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Parents' Guide to

Mario Golf: Super Rush

By Jeff Haynes, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 8+

Mario and friends swing away for a fun time on the links.

Game Nintendo Switch 2021
Mario Golf: Super Rush Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this game.

Community Reviews

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age 8+

Based on 1 parent review

nuenjins
nuenjins Parent
June 26, 2021
age 8+

As a long time Mario Golf fan, this feels like a cheap phone game.

If you remember the Gamecube version made by Camelot studio, you may have fond memories as that game was a step forward in the franchise and gave the player easy controls but with lots of strategy and nuance for taking shots. Basically, much of what you remember is all but gone. The familiar props are present but cheap and serve no purpose but as an almost joyless reminder that, yes, you are indeed playing a "Mario themed" game. Timing, strategy, control, cameras that make sense, approachability, seem all gutted from the ground up. This "version" has removed past working mechanics for less useful reworks of a system that was far better in almost every way. The timing is slow, unengaging and dull, the camera shots for scoping terrain are wobbly and not usefully interactive, then you have the optic lines for eyeballing your shots being wiped out entirely. So planning your shot is more frustrating and based on guesswork than strategy. For a game that takes precision and control like golf, all these elements are counterproductive, unengaging and lack any understanding for what makes a golf game and what , specifically, made THIS golf game great. It's low effort, budget feel, the mostly joyless environments, a seeming lack of understanding of what engages players of the sport OR the franchise and the almost blatant disregard of what came before it makes this game not only a bit of a disappointment (especially at $60 bucks), but kind of annoying. My wife and I, even our kids used to play countless hours in tournaments . This is a fall from grace and a letdown after waiting literally YEARS for another installment . Nintendo seems to be so big and full of itself that it can put out simplified, half baked versions of previously great games while they use their exclusive titles and characters to keep it all afloat. The effort here is severely lacking in quality and not on par with what fans deserve. Aside from their 3 or 4 cash cow games. It seems Nintendo doesn't care much about spinoff titles much anymore or want to make an truly focused effort for their once enticing sports games.. This is a lazy outing that could very well squelch any want for future releases. If you've seen some of the worst live action Disney retreads of some of their classic animated films, you get a glimpse of how bad this has been made into a checklist of bullet points and sticker slapped for the sake of familiarity to sell it. There is nothing inspired, great or motivating here and it's somewhat sad.
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What’s It About?

MARIO GOLF: SUPER RUSH is the latest sports game from Nintendo, taking players to the links of six different courses to test their skill and aim. You'll have the option to choose from one of 16 characters from various Mario games, with classic characters like Mario and Peach and less frequently seen characters like Pauline and King Bob-omb stepping onto the course. Each character has their own stats controlling their activity on a course, such as how far they can drive a ball, whether to apply spin to a shot, or controlling the placement of the shot on the green. They also have special abilities, such as special shots that will allow them to blast opponents' balls out of the way, as well as speed and stamina shots that will let them sprint down the course. That's important because some modes, like Speed Golf, will be fast-paced matches against up to three AI- or player-controlled opponents teeing off at the same time in an attempt to get the ball in the hole first. This is raised to a more frenetic level in Battle Golf, where players are tossed into an arena with nine holes, and the first player to get the ball in three holes while avoiding obstacles wins. Finally, there's Golf Adventure, which is a career-focused mode where you take your Mii persona and move from being a beginner in the Mushroom Kingdom to being recognized as a golf pro across the six courses of the land. Players will be able to develop their Mii's stats as they play, and once they've completed the mode, they can also use this skilled player in the other game modes.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (1 ):
Kids say (4 ):

While this game doesn't automatically score a hole in one, the various modes and fast-paced multiplayer sets up a lot of fun on the links. If you're new to the sport, Mario Golf: Super Rush does a great job of breaking down everything from driving to putting in simple terms with a fairly detailed tutorial. This is also supplemented by a golf glossary of terms and a colorful presentation with the 16 playable characters (17 if you count your Mii avatar), indicating the simple-to-learn but hard-to-master nature of the game. What's really engaging about Super Rush are the subtle tweaks to the sport that liven up the action. For example, multiplayer matches against other players or AI characters are just exhilarating in modes like Speed Golf and Battle Golf, where you try your best to be both quick and accurate in your shots to the cup. Aside from the pressure as you prepare your shots, you have to be aware of incoming rushes from other players that can knock you and the ball out of position, charged up super shots like Yoshi's that can turn your ball into a wobbly egg that won't roll straight, or environmental hazards like Bob-ombs that will fling your ball off the course. It's hard not to laugh and get excited during close matches when you see a friend just miss a shot, giving you an opportunity to sink a putt and win the game.

Super Rush isn't perfect, though. For example, while the Golf Adventure mode had promise, it essentially devolves into a tour of courses with a few tricks thrown in. This could've been a deep mode where you develop a character, build a friendly rivalry, or even select a character to explore the kingdom, but instead, much of the significant plot development is abandoned shortly after the first course. Another issue with this mode: You can make your Mii characters more powerful than the provided Mario Universe characters. Thanks to the leveling system, you can have someone that drives farther than Bowser, is faster than Daisy, and has more stamina than Donkey Kong -- and you can bring them into other game modes when you're done! The upside is that these superpowered Mii matches in multiplayer take a hectic game mode and turn it into mini-golf chaos, which is very amusing. Finally, Super Rush would've really stood out with a course editor that friends could use to design new holes and tournaments to play and share with friends. There are only six courses included in the game, and after a couple of playthroughs, you'll learn the hazards for each, which further drives home how vital multiplayer is. The negatives are minor gripes, though, for a fun golf game that's a blast to play with friends.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the appeal of sports games. What makes sports games so compelling? Is it the challenge to master the sport? The test of skill against another opponent, whether it's controlled by a human player or the computer?

  • Does it feel like cheating in Mario Golf: Super Rush when you can disrupt your opponents while they're about to shoot? What about knocking them out of the way? Does that just seem like part of this unconventional game? Would it feel fair if your opponents weren't on the course at the same time, so your interference wasn't as obvious?

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