“Demo Disk” – Mario Golf: Super Rush (2021) [Switch]

Demo Disk is a series of first impressions posts for new releases and quick opinions.

Nintendo sports games sit in an interesting spot. They aren’t hardcore sims with licensed teams and hyper-realistic physics. They aren’t simplistic, cartoony button mashers, either. Instead, they sit someplace in between, and in doing so, maximize the fun of the sport. The new Mario Golf: Super Rush appears to be no exception. You get the colorful Mario characters and setting, coupled with satisfying technical gameplay. And the player gets to decide how serious or loose they want to play.

Last time I really got into Mario Golf was back in the Toadstool Tour (2003) heyday of the Gamecube. I’ve also played a bit of the 2014 3DS release Mario Golf: World Tour. Both were excellent pick-up-and-play games. Going into Super Rush, I had equally high expectations. And in true Nintendo sports game form, the initial impression is that the bar has remained high.

Visually, the game looks lovely. Colorful, well-animated, and polished up with that standard Nintendo wax. Each character has their own style and animation for swinging the clubs, which is fun. And for better or worse, Nintendo has dolled all your favorite characters up in their campy golf course best. Polo shirts, visors, spikes, etc.

Everything looks crisp and green, that over-manicured, scrubbed, clean look real golf courses are known for. The graphics are exactly what you expect for a first-party release starring their flagship character.

The courses I’ve experienced so far are pretty standard and look more like a local country club than a Mushroom Kingdom locale, but there are several more to unlock. I presume the zaniness will ramp up as you progress (as has been the past formula for Mario Golf games).

The strength of Mario Golf has always been the gameplay. Past games have made precision golfing simple, with forgiving physics and ‘jump right in’ controls. Super Rush appears to succeed with the usual 2-tap swing system and an easy way to produce a hook or slice. Topspin and backspin can be applied as well, to gain distance on the carry or stop a shot from rolling off the green. Mastering these systems shouldn’t take a ton of reps, and the resultant added precision in play is a great reward. I do miss the ‘ball strike’ cursor that Toadstool Tour had to influence ball movement/spin. The new system in Super Rush is more streamlined, though I’m not committed to saying better just yet.

So far I’ve played around 50 holes in various modes. You can dive right in if you are a veteran of the series, but there are tutorials aplenty and even a terminology guide should you need them. I enjoy how quickly I can get 18 holes in and still feel like I didn’t rush shots or play for speed. The courses I’ve played (two base courses are unlocked to start) are standard low difficulty. I expect the crazier courses to open up with further progress. For now, I’m perfectly content to play on the tamer courses where I can just have a leisurely under-par round as I master the updated controls.

Aside from just playing a normal round of golf, Super Rush’s new additions are Golf Adventure, Speed Golf, and Battle Golf. I’ve only scratched the surface here, playing just a bit of each of these modes.

Adventure mode is what has replaced the Tournament mode (or ‘Castle Club’ in World Tour) in previous Mario Golf titles. Now there are more expansive RPG elements in place to grow and customize your Mii golfer. You’ll take lessons, take on challenges, improve in drills, and ultimately compete in tournaments. This is the mode that will likely fill the bulk of your time as a solo player.

Speed Golf is essentially a 4-player mode where the goal is not just to finish with the lowest stroke total, but also to do it in the least time. Each stroke adds 30 seconds to your total, so lining up quick shots is key. You’ll also have a foot race across the fairways to get to your ball and set up the next shot. This all leads to new hijinks and character-specific sabotage. A fun, if not hectic mode.

Battle Golf plays in a massive arena, with players all trying to sink shots in different holes. The energy is amped up here as shots are crisscrossing across the arena and players colliding into each other as they hustle to their ball. I’m less enamored with this mode, because of the seemingly random nature of some of the encounters. But both the speed and battle modes are rousing additions to the lower-energy, more relaxed traditional golf offerings. Online play is available if the CPU bots begin to bore you.

Even with just a preliminary glance, I can certainly recommend Super Rush to any fan of past Mario Golf titles, and to any other gamer who enjoys a round of video game golf. You don’t need PGA stars or hyper photo-realism to enjoy a round on the links. Super Rush plays simply enough that you’ll be sinking birdie puts right out the gate, but has the gameplay depth to keep you coming back to master every course. And if you’re new to Mario sports games or golf in general, don’t let that shy you away from this high quality title. You may just find a new game genre you love.

J-Torto has been a gamer since 1982, when got his start begging for quarters from his parents at a hotel pool game room. Racing games are in his blood and shmups are etched on his soul. Find him @JTorto40 on Twitter.