Mario Golf: Super Rush has recently landed on the Nintendo Switch, garnering generally favorable reviews. While the gameplay itself is generally considered satisfactory, the disappointment of only four distinct game modes is already a point of concern for the longevity of the full-price game. Plenty of options within each mode provide some additional variety, but once the novelty wears off, it remains to be seen how long Super Rush can keep players entertained. The online functionality is a great way to play with others, but given that the online component consists of the same modes, they’re liable to fall victim to Super Rush‘s longevity issue as well.
Asynchronous, online tournaments could be a simple remedy for the lack of more robust launch offerings in Mario Golf: Super Rush. Nintendo has already confirmed that more content will come post-launch in free updates, but it’s unclear whether or not it will be anything beyond new characters and courses. Any free content is certainly welcome, but simply adding more courses to the existing game won’t likely help bring players back for long. Something more substantial, like recurring tournaments, would help keep players engaged over the long haul.
Putting aside all the justified critiques of Super Rush, the pure golfing gameplay is well designed. It’s simple enough to learn the basics, but there will undoubtedly be a core player base that becomes incredibly proficient. Giving players an even playing field to compare their skills with the rest of the Mario Golf community would be a great way to encourage people to come back to the game.
How Mario Golf: Super Rush Tournaments Could Work
All Nintendo would have to do is give Super Rush players a new tournament on a set course once or twice a week, possibly with two or three attempts at getting a good score. Then, when the tournament expires, notify the participants of their standing before the next one starts. There’s plenty of variety that could be put into even the regular golf mode to keep recurring tournaments interesting.
Weather could be extreme for one tournament, then mild the next. Different tee boxes could be used. Courses could be played in reverse order, or the back nine played before the front. Players could even be forced to use Super Rush’s motion controls for a tournament, letting those that master the digital golf swing have some recognition. Awards for achieving one of the better scores don’t even have to be anything beyond superficial – just showing players how many trophies they’ve won on a menu somewhere would probably be enough. Something as simple and obvious as opt-in tournaments being missing from Mario Golf: Super Rush is emblematic of how lacking the game can feel, especially in online functionality, but like many of the game’s issues, it could certainly be corrected going forward.
