Here's the launch trailer for Golf Story on Switch, the Game Boy Color Mario Golf follow-up we've wanted for 18 years
Golf Story, the Switch's next big indie game, looks like a worthy follow-up to a Nintendo portable classic.
1999's Mario Golf for the Game Boy Color, developed by Camelot, did something a bit different from the N64 version released that same year - it took the golfing fundamentals of the series and threw them into an RPG. Your stats improved as you leveled up, progressing through the story and defeating new opponents as you went. The ultimate aim was to play golf against Mario himself and win, thus unlocking him as a playable character. It was brilliant.
Golf Story, which releases today exclusively on the Nintendo Switch, is channeling the spirit of Mario Golf in this launch trailer, but with some added wrinkles. I don't recall there being any murders in Mario Golf, for instance. The game has fans of Game Boy Color classic excited, though, because there hasn't really been a proper follow-up to the original - Everybody's Golf on the PS4 has some similar ideas (and the same basic golfing mechanics, albeit updated somewhat), but Golf Story looks to be more, well, story focused.
We're yet to play the game, but hopefully it will live up to these memories. It's out now on Nintendo Switch. The GBC version of Mario Golf, meanwhile, is available on the 3DS eShop.