In a world where 'gotta have it' games are being released in handfuls per month (and in barrels-full during 'the holiday season'), what would possess me to buy a game based on the oft-perceived 'most boring sport ever' with 'that kiddy-ass mascot' Mario in it?

Allow for elaboration - I first found this gem sitting at a local Blockbuster. As the last copy, I picked it up on instinct; maybe due to the fact I had so much fun with Camelot's own Mario Golf 64. I also grabbed Enter the Matrix and Ephemeral Fantasia for my brother and sister, half paying attention. I didn't care - they had their games, and I had mine.

But guess which game we spent the rest of the night playing?

It was instant magic, the moment my brother, sister, and friend started up Toadstool Tour. We each grabbed a controller, picked our favorite 'mascots' and headed out to the greens, and fumbled through the game. We don't care much for reading instructions - and in Blockbuster's infinite wisdom, decided not to include the booklet anyway. Besides, instructions are for pansies and the long drive home after buying a game. Heck, has anyone been able to keep their hands off a new game on the ride home?

As the name implies, it's all about golf here. With Mario and his assorted cast of pals and foes, up to 4 players can take to the links for a round of 18. Or take the front 9 or back 9, a few random holes, play some minigames, or dig through the massive assortment of modes at your dispossal. The Tournament mode makes up the meat of the game; pick a 'swinger' and hit up a course of 18 holes, with the best score at the end taking home the trophy. This also unlocks new tournaments, with new courses, which can also be played in other modes. Modes such as Ring Shot, where you have to shoot the ball through rings and make par. Or take on a CPU-controlled opponent head-to-head in Character Battle. With about a dozen different styles of play to choose from, it's impossible to complain about a lack of variety.

The gameplay is of the golf game standard, with the old nuances of Mario Golf 64 revisted and a few new features tossed in. Camelot gave a lot of control to the player; plan a shot's curve, spin, power, and choose from standard clubs - all before even taking a swing! Once you do, there's a meter that fills and, depending on the shot, pressing A or B let's the ball fly. A commands an auto shot, where chipping and slicing (golf terms for screwing up a straight shot) is determined automatically. It's a great addtion that allows novices to play, build confidence, and move on to manual swings. Pressing B starts manuals, which sees the meter swing back from the power of your shot, and pressing A or B at the right time sets your accuracy. Manual is the way to go for anyone who's played a golf game before, because it gives more control overall - but also more chance for player error. It's also nice that Camelot decided to make so many shot options available on the fly - though it can stress you out from time to time, it's much better than having to commit to a shot before you even know how far you'll hit it, or running to options every time someone wants to switch between Manual and Auto controls. Did that all fly by too quick? Don't worry - the in-game tutorial covers everything in detail, and is easy to understand. With so much control and guidance, anyone can pick up good scores on the course, making Toadstool Tour inviting to newbies and vets alike.

Some skeptics say the control is 'clunky' and inhibiting - which is true for the first five minutes of play. Once I played past the first front 9, I was pushing past holes in less than 5 minutes a piece. Just remember that Camelot adresses every nuance on the green with a gauge, readout, grid, or stat of some sort. Once you learn that all things are for your benefit, and usable at the touch of a button, you'll find yourself swinging through courses with the best of them.

There are a few dips and dives in Toadstool Tour's performance, most noticably the graphics and music. While the GameCube pushes out the greenest greens and cleanest water in a golfing game ever, it feels like Camelot left a bit to be desired. It's in the little things - short changing polys on trees or in the rough - but it's something that becomes apparent after enough play. The music is rather forgettable (though full of steel-drum love), with the exception of the Mario-themed courses. Speaking of which, the box proclaims courses based on Mario's world, but only delivers 2 out of the 6 playable locales. Not a bad thing, although with just a taste of the Mushroom Kingdom, one wonders what it would be like to have more.

The Tournament Mode catches the eye easily, and with good reason. It's the one player experience of heading out to a courses, attempting to get the lowest overall score, and winning the coveted gold trophy. Finishing first also opens up newer courses - and so the cycle continues. Some are fast to fault the lack of courses (there's 6 total and a special one for certain side-games), but I think the amount is fine. There's just two other problems with the courses; the first is you have to play through Tournament to get newer locales. That means in a few days, I already had every venue open. The other problem is the box promises Mario-themed courses - and the E3 playable demo teased show-goers with promises of the Mushroom Kingdom - but only two are really Mario-themed. The rest have names as throwbacks to Mario mythology, but aside from that nothing seperates them from other greens.

After opening all the areas in Tournament, there are still plenty of ways to play. Character Match pits one player against a computer-controlled opponent, who isn't the brightest of the bunch, and winning nabs a 'star' version of that character. These upgraded guys offer different stats and a longer drive than the non-star counterparts. Seems easy to deduce that one could breeze through the game by getting the star characters first...but we'll get into that later. There's still plenty more game to be played; there's side games including driving, approach, and putting practices. These I would recommend playing ASAP, as they really help on shooting accuracy. There's also the insane Birdie Challenge, which asks that you complete an entire 18 holes with a birdie score or better. Whiff once and back to the beginning you go. There's also the charming Doubles mode, where 4 players break into two teams, with overall scores stacked against each other. Word of the wise - don't pick a buddie with a sloppy swing. Friendships aside, you can't let someone drag the performance, right...?

This just touches on all the different modes of play. Some are more forgettable than others. Some are painful to be played alone, and an absolute joy with friends. In fact, the overall vibe of the game can be equated to a 'party' game - after all, no one crafts them better than Nintendo, right? I don't believe the upbeat ditties pulsing through the stereo are for a solo experience, either. Yet there's a undercurrent of 'hardcore' in here, if you look hard enough. It's all about the Best Badges; earned by getting a birdie or better on a hole, Best Badges can be viewed in the Records area. It was then that it hit me; there's a ton of Badges to be earned. What's worse, I also noticed that there are stat rankings for individual characters - AND star versions! Meaning, push comes to shove, the truly obsessive could spend months trying to get Badges and trophies for every character, star and normal, before exhausting the single player experience. But then there's always the 'party' aspect...

With so much to do, what's not to like? There's always reason to come back and play; control is tight and intuitive; the variety mind-boggling. If anything can be faulted, it might be the fact that some find meters and gauges archaic in their golf games. Toadstool Tour may not play like Tiger Woods, but it has enough control, style, charm, and flat-out fun to convert the critics.

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