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Editorials   E3 2003 - Mario Golf: Toadstool Tour impressions.
- By Neal Gittens [Senior Editor]

Yes, despite an absence at the Nintendo press conference, the first of the Mario spinoff games to be released for the Cube is indeed in attendance at E3. Mario Golf is here, it is playable, and it is going to be great.

Those familiar with the previous Mario Golf game on the N64 will no doubt be familiar with the game play of the Cube version. The click to start the swing, click for power control is back, but with a few changes. There are only two clicks instead of three, and in place of the third click, there is a different way to control the accuracy of the swing. There is said to be a way to control th accuracy, or it can be left on a "beginner" type mode, which seems to automatically do it for you. The demo that can be played is on the automatic setting, and that seemingly can't be changed, so I have no clue how the aiming will work. Otherwise, the control is tighter than ever.

This time, you aim the grid where the ball will land the same as you would on the N64 version, but you have much more control over how you want to aim the shot. L and R will raise or lower your shot's height, and you can use the d-pad to aim on either side of the ball before you swing, which you had to do during your swing on the 64. By combining the height and the draw or hook of the shot, you can definitely be more flexible with how you shoot in the new, improved Mario golf.

The graphics are pretty, to say the least. The characters have been lovingly recreated on the Cube, and the courses also look great. There are two types of courses this time: the usual Mushrooom Kingdom themed courses, and realistic type courses, which look more like the kinds of courses you'd play on in real life. There was one course of each type playable, and three holes on each course. (Of course, it is merely a sampling, and not as if each course has only three holes.) The Mushroom Kingdom course has sand traps with Chain Chomps, while the realistic one maintains the same level of beauty without the fantasy nature. It's definitely a gorgeous game.

So at first glance, there may not be a whole lot that revolutionizes Mario Golf: Toadstool Tour beyond its N64 counterpart, though it is hardly repetitive. The graphics are sharper, there is a wider variety of courses, and the control has been refined, all of which are characteristics any sequel should include. when the game hits in a little over two months, it will definitely be a must buy for myself, and any other fan of the N64 game. It has definitely lived up to the expectations I had for it, and has bumped itself up my "most anticipated" list.