The Super Mario franchise loves its spinoffs. Nintendo is always finding creative new game types for Mario to jump into other than platforming, and for good reason. Generally these Super Mario spinoffs are received warmly by fans and go a long way to adding to the Mushroom Kingdom, sometimes even introducing fan favorite characters. One major type of Super Mario spinoff is the series of Mario Sports games, which has had some big hits over the years. Although this area of spinoffs hasn't gotten much recognition for a while, it's poised to make a comeback. Mario Golf: Super Rush aims to bring a high-quality addition to the Mario Sports family.
Well before Mario Golf: Super Rush, this franchise started a presence on Nintendo Switch via Mario Tennis Aces, and although Mario Tennis Aces was mostly well received, some were critical of its multiplayer and story mode. Now Nintendo has the chance to top Mario Tennis Aces, albeit with a different sport. Mario Golf: Super Rush was a total surprise announcement, but Nintendo is being really supportive of it so far. The new ideas that Super Rush is bringing to the table are a big deal, too. It almost seems like Nintendo has picked up a new surge of internal enthusiasm for the Mario Sports games and wants to make them flourish on the Switch.
Mario Golf: Super Rush's Innovations
There's a lot of things about Mario Golf: Super Rush that make it stand out from its predecessors so far. One of them is its renewed emphasis on a story mode. While plenty of previous Mario Sports games have provided story modes, Super Rush has a unique take in that the player plays as a Mii interacting with denizens of the Mushroom Kingdom, rather than following the plot as Mario or some other traditional hero. It's also not just about playing a bunch of standard golf matches connected by a narrative either. Nintendo seems eager to excite and surprise, promising intense boss-like encounters with enemies that'll push players' golf skills to the limit.
Mario Golf: Super Rush also brings some solid contributions to multiplayer. It features traditional golf modes, but it also adds Speed Golf, a free-for-all battle to sink the golf ball. Speed Golf's fast-paced gameplay centered around rushing to the hole and using power-ups and special abilities to the player's advantage sound like a great change of pace for anyone who gets tired of traditional golf. The same goes for Battle Golf, a similar concept that takes place in an arena with specific rulesets rather than out on the green. On top of all that, Nintendo promises Mario Golf: Super Rush will launch with online multiplayer, which is crucial for games built around their multiplayer like this one.
Mario Golf: Super Rush and Mario Sports' Return
All these new game modes and game improvements are great for Mario Golf: Super Rush, but they also say a lot about what future Mario Sports games could look like. Nintendo is really heavily advertising these new ideas, which suggests it wants to sell future Mario Sports games the same way. The franchise could really use some consistent innovation. If games like Mario Strikers or Mario Baseball want to make a comeback on the Switch, they ought to have the same level of innovation and experimentation that Super Rush has. If Nintendo's enthusiasm is anything to go off of, new ideas and risk-taking might become the standard for Mario Sports, and that's a good thing. That's exactly what has to happen to refresh a franchise that's fallen by the wayside.
Mario Golf: Super Rush is a really important Switch titles. Nintendo traditionally generates a lot of revenue on multiplayer Super Mario spinoffs like these, but lately these games haven't left the impact on the industry that they've meant to. Super Mario Party and Mario Tennis Aces are good games, but they're overshadowed a little bit by some mixed reception. Although it's admittedly too early to call a final verdict on Mario Golf: Super Rush's quality, there's lots of good signs in place. If Nintendo can deliver on its many big promises around Mario Golf: Super Rush, then not only will the game itself prosper, but a crucial line of Mario spinoffs have a better chance at a new life.
Mario Golf: Super Rush releases June 25 for Nintendo Switch.