Mario and friends recently returned to the links with Mario Golf: Super Rush. The general consensus has been that Super Rush could use more content, but what's there is more than a serviceable golf game. This includes a mode not entirely new to the series, but more robust than some similar iterations - the Golf Adventure mode. Golf Adventure in Mario Golf isn't as impressive or expansive as it might have been, but it's good enough that it should set an example for other sports games going forward.
Golf Adventure has Super Rush players using a Mii golfer, advancing through the game's various courses while progressing a story, and earning experience to upgrade their Mii. The RPG mechanics aren't particularly deep, but they provide a satisfying sense of progression in a game that is otherwise quite arcade-y. Golf Adventure doesn't take very long to beat, but it's at least a compelling single-player mode in a game typically focused on multiplayer, one which makes a great introduction to the rest of the game's content.
Other sports franchises have had various single player modes, such as Madden's bygone Superstar Mode or the more recent Face of the Franchise, but none as involved as Super Rush's Golf Adventure. The most popular single player modes in the yearly sport series tend to focus on the sport at a macro level, such as FIFA's loot box-riddled Ultimate Team, which proves to be ever-popular and profitable. Adopting something like Mario Golf's Golf Adventure could provide a more immersive, personal experience.
Other Sports Games Could Use An RPG-Lite Adventure
With more content, Mario Golf: Super Rush's Golf Adventure could have been a substantial addition to the series. Its design adds a lot of character variety that is missing from the rest of the game. Other golfers have unlockable golf club sets, but using the Mii in Golf Adventure lets players buy individual clubs and clothes with special traits. The number of items and their effects aren't radical, but they provide another layer of strategy that could be used more effectively in future sports games.
Part of Golf Adventure's immersion comes from the openly explorable areas near each golf course, and the story-related unique modes. Players are able to talk with NPCs, participate in little challenges, or shop for new gear before advancing the story. There are recurring NPCs throughout, including other aspiring golfers who are set up as rivals - which makes beating them in the next round of golf much more satisfying.
Exploring Super Rush's world, talking with NPCs, and playing the Golf Adventure exclusive game modes makes the short stint as a rising Mii golfer worth it. It brings a singular sense of progression to Super Rush that isn't available in other sports games. Taking a franchise to a championship can be fun and exciting, but there is a certain satisfaction tied to seeing a lone player character get progressively better at the sport. The progression doesn't come from just statistical increases, but acquirable gear and experiences throughout the limited explorable world as well. Mario Golf: Super Rush has created a compelling Adventure Mode that, while a bit on the lean side, has set down a promising blueprint that other sports games should look to emulate.