Camelot, by today's standards, are not that big of a development team. Which makes it even more impressive that they are able to produce good quality software in such short development timeframes. Almost one year after the US release of the GameCube version of Mario Golf comes the compatriot GBA version. Much in the same way that the Cube version was similar to the N64 game, this new GBA game has many similarities to the previous Game Boy Color release.

The over-riding aspect here is that, unlike their big console brothers, the handheld Mario Golf games are much more than just playing 18 holes. Starting with a young golfer new to the tour scene, it is your job to develop, nurture and mould your golf style through him or her. There is a choice of two golfers to begin with, Neil and Ella, and whichever you don't pick will be your CPU controlled partner for doubles tournaments.

Story mode opens up with a very chat-based opening which will take a few minutes to scroll through. Whilst a little thumb numbing, it sets the scene and thankfully such RPG-inspired talkfests are absent from the rest of the game. You are then pretty much left to your own devices about what to do next. Exploring the world map is a must, and various items are hidden about that will improve the standing of your characters. Talking to all of the locals will impart some useful information, and there is the chance to practice most aspects of your game. Overall the story mode has many aspects similar to that of an RPG, just without any killing or having to rescue rescue the princess.

There are five courses available to play on, which may not seem like many, but remember that they should all be played through in both singles and doubles competition. In addition the acquisition of birdie badges may garner extra features, and new to the series are course records; beating them also will invoke a reward. Aside from the main tournaments, there are plenty of side games and skill challenges to beat; such include getting at least seven out of ten attempts on target for a variety of different shots (driving, approach, putting etc); getting round three holes in seven or less shots; and the highly frustrating "one on, one putt" test.

Winning tournaments, defeating side games and beating records earns experience, and this is where the second facet of the game being a pseudo RPG come into play. Getting enough experience enables a character to "level up" and alter one of their statistics accordingly, be it drive length, spin, flight height and so on. The kicker is that experience should be distributed through both players at the same time; without developing your partner in accordance, then there is little chance of winning in the doubles tournaments.

Sometimes it is difficult enough trying to win either a Doubles tournament or matchplay challenge in itself without your partner being, well frankly, crap at times. Even after vast amounts of levelling up, they all too often stack the ball into a bunker or the rough when it seemed far easier to actually keep it on the fairway. In balance with this, the AI of your opponents seems to be on a similar level; certainly it is less challenging than in Toadstool Tour which means most of the tournaments and matchplay challenges shouldn't be that hard to beat.

Indeed, a greater amount of focus should be placed on acquiring birdie badges and beating records during said competitions, and completing all the challenges and side tasks available. That is where more of the challenge and difficulty lie, mainly due to the onus of responsibility being firmly on your shoulders and no one else's. Beating anything nearly always brings about some reward, so there is reason for playing as many of them as possible.

One other reason is the issue of connectivity between this game and Toadstool Tour. No doubt there is already a pre-emptive gnashing of teeth from the brigade who do not like this feature. Like it or loathe it, it cannot be denied that both games stand on their own two feet and are great if just considered as separate entities. It just so happens they become even better from linking up, and in the case of Toadstool Tour, giving it a new shot in the arm play wise.

And that isn't just because you are able to use both Neil and Ella as regular competitors, or the fact that any experience gained with them in Toadstool Tour can be transferred back to the GBA version. The main benefit is from the club sets. During play in Advance Tour, there is often the ability to have a specialised set of clubs made with specific properties, such as extra distance, greater control, lower flight and extra spin. Linking the two games opens a previously hidden ability in Toadstool Tour allowing the use of any of the club sets found at that point in Advance Tour within the Cube game. A rather radical addition as suddenly there is huge range of choice available about how to play the game with whatever club setup desired.

Graphically, it's a mix of quite different styles. Whilst wandering around the golf clubs and on the greens, there is a distinctly traditional SNES RPG type look with small sprites and compact, almost tile based layouts. During the shot taking, the view is very similar to that of Nintendo's very old NES golf game. The courses themselves and practice sections of each club are rendered in Mode 7, which allows for an incredible amount of colour and detail, together with ease of manipulation, but suffers slightly from the judders when trying to actually stay still.

Control wise, it is exactly the same as Toadstool Tour. There is the option for automatic accuracy for those just looking to hit the ball and run, but for all the more precise and detailed shots that are required, manual control is a must. All aspects of the ball's flight can be altered as needed by changing the impact point with the pad, along with applying spin upon landing. There is then the small measure of getting the accuracy correct when stopping the moving bar, otherwise the ball may well skew off into the trees. All of this is easily handled between the pad and two buttons, and none of it is too complicated to pull off.

Advance Tour offers much more in terms of longevity and variety than Toadstool Tour did, but on the other hand, doesn't do it quite as slickly. Herein lies the balance that they are obviously companion titles; much more is to be gained from having both than just either one. As a standalone, Advance Tour is probably the best handheld golf game ever, even managing to beat Turf Masters on the NGPC. That is the calibre of this title, despite the detractions. It's fun, engaging and completely customisable depending on how you play. A real connection is made with Neil and Ella; they are the ones being tailored and yet there is a feeling they are the representation of the player themselves within the game. Pretty much essential for Mario Golf nuts and worth a punt for everyone else.