Mario Golf World Tour – reviews of 'addictive' game

What you need to knowA new video game in the Mario Golf series is released in the UK this week. Mario Golf: World Tour for Nintendo's 3DS is the sixth game in the golf series, and the first release in a decade, since 2004's Mario Golf Advance Tour for Game Boy.

In World Tour, players control popular Mario characters, including Luigi and Donkey Kong, in simulated golf games where they aim to hit a target hole with the lowest number of strokes. Some stages are modelled on real-world courses, while others are Super Mario themed environments.

What the critics likeThe best Nintendo sports title for years is "not short of content or addictive fun", says Roger Hargreaves in Metro. The course design is excellent, the visuals typically charming, and if you want an enjoyable, fast-paced golf game on the go there are few better choices than this.

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You don't have to be a hardcore golf fan to get hooked on Mario Golf: World Tour, says Brian Albert on IGN. It rewards good play and steadily ramps up the difficulty, but also intelligently teaches you new skills the whole time.

World Tour "deftly illustrates the pleasures of a humble game of golf", from checking the wind speed to choosing the perfect club, says Stace Harman on Gamespot. Combined with the goofy charm of Nintendo's most popular mascots, it succeeds in delivering an endearing and fun experience.

What they don't likeThis "uncharacteristically clunky" Mario game can be unclear about how to enter tournaments, try practice tutorials, buy equipment and use multiplayer, says Sam White on Digital Spy. When the tense thrill of the course takes you, it's a great experience, but it takes patience to see the best World Tour has to offer.