During the recent Nintendo Direct, one announcement that had many people excited was that of Mario Golf: Super Rush. This is the first Mario Golf console game in nearly two decades, and there are some new modes announced that have many excited for sure. I have been iffy on the Mario Sports games myself, with the exception of Mario Strikers, but there was something announced with regards to the game that has won me over.
I do want to note that many are excited for Speed Golf, a new mode that has players hitting the ball in real-time rather taking turns. Every playable character from the series will have their own unique abilities that will aid them in this mode, such as Luigi being able to freeze the ground. This mode instantly reminds me of the gameplay in the Mario Strikers series, and that is a good thing. Camelot has been trying new things with each sports title they make, and this one seems to be a rather unique mode.
But this is not the reason I am excited for the game, but instead the story mode. This mode will see players take control of a Mii and journey through the mushroom kingdom, honing their skills and customize your skills and abilities. This will be done via RPG mechanics, and this should have everyone excited. Camelot is well known for their RPGs and notable among them were their Mario Tennis and Mario Golf handheld titles. These were full blown sports RPGs on the GBC and GBA, and were titles as beloved as Camelot’s Golden Sun series. These games have devoted fanbases around them, and some have created spiritual sequels such as the recent title Golf Story on the Nintendo Switch.
Many have long desired for Nintendo and Camelot to return to this style of sports RPG, but while Camelot has not done RPG sports games since, although they did add story modes of a sort. This marks the first return to sports RPG in a long time for Camelot, even if it is in a different style. Previous Camelot developed Mario Sports RPGs had entire original casts developed for them, but that does not seem to be the case here. Admittedly this is disappointing, but the story mode does still look interesting and is a big step in the right direction. Hopefully, if this mode is a success, we will see a more developed Mario Sports RPG from Camelot in the future. It is something fans all want to have back.
Those looking forward to Mario Golf: Super Rush have a lot to look forward to, as the game seems to be packed with great modes and refined gameplay. While I am excited for the RPG elements, there is something here for everyone who is a fan of sports games.
Mario Golf: Super Rush will release on Switch on June 25