Hole in one for Mario in Nintendo’s best sport title in years

Mario Golf World Tour review
Format: Nintendo 3DS
Out: Friday May 2

NICE ON! Mario and his friends shine in Golf World Tour.
NICE ON! Mario and his friends shine in Golf World Tour.

If the prospect of Mario Kart 8 hitting the shelves later this month isn’t satisfying all of you Nintendo fans, it’s well worth joining the maestros of the Mushroom Kingdom for a pre-race round of golf this week.

That’s right, the most multi-talented plumber in the business is back on the handheld scene with perhaps the best 3DS game of the year so far.

Surprisingly, this is Nintendo’s first foray back onto the fairway since 2004’s Mario Golf Advance.

The majority of Mario Golf is made up of three courses, each with the traditional 18 holes. You’ll be eased into things with a relatively risk-free forest course, with the seaside offering bringing bunkers and wind into play.

Finally there’s the obstacle-ridden mountain course – which will test even the most seasoned players.

Overall, this is the best Nintendo sports title (Mario Kart aside) for several years. It’s bags of fun to play both alone and online, even if it is a tiny bit short on innovation.

Score: 4/5

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