The Mario Golf: World Tour guide

Please note:

This guide is based on the US version of the game, some terms may therefore be different from those used in the Spanish version.

The Castello Club

The initial approach to Mario Golf passes necessarily, but also literally, for the Castello Club. Strangely for a Nintendo title, this setting that in some ways embodies the hub of the game is quite sparse in indications for the player. In short, in the early days it will be normal to wander through the corridors and gardens without having a clear idea of ​​what to do and where to go. To remedy this situation we have prepared for you a list of the most interesting places with lots of directions to reach them.

Lobby
It is very simply the central room of the castle from which you can access the different rooms. However, this is not just a place of passage, but an ideal starting point. The Toad behind the counter will be happy to dispense information and answer your questions, while the green Toad on the left will take care of configuring the StreetPass settings according to your instructions. Finally, the red Toad on the right is the character you should finally turn to for advice on your next moves.

Shop
Located in the upper left corner of the main floor, the boutique is the place to visit when you want to upgrade your equipment, perhaps buying some new precious pieces from the available collections. In this area there are also several characters with whom you can interact. Try to visit the nearby café for example and you will surely run into some pleasant encounters.

Training room
On the opposite side of the main floor from the boutique, therefore at the top right, you will find the small gym of the Castello Club. What does a gym need for a golfer? Nothing of course. On the other hand, you can meet some Spike and Shy Guy and take a stroll on the treadmill. A waste of time sure, but quite enjoyable!

Locker rooms
The Castello Club houses two separate changing rooms, located in the lower point of the main floor on the right and left. From these rooms you can access your equipment and change clothes according to your taste, or venture into pleasant and bizarre conversations with Birdo.

Entry Floor
In the lower floor, that is the one located below the main floor, there is this area that serves as an access room to the various tournaments. The blue Toad on the right is the selection secretary for the world tournaments, while the two Toads on the left take care of the regional ones.

Trophy room Upstairs in the right corner is the trophy room. Obviously at the beginning the elegant platforms and the refined display cases positioned here will show sadly empty. Don't lose heart though, over time your victories will enrich the environment with numerous trophies.

Royal Hall
This exclusive zone, located in the upper left corner of the mezzanine, will allow you to come face to face with all the most famous characters of the mushroom kingdom, but only after you have successfully completed the Forest Course Championship. Here you can chat in total relaxation with Mario, Peach and Luigi. Conversations with Bowser will turn out to be less light. If you don't want to miss out on one of the funniest jokes in the game, make sure you go and bother Wario when he is near the buffet.

Caddie Master's Booth
From this big red mushroom you can access the three different tournaments organized by the Castle Club. If you just need information, don't hesitate to contact the Toad behind the counter.

Training fields
An area where you can improve your skills. There are three different modes available to you.

Royal Gardens
This outer area of ​​the castle will only become accessible after completing the Forest Course Championship. Initially, however, you will find it desolately empty, but following your successes in the Mario World mode, the paths of that mode will become accessible in the context of some pleasant and fun competitions of skill.

Forest Path handicap tournament

As several characters you met on your first visit to the castle suggest, the starting point of your career is this first mini-tournament needed to establish your handicap. The handicap is nothing more than the numerical expression of your skill, a coefficient that will be used by the CPU to adjust the difficulty of the next challenges. By tackling the training course, in reality you cannot go below a handicap of 9. This score in any case allows you to participate in the Handicap Tournament in which thanks to this coefficient you will be able to easily rise above the other contenders. Victory allows you to lower your handicap and bring it to 6. At this point you can therefore try your hand at the Forest Course Championship.

Tournaments of the Castello Club

At this point you will have obtained the entrance ticket for the three prestigious tournaments hosted by Club Castello. So let's go and examine them individually to focus on some interesting details.

Forest Path Tournament
To start this tournament, go to the entrance to the Forest Path and talk to the Green Toad. Your opponents' score on the eighteen holes is determined by your handicap. If you followed our instructions in the previous paragraph you should now be able to count on a handicap of 6.0. To win, therefore, you will have to overcome Bowser's -7 and Donkey Kong's -3.

As a reward for climbing to the top step of the podium, Peach will reward you with a crown in the Royal Hall in the midst of all the high personalities of the Mushroom Kingdom. You will also finally have access to the Beach Path.

