| smbhax [sys=NES; cat=Sports; reg=J] |
| | | 1991, SNES was already out when this came out for the 8 bit system. Made by HAL and Nintendo, and it's called the first in the Mario Golf series.
The NES version, NES Open Tournament Golf, only has three courses, vs 6 in this one. All (3) courses are available at the start on NES, whereas in MOG you have to unlock them one by one or something. MOG has per-course music, not sure if OTG does. MOG doesn't have OTG's Tournament Mode. Apparently MOG is also just plain harder. (via tcrf)
It's pleasantly straightforward and at least at first doesn't lean too heavy on the Mario thing. (Fingers crossed.) Actually, come to think of it in the US version you have to click past a screen or two of almost Mario-Golfish Mario stuff before starting Stroke play, at least at first, and I don't think that happens in the J version? You do have to watch the opponent's play if you're playing MATCH PLAY instead of single-person STROKE PLAY, and they may be like Luigi or something kicking your buns, so maybe I'll stick to STROKE-ing my own buns.
Appears to be infuriatingly difficult; like, you have to pay attention when starting into a shot because you can't see the wind and distances once you're on the swing screen--and close approach shots seem especially hard because you have to shoot like 25% power, and then the meter veers back SUPER FAST to the accuracy bar which is only right next to it. Yowch.
So, sort of masochistic and maybe I'll never unlock the next course. Also it's real cheap on eBay. So of course I had to get it. ; D |
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| | | | HAL did the programming--Satoru Iwata lead; he would go on to be president of HAL and then president of Nintendo--and Nintendo handled everything else, as far as I can tell from the credits listed on MobyGames. |
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| | | | Iwata had also been the programmer on FC/NES Golf. He was also one of three programmers on the two Famicom Disk System golf games that came out four months apart in early 1987, between Golf (1984) and Mario Open Golf (1991): Golf: Japan Course, which looks a lot like Golf, and Golf: US Course, which looks a lot like Mario Open Golf. |
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| | | These four golf games were, in fact, the four Mario games Iwata is credited with programming in his career. His only other biggies, I think, were Balloon Fight, NES' Joust, and Earthbound. I suppose F1 Race and Pinball on NES are kinda known.
Besides those, as programmer--not counting support roles--he had Famicom Grand Prix II: 3D Hot Rally, and four games on Pet, Vic 20, and MSX. |
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| | | | "Golf" for Game Boy (1989) still didn't show club range numbers. And the course map is on a separate screen. Mario Golf for GBC (see entry 392) DOES show golf club range numbers, but that didn't come out until 1999, two months after Mario Golf for N64 (see entry 382; shows club max range) and Camelot! Software Planning--not Nintendo/HAL originated; they originally formed to do PS1 games, and had done the original Minna no Golf / Hot Shots Golf (1997/1998) (shows club max range) for it--picked up the so-called series from Mario Open Golf eight years earlier. (I'm getting these dates from https://www.mariowiki.com/Mario_Golf_(series) ). |
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| | | | Nintendo poached Sony's golf studio, Camelot--who made the first of what is now called Sony's "Everybody's Golf" series--to make what would be Nintendo's "Mario Golf" series; but Sony poached Camelot's director--Masashi Muramori--right back, set him up as head of a new studio, Clap Hanz, and got him back to cranking out Sony's golf series. |
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| | | Clap Hanz though broke away into self-publishing in 2021 with what was originally called Clap Hanz Golf for Mac and iPhone, then went full-on break from Sony, taking the game to Nintendo's Switch as "Easy Come Easy Golf."
So Sony needed a new dev for the Everybody's Golf series, and got Bandai Namco to take it over--and Bandai Namco put out their entry, Everybody's Golf Hot Shots, on Sony's PS5 but also Nintendo's Switch, and even Steam, to mediocre reviews--whereas Clap Hanz' ECEG had been "generally well-received."
As to why/how Clap Hanz broke away from Sony, Wikipedia (general source for this stuff, w/ MobyGames for details like Masashi Muramori's origin) says only "releases in the Everybody's Golf had slowed down, and Clap Hanz wished to start releasing games outside of the franchise." |
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| | | | Golf (GB) clears to a white screen for a handful of seconds at every transition; and its aiming cursor flashes. 'p' |
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| | | When Iwata joined HAL in 1982, he was employee #5 and the only programmer.
"Nintendo initially contacted several other developers to produce Open Tournament Golf; however, all of them declined as they did not believe the large amount of data could be stored within an NES cartridge. [...] Iwata had to create his own data compression method in order to fit all 18 courses into the game."
Hm sounds like it was more likely than the golf games his tools assistance and porting work on a number of Pokemon games that would really have stood out to Nintendo. That stuff was around '99 and they hired him in 2000--"as head of its corporate planning division."
(Wikipedia) |
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| | | | Thought Camelot was slowing down but okay they just got out a new Mario Tennis game 2 months ago. I could swear that wasn't on the end of their game list on Wikipedia when I looked earlier but I probably just managed to overlook it like a pro. Still that's been their first thing since 2021 I think. According to Wikipedia it reviewed sort of okay-ish? But anyway that's tennis not golf. 'p' |
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| | | On the Nintendo/Sony start, Camelot's web site https://www.camelot.co.jp/wp/ (scrolling down the main page to fancy moving text sections...) Google Translates as
"1997 was a momentous year, marking the release of the original *Everybody's Golf*. Prior to that game's massive success, sales of sports games were dismal. However, we did not believe this was a problem inherent to the genre itself. Guided by the conviction that a truly excellent sports game would inevitably be a hit, we developed the title—and the result was a monumental success, selling over 2.5 million copies. We learned a great deal through the development of that game, and those lessons paved the way for the *Mario Sports* series. In particular, the success of *Mario Tennis* solidified our reputation within the industry. Consequently, the marketing team at Nintendo of America bestowed upon us the accolade: "Camelot is Columbus" (signifying that our achievements were akin to the discovery of a new continent). This, indeed, is the true thrill of game development—the sheer joy of pioneering new frontiers." |
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| | | | Oh well I guess I'm off Mario again because of the DK and SMB woman-in-danger thing (see entry 2036), so I'll just turn around and sell this. |
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