Another iron in the fire
Mario Golf: Super Rush Nintendo Available on Nintendo Switch
I find it hard to invest energy into televised sports, yet I've long enjoyed arcade-style sports games that add a bit of silliness into the mix. The last sports game I got into was Mario Tennis Aces, so I was cautiously optimistic when I heard that the Switch would receive a new Mario Golf game from the same developer.
Mario Golf: Super Rush does a fair job of injecting levity into the otherwise staid game by fusing the familiar trappings of the Mushroom Kingdom, such as Piranha Plants and lava lakes, with golf mechanics that can be approached either casually or more methodically.
A touch of the A button sends a gauge on the right side of the screen sliding up and down to determine a shot's power. Tapping on either the A or B button again determines the type of spin placed on the shot — for example, top spin adds momentum to a ball so it rolls further along the ground after it lands, while bottom spin curtails its roll.
You can also use the left thumb stick to adjust the curve of a shot so it travels in a higher or lower arc or hews to a right, or left, trajectory. On a more granular level, you can pull up a grid that shows the elevation of the surrounding area allowing you to better assess how the slope of the land might affect your shot, along with wind speed and weather conditions.
You can unlock the courses, which range from a rocky landscape pocked with mini-tornadoes, to a tried-and-true Bowser's castle, etc., by completing events in the campaign mode or by shlepping through an 18-hole game on the last, unlocked course.
In Golf Adventure, players try to climb the ranks from scrub to pro by taking on different challenges. Super Rush is also divided into Standard, Speed, Battle and online multiplayer modes whereby players can choose from Mushroom Kingdom characters and compete in one-off matches.
In truth, I wish Mario Golf: Super Rush was a bit zanier.
I can't help thinking that the courses could have been a bit more whimsical.