Joystiq [Nintendo]

Mario Golf (N64, 1999)

Eight years later we arrive at Mario Golf in its contemporary form. This was the first Mario-related golf game to be developed by Camelot Software Planning, but their experience building 1997's Hot Shots Golf for Playstation undoubtedly worked toward making this game a success.

By this time Mario sports and spin-offs had become increasingly available, and the popularity of Mario Kart especially governed their production. This game boasts a hefty roster of playable Mushroom Kingdom faces along with a selection of generic "human" characters with common names.

Happily, this classic entry to the series was immortalized earlier this week by its inclusion to the Virtual Console service. And while mean old David Hinkle might not have recommended that we download it, it certainly marks the occasion for real Mario fans to celebrate. (Please don't fire me, Dave.)

10/10/08