Mario Golf Super Rushwas recently released on August 07, 2025, and has offered players the trademark over-the-top fun that fans have come to expect from aMariosports game. Unfortunately, reviews for the game have been mixed, exemplified by its current72 critic score and 6.1 user score on Metacritic.Criticisms of the game have varied, though one persistent issue has been a perceived lack of content for the game’s hefty price tag.
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Thankfully, Nintendo has promised thatfurther content will be released down the line, including new courses and playable characters. Fans have already been discussing which characters they hope are implemented in the game, as many familiar faces have been left off of the game’s roster.
10Petey Piranha
Petey Piranha seems like a safe bet to appear as a DLC character, as the mutant has been playable in multiple sports games in the past, includingMario Strikers ChargedandMario Super Sluggers.
Petey Piranha made his first appearance as a boss inSuper Mario Sunshineand has since appeared as a villain in numerous other releases such asPaper Mario: Sticker StarandNew Super Mario Bros.
9Shy Guy
Shy Guys are one of the many entries on this list that make an appearance in the game as background NPCs but aren’t playable characters.
Like Petey Piranha, Shy Guys have been playable in numerous sports titles before, such asMario Power TennisandMario Kart 8 Deluxe, so there’s a very good chance that they’ll be playable in theSuper Rushat some point. Interestingly, Shy Guys didn’t make their first appearance in aMariogame, but inYume Kōjō: Doki Doki Panic, a non-Mariogame that would later be released outside of Japan in an altered state asSuper Mario Bros. 2.
8Funky Kong
TheDonkey KongandMariofranchises have always gone hand in hand, with Mario making his first-ever gaming appearance in theDonkey Kongarcade game from 1981.
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Unsurprisingly, Donkey Kong is playable inMario Golf Super Rush, though his charismatic friend Funky Kong is yet to appear. Funky Kong has been a playable character in threeMariosports games thus far:Mario Kart Wii,Mario Kart Tour,andMario Super Sluggers.
7Goomba
Another set of characters that make an appearance inMario Golf Super Rushas background NPCs are Goombas, the iconic gaming fodder who never seem to get a glimpse of the limelight.
Granted, Goombas aren’t the most glamorous characters in theMariofranchise, though ifCrash Team Racing Nitro-Fueledcanmake a Checkpoint Crate a playable character, then it only seems fair that Mario’s long-running nemesis' get their moment to shine.
6Hammer Bros.
Hammer Bros. seem like an obvious choice forMario Golf Super Rush, as their signature hammers would make great impromptu golf clubs for a special move. The characters have appeared as enemies in tons ofMariogames, with their first appearance being in the originalSuper Mario Bros.
Hammer Bros. have also been playable characters in previous sports games, includingMario Strikers ChargedandMario Super Sluggers.In both games, they use their hammers to strike the ball.
5Link
As one of the few gaming heroes who has a brand value comparable to Mario’s, Link seems like a perfect choice to include as a DLC character to tantalize players into investing further in the game.
Link made his first appearance as a playable character in aMariogame withMario Kart 8andMario Kart 8 Deluxe, so the chances of him switching universes again don’t seem too far-fetched.
4Professor E. Gadd
One of golf’s most appealing features is that it can be played professionally by people of almost all ages. Whereas footballers, MMA fighters, and basketball players all have to cram their careers into a couple of decades, golfers can have careers lasting half a century, and the sport is often enjoyed casually by those well over 60. Suffice to say,Mario Golf Super Rushmay be the perfect game to introduce Professor E. Gadd, the scientist fromLuigi’s Mansion, into the world ofMariosports games.
3Dry Bones
Dry Bones are a recurring enemy of theMarioseries that first appeared in the gameSuper Mario Bros. 3.
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The characters resemble Koopa Troopas but have a severe lack of skin or organs. Consequently, the enemies are easy to knock down but very difficult to kill as they can reattach themselves and come back swinging. The enemies have appeared as playable characters in numerousMario KartandMario Partygamesin the past, so there’s a good chance that the skeletal creatures will be playable inMario Golf Super Rushsooner rather than later.
2Baby Characters
TheMariobaby characters seem to divide opinion amongst fans, with some people loving their designs while others see them as an easy way for Nintendo to expand roster numbers.
Although their collective place is divisive, it’s fair to say that the leading character, Baby Mario, has earned his spot. The character first appeared in the highly regardedSuper Mario World 2: Yoshi’s Islandand has remained a leading character in theYoshi’s Islandseries since.
1Diddy Kong
It seems that Diddy Kong may be grounded in theMariouniverse, as he doesn’t join Donkey Kong as a playable character inMario Golf Super Rush. In reality, Diddy Kong’s exclusion from the game is presumably because Nintendo wanted to hold back a big-name character so that the upcoming DLCs aren’t viewed as an afterthought.
Diddy Kong’s first gaming appearance was in the critically acclaimed platformerDonkey Kong Country, while his first playable appearance in aMariogame was inMario Golf: Toadstool Tour.
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