They've already made tracks in go-karts, earned stars in board games and knocked each other senseless from brawling. So what's left for Mario and his buddies to do? How about dusting off the clubs and hitting the links! That's right, Nintendo's famous plumber returns to the fairways in the aptly named Mario Golf.

The game features a total of six courses set within the world of Mario, from the haunted Boo Valley to the serene Toad Forest, and offers ten different modes of play: Tournament, Speed Golf, Ring Shot, Stroke, Mini-Golf, Training, Match Game, Skins Match, Club Slots and Get Character.

Tournament mode has you playing 18 holes of golf as you compete against 29 computer-controlled players. The better you perform, the more points you can earn to open up locked courses (only one is available at the start). Get Character mode is a one-on-one showdown versus a computer opponent; beat the character by winning nine holes and you'll be able to play as him or her from that point on.

Only four golfers are initially available, so players will have to compete in the Get Character mode if they want to tee up with Mario, Luigi, Bowser, Wario, Yoshi or a few others. Your performance during this mode will also add to your point total used toward unlocking courses.

Ring Shot has your character trying to achieve par or better while knocking the ball through rings floating in the air, while Speed Golf involves trying to hole out in record time. Since the cartridge automatically saves your best course time and overall score in this event, you can try to improve on your game each time you play.

Stroke mode lets up to four players compete for bragging rights on their choice of available courses, and a friendly wager can be set to make things a little more interesting! Training mode is designed to help players learn the various holes as well as improve their long game at a driving range. Shots can also be retaken as many times as needed without penalty.

Match Game, Skins Match and Club Slots are similar formats with a few differences. In a Match Game, you are awarded a point for every hole won; this continues until the second player no longer has a chance to come from behind and win. Skins Match replaces these points with skins, which will carry over to the next hole should players tie.

Club Slots is like the Skins Match with one small twist: the clubs you are permitted to use are determined by a slot machine. Get stars on all three wheels and you can use any one of your clubs! Once you've had your fill of the "normal" holes, Mini-Golf lets you test your putting skills on a variety of miniature golf courses. The object is to use the short walls framing each hole to knock the ball into the cup.

Mario Golf was developed by the same team behind the PlayStation's Hot Shots Golf, so the interface consists of a horizontal swing meter designed to simplify things for novices. Pressing the A button will start the meter, which will begin moving steadily from right to left.

Once it reaches the desired power setting, press the button again to begin the downswing. A third and final button press will determine the accuracy of your shot. In addition, the game lets players set the point of impact for spin and also features variable wind and weather conditions to influence play.

A total of fourteen golfers are available in the game (ten of whom are hidden), each with individual ratings in power and swing tendency. Some will naturally hit straight, some will have the ball fade to the right, while others have their shots draw to the left. Gamers who also purchase Mario Golf for the Game Boy Color (due to be released in the fall of 1999) will be able to create their own characters from scratch, raise their skill levels and then play with them on the Nintendo 64 version!

Until then, players can initially choose from the following four golfers: Baby Mario (last seen in Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island), Princess Peach, Charlie and Plum (the latter two characters are new). Statistics are automatically stored on the cartridge, and games in progress can be saved to one of four built-in data files. Snap in a Rumble Pak to feel that powerful drive! Fore!