Golf: Japan Course

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Golf: Japan Course
Famicom-Golf-Japan-Course-cover.png
For alternate box art, see the game's gallery.
Developer HAL Laboratory
Publisher Nintendo
Platform(s) Family Computer Disk System
Release date Japan February 21, 1987
Genre Golf
Mode(s) 1–2 players
Media
FDS:
Floppy disk
Input
NES:

Golf: Japan Course is a Japan-exclusive golf game released for the Family Computer Disk System on February 21, 1987. It is a golf game starring Mario and Luigi. It is similar in gameplay to the earlier Golf, though with polished mechanics. The holes in the game are fictional. The game received a companion title a few months later as Golf: U.S. Course, which also had fictional holes and improves even further on the mechanics. As with most FDS games, side A of the disk is reserved for menus and saving scores, while side B is used for the gameplay.

Gameplay[edit]

Gameplay of Golf: Japan Course
Mario on the first hole

The gameplay is similar to the original Golf, though new features are added to improve the immersion and quality-of-life. There is now a distinction between fairways and rough grass, and trees now act as solid obstacles rather than simply an indicator of out-of-bounds areas; the out-of-bounds areas now have a clear boundary surrounding densely-packed forest instead. There are three levels each for rough grass and sand bunkers, with each making the ball more difficult to hit far. The player can now swing in any direction regardless of whether they are on the green or not. The greens themselves can now push the ball in multiple directions rather than only a single direction at a time, and each hole may appear in one of three positions on each green. To change clubs, the player now needs to hold down B Button and press up or down; pressing left or right while doing that switches between one of three swing speeds. The middle "2" speed is closest to what the swing speed in Golf is, while the default "1" is slower and "3" is faster.

Sprite of Luigi from Golf: Japan CourseSprite of "COMP1" from Golf: Japan Course
Luigi and COMP1

There are four game modes, which can be chosen between by pressing left and right at the top option of the main menu:

  • Mario Stroke Play: Mario plays by himself.
  • 2 Player Stroke Play: Mario and Luigi play alongside each other.
  • Mario Match Play (not available in the gold editions): Mario plays against the computer opponent, called "COMP1," which is a palette swap of the brothers. He wears black overalls and hat over a brown shirt and shoes.
  • 2 Player Match Play: Mario and Luigi play against each other.

There are four slots to save scores (represented by balloons, the strings being cut by a crab when overwriting) with blank slots recorded as 900.

Clubs[edit]

The draws listed are as they are on the tee or fairway with no wind resistance. The three levels of rough grass and three levels of bunker sand all detract varying amounts from it. Swinging at a higher speed usually increases it, but runs a greater risk of losing control on the ball's curve.

Club Draw
1W 240y
3W 220y
4W 210y
Club Draw
1I 195y
3I 175y
4I 165y
Club Draw
5I 155y
6I 145y
7I 130y
Club Draw
8I 115y
9I 100y
PW 90y
Club Draw
SW 80y
PT 50y

Contest and alternate editions[edit]

Family Computer Disk System disk for Golf: Japan Course
The blue disk

The game comes on a blue disk, meaning it is compatible with the Disk Fax, a device found in public places across Japan such as department stores. These machines would send the player's saved games and high score information to Nintendo. Nintendo held a contest centered around this game, and winners received one of two special versions of this game that came on a gold disk.[1] Both versions are harder, replacing the course with new, more challenging holes. Around 80,000 contestants submitted their Mario Stroke Play scores with the national winner beating the rest with his cumulative score of 87.[2][3] Contestants who had the same score were ranked by when their submission was received.

Around 5,000 runners-up and raffle winners received the Professional Course gold disk (white sticker), which came in a Diskun case. The redesigned title screen removes "Family Computer" at the top and adds「入賞」(nyūshō, "prize-winning") at the bottom.[4] It is mildly more difficult.

The top 100 contestants received the Champions' Course gold disk (yellow sticker), which came in a luxury case along with a gold plaque with the winner's name and rank inscribed. On the game's title screen are the contestant's name and rank, making each disk unique.[5] The Champions' Course is much more difficult[6] and one of the rarest games Nintendo ever made.

Maps[edit]

Each hole can appear in three locations, which is picked depending on how many strokes were made in the previous holes; this number does not change the hole in any regular interval, ie, per each swing, but instead uses more complex measures to determine it. In some holes, mainly in the Prize Card variants, all water on the map is randomly replaced with sand, which is determined at the game's beginning.

