Would it be a Birdo?

The Mario sports games used to be pretty commonplace. Nintendo’s trademark plumber tackled just about every event imaginable. With Nintendo behind the helm these games were also a blast to play. Over the years it seems Mario has retired from most of his outings, but golf continues to be a regular pastime for the Mushroom Kingdom. The latest entry in the Mario Golf series has finally arrived on Switch and after the excellent 3DS iteration I had high hopes. Instead Super Rush feels more rushed than super with a lack of courses, some questionable modes, and just all-around not a lot to get excited about.

The success of Mario Golf has always been its ease of game play and just how much fun it is to play with friends. The standard control scheme returns with button presses being used to match distance and power along with clearly defined lines when putting. It is simple to pick up and yet still requires skill to master. Anyone can enjoy it. Having not played a Mario Golf game in a while I was instantly transported back and hitting birdies within minutes of starting the game. This is the Nintendo way.

MSRP: $59.99
Platforms: Switch
Price I’d Pay: $39.99

This time around we have a new mode called Speed Golf. This is exactly what it sounds like and is extremely fun to play. Players all playing at the same time while sprinting to their balls after shots is a blast. This chaos-filled event involves hitting your shot, then holding the B button to sprint to where it landed. There are also power-ups on the course to keep the stamina meter going. It is a great take on the traditional formula and a blast with friends.

Competition also stems from this mode. Each shot takes 30 seconds off the time and other players can use special shots to throw you off opponent’s game. It is a blast to play and has led to many heated arguments when playing with friends.

Battle Golf is also a new mode where players race to sink puts on one course at the same time. The catch is once a hole has been sunk, it disappears for the other three players. This mode is more frustrating than anything as it is too short to be enjoyable. Imagine king of the hill in an FPS where the hill never respawns and the game is over in mere minutes. This mode never grabbed me the way Speed Golf did and was easily my least favorite in the package.

The biggest downfall of Super Rush is its lack of content. Starting with the story mode this issue becomes apparent really fast. I was not expecting a hugely involved odyssey in a golf game, but the Golf Adventure feels like it rushes through everything just to give the player an idea of how the game works. This 4-5 hour trek briefly introduces everything the game has to offer yet never expands deep enough on any of them. This mode is also where I could level up my Mii character, which by the end is so overpowered it isn’t even fun anymore.

There are also only six courses in the game and half are locked from the start. Completing Golf Adventure will unlock the rest, but it is still a paltry selection. The game just never feels like it is done as I progressed through it. It feels like an early test for the final product. I expected classic courses to make a return and while the roster is decent, it still feels like a step back from previous iterations.

Visually the game is sharp when playing single player. The trademark Nintendo style still looks great when compared to the hardware. When I went splitscreen though things took a turn for the worse. The frame rate can tank in some spots making it really showcase the limits of the Switch. Still the art design and character models look fantastic, I just wish there were more courses as well as more variety to the ones included.

Mario Golf Super Rush feels rushed. There are no bones about it. I feel like they could make it a great game over time with more content, but I worry the tail of this particular game won’t be as long as some other Nintendo titles. You wonder how much the pandemic was involved in its lack of content, but for the first time in a long time this feels like a $40 Nintendo game, and that just never happens.

Review copy of game provided by publisher.

Good
  • Looks great
  • Controls are still fantastic and intuitive
Bad
  • Framerate drops in split screen
  • Lack of courses
7
Good
Written by
Ken is the Editor-in-Chief of this hole in the wall and he loves to troll for the fun of it. He also enjoys long walks through Arkham Asylum and the cool air of Shadow Moses Island. His turn-ons include Mortal Kombat, Metal Gear Solid and StarCraft.