Golf

Golf expanded the Game Boy's sports offering with a classic golf simulation in which the player plays through eighteen holes, selects the right club, and tries to land the ball as close to the hole as possible in as few strokes as possible. The game uses a top-down view of the course as well as a side view of the shot itself, with the power and direction of each hit determined by simple but precise button-press timing that simulates the player's swing. It can also be played by two people via link cable, which wasn't a given for sports titles at the time and extended the game's lifespan even after completing the basic tournament mode.

The courses contain the typical golf elements – water hazards, bunkers, and various slopes that affect the ball's trajectory – so even on a monochrome display the game manages to simulate the basic tactical decisions of real golf, such as choosing between a safe shot and a riskier one over a water hazard or thick rough. The graphics are economical but functional, and overview maps of each hole help the player plan every shot in advance, pushing the game closer to genuine sports strategy than arcade fun. Despite its apparent simplicity, the game thus rewards players who think through the whole route across a hole in advance, rather than just each individual shot on its own.

Within the Game Boy's early library, it was one of the calmer titles, built on patience and precision rather than fast action, and thanks to that it found its place among players seeking more relaxing entertainment on the go. Today, Golf for Game Boy is interesting chiefly as evidence of just how broad a spectrum of genres Nintendo tried to bring to the handheld in its very first years, including fairly realistic sports simulations that stood clearly apart from the more arcade-like titles of the era and offered a different, calmer kind of fun for a different circle of players.

Why play it: For a calmer, more patient kind of entertainment on the go, Golf is an interesting demonstration of just how broad a spectrum of genres Nintendo tried to bring to the Game Boy already in its very first years.