Mario and friends are returning to the world of golf after a seven-year hiatus with Mario Golf: Super Rush. There have been five previous games carrying the Mario Golf title, including a Game Boy Color port of the original for the Nintendo 64. Super Rush was announced for the Nintendo Switch during a recent Nintendo Direct, and although the trailer provides a quick overview of the game, there is presumably a lot left to be revealed. Mario Golf has been missing a mini-golf game mode since the N64 game, and Super Rush should bring it back.
A new story mode is coming to Mario Golf with Super Rush, and a game known as Speed Golf, where players all golf at the same time and rush to finish first, was revealed. Players who have been disappointed in the lack of content in recent party games such as Super Mario Party and Mario Tennis Aces are hoping that these two game modes are just the tip of the iceberg for Super Rush. There is still plenty of time for Nintendo to reveal more before Mario Golf: Super Rush releases.
Putting is an integral part of golf, and a players skill on the virtual green can make or break a match. For practice's sake, and to make Mario Golf: Super Rush a more robust game in general, developer Camelot should bring back the mini-golf game mode that has been sorely missing since the N64 days.
There's a Lot of Potential for Mini-Golf in Super Rush
Admittedly, the mini-golf game mode in the N64 Mario Golf was anything but impressive. The courses were all in the shape of geometric block letters and numbers, and didn't offer much in terms of practice, since the slopes in mini-golf were often much less complicated than the greens in the harder, full-size courses. Still it was an incredibly fun game mode with water hazards to skip over and ramps to launch a ball off of, and it did offer players a chance to get a better feel for putting power. Most importantly, it simply offered more game to be played.
If mini-golf were to be brought back in Mario Golf: Super Rush, it has the potential to be a robust game mode in its own right. Real life mini-golf courses can be incredibly intricate, and the status of mini-golf as a secondary game mode in Mario Golf could allow for very creative course design (or more goofy gameplay like What the Golf) that wouldn't necessarily fit into a standard golf course. A handful of mini-golf courses could provide a wide range of difficulties, mirroring the full-size courses, and offering a place for players to practice their putting without the need to get invested in a full round.
Bringing mini-golf back to Mario Golf would also widen its appeal, a frequent goal for Nintendo titles. Even though Mario Golf is much easier than golfing in real life, it is difficult to master, and providing a game mode that focuses solely on one aspect of the entire sport might help beginners and children ease into the game. Mario Golf: Super Rush is releasing in June after a long seven years since the last game, but it should include mini-golf, a game mode that's been missing for even longer.