Mario Golf: Super Rush is a wonderfully chaotic and surprisingly accurate golf game. I wish there was a bit more content, but the creative boss fights and variety of different golf modes make Super Rush a unique and incredibly fun sports game.
Mario Golf: Super Rush
Developer: Camelot Software Planning
Price: $60
Platforms: Nintendo Switch (reviewed)
MonsterVine was provided with a Switch code for review
I’m really not into sports. I played hockey and golf as a kid, and I still dabble in golf, but it’s never really been my thing. The same goes for sports games, which have rarely caught my eye. Mario Golf: Super Rush managed to break through this barrier of mine, as I’ve had a blast playing it for the last week or so. It’s exciting, tense, and colorful, and it makes golf into a shockingly active sport. Plus, it has a lot of Wario and Waluigi in it.
There’s actually a story mode in Mario Golf: Super Rush, where you play as a Mii from your system. You start out as a golf rookie alongside Toadette, Chargin’ Chuck, and Boo, living in a dorm run by Birdo. You compete in various different golf tournaments to advance through the world of Super Rush while dealing with suspiciously inclement weather and some natural disasters. Interestingly, Wario and Waluigi play frequent and key roles in the story, which is great, as they’re the best and funniest Mario characters by far.
It’s a basic story, but it makes you feel like you’re improving at golf and making your way in the world, especially as you travel the environmentally diverse world of Mario. You can purchase new clubs with coins earned from golfing, or new outfits and shoes, all of which allow you to make your character play to your liking and playstyle. I enjoyed going through the Adventure Mode as my own distinct golfer, as levelling up and customizing my stats and equipment kept me wanting to improve until the very end.
“With so many ways to play, it’s inevitable that some form of golf will strike your fancy, so it’s worth trying all the modes out.“
The story mode features a few boss fights, which might sound strange in a golf game, but they really work. One fight has you deflecting lightning bolts with well-timed strokes, while another has you shooting down a flaming bird by properly aiming and knocking it out of the air with your shots. It’s absolutely silly to battle a giant snowman while golfing, but it’s fun and changes up the usual golf gameplay loop in a way that I don’t really see in other sports games.
Super Rush features a number of different ways to play golf. From XC (cross-country) Golf, which has you tackle a number of holes on one course in a set number of strokes, to Speed Golf, where you run after your ball after every stroke without taking turns. There’s an impressive amount of variety in the different golf modes, with the different areas in the story featuring different modes to try.
“The music is well-suited for Super Rush, as there are Mario motifs woven into relaxing and breezy tracks that make golfing feel pleasant.“
Once you learn the basics of each, it’s fun to switch between modes. Playing with other people is a blast as well, as modes like Speed Golf make the normally slow-paced game feel high-octane and intense. You can knock each other around with dashes and mess with one another using your special shots, or you can just play regular golf if that’s more your speed. With so many ways to play, it’s inevitable that some form of golf will strike your fancy, so it’s worth trying all the modes out.
I do wish that there were more characters and courses available and that more of the available courses were as Mario-centric as the last stage. A lot of the courses feel like regular or slightly fantastical golf courses when there’s a lot of potential for wild and wacky Mario stages. Also, characters like Toadette and the different colored Yoshis already have models in the game, so it feels strange for them to not be on the playable roster. Nintendo has said they’ll continue to support this game with new content in the future, so maybe these problems will be remedied, but it would have been nice to have a bit more variety.
Super Rush is quite a nice-looking game, as the courses and characters both have that Nintendo polish that’s so hard to replicate. The character designs are excellent, from Wario’s goofy golf-cowboy look to the more traditional attire of Mario and Pauline. The courses are lively and gorgeous, even if they could use a bit more visual variety. The music is well-suited for Super Rush, as there are Mario motifs woven into relaxing and breezy tracks that make golfing feel pleasant.
The Final Word
Mario Golf: Super Rush is a great golf game that has something for everyone. I could use a bit more content, but what’s there is a blast to play through alone or with friends. Whether you’re an old-school golfer or someone open to some speedy golf, Super Rush will cater to you with strong mechanics and that Mario charm.
MonsterVine Rating: 4 out of 5 – Good
