Stroke & Match Golf
Front of Japanese VS. System flyer for VS. Golf and VS. Pinball. Published July 26, 1984.
VS. Golf / VS. Pinball flyer front showing off the upright VS. DualSystem
Developer Nintendo R&D2
Publisher Nintendo
Platform(s) VS. System, Nintendo Switch
Release date VS. System:
Japan August 1984[?]
USA October 1984 (VS. Golf)[?]
USA December 1984 (VS. Ladies Golf)[?]
Nintendo Switch (Arcade Archives):
Japan October 25, 2019[?]
USA October 25, 2019[?]
Europe October 25, 2019[?]
Australia October 25, 2019[?]
Language(s) English (United States)
Genre Sports
Rating(s)
ESRB:E - Everyone
PEGI:3 - Three years and older
CERO:A - All ages
ACB:G - General
Mode(s) 1–2 players
Format
Arcade:
Built-in
Nintendo Switch:
Digital download
Input
Arcade:
Joystick
Nintendo Switch:
Joy-Con (horizontal)

Stroke & Match Golf is a VS. System variation on Golf for the NES. Three versions of this game exist; two of them are labeled as VS. Golf on the instruction card, while the final is instead labeled VS. Ladies Golf, though all three are called Stroke & Match Golf in-game; the cabinet marquee and reference materials simply call them Golf, like the NES game. All have a "stroke" version for casual play, and a "match" version for competitive play against another player or a computer opponent. The general gameplay remains the same as the NES original, with the same control scheme, physics, and clubs. However, music and additional sound effects are added. All have more than 18 possible holes, though only 18 show up per round; certain holes are reserved as possible "first" and "second" holes (with these also having a possibility of appearing on the title screen), but the rest are entirely random. The international version of VS. Golf was later included on Arcade Archives by HAMSTER Corporation.[1]

VersionsEdit

The singular Japanese version features the same Mario lookalike as the NES game but has 26 holes in total. 17 of these holes are edited versions of holes from the original Golf, with aspects such as the putting green, out-of-bounds trees, bunkers, and water hazards given more difficult positions. Due to its nature as an arcade game, a points system is in place, measured in hundreds; in Stroke Play, a bogey loses 100 points and a double bogey or above loses 200 points; in Match Play, losing a round loses 100 points, while getting an equal score on a hole while sinking the ball second loses 50 points. Reaching zero points causes a game over, needing extra credits to continue. It has an attract mode showing gameplay.

Two international versions of the game exist, with one having the same male character as the NES version, but the other instead featuring a female player. These each have 21 possible holes for each 18-hole playthrough. Most of the Men's version uses holes straight from the NES version with occasional minor changes. In the Ladies' version, a few holes are reused from the Japanese release with a few tweaks, but most are completely unique. The points system in these versions was altered to be more forgiving, with the points being measured in single and double digits depending on how many credits are inserted and losing a smaller amount proportional to the amount of strokes taken, though pars also lose a single point on Stroke Play. On Match Play, each player loses one point for every stroke, getting them back by sinking their ball quicker by way of a "1up" that grants more points, or simply the standard point bonus for sinking it in a small enough amount of strokes. Unlike the Japanese version, the golfer in these releases performs a fist-pump upon getting a birdie or lower. These releases have attract modes with instructions.

HolesEdit

The below orders for each release's holes are based on how they are stored in the respective game's ROM.[2]

Japanese releaseEdit

Hole 1
  197m
Par 3
 
Hole 2
  361m
Par 4
 
Hole 3
  357m
Par 4
 
Hole 4
  375m
Par 4
 
Hole 5
  159m
Par 3
 
Hole 6
  361m
Par 4
 
Hole 7
  373m
Par 4
 
Hole 8
  449m
Par 5
 
Hole 9
  517m
Par 5
 
Hole 10
  421m
Par 4
 
Hole 11
  469m
Par 5
 
Hole 12
  431m
Par 5
 
Hole 13
  215m
Par 3
 
Hole 14
  389m
Par 4
 
Hole 15
  505m
Par 5
 
Hole 16
  376m
Par 4
 
Hole 17
  371m
Par 4
 
Hole 18
  374m
Par 4
 
Hole 19
  366m
Par 4
 
Hole 20
  459m
Par 5
 
Hole 21
  226m
Par 3
 
Hole 22
  496m
Par 5
 
Hole 23
  200m
Par 3
 
Hole 24
  384m
Par 4
 
Hole 25
  342m
Par 4
 
Hole 26
  314m
Par 4
 

International release (Men's)Edit

Hole 1
  215y
Par 3
 
Hole 2
  395y
Par 4
 
Hole 3
  408y
Par 4
 
Hole 4
  512y
Par 5
 
Hole 5
  409y
Par 4
 
Hole 6
  395y
Par 4
 
Hole 7
  400y
Par 4
 
Hole 8
  343y
Par 4
 
Hole 9
  491y
Par 5
 
Hole 10
  390y
Par 4
 
Hole 11
  410y
Par 4
 
Hole 12
  471y
Par 5
 
Hole 13
  218y
Par 3
 
Hole 14
  552y
Par 5
 
Hole 15
  398y
Par 4
 
Hole 16
  406y
Par 4
 
Hole 17
  174y
Par 3
 
Hole 18
  542y
Par 5
 
Hole 19
  247y
Par 3
 
Hole 20
  420y
Par 4
 
Hole 21
  374y
Par 4
 

International release (Ladies')Edit

Hole 1
  411y
Par 4
 
Hole 2
  398y
Par 4
 
Hole 3
  418y
Par 4
 
Hole 4
  398y
Par 4
 
Hole 5
  393y
Par 4
 
Hole 6
  523y
Par 5
 
Hole 7
  429y
Par 4
 
Hole 8
  570y
Par 5
 
Hole 9
  435y
Par 5
 
Hole 10
  463y
Par 5
 
Hole 11
  227y
Par 3
 
Hole 12
  422y
Par 4
 
Hole 13
  466y
Par 4
 
Hole 14
  407y
Par 4
 
Hole 15
  524y
Par 5
 
Hole 16
  355y
Par 4
 
Hole 17
  198y
Par 3
 
Hole 18
  324y
Par 4
 
Hole 19
  185y
Par 3
 
Hole 20
  336y
Par 4
 
Hole 21
  196y
Par 3
 

GalleryEdit

SpritesEdit

ScreenshotsEdit

Japanese releaseEdit

US - men's releaseEdit

US - ladies' releaseEdit

MiscellaneousEdit

ReferencesEdit

  1. ^ Hamster Corporation. Arcade Archives: Golf
  2. ^ Nintendo's 8-bit Obsession with Golf. Written October 28, 2019, by Great Hierophant on Blogspot. Edited September 12, 2023 to include information on the Japanese release of VS. Golf following message by Doc von Schmeltwick (talk)