Mario has always been an all rounder when it comes to his sports. Olympics? Check. Winter Olympics? Wouldn't miss it. Football? Rude not to. Baseball? I'll have a go at that too. Tennis...you get the point. But one of his oldest professions (apart from, you know, his actual profession of plumbing) is tearing it up on the golf courses of the Mushroom Kingdom and beyond. And now, some 10 years after his last outing with an iron in his hand, Nintendo and series guardians Camelot have brought the gang back together for an immensely enjoyable round of golf which, although let down by some inexcusable design choices, retains that wonderful feeling of stepping up on to the first tee that the series has always produced.

In a way, Mario Golf benefits from such a long absence in a similar vein that Pikmin 3 did on the Wii U. It plays exactly the same game of golf as past versions, but because it has been so long, it feels exciting and fresh. When you first switch the game on you are prompted into a mini tutorial on a par 3 hole, to receive lessons in the basics of golf and the game's take on it. The top screen displays things like yardage, the wind meter and, obviously, the action. Anyone who played Mario Tennis: Open on 3DS will be instantly familiar with the touch screen layout that has all the in-game options such as striking the ball, changing camera angle, club selection and applying spin on your shot as touch screen icons, whilst also displaying the relevant button to each option if you would prefer to use them. Personally, much like Mario Tennis, it feels much easier and smoother to use the buttons as opposed to the touch screen, but it's certainly a nice option to have.

Crucially, the power bar is also on this touch screen, which is at the fundamental heart of the game. Series veterans will be right at home and easily pick it up (for the record, my first ever shot on this title was a 'perfect'. Just saying...) however, much like my first attempts on Mario Golf 64, newcomers will find a rewarding challenge in gauging the, err, gauge and finally getting that perfect shot when it matters the most. Once you are set with your club, factored in wind and used the dynamic camera to judge your landing, you press the A button to start your power swing. When it reaches your desired distance, press A again to confirm it and then watch the gauge go back to its starting place. This is where, depending on your timing, the quality of the connection with the ball is sorted out. Get a perfect and you'll see your ball end up pretty much where you wanted it to go. Make a hash of it and you can add unwanted fade or draw on your shot, or completely shank it into the nearby bushes. Of course, you may actually want to apply some fade or draw to the shot, and the more experienced you get, the more you'll realise the perfect shot isn't always the one you want. Pressing B at the top of the swing kick in an 'auto' feature for the quality of the shot, but doing that means you miss out on applying top or back spin yourself, which again can be vital to hitting the fairway with a decent lie, or turning a 30ft putt for birdie into a 5ft tap in.

In terms of game modes, I was initially disappointed with the game. On the opening screen you're given two options, quick play or club house. I dived straight into club house, anticipating a return of the RPG elements of the previous hand held Mario Golf games. Instead the options are fairly limited, to three 18 hole 'normal' courses. Within five hours of starting my first practice round, I was watching the credits having achieved the apparently illustrious feat of claiming the triple crown, winning the three course tournaments at the first attempt on each (Including, it must be said, an extraordinary chip in from a bunker on the 18th of the final course to claim the title by one shot. Sadly, the replay feature which allowed you to view your best efforts in past games has been removed in World Tour). The club house itself is a hub of activity, allowing you to run around as your Mii and interact with all manner of characters from the Mushroom Kingdom and upgrade your character too. Taking direct inspiration from their Mario Tennis title, Camelot has gone down the RPG-lite route of unlocking different clothing and clubs after each tournament as the way to upgrade your character's swing, distance or ball control, and you purchase and apply these in the club house. There is also a handicap system in place as well, which at first helps you in a tournament but then simply shows how good you are at the game, letting other people know online or via StreetPass whether you're a Tiger Woods or just lost in the woods.

Well that was quick. Mario Golf: World Tour done and dusted in ten hours. Not quite. Delving into the quick play option is, in my opinion, more rewarding than the club house experience. More specifically, the challenges section by far gives more, well, challenge to the game and makes you a much better golfer than simply playing round after round. These challenges are like a greatest hits of past Mario Golf titles, with ten challenges per course including ring shot, star coin collecting, match play against specific characters to unlock their 'star' option, which basically gives them much better distance and ball stats, club lottery and time attack as well. The further you get into these challenges, the tougher they become, and some of the match play rounds are very tough but immensely rewarding. You can play these as your Mii character or any other in the official line up, like Mario, Luigi and such, and no matter who you play as you still continue to earn coins and unlock clothing for your character to wear. Just as importantly, however, is earning star coins which then unlocks new, Mario-themed courses for you to play on.

And it's here that, sadly, one of my main gripes about the game appears. The six courses unlocked are cracking, each unique and, especially Wiggler Park, luscious to look at. Providing a real challenge, every one of them is a delight. But...they are only nine holes each. For those who don't know, golf is an eighteen hole game per round, so why they only decided to do nine per course in these themed ones is utterly baffling. The standard courses have eighteen. Nintendo delayed the title by a year, so why on earth couldn't the most fundamental part of the sport be included? Unless I've missed an option (believe me I've looked) or am yet to unlock something ( I'm pretty sure I haven't) it seems like a ridiculous oversight and, frankly, a shame. Because the nine holes you do get are very good on each course and it doesn't make any sense to miss nine out.

While I'm on the subject of gripes, the multiplayer options are somewhat limited as well. Disappointingly there is no download play option, only multi cart. And the ability for four people to use the console to each play as different characters, something the series has done very well in the past on the home console versions, hot seating the controller as it's only one person playing at any one time, is absent too. In many ways it's understandable, and will get more people buying it themselves, but for a company that prides itself on bringing people physically together for gaming fun, it's a shame.

However on the flip side, one of the reasons the game has the subtitle 'World Tour' is that this is being pushed as a big online gaming experience on 3DS. Due to the nature of reviewing I have been unable to get an extensive online experience with the game to put it fully through its paces. However, I can tell you from what I have played, the menu options I've seen and what some in game characters have told me, this seems like it could be one of Nintendo's biggest and best online offerings to date. I mean big. If they back up the potential promises here this could usher in a new online era for Nintendo and really bode well for what many people have been crying out for from them in terms of online gaming. The options, challenges and tournaments compare with real life golf, with longest drive and closest to pin competitions for a bit more fun, where as 'major' tournaments are also poised to give people bragging rights four times a year. They are split into European and World sections, so you can keep things more local, and there is also an option for private matches from which you can customise tournaments. Having yet to experience this in full yet though, I feel like Nintendo are on the green with a 25ft putt for glory, it could be an absolute monster that defines their career and goes down in history, or they could miss their chance at glory and it will forever be remembered as the time they blew their opportunity. Only time can tell in this situation, but as it stands I'm backing Nintendo to hole this beauty and deliver an eagle like experience online.

Still, it's encouraging to think that I've now racked up a good twenty hours of gaming purely in the single player, and haven't even had a chance to experience any multiplayer yet. This is a game that veterans will be able to dive straight into and find lots to keep them occupied, even if it wasn't quite how they were expecting it to. And newcomers should be able to quickly pick up the basics thanks to colourful presentation and easy to follow control instructions that do not require you to sift through a menu to find. It's pick up and play with an awful lot of depth and the potential to be an even deeper and rewarding experience as time goes on. While this may not have been the place you were expecting it, Mario Golf: World Tour could be the game which signifies Nintendo as taking online gaming seriously and extensively. Either way, this is a welcome return to the fairways for Mario and chums whether your playing on or offline and a must have summer title for your 3DS.