Gamecube Impressions Part II: Mario Golf - Toadstool Tour

Nintendo formally announced the unveiling of a new console next year in an attempt to bolster sales for the company (thanks to evil avatar for the link), but where and when this will be we still don't know. This isn't exactly news, as I noted a similar announcement back in August that was the definition of vague. At least now we know it will definitely be a new console, and most gamers are speculating that it will be a portable to combat Sony's PSP. Although the Gamecube is a fine console, it's pretty obvious that Nintendo is being kept afloat from sales of the GBA-SP regardless of the price drops (see the recent discussion). Until now they've been pretty comfortable in the handheld market so I'm looking forward to see what they have to offer. And much to many a Nintendo fan's disappointment we won't be seeing any unveilings at E3 2004.

I also read a rumour that is all but confirmed about yet another Gamecube price reduction, this time to $79 US. And these new 'cubes are packaged with the Zelda bonus disc. Talk about bad timing for me - but there are other ways of procuring this cool promotional item for existing Gamecube owners that are listed on the official site.

Moving along to Mario Golf: Toadstool Tour. Me and the Wife spent a good portion of our Friday and Sunday night playing this game. Compared to say, F-Zero GX, it's literally a walk in the park. Not drifting too far from its N64 predecessor, the controls are extremely simple and allow you to make your game as technical or as haphazard as you like. Because the game will automatically select the best club for you, there really is no need to tweak the distance or the spin on your shots. Take it from me - you don't have to know anything about the game of golf to be good at this game. And that's what makes it so fun.

You can play with most of the classic characters from the Mario Brothers universe - the gang's all there. My personal favorite is Wario, who happens to have a wicked hook but packs a lot of power. If you want the best character, however, I'd probably recommend Luigi's excellent balance of control and power. The game is surprisingly deep in this respect: it may seem cool at first playing with Donkey Kong or Bowser, but good luck trying to place your shots. Each character has their own strengths and weaknesses in handling the ball - and much to both of our amusement - their own victory and losing reactions for each hole. There are also many subtle touches that add the the overall playing experience. A particular favorite is the ability to mock your opponent by pressing any button on your controller while they are preparing their shot. Naturally the "good" guys will have nicer things to say than Wario ("If you win, I hate you!").

Mario Golf is far from realistic, but the game still provides bright, colorful and detailed visuals that make this a game you can just sit back, relax and enjoy. Besides the many unique courses you can gain acesss to by winning subsequent Tournaments, there are also secret courses you can unlock with passwords like the Camp Hyrule Tournament for all you Zelda fans. Having access to only a few courses at first would be a pain if it weren't for the large number of play modes such as your standard stroke play, skins game, closest-to-pin and my current favorite, Coin Attack. Coin Attack has floating coins planted throughout the course, and when your ball passes close to them you pick them up. However you're limited to making par on each hole, and if you can't sink your ball you lose any coins you've picked up during the hole. It's a really fun way to play, because if you think you've got the mad golf skills the tables can turn pretty quickly if you can't make that final putt. The person with the most coins at the end of the round wins. The game supports up to four players, and because it's turn based you don't have to worry about any split screen nonsense. And it's fast paced enough that waiting for your turn doesn't become a chore. This isn't a golf sim, after all.

Once again Nintendo has provided interaction with the GBA, but I had to do a little reading to find out what. You'll be able to connect to the upcoming Mario Golf: Advance Tour, where you can trade characters between each platform. It was originally scheduled for a December release, but it looks like we'll be waiting until March 2004. I am extremely happy with Mario Golf: Toadstool Tour, and I'm not usually a fan of sports games. If the cute factor doesn't scare you away it's a most worthy addition to your Gamecube library.

I found this classic controller for the Gamecube this weekend while browsing the mighty Lik-Sang, Emperor of all video game importers. It's a pretty cool take on the classic SNES controller. And just when I thought that fighting games would collapse under the unconventional button layout of the Gamecube controller, I played Soul Calibur II. I plan on delving into the details of that masterpiece next.