This article is about the 1991 Family Computer and Nintendo Entertainment System video game. For the microgame with the same name, seeNES Open Tournament Golf (microgame).

NES Open Tournament Golf
North American box cover For alternate box art, see therelated gallery.
Developer	Nintendo R&D2,HAL Laboratory
Publisher	Nintendo
Platforms	Family Computer,Nintendo Entertainment System,Nintendo PlayChoice-10 Virtual Console (Wii,3DS,Wii U),Nintendo Classic Mini: Family Computer,Nintendo Entertainment System - Nintendo Classics
Release dates	Family Computer: September 20, 1991[1] Nintendo Entertainment System: September 29, 1991[?] June 18, 1992[2] Nintendo PlayChoice-10: March 1992[3][better source needed] Virtual Console (Wii): May 11, 2007[?] June 18, 2007[?] July 24, 2007[?] August 26, 2008[?] Virtual Console (3DS Ambassador Program release): August 31, 2011[?] September 1, 2011[?] September 1, 2011[?] Virtual Console (3DS full release): July 5, 2012[?] August, 8 2012[?] August 23, 2012[?] August 23, 2012[?] Virtual Console (Wii U): January 15, 2014[?] February 6, 2014[?] February 6, 2014[?] March 6, 2014[?] Nintendo Classic Mini: Family Computer: November 10, 2016[?] Nintendo Entertainment System - Nintendo Classics: October 10, 2018[4] October 10, 2018[5] October 10, 2018[6] October 10, 2018[7] April 23, 2019[?] April 23, 2019[?]
Languages	English Japanese
Genre	Golf
Ratings	ESRB: - Everyone[?] CERO: - All ages[?] PEGI: - Three years and older[?] ACB: - General[?]
Mode	Multiplayer
Format	Famicom: Cartridge NES: Game Pak Wii: Digital download Wii U: Digital download Nintendo Switch: Digital download Nintendo 3DS: Digital download NES Classic Edition: Built-in
Input	Famicom: Famicom Controller NES: NES Controller Wii: Wii Remote (horizontal) Classic Controller Nintendo GameCube Controller Wii U: Wii U GamePad Wii Remote (horizontal) Classic Controller Wii U Pro Controller Nintendo Switch: Joy-Con Joy-Con (horizontal) Nintendo Switch Pro Controller Famicom Controller (NSO) NES Controller (NSO) Super NES Controller (NSO) Nintendo 3DS: Gamepad NES Classic Edition: NES Classic Controller Classic Controller
Serial codes	Famicom: HVC-UG NES: NES-UG-USA NES-UG-CAN NES-UG-NOE NES-UG-SCN NES-UG-SCN NES-UG-SCN

“How can sand traps and water be this much fun?”

—US box blurb

NES Open Tournament Golf is a golf game featuringSuper Mario characters released for theFamily Computer andNintendo Entertainment System. It is the third entry in theMario Golf series. The game takes place onEarth, with its courses being set inJapan,Australia, France, theUnited Kingdom, and theUnited States of America (with the state ofHawaii receiving its own course in the Japanese version, separate from the US one). The Japanese version of the game features different playable courses and fewer characters. In Western versions of the game, the graphics and soundtrack are also slightly changed. Although the Japan and UK courses are also playable courses in Western versions, they do not contain the same holes. For example, hole 5 in the Australia Course is hole 15 in the US Course.

A version of this game was developed for theNintendo PlayChoice-10 arcade machine in the Americas, calledMario's Open Golf.

NES Open Tournament Golf has also been released on theVirtual Console for theWii for 500Wii Points, as well as for theNintendo 3DS'sVirtual Console in 2011-2012 and theWii U'sVirtual Console in 2014. The original Famicom game is also one of the 30 titles included in the Japan-exclusiveNintendo Classic Mini: Family Computer. The game was also made available onNintendo Entertainment System - Nintendo Classics forNintendo Switch Online members on October 10, 2018, with the Japanese version also including a special version titled「マリオオープンゴルフ フルオープンバージョン」(Mario Ōpun Gorufu Furu Ōpun Bājon, "Mario Open Golf: Full Open Version"), where all courses are unlocked immediately, which was released on November 14, 2018.^[8]

Characters[edit]

Playable[edit]

• Mario - Player 1's character
• Luigi - Player 2's character. In 1 player match mode, he is the easiest computer opponent.

Non-playable[edit]

• Princess Toadstool is Mario's caddie.
• Princess Daisy is Luigi's caddie.
• Toad appears whenever a player hits their ballout of bounds, holding a blue flag with "O.B." written on it.
• Donkey Kong tells the player how much money they have, and he keeps it. He will also make comments based on certain milestones achieved, such as when $1,000,000 has been obtained. He is absent from the Japanese and PlayChoice-10 versions due to their lack of a tournament mode.
• Steve is a more difficult computer opponent than Luigi in 1 player match mode. He is absent from the Japanese version.
• Mark is more difficult than Steve. He is also absent from the Japanese version.
• Tony is more difficult than Mark.
• Billy is the most difficult opponent.