Beach Path Tournament
Once again talk to Toad (this time blue!) At the entrance to the Beach Path to enter the tournament. You should show up at the first hole with a handicap of 3.0, the result of winning in the previous tournament. Once again the final result of your opponents depends on your handicap: in the worst case (i.e. a handicap of 3.0) you will have to snatch a par better than -5 to add another crown to your trophies and gain access to the mountain course. .

Mountain Path Tournament
After the now classic chat with Toad, thanks to which you are allowed to join the tournament. If everything went according to script, your handicap at this point should be a round 0. Again the score you need to win is a better par than -5. After the usual awards ceremony, enjoy the titles of goda and the congratulations of the entire caste. Thanks to your efforts, the Peach Gardens area is now accessible outside the Castle Club.

Sky Island Challenge
Before heading into the Mario Golf section, you may want to try your hand at the One-On, One-Putt Challenge on Sky Island. The island in the sky can be reached by conversing with Lakitu at the extreme east of the external area of ​​Club Castello. This challenge seems easy on the surface, but in reality it hides a complexity greater than what can transpire. For each hole you will have only two strokes available, waste them and the challenge will be lost. Not only that, missing a patch of grass will also cause the challenge to stop immediately. Of course, the distance from the starting point to the hole is always small, but for this very reason the margin of error is always very low. Remember to use Topspin and Backspin every time you realize that you have hit even just a little less than perfect and never neglect the incidence of the wind. As you will probably learn the hard way, the Sky Island Challenge is not ideal for players just graduating from Club Castello. To better deal with these holes, which require extreme precision, accessories for your Mii are definitely useful, but you can only buy them after accumulating a good number of stars. However, when you are skilled enough (or well equipped) to emerge victorious from the challenge offered by the Sky Island Challenge, you can also use this location in all the other modes of the game.

Characters

The game includes a total of 21 characters divided between the initial 13, the 4 unlockable and the other 4 that can be obtained through the purchase of the DLC. As for the starter set, Mario it definitely stands out as the most balanced character: straight trajectory, a decent 215-yard drive, and decent control. His brother Luigi instead it is less powerful (its drive is 206 yd), but it compensates with better control and an arched trajectory that falls from the left, a mix capable of making it a slightly more sophisticated version of the character good for any eventuality. Peach it is ideal for those who put precision before power. The drive is also inferior to that of Luigi (200 yards), but as an advertisement taught some time ago, power is nothing without control. To complete the package of balanced characters, definitely to be preferred for novice players, they think about it Yoshi e Daisy. The latter sports a drive of 213 yards combined with a draw shot, which is characterized by the effect of returning to the right, but less precise than that of the little dinosaur. This slight control advantage from Yoshi however results in a shorter drive, 208 yards, and straight.

Turning now to the characters that stand out for power, in the starter package we meet first Donkey Kong. With a drive of 217 yards (a little longer than Mario's then), the charismatic ape stands out for the one-handed grip with which he draws arched trajectories to return from the right. Obviously, accuracy is not its strong point. The same broad outline also applies to Bowser. In this case the effect of the shot is opposite, while the drive reaches 220 yards. The two beasts, however, are rather similar characters.

Weaker if we limit ourselves to pure power ("only" 209 yards), Wario on the other hand, it is appreciated for a high score in the sweet spot, that is the ability to hit the ball well, thus giving it exactly the desired trajectory. Even better from this point of view it is Waluigi, which in addition to an even higher sweet spot value also surpasses its brother in pure control: values ​​very similar to his are also found in the Boo. Bowser Jr. e Diddy kong finally, they reveal "miniature" versions of their more mammoth counterparts to which they lose about ten yards of drive, which however produce higher sweet spots and control.

The last of the characters you can select on the starting roster is yours Mii. Looking at his stats, it follows that the player's alter ego was conceived as the most balanced character - literally - in the entire game. Straight trajectory 210 yards of drive, 56/100 in sweet spot and control. To improve its performance, however, there will be a whole series of objects that can be purchased thanks to the coins won in the tournaments and challenges which we will talk about in more detail shortly.