Japan Course[edit]

Outward nine
Hole 1
In-game map of a hole in Golf: Japan Course 365y
HDCP 10
Par 4
In-game map of a green in Golf: Japan Course
Hole 2
In-game map of a hole in Golf: Japan Course 401y
HDCP 4
Par 4
In-game map of a green in Golf: Japan Course
Hole 3
In-game map of a hole in Golf: Japan Course 590y
HDCP 6
Par 4
In-game map of a green in Golf: Japan Course
Hole 4
In-game map of a hole in Golf: Japan Course 223y
HDCP 16
Par 3
In-game map of a green in Golf: Japan Course
Hole 5
In-game map of a hole in Golf: Japan Course 410y
HDCP 12
Par 4
In-game map of a green in Golf: Japan Course
Hole 6
In-game map of a hole in Golf: Japan Course 181y
HDCP 18
Par 3
In-game map of a green in Golf: Japan Course
Hole 7
In-game map of a hole in Golf: Japan Course 589y
HDCP 14
Par 5
In-game map of a green in Golf: Japan Course
Hole 8
In-game map of a hole in Golf: Japan Course 342y
HDCP 18
Par 4
In-game map of a green in Golf: Japan Course
Hole 9
In-game map of a hole in Golf: Japan Course 441y
HDCP 2
Par 4
In-game map of a green in Golf: Japan Course
Inward nine
Hole 10
In-game map of a hole in Golf: Japan Course 350y
HDCP 9
Par 4
In-game map of a green in Golf: Japan Course
Hole 11
In-game map of a hole in Golf: Japan Course 401y
HDCP 17
Par 4
In-game map of a green in Golf: Japan Course
Hole 12
In-game map of a hole in Golf: Japan Course 564y
HDCP 15
Par 5
In-game map of a green in Golf: Japan Course
Hole 13
In-game map of a hole in Golf: Japan Course 131y
HDCP 13
Par 3
In-game map of a green in Golf: Japan Course
Hole 14
In-game map of a hole in Golf: Japan Course 414y
HDCP 3
Par 4
In-game map of a green in Golf: Japan Course
Hole 15
In-game map of a hole in Golf: Japan Course 412y
HDCP 11
Par 4
In-game map of a green in Golf: Japan Course
Hole 16
In-game map of a hole in Golf: Japan Course 198y
HDCP 7
Par 3
In-game map of a green in Golf: Japan Course
Hole 17
In-game map of a hole in Golf: Japan Course 434y
HDCP 5
Par 4
In-game map of a green in Golf: Japan Course
Hole 18
In-game map of a hole in Golf: Japan Course 661y
HDCP 1
Par 5
In-game map of a green in Golf: Japan Course

Professional Course[edit]

Outward nine
Hole 1
In-game map of a hole in Golf: Professional Course 403y
HDCP 13
Par 4
In-game map of a green in Golf: Professional Course
Hole 2
In-game map of a hole in Golf: Professional Course 388y
HDCP 7
Par 4
In-game map of a green in Golf: Professional Course
Hole 3
In-game map of a hole in Golf: Professional Course 198y
HDCP 9
Par 3
In-game map of a green in Golf: Professional Course
Hole 4
In-game map of a hole in Golf: Professional Course 524y
HDCP 5
Par 5
In-game map of a green in Golf: Professional Course
Hole 5
In-game map of a hole in Golf: Professional Course 355y
HDCP 17
Par 4
In-game map of a green in Golf: Professional Course
Hole 6
In-game map of a hole in Golf: Professional Course 398y
HDCP 11
Par 4
In-game map of a green in Golf: Professional Course
Hole 7
In-game map of a hole in Golf: Professional Course 180y
HDCP 15
Par 3
In-game map of a green in Golf: Professional Course
Hole 8
In-game map of a hole in Golf: Professional Course 609y
HDCP 1
Par 5
In-game map of a green in Golf: Professional Course
Hole 9
In-game map of a hole in Golf: Professional Course 430y
HDCP 3
Par 4
In-game map of a green in Golf: Professional Course
Inward nine
Hole 10
In-game map of a hole in Golf: Professional Course 119y
HDCP 16
Par 3
In-game map of a green in Golf: Professional Course
Hole 11
In-game map of a hole in Golf: Professional Course 518y
HDCP 6
Par 5
In-game map of a green in Golf: Professional Course
Hole 12
In-game map of a hole in Golf: Professional Course 403y
HDCP 8
Par 4
In-game map of a green in Golf: Professional Course
Hole 13
In-game map of a hole in Golf: Professional Course 383y
HDCP 12
Par 4
In-game map of a green in Golf: Professional Course
Hole 14
In-game map of a hole in Golf: Professional Course 348y
HDCP 14
Par 4
In-game map of a green in Golf: Professional Course
Hole 15
In-game map of a hole in Golf: Professional Course 394y
HDCP 4
Par 4
In-game map of a green in Golf: Professional Course
Hole 16
In-game map of a hole in Golf: Professional Course 356y
HDCP 18
Par 4
In-game map of a green in Golf: Professional Course
Hole 17
In-game map of a hole in Golf: Professional Course 185y
HDCP 10
Par 3
In-game map of a green in Golf: Professional Course
Hole 18
In-game map of a hole in Golf: Professional Course 534y
HDCP 2
Par 5
In-game map of a green in Golf: Professional Course

