Mario Golf Advance Tour

by Nintendo

Product Features

• Play 18 holes with your favorite Marioland characters - Mario, Luigi, Peach, Donkey Kong and more
• Use power-ups and each characters' unique abilities to get past obstacles and improve your game
• Play through sandtraps, tall grass and other obstacles to unlock secret characters and challenging new holes
• It's the most fun you can have on a golf course!

Product Details

• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B00009WAUM
• Product Dimensions: 5.2 x 5.2 x 1.2 inches ; 2.9 ounces
• Media: Video Game
• Release Date: June 22, 2004
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (36 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #6,338 in Video Games (See Top 100 in Video Games)
• Discontinued by manufacturer: Yes

Product Description

Game Informer Review

In the world of video game golf, the battle is between the three-click swing and the new analog styling of Tiger Woods. Here on the GBA, it's more natural for Mario Golf to champion the classic button-timing swing that developer Camelot has made popular through both this series and its original franchise, Hot Shots Golf. But that's not the only place where this game repeats itself. Eschewing an interface of boring menus, Camelot is also bringing back the RPG overworld structure that it included in Mario Golf back on the Game Boy Color – and we couldn't be happier because of it.

Having said all that, Advance Tour isn't revolutionary in any sense of the word. What it does do, however, is give gamers something that even Mario Golf on the GameCube lacked – reasons to compel you forward in the title. As a newbie on the tour, you can walk around to the four courses and enter into tourneys and participate in other tasks. This doesn't sound like a lot to chew on, but along the way, you'll unlock new locations, including a duel at Princess Peach's castle and some multiplayer-only courses. Of course, the game's connectivity feature with the GameCube opens up its own exclusives as well. The coolness of walking around this RPG-overworld is greatly helped by the fact that there's always something to do in Advance Tour. Unlike its console brother, this title gives you rewards of experience points for the many challenges it puts in your way. You can walk around and pick up playing tips from other golfers, as well as engage the local pros in making seven out of 10 mid-range putts, for example. If you search diligently enough, you may even find magic tickets to upgrade your clubs.

The experience you earn comes in real handy, letting you build up different attributes like your spin on shots. Since playing through the different courses in doubles golf play with a partner is key in unlocking everything, you're going to have to make sure that the character you pair up with is the same level – if not higher – than you are. It's aggravating to have to suffer the poor golf of your partner in doubles, but it's one of the many stick-and-carrot routines that this game goads you on with.

If there's an understated beauty of Advance Tour, it is that despite being a GBA title, it has no limitations in delivering top-notch golf action (it even has a system for reading the putting green that is quite accurate). In fact, its RPG aspects exceed the GC Mario Golf entirely. My only regret is that Camelot didn't fix the mistake that the ‘Cube version committed and include more wacky courses, but at the same time, handheld golf has never been as much fun.

Concept:
Give the system a near-definitive golf title that even surpasses Mario Golf on the GC

Graphics:
Mario gets the 3D treatment, and the whole game shines

Sound:
You wouldn't dare roll down the avenue with these Caribbean tunes pumping

Playability:
Has all of the amenities you'd expect out of a big console counterpart

Entertainment:
Its utilization of an RPG-style world is an instant hook, but the golf is solid throughout

Replay:
Moderately High

Rated: 8 out of 10
Editor: Matthew Kato
Issue: June 2004

2nd Opinion:
I'm a geek for Hot Shots games. Which is good for Mario Golf Advance Tour, because it's basically the first Hot Shots title with some Mario franchise stuff thrown in. A perfect combination, in my opinion. I quibbled with the game about my putts now and again, but the courses and shots are generally easy to see. In addition, the overworld and extra challenges make this a golf game with legs far longer and better looking than Toadstool Tour, in my opinion. Some may think that that's an overstatement, but I'd be surprised if anyone was really disappointed with Advance Tour.

Rated: 8.25 out of 10
Editor: Lisa Mason


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Product Description

In Mario Golf: Toadstool Tour, you'll enjoy great golfing combined with fun platform action, straight from your favorite Mario games!

See all Product Description

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Addictive!, June 30, 2004

By 

Thomas Simpson "gameraboy" (Scenic Woodbridge, New Jersey) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Mario Golf Advance Tour (Video Game)

This game is incredibly fun!

I'm not a golfer. I also don't play golf games on the PC, on a console, in a house, with a mouse... you get the idea. I saw all the great reviews of this on different game sites and thought I'd give it a try. After all, it was made by Camelot, the same designers who did the outstanding Golden Sun games for the GBA.

Rather than just being about playing golf, you get to spend time talking to other golfers, finding secrets, playing minigames, getting custom tickets so you can pick up special clubs, and gaining experience to improve your abilities. You have a partner in the game too and have to balance out spending experience points on your own character and on your partner. Get too good yourself and you'll be slammed on doubles play.