By playing World Tour with dedication, you will also be able to unlock four additional characters. None of them boast particularly jaw-dropping statistics in reality, yet their mere presence tickles the collector's soul. To unlock this new row of talents in the character selection menu you will have to work hard in collecting coins in Challenges mode. The simplest to get Toad, for which 40 stars are enough, followed by Kamek which requires 45 and the Paratroopa so it will be necessary to amass at least 50. Following this rather logical progressive path in its advancement, for the fourth and last characters Birdo you must therefore have 55 stars.

In order to use all the characters present in Mario Golf, however, it is also necessary to purchase the three distinct DLCs designed to enrich the gaming experience with new tracks. To tell the truth, for the completist instinct to find satisfaction you will have to buy the Season Pack which includes all three packages, because only in this way can you get your hands on Mario Dorato, an exclusive character who sports a unique ability: the Golden Flower bonus is applied to each shot by default, thanks to which each swing will earn you coins. As a counterpoint to this King Midas touch, Golden Mario cannot use any other bonus items, however. The other three characters linked to the DLC are Toadette, Ruboniglio e Rosalina, but at the time of writing we can only provide you with information on the first (actually quite weak character, but with a very high sweet spot value), since the last two are not yet available.

items

Mario Golf: World Tour is a golf simulation in some ways abundantly realistic, based on the player's ability to keep a cool head in the decisive moments and the physics of the game world that conditions the behavior of the ball. Being a Mario game, however, it is inevitable that some more imaginative elements intervene to condition the natural unfolding of events. In fact, in the shop, in addition to useful accessories which we will discuss shortly, there are also objects that produce special shots to be used in the most complicated situations. Below is a list of all available items and their effects.

Mushroom
The mushroom gives the ball an extra speed boost after hitting the ground.

Fire Flower
In addition to lengthening the normal trajectory of the ball, it allows it to pass through trees unscathed.

Ice Flower
The ball freezes the surface on which it lands for five bounces: as you can easily guess, a bonus to use when you risk landing on a pool of water or a sandy area.

Tornado
Suck coins in the vicinity of the ball's path.

Bob-omb
It explodes causing the ball to shoot high into the sky.

Kab-omb
Kab-omb transports the ball to an area of ​​your choice.

Jump Block
Create a bouncing surface just below the ball as it lands on the ground.

Gold Flower
Your ball will produce coins during the entire time spent in flight.

Boomerang Flower
Increase the ball effect.

Bullet bill
Accompany the ball for a rat in a straight line by passing through each obstacle. Even after the bullet has disappeared, the ball maintains the trajectory guaranteed by the bullet.

Accessories

The growth of your Mii is directly linked to the use of accessories capable of improving its statistics. The game offers a decidedly high variety of these objects, not just over 500 elements. To help you choose wisely, we have prepared a list of objects divided by categories. The game, however, has several duplicates, so you have to take into account the fact that objects that differ in appearance could be substantially identical in terms of effects on the playing field.

Clubs
Clubs that increase more noticeably at drive distance such as Wario's, Kamek's or Lightning's (which each add 14 yards) also carry a penalty of one or two points to the sweet spot and control. In reality this is a common feature of all the most powerful club sets available at the boutique: in the face of a more or less large gain in terms of drive there is a duty to pay. The only set not to penalize control and to guarantee an additional point at the sweet spot in addition to a 6-yard stretched drive is that of Cloud Mario, which can be purchased for stars. Obviously our advice is not to let it escape.

Balls
Also with regard to the balls, the purchases that allow you to increase the drive more present some malus to the control and to the sweet spot. In this category, however, there are several objects that in the face of a pretty good gain (6 yards) also offer an improvement of one point in control: Dry Bones, Reznor Balls, Baby Yoshi Balls, etc. These balls probably represent the best investment in terms of overall stat improvement: be careful though, their price can vary between 200 and 350 stars. For those looking for a brutal gain in the drive without compromise, it is better to move towards those balls that give 10 additional yards without any malus: NES Open Balls, Nabbit Balls, or Luigi Balls for example. Here too, prices vary and range from 250 stars for Banana Balls to 500 for Peach branded balls.