Cameos[edit]

• Monty Mole (on cover art)

Courses[edit]

Japanese version[edit]

• Japan Course
• Australia Course
• France Course
• Hawaii Course
• UK Course
• Extra Course

International versions[edit]

• US Course
• Japan Course
• UK Course

Hole appearances between versions[edit]

The hole on the left is from the Japanese version, while the one on the right is from international versions. This list is done in course order and hole order. The holes that do not appear in the international versions are not listed here.

Other information[edit]

Differences in the PlayChoice-10 version[edit]

• There is no ability to save progress.
• The only available modes are Stroke Play and Match Play.
• Donkey Kong is absent from the arcade version.

Differences in the Japanese version[edit]

• Due to the lack of the tournament mode, the plot is different. Instead of trying to win $1,000,000,Mario must instead finish all five courses in Stroke Play mode.
• A scoring limit is introduced for stroke play; if the player goes over the scoring limit, they must restart the course from the beginning.
• Donkey Kong, Mark, and Steve are absent from the Japanese version.
• The title music is different, and both the Options menu and cutscene themes play at different pitches within the same octave.
• "Hall of Fame Holes" are called "Memorial Holes".
• Not only are there more courses, but shared holes are often more difficult in the Japanese version due to more obstacles and traps, although some are made less so due to the removal of certain hazards on them. For example, hole 5 of the Japan course in the Japanese version has an extra strip of fairway attached to the upper-left corner of the green, while in the international versions, said strip is replaced with a water hazard.
• The ranks (Semi Pro, Beginner, etc.) are unlocked after completing certain courses past the second one. The default rank is none at all.
• Not all courses are available at the beginning; instead, the courses after the first one (Japan) must be unlocked by beating the previous one. The extra course is a compilation of all holes the player has unlocked, and there is no reward for completing it. In theFull Open Version, all courses are unlocked from the start.

Tournament Roster[edit]

In the Club House mode in the game, there is a setting called the Tournament Roster. Here the player can change all of the player's names, just like they could change their own name (which is Mario by default). Here are all the 36 default names on the Tournament Roster. The player cannot change the roster in the Japanese version due to a lack of a tournament mode.

All of the names starting fromMiki to Uemura are names of the people who developed and produced the game, while Steve and Tony are names of two people who localized it into the English language.

Staff[edit]

Main article:List of NES Open Tournament Golf staff

NES Open Tournament Golf was a coproduction betweenNintendo R&D2 andHAL Laboratory.Kenji Miki (director of the originalGolf) was the director. The game wasSatoru Iwata's first experience in developing a game "from start to finish".^[9] The title was alsoEiji Aonuma's (credited as a sprite designer) very first work in the video game industry.

Gallery[edit]

For this subject's image gallery, seeGallery:NES Open Tournament Golf.

• 

  Mario

• 

  Luigi

• 

  Princess Toadstool

• 

  Princess Daisy

• 

  Toad

Multimedia[edit]

Title screen - Excerpt of the title screen music that plays in the Western version

File info 0:30

Title screen - Excerpt of the title screen music that plays in the Japanese version

File info 0:30

Help:Media file •Having trouble playing?

References to other games[edit]

Golf: US Course

• Mario's outfit originated from this game.

References in later games[edit]

The "Golf Suit" fromSuper Mario Odyssey

Mario Golf

• Two of Peach's alternate costumes are based on the outfits of Peach and Daisy's in-game sprites.

Super Smash Bros. Melee

• Two of Peach's alternate costumes are based on the outfits of Peach and Daisy's in-game sprites.

WarioWare: Twisted!

• Amicrogame appears based on this game.

NES Remix 2

• Several challenges are based on this game.

Mario Golf: World Tour

• A costume, a golf ball, and a set of golf clubs themed aroundNES Open Tournament Golf appear as unlockable items for the player'sMii character.

Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS /Wii U

• One of Mario's alternate colors resembles the clothes he wears this game.

Super Mario Odyssey

• Mario can wear an outfit identical to the one he is depicted as wearing in this game.

WarioWare Gold

• The NES Open Tournament Golf microgame fromWarioWare: Twisted! returns in this game.

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

• Mario's alternate color resembling the clothes from this game returns fromSuper Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS / Wii U.

Mario Golf: Super Rush

• Mario and Luigi's golf outfits fromNES Open Tournament Golf return in this game as rewards for achieving an A- rank in Ranked Match during January and February 2022, respectively.

Mario Kart Tour

• Mario and Luigi's outfits in this game return starting from the2022 Los Angeles Tour.

Names in other languages[edit]

Notes[edit]

• Dummied data for the Japanese version ofAnimal Crossing indicated thatSuper Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels, as well asNES Open Tournament Golf, would have been included as playable Famicom games, but were ultimately cut, with not even a ROM or models available inside.^[12]

References[edit]

External links[edit]

The Cutting Room Floor has an article onNES Open Tournament Golf.

Wikipedia has an article onNES Open Tournament Golf.

• Mario Open Golf Japanese Famicom manual

• NES Open Tournament Golf
• Games
• Family Computer games
• Nintendo Entertainment System games
• Nintendo PlayChoice-10 games
• Sports games
• 1991 games
• 1992 games
• Virtual Console games
• Wii Virtual Console games
• Nintendo 3DS Virtual Console games
• Wii U Virtual Console games
• Nintendo Switch Online games
• HAL Laboratory games
• 3DS Ambassador games

• Stubs
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