Switch Sports Resort arrives this October, bringing archery, boxing, power cruising, table tennis, thumb wrestling, and golf back to Wuhu Island. That wait is longer than it sounds. Here's the thing: Nintendo already has a sports classic sitting on Nintendo Switch Online that most players are sleeping on right now.
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How a 1999 golf game became a Nintendo institution
Mario Golf launched on the Nintendo 64 in June 1999, arriving roughly a year after Hot Shots Golf reminded everyone that golf games could be genuinely fun rather than a simulation chore. Developed by Camelot Software Planning, the game blended that light-hearted energy with Nintendo's roster of mascots, and the result landed well enough that Camelot has been making Mario Golf and Mario Tennis titles for Nintendo hardware ever since. That's a long run for a studio that also produced the Shining Force and Golden Sun franchises.
The game is currently accessible through the Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack membership, which means if you're already subscribed, there's no additional cost to jump in.
What makes the original Mario Golf worth your time in 2026
The starting lineup is slim. You get a handful of characters and a single course when you first load it up, and unlocking the full roster of 14 characters requires time spent in the Get Character mode. Yoshi, Bowser, and even Mario himself are locked behind actual progression. That might feel dated by modern standards, but it gives the game a pull that keeps sessions going longer than expected.
Characters are not just visual swaps. Each one brings distinct stats that genuinely change how you approach a hole. Bowser and Wario swing hard enough to reshape your club strategy on longer courses, while lighter characters demand more precision. The interface for club selection and ball striking looks simple on the surface, but the depth underneath it rewards players who pay attention.
Beyond the standard Tournament mode, the game packs in Ring Shot challenges that push you into awkward angles you'd never attempt otherwise, per-hole training options, and a Speed Golf mode built around haste as much as accuracy. For multiplayer, up to 4 players can take turns, and spectators can trigger comic-style speech bubbles on screen during swings. It's the kind of feature that sounds gimmicky until someone drops a "Nice Shot!" bubble right as you're lining up a difficult putt.
The connection to Switch Sports Resort that makes this relevant now
Golf is confirmed as one of the returning sports in Switch Sports Resort, continuing a thread that runs from the original Wii Sports through Wii Sports Resort and into the upcoming Switch 2 release. Nintendo has been iterating on motion-controlled and casual sports experiences for nearly two decades, and Mario Golf sits at a different point on that line: a controller-based, character-driven take on the same sport that rewards repetition and course knowledge.
Playing through Mario Golf now is less about nostalgia and more about understanding why Nintendo keeps returning to sports as a genre anchor. The structure that made it work in 1999, distinct characters, short-session accessibility, and a multiplayer hook, maps directly onto what makes Wii Sports Resort and its successor compelling.
Nintendo's sports lineup on Switch 2 is broader than ever. Mario Tennis Fever brings that same Camelot-developed energy to the tennis court, and if you want to get up to speed before diving into its modes, the Mario Tennis Fever beginner strategies and shot breakdowns are worth checking out before your first match.
October is a few months away. Mario Golf is already in your library if you have the Expansion Pack. That's a straightforward equation, and the casual games category on Switch has rarely had a deeper bench to pull from while you wait for the next big Wuhu Island visit.