T-shirts
How it is possible that a shirt can improve your golf performance is a mystery whose solution currently only lingers in the minds of marketers and advertisers. In the Mushroom Kingdom, however, anything is possible and the jerseys on sale at the boutique can really make you a better golfer. Unlike the objects already examined, among other things, none of the shirts we examined presented any malus. Another very interesting detail is the fixed price of 600 coins common to all t-shirts (except for the Checkered Precision Shirt, of which we are currently unable to document the effects). We cannot tell you if behind this fixed price there is a cartel of the manufacturing companies, or an exploitation of small Toads, however the cost parity makes the comparison between the items on sale much easier.
The t-shirts we have reviewed can be divided into three large groups. The first includes products that offer a moderate increase in drive (only 4 yards) as well as an additional point both at the sweet spot and at control: Short Precision Shirt, Purple Precision Short, Aqua Precision Shirt, Blue Precision Shirt, Green Precision Shirt and Dotted Precision Shirt. The second group instead includes shirts that only offer an additional sweet spot point, but extend the drive by as much as 7 yards: Checkered Seet-Spot Shirt, Barred Sweet-Spot Shirt and Brown Sweet-Spot Shirt. Finally, the last group is explicitly designed for those who need only and only additional distance. All the shirts that we will list below in fact guarantee 10 yards of extra drive and no penalties: Orange Power Shirt, Yellow Power Shirt, Pink Power Shirt, Short Power Shirt, Red Power Shirt, and Starry Power Shirt.

Shorts
Like the t-shirts, the shorts for sale at Club Castello are also impregnated with some mysterious substance that allows the wearer to resort to a golfing talent superior to that assigned by mother nature. The shorts market therefore looks frighteningly similar to that of t-shirts in terms of features, which almost suggests that the same aberrations of the market feared previously (exploitation of juvenile Koopas or under-the-table agreements between Mario and Bowser) can also extend to this sector.

From the customer's point of view, however, the advantages are not lacking, so we limit ourselves to accept with resignation the fixed price imposed on all the shorts for sale of 450 stars and to point out the three macro categories into which the specimens of this garment can be divided.
All the shorts on sale offer only advantages following their use without annoying malus and it is therefore up to the buyer to choose the model that best suits his characteristics and needs. For those who only need an increase in drive extension we suggest those models designed to add 9 yards to their shots: Starry Power Pants, Red Power Pants, Orange Power Pants, Pink Power Pants, Short Power Pants. Less generous in the drive, but useful for increasing both control and sweet spot are those models that, in the face of a more contained increase in the extra distance (3 yards), add a point to the categories just mentioned: Dotted Control Pants, Purple Precision Pants , Short Precision Pants, Green Precision Pants. Middle way between the two categories are the Olive Control Pants and the like (Brown Control Pants, Barred Control Pants) with a +6 yard to the drive accompanied by a +1 in the control.

Combo
The boutique also exhibits for sale some pre-established combinations of shorts and T-shirts whose effects are, however, rather limited when compared to those obtained by purchasing the individual elements. However, it should be added that the prices of the combos are also more contained, oscillating between 350 and 750 stars. For the moment, all the uncovered combinations can be divided into two macro-categories, namely those that offer a +3 yard to the drive and those that offer a +1 in the sweet spot. Among the first are: Luigi Combo, Green Shell Combo, Chain Chomp Combo, Lakitu Combo, Hammer Bro Combo, Thwomp Combo, Pokey Combo, Spike Combo, World-Flag Combo 1, World-Flag Combo 16. The second group includes: Game Boy Combo, Dolphi Combo, Mechakoopa Combo, Cheep Cheep Combo, Blooper Combo, Banana Combo.

Visors
The improvements related to the use of a visor purchased in the boutique can be categorized into two categories as those obtainable thanks to the combos, that is a +3 yard to the drive or alternatively a +1 in the control. For those looking for a simple help in extending the drive we therefore recommend Banana Visor, Blooper Cap, Cheep Cheep Visor, Thwomp Visor, Spike Visor, Mechakoopa Visor, Dolphin Mask, World Flag Visor 16, Game Boy Visor, and World- Flag Visor 2. The additional point in control is obtained with Green Shell Visor, Chian Chomp Visor, Lakitu Visor, Hammer Bro Visor and Pokey Spikes.