Champions' Course[edit]

It has been requested that more images be uploaded for this section. Remove this notice only after the additional image(s) have been added. Reason: Consistency with other two sections

Outward nine
Hole 1
354y
HDCP 6
Par 4
Hole 2
588y
HDCP 14
Par 5
Hole 3
192y
HDCP 10
Par 3
Hole 4
418y
HDCP 8
Par 4
Hole 5
363y
HDCP 12
Par 4
Hole 6
213y
HDCP 18
Par 3
Hole 7
529y
HDCP 16
Par 5
Hole 8
381y
HDCP 4
Par 4
Hole 9
401y
HDCP 2
Par 4
Inward nine
Hole 10
356y
HDCP 13
Par 4
Hole 11
495y
HDCP 7
Par 5
Hole 12
386y
HDCP 3
Par 4
Hole 13
440y
HDCP 5
Par 4
Hole 14
161y
HDCP 17
Par 3
Hole 15
414y
HDCP 15
Par 4
Hole 16
363y
HDCP 11
Par 4
Hole 17
153y
HDCP 9
Par 3
Hole 18
533y
HDCP 1
Par 5

Menus[edit]

Most of the game's menus relate to the contest, and vary depending on whether the disk had been registered with a high-ranking score.

Menu Description
The "service data" screen from Golf: Japan Course
Service data
The service data screen. It appears in Japan Course as the middle option on the main menu, and is not present in the prize card versions. If the disk was registered with a high enough score, it would be replaced with a special screen showing the top ranks and highlighting the owner's placement.
The "name registration" screen from Golf: Japan Course
Name registration
The name registration screen. It appears in Japan Course as the bottom option on the main menu, and is not present in the prize card versions. It is used to label the data with the player's name so they can be properly credited for their score.
The high scores screen from Golf: Japan Course
High scores
The high scores screen. Aside from appearing after a full 18 holes are finished, it can be reached by pressing Select Button from the name registration menu. It appears as the bottom option on the main menu in the prize card versions.
The statistics screen from Golf: Japan Course
Personal statistics
The personal statistics screen. It can be reached by pressing Select Button from the high scores screen, but only if entered from name registration menu - pressing select from here returns to the name registration. It appears as the middle option on the main menu in the prize card versions.

Staff[edit]

Main article: List of Golf: Japan Course staff

Gallery[edit]

For this subject's image gallery, see Gallery:Golf: Japan Course.

Names in other languages[edit]

Language Name Meaning
Japanese ゴルフJAPANコース
Gorufu Japan Kōsu
Golf: Japan Course

External links[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ ◆オリジナルコース入りゴールデンカードはコースが2種類!. Family Computer Disk System Art Database. Retrieved January 22, 2021.
  2. ^ (August 16, 2022). 【ゴルフJAPANコース】インターネットの無い時代に、通信の持つ可能性をゲームにもたらした意欲作!【ファミコン・ディスクシステム・任天堂・レビュー】. サブカルチャーのある生活. Retrieved January 23, 2021.
  3. ^ ゴルフJAPANコース. Famicon Masterpieces. Retrieved January 23, 2021.
  4. ^ やまだくん (June 9, 2018). ゴルフJAPANコース オリジナルコース(賞品) プレイ動画 / Golf Tournament Japan Course Prize Cart (FDS) Playthrough. YouTube. Retrieved January 22, 2021.
  5. ^ (January 17, 2013). 昔のファミコンソフトをやってみた⑮ (ゴルフ・チャンピオンズコース編). てぷこだんブログ. Retrieved January 22, 2021.
  6. ^ TEPCODAN (January 14, 2013). 任天堂ゴルフチャンピオンズコース. YouTube. Retrieved January 22, 2021.