventh installment]] was released for the [[Nintendo Switch]] in 2021. Some games in the series double as role-playing games, the single-player story modes in particular.

The N64 and Game Boy Color versions can communicate with each other via [[Transfer Pak]] connectivity, and the GameCube and GBA versions can do the same via the Game Link Cable; the connectivity features allow players to upload characters and data from one game into the other.

==Gameplay==

[[File:Mario Golf World TourArtwork.jpg|thumb|300px|Mario hits a golf ball with other characters looking on.]]  

In the first handheld ''Mario Golf'' and ''Advance Tour'', the golfing clubs are named [[Marion Course|Marion]], [[Palms Course|Palms]], [[Dunes Course|Dunes]], and [[Links Course|Links]]. The player character achieves the goal of becoming the "ultimate golfer" by winning the tournaments in the aforementioned clubs, defeating their champions in match games, and earning the right to engage in a one-on-one match against Mario, who in the context of these games is the world's ultimate golfing champion. In addition to its main course and practice area, Marion features a third place of interest: the clubhouse, which is where the player characters are based and can talk to other golfers. By progressing through the game and completing its various elements, the player can gain experience to distribute among the two characters to enhance both their drive and their hitting capabilities. As a character levels up in those games, they gain stat points to improve their abilities.

===Home console to handheld interactivity===

The second and third generations of ''Mario Golf'' consisted of one home console title and one handheld title; each pair of titles had content transferable from one game to the other. Using the Nintendo 64's Transfer Pak, players were able to upload characters and data found in the Game Boy Color version to the Nintendo 64 version, meaning that the players exclusive to the Game Boy game could be seen and played as in full 3D. Data from the Nintendo 64 version was also saved onto the Game Boy Color cartridge. Transfer Pak functionality is not included in the [[Virtual Console]] release. The connectivity functions returned when players were able to use the Nintendo GameCube–Game Boy Advance Link Cable to transfer characters between ''Toadstool Tour'' and ''Advance Tour''. These functions are absent from later entries of the series, as these games do not have a respective counterpart.

==Installments==

===Main series===

|-

|-

|-

|-

''Japan Course'' was involved in a major contest. After finishing all the holes, players had an option of saving their score. If the score was good, the score could be recorded into a special blue disk that came with the game and sent via Disk Fax to Nintendo in Kyoto. 5,000 runners-up received the Professional Course golden Disk Card, which is much harder than the original. The top 100 scorers received a plaque with their names on it, as well as a Champions' Course golden Disk Card with their name and rank programmed onto the title screen, and an even more difficult set of holes.

|-

|-

The game also had a contest similar to ''Japan Course'' in which the main prize was a trophy and a golden ''Punch-Out!!'' [[Family Computer|Famicom]] cartridge. An unannounced prize was the golden disk ''Golf: Prize Card'', which contained the harder Special Course. It was given out during the same contest but likely as part of a lottery to a thousand players whose submissions included a hole-in-one.

|-

|-

A version of this game was made for the [[Nintendo PlayChoice-10]] in America, called ''Mario's Open Golf''.

It was rereleased for [[Wii]], [[Nintendo 3DS]], and [[Wii U]] through [[Virtual Console]], and [[Nintendo Switch]] through [[Nintendo Entertainment System - Nintendo Switch Online]]. It was also included in [[Classics#Nintendo Classic Mini: Family Computer|Nintendo Classic Mini: Family Computer]], released only in Japan.

|-

|-

|'''''Mario Golf''''', for [[Nintendo 64]], is a 3D golfing simulator featuring the standard cast of ''Super Mario'' characters along with a new cast of human characters exclusive to the game. Players could choose to play through tournaments and special challenges in the single player mode. The ordinary basics of the multiplayer side of the game were the strokes and match play modes, with special modes including a mini-putt mode (called "Putt-Putt") and a practice mode.

