LogFAQs > #898305128

6. Golf Story
When I was young, two of my favorite games of all time were Mario Golf and Mario Tennis for the GBA. I loved the arcade sports gameplay, mixed with going from the bottom to the top in a story mode, and some light RPG elements. I played the heck out of both of those games, and my disappointment was immense when I bought the N64 games and realized the same elements weren't there. (Not quite as disappointing as when I realized what Pokemon Stadium actually was, but thats a different story!)

So Golf Story, weirdly, was a bit of a system seller for me. Outside of Zelda, it was definitely the game I wanted most at launch. I've been dying for a GBA Mario Golf game for a long time. And it does not disappoint.

The core gameplay is about what you would hope for and expect. A lot like that old Mario Golf, but with a bit more depth. You use a simple meter to gauge the accuracy and power of your shot. You can also adjust your loft and the bend of your shot when worried about obstacles, or the wind. This is also useful when trying to make your ball go further after the bounce, or when trying to limit how far it goes once it lands. It is very easy to pick up and make some great shots, but as the courses get more difficult, you have to start using every element to make accurate shots. They do a very good job at easing you through this progression.

The game is a mix of random challenges, match play, and tournaments. All of these help you get money and experience, which you use to buy better clubs, and to improve your character. Probably the main flaw in Golf Story is that there are only 3 tournaments to take part in though. This is the most exciting part of these games, as you play and see how you are stacking up against everyone else. In the last tournament of the game, I had to nail a medium range putt with a wicked slope to clinch victory, and that was beyond intense. You don't get enough of these moments unfortunately. Match Play (where you go head to head with one other golfer) is pretty fun, but several of those stick you with your coach as a partner, and he can barely hit the ball 20 yards. I think they did this for comedic value and to add challenge, but it probably would have been better to just make the opponents more skilled instead.

Probably the most surprising part about Golf Story is that... the story is actually pretty good! It's really charming and kind of funny. There is lots of good dialogue, and several weird characters that I still remember, which is more than you would expect from a golf game for sure. The courses are also pretty well made, with 8 unique settings, from your standard golf course, to one that basically doubles as a graveyard.

Look, this is a golf game, it probably won't be for anyone, but if you have any interest whatsoever, pick this game up!
---

I call girls "girlies".