Even ten years after its release on the Nintendo 64, Mario Golf is still a prime example of how to make a highly accessible yet deep golf experience. Even though green pipes act as teleports, golf balls create rainbows in mid-air, and Piranhas inhabit the courses, Mario Golf is still a very hardcore game that is tremendously challenging and demanding of your concentration.
The game features fourteen playable characters, six courses, and more than ten game modes, including Tournament, Speed Golf, and Mini-Golf. It has a simple control scheme where only two button taps are needed to make a shot. Still, the game takes ages to master. You must possess impeccable timing, manage your Power Shots, and apply back and top spin correctly, as well as consider the wind factor, the weather, and the fade or draw tendencies of your character. Everything comes together to create a wonderfully deep and addictive experience that holds up even today.