It was rereleased for Wii initially in 2008 and for Wii U in 2015 through Virtual Console, and for [[Nintendo 64 - Nintendo Switch Online]] in 2022.

|-

|-

|'''''Mario Golf''''', for the [[Game Boy Color]], was released shortly after the home console game. This version has a very different premise apart from its Nintendo 64 counterpart with much of the single player mode played like an RPG, where players can choose one of four characters and conquer the challenges of the golf world. The game also features a multiplayer mode and special free-play modes for players interested solely in the golfing portion of the game and those who had finished or wanted a break from the main quest.   

It was rereleased for Nintendo 3DS through Virtual Console, initially in 2012, and for [[Game Boy - Nintendo Switch Online]] in 2024.

|-

|-

|'''''Mario Golf: Toadstool Tour''''' was the next entry in the series, released for the [[Nintendo GameCube]]. The game takes the basic formula of the N64 version with some minor revisions made. The main appeals of this entry were the highly updated graphics and improved swing system. New guides on the interface showed players exactly how much power they needed to land the ball exactly where they wanted it. Players still need to factor in the wind, the ball lie, and deal with their slicing or drawing the ball.  

New playable characters added in this installment include Daisy, [[Koopa Troopa]], [[Diddy Kong]], [[Waluigi]], [[Birdo]], [[Bowser Jr.]], [[Boo]], [[Shadow Mario]], and [[Petey Piranha]].

|-

|-

|'''''Mario Golf: Advance Tour''''' is another title for the series, it was released for the [[Game Boy Advance]], and is the handheld counterpart to ''Mario Golf: Toadstool Tour''. While the gameplay is identical to that its home console counterpart, as well as the game's new visuals impressed with pre-rendered sprites and [[wikipedia:Mode 7|Mode 7]] scaling for the golf courses, the content is very similar to that of its handheld predecessor, continuing the RPG-style. The main story follows two fledgling golfers named [[Neil]] and [[Ella]] in their quest to become world-class golfers.  

It was rereleased for Wii U through Virtual Console in 2014.

|-

|-

|'''''Mario Golf: World Tour''''' is a title released for the [[Nintendo 3DS]]. It introduces a number of new features into the series, including gyroscope support, online multiplayer, Item Shots, and downloadable content. Like ''[[Mario Tennis Open]]'', it feature [[Mii]]s as playable characters (a first for the ''Mario Golf'' series) and [[List of Mario Golf: World Tour Mii gear|unlockable outfits]] for them. The game also includes Castle Club, a story mode where the player's Mii can compete in different tournaments.

New playable characters added in this installment include [[Pauline]], [[Chargin' Chuck]], and [[King Bob-omb]], as well as [[Ninji]], [[Wiggler]], and [[Shy Guy]] post-launch.

|}

===Related===

|-

|-

|-

!colspan="2" style="font-size:125%;text-align:left"|''{{wp|Golf (1995 video game)|Golf*}}''

|-

|This game was initially developed by {{wp|T&E Soft}} and released in Japan as the unrelated ''T&E Virtual Golf'', though it was localized as simply ''Golf*'' or as ''Nintendo Golf'', giving it a connection to the earlier games. It features a generic human golfer (implicitly named "Duff" by the default name registry) in place of Mario and, due to the Virtual Boy's capabilities, has a course of 18 fully 3D holes with hills and slopes at the Papillion Golf & Country Club. Due to the different development history, it has several gameplay differences from the other games, though some of its mechanics are used in ''[[Mario Golf (Nintendo 64)|Mario Golf]]'' for the [[Nintendo 64]].

|-

|-

|This Japan-only game is a spinoff of ''[[Mario Golf (Game Boy Color)|Mario Golf]]'' for the [[Game Boy Color]] and is very similar to its predecessor. Its main innovation was multiplayer games within a mobile phone network via a special adapter. Unlike in its predecessor, the holes are based on real locations, like in the earlier ''Golf'' games.

|-

|-

||A Nintendo 3DS game that was released in March 2017. Golf, developed by Camelot like the main series, is included as one of the five sports available. [[Metal Mario]] returns after being playable once in the Nintendo 64 version of ''Mario Golf'', and [[Baby Luigi]] and [[Pink Gold Peach]], both characters that have yet to be playable in the main ''Mario Golf'' series, are playable characters in this game.