This game is simple to play and hard to master. You can perform the basic commands easily, but can really customize how you hit the ball, the spin you give it and more. You can make each shot as complex as you want to.

Mario Golf is a really really fun game. I thought I'd just play a few holes and haven't put it down for three days. This is a must have, up there with my top 5 games for GBA - Advance Wars 2, Golden Sun 2, WarioWare, Final Fantasy Tactics and now Mario Golf.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Addictive Fun!, July 2, 2004

By 

Scott M. Ryan "Scott" (Columbia, SC United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Mario Golf Advance Tour (Video Game)

As the owner of over a dozen golf games for Nintendo, Super Nintendo, etc., I must say that this is easily the most addictive...

GRAPHICS/SOUND:
The graphics are very easy on the eye and a cool Mode 7 feature allows you to follow behind your ball as it flies through the air. Simple and easy to read...that's more important on a game where you're trying to concentrate your button timing anyway. The sound is so-so, nothing fancy, but I still tend to hum it a little when I'm not playing...Some voice comments from the players add to the thrill of the game.

REPLAY:
This is the whole reason for getting this game! Unlike other golf games in which you win and throw it in the corner for a while, this one it more of a Golf RPG. You spend time unlocking secrets and building up your character to be the best! You're looking at a game that should give you your money's worth...

CHALLENGE:
This would be my only concern for this game -- I won the first four tournaments on the first try -- granted, I'm a golf nut, but most of them were runaways. I'm afraid that those looking for a great challenge may fall short of expectations here. Some side games are a little challenge, but the main games are rather easy.

PLAY CONTROL:
This is one of the easiest setups I've seen for golf, yet your able to do so much. Top spin, back spin, hooks, slices, etc. call all be accomplished, but without mashing 6 buttons at once. A little tough to time at first, but easy to learn and get used to...

THEME/FUN:
What a unique game...the RPG Golf theme gives this a nice twist that makes it both fun for golfers and for adventurers. Despite the easy challenge in areas, it still provides hours of enjoyment and fun/coloful graphics for its audience. For those looking for a good game to whip out for 5 minutes at a time or sit down and play for a few hours -- highly recommended!

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars You need this game!, June 24, 2004

By 

maxmasa31 "maxmasa31" (Honolulu, HI United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Mario Golf Advance Tour (Video Game)

This is one of the best games I've ever bought, and that's no exaggeration. I've never really been into golf games, like those Tiger Woods ones, but when I bought Mario Golf (MGGB) on the Game Boy Color, I was hooked. It's the only game that I actually still play from my GBC. And then this game came out. I never thought that they could outdo MGGB, but they did. Advance Tour, like MGGB, is actually a role-playing game disguised as a golf game! Ingenius! Instead of fighting enemies to increase your HP or MP, you play tournaments or complete tasks that increase your control, the height of your shot, drive distance and more. And the goal? Why, it's simple--to the best golfer and someday play Mario!

Graphics: (5/5) The Game Boy Advance's screen has never looked better. Bright colors and fabulous simulated 3D images. It's from the makers of "Golden Sun" (Camelot), so if you thought those graphics were awesome (I did), they're all here! Cool!

Sound: (5/5) The music is catchy and there's actual digitized voices! You can hear "Nice Shot" whenever you hit the ball perfectly or your character whine when he/she fails at a task. I don't know how they packed all this into one game!

Gameplay: (5/5) Okay, I'm not the most coordinated gamer out there, so for me to say that this game is easy to learn, it says a lot. But, like the real game of golf, it's easy to learn, but darned near impossible to master. Plus, the game is limited to the few buttons the GBA has to offer, so expect those buttons to be well used. The game itself is not merely a golf game, as I mentioned. Like the box states, "It's Role-Playing Golf" and that makes it much more interesting than a plain old golf game. But if you only want golf, you can have that, too, as well as a bunch of other mini golf-centered games. However, with all the features locked away in the "Story Mode," I'm not sure why anyone would buy the game and NOT play it like a regular RPG. Also, you can link to other GBAs for muli-player cooperative or head-to-head action. Camelot sure stuffed a lot of different features into this one tiny cartridge, let me say.

Replay Value: (5/5) You won't be able to put this game down. Ever. You will lose friends, pets and the ability to see without glasses. That's how much you'll be glued to your tiny front-lit screen. Like I said, the game is easy to learn, but near impossible to master and that's what will keep bringing you back for more. And then there's the ability to play with your friends in doubles play or against one another. There's just so much to do!

Let me start off by saying that this game is NOT just for people who love golf. I'm not terribly fond of the sport, although I used to go every once in a while. But Mario Golf, in the two incarnations I've played, are the BEST games out there. They combine the challenge of golf and RPG into one slick game that the whole family can enjoy. As far as I know, there's no violence in this game, so I can recommend this game to gamers of all ages, but because of the RPG-nature of this game, I think kids age 10 and up will appreciate the game much more. Oh, and adults won't be able to put it down, either.