Gloves
At this point we make it short. Also for gloves the rule of +3 yard / + 1 in sweet spot or control applies. In this case the choice is between yard and control. If you aim for yards, direct your purchases to one of these products: Banana Glove, Chain Chomp Glove, Blooper Glove, Cheep Cheep Glove, Hammer Bro Glove, Spike Glove, Mechakoopa Glove or Dolphin Glove. If you are looking for improvements in control instead choose between Pokey Glove, Thwomp Glove, Lakitu Glove, and Green Shell Glove. It is worth noting that although the bonuses offered are identical, significant price differences can be found between one model and another, with tags ranging between 250 and 500 stars. Also take this element into consideration before proceeding with the purchase.

Shoes
Just like gloves, there are two types of shoes for sale: those that improve the drive by 3 yards and those that allow you to increase your control statistic by one point. The first group includes: Green Shell Shoes, Chain Chomp Shoes, Lakitu Shoes, Hammer Bro Shoes, Thwomp Shoes, Pokey Shoes, Mechakoopa Shoes, Dolphin Shoes, World-Flag 1 Shoes, World Flag 2 Shoes. In the second group we have identified: Spike Shoes, Cheep Cheep Shoes, Banana Shoes.

Beachwear

Through the use of costumes, much more incisive improvements are obtained than those brought as a gift by accessories that can be purchased in boutiques. To get into the shoes of Yoshi or Daisy, however, it is not enough to open your wallet and pour your star credit into the coffers of the Castle Club shop. Well no! In fact, costumes require much more self-denial, in addition of course to overcoming certain goals in the game. To clarify your ideas, we close this guide with the list of all the costumes available and the requirements necessary to unlock them.

Mario Costume | Play 40 games on the Mario World mode courses

Wario Costume | Collect all the coins on the Beach Path

Waluigi Costume | Collect all the coins in the Cheep-Cheep Lagoon

Yoshi Costume | Collect all the coins in Yoshi Lake

Peach Costume | Collect all the coins in Peach's Gardens

Daisy Costume | Collect all the coins in the Forest Path

Bowser Costume | Collect all the coins in Bowser's Castle

Bowser Jr. Costume | Collect all the coins on the Mountain Path

Donkey Kong Costume | Collect all the coins in the DK Jungle

Diddy Kong Costume | Collect all the coins on the Island in the Sky Path

Boo Costume | Win the costume challenge in the Castle Club

Toad Costume | 100 different accessories collection

Kamek Costume | Win the costume challenge in the Castle Club

Bird Costume | Win the costume challenge in the Castle Club

Paratroopa Costume | Win the costume challenge in the Castle Club

Luma Costume | Win the costume challenge in the Castle Club

Dry Bowser Costume | Win the costume challenge in the Castle Club

Shy Guy Costume | Win the costume challenge in the Castle Club

Koopa Costume | Win the costume challenge in the Castle Club

Bee Mario Costume | Complete Endless Shot Practice 20 times

Cloud Mario Costume | Complete Endless Approach Practice 20 times

Tanooki Mario Costume | Collect 50 Moon Coins in Challenge mode

Propeller Costume | Complete the 18 holes in the Sky Island One-On, One-Putt Challenge

Fire Mario Costume | Make three holes in one go

Wiggler Costume | Collect all Star Coins in Wiggler Park

Petey Piranha Costume | Win the costume challenge in the Castle Club

Goomba Costume | Win the costume challenge in the Castle Club

Fox Luigi Costume | Collect 100 Moon Coins in Challenge mode

Boomerang Costume | Complete Endless Putting Practice 20 times

NES Open Costume | Make three albatrosses

Baby Yoshi Costume | Win the costume challenge in the Castle Club

Reznor Costume | Win the costume challenge in the Castle Club

Koopa Clown Car Costume | Win the costume challenge in the Castle Club

Ruboniglio Costume | Win the costume challenge in the Castle Club

Boss Sumo Costume | Win the costume challenge in the Castle Club

Dry Bones Costume | Win the costume challenge in the Castle Club

Piranha Plant Costume | Win the costume challenge in the Castle Club

Fuzzy Costume | Win the costume challenge in the Castle Club

Video of the guide - First part

Mario Golf: World Tour 3ds

• 3ds

Exit date: May 2, 2014