Each of the three main console players now has a sturdy retro games plan. Microsoft’s Xbox family has excellent backward compatibility going back to its original black behemoth, Sony recently overhauled PlayStation Plus to include games from across previous consoles and handhelds, and Nintendo is constantly adding to its line-up of games included in their Nintendo Switch Online service.
Most high-profile is its Nintendo 64 collection, which is included with the Expansion Pack tier of their online service. This includes many beloved games from the mid-late 90s, and will soon feature the extremely fun Mario Golf.
This 1999 game was the first entry in the long-running sports franchise (though Mario had already taken to the fairway in 1991’s NES Open Tournament Golf). The slow-paced nature of the sport means the game has aged very well, though in terms of features it’s been eclipsed by subsequent titles in the series.
Newer gamers will be more familiar with 2021 release Mario Golf: Super Rush, which features a very entertaining story mode, a ‘Speed Golf’ mode, and the ability to use the JoyCon’s motion controls to swing your club. But even in comparison with that, there’s still something special in this only slightly creaky N64 title.
As more games get added, the ‘Expansion Pack’ tier is looking more and more tempting. A recent highlight was the excellent emulation of The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask, which arrived with an update bringing a lot of technical improvements to Nintendo’s N64 emulator.
Mario Golf will be available to play for subscribers on 15 April.
Published: Apr 7, 2022 04:16 am