It’s been several years ever since we played the first Camelot-developed title in the highly acclaimed “Mario Sports” titles, Mario Golf 64 for the Nintendo 64. And since then, the series’ of golf and tennis titles haven’t changed much in terms of gameplay, graphics, and most of all, feel. After a recent experience with Nintendo’s latest rendition in the Mario Golf series, Mario Golf: Advance Tour for the Game Boy Advance, it seems as if the hesitation towards renewing the gameplay of these titles are well deserved – the revolutionary formula continues to work flawlessly, keeping things fun yet raising the bar as usual.

Japanese development house Camelot Software Planning’s Mario Golf: Advance Tour has clearly outdone itself once again with its second title in the portable series, easily making it the best solution of a golf fix for those who enjoy golf, but can’t score under-par like our fellow friend, Mario. Sure, the Game Boy Color version raised the benchmark for golf games everywhere, but Advance Tour improves upon it in so many ways imaginable. Even the typical Mario Golf fan will be surprised on how good the familiar gameplay system still feels.

Features:

Enhanced RPG story mode for player leveling and ability tweaking

More than 14 playable characters in the game (not including custom)

Six full courses (four normal, two special), both normal and "Star" versions

Versus matches, Club Slots, “Gate” Mode, Mini-Games

Wireless Adapter compatible

Golf dictionary feature – from basic to advanced golf terms

Four player link cable support

Single system Multiplayer

Connectivity with Mario Golf: Toadstool Tour

Cartridge saving (one slot)

Being a Mario Golf enthusiast since the very beginning, my expectations for Advance Tour was highest than ever, hoping for a game that would deliver, yet being able to stand on its own, had Toadstool Tour not been released. After I’d finished the title, I smacked myself upon the head for even having the mentality.

For starters, Mario Golf: Advance Tour supplements its previous console title, in this case, Mario Golf: Toadstool Tour, a direction that the series has always followed, with the original Game Boy Color release following the N64 version. As always, Camelot has combined the elements of the console version, most notably the control, into the pocket game. Something that Camelot has always engineered into its handheld versions of the golf-series was its graphic themes, much of which will seem very familiar to their flagship series, Golden Sun. However, for a handheld title, Advance Tour takes the role of David versus its Goliath GameCube title, trouncing it in so many areas of gameplay – it sometimes makes me wonder the impact of handheld games on console versions these days.

The only distinct difference that the handheld versions have towards their console versions is the RPG-style of gameplay, where players can customize several golfers, and upgrade their abilities by winning golf matches and tournaments. You’ll be required to interact with the various golfing communities and professionals within the clubhouses and practice areas, all of which make the game experience that much revolutionary for the casual golfer especially. Advance Tour will have players wandering around RPG style overworld maps, which include areas for practicing your golf skills of putting, approaching, and driving, to even “boss” areas, where you have to hit a golf ball in a direction of a monster to win experience. There’s even a custom-club workshop, where you can upgrade your clubs to skill-specific ones such as driving power, control, or bigger sweet spots. To become eligible for these golf sets, you’ll need to acquire “Custom Tickets” given by fellow golfers by completing various tasks. Obviously, you’ll be constantly in RPG-esque situations, which require coming back in certain instances to earn the rewards all patient RPG gamers should know about.

Advance Tour now includes a whole new twist in gameplay, an aspect that’s seen in nearly every RPG title these days, character leveling. Early in the game, you’ll be introduced to individual contests, in which your custom character will have the opportunity to earn experience points. These contests, most of which have golfers aiming their shots towards a particular area and doing it consecutively, will earn your custom character experience points which are used in leveling them up. Once your characters are leveled (Advance Tour now follows a golf duo, rather than one individual), you can tweak individual abilities such as increasing your drive distance or improving your ball’s impact effectiveness. Either way, it’ll be totally up to you. However, RPG fans shouldn’t rush out to buy this game just yet, as its “RPG” label benefits only the golf fanatics and not the fantasy elite as a whole.