|}

==Playable characters==

In the nine installments of the ''Mario Golf'' series, many ''Super Mario'' characters appear. Human characters unique to the ''Mario Golf'' series, such as [[Kid]], appear in dark cells.

|-

|-

|[[File:Check mark.svg|17px]]

|[[File:Check mark.svg|17px]]

|[[File:Check mark.svg|17px]]

|-

|

|[[File:Check mark.svg|17px]]

|[[File:Check mark.svg|17px]]

|[[File:Check mark.svg|17px]]{{footnote|main|1}}

|[[File:Check mark.svg|17px]]

|-

|

|

|[[File:Check mark.svg|17px]]

|-

|

|

|[[File:Check mark.svg|17px]]

|-

|

|

|

|-

|

|

|[[File:Check mark.svg|17px]]

|-

|

|

|[[File:Check mark.svg|17px]]

|-

|

|

|-

![[Metal Mario]]

|

|

|

|-

|

|

|-

|-

|

|

|

|-

|

|

|

|-

|

|

|

|-

|

|

|

|-

|

|

|

|-

|

|

|

|-

|

|

|

|-

|

|

|

|-

|

|

|

|-

|

|

|

|-

|

|

|

|-

|

|

|-

! [[Foreman Spike]]

|

|

|

|-

|

|

|

|-

|

|

|

|-

|

|

|

|-

|

|

|

|-

|

|

|

|-

|

|

|

|-

|

|

|

|-

|

|

|

|-

|

|

|[[File:Check mark.svg|17px]]

|-

|

|

|[[File:Check mark.svg|17px]]{{footnote|main|4}}

|-

|

|

|

|-

|

|

|[[File:Check mark.svg|17px]]

|-

|

|

|

|-

|

|

|[[File:Check mark.svg|17px]]

|-

|

|

|[[File:Check mark.svg|17px]]

|-

|

|

|

|-

|

|

|

|-

|

|

|

|-

|

|

|-

! [[Toad]]

|

|

|[[File:Check mark.svg|17px]]

|-

|

|

|

|-

|

|

|

|-

|

|

|

|-

|

|

|[[File:Check mark.svg|17px]]{{footnote|main|4}}

|-

|

|

|

|-

|

|

|[[File:Check mark.svg|17px]]

|-

|

|

|[[File:Check mark.svg|17px]]

|-

|

|

|

|-

|

|

|

|-

|

|

|[[File:Check mark.svg|17px]]

|-

|

|

|[[File:Check mark.svg|17px]]

|-

|

|

|[[File:Check mark.svg|17px]]

|-

|

|

|[[File:Check mark.svg|17px]]{{footnote|main|4}}

|-

|

|

|[[File:Check mark.svg|17px]]{{footnote|main|4}}

|-

|

|

|[[File:Check mark.svg|17px]]{{footnote|main|4}}

|-class="sortbottom"

|-class="sortbottom"

|}

{{footnote|note|1|The character is unlockable, but available by default in multiplayer.}}

{{footnote|note|6|The character is unlocked by transfering from partner version}}

{{footnote|note|7|The character is unlockable through Mobile Adapter GB DLC}}

==Game modes==

===Speed Golf===

[[File:MG64 Speed Golf Wario.png|thumb|[[Wario]] beginning a round of Speed Golf in ''[[Mario Golf (Nintendo 64)|Mario Golf]]'' for the [[Nintendo 64]]]]

Speed Golf is a recurring game mode that has appeared in nearly every main installment of the ''Mario Golf'' series. The game mode's rules throughout the series are to complete a course (or a three-, six-, or nine-hole section of it) as fast as possible, and the player is timed through each hole on how long the player has spent on each one. It can usually be played against a CPU or alone, and any course can be chosen. In ''[[Mario Golf: Super Rush]]'', players must run to the balls in order to hit them until they enter the hole.

{{br|clear=all}}

==Gallery==

<gallery>

Mario Golf Series Logo 1.png|Classic logo of the series

Mario Golf Series Logo 2.png|Previous logo of the series

<references/>

{{Super Mario games}}

[[Category:Mario Golf series|*]]