With seven mainline installments dropping over the course of the last 35 years, it's more than understandable if a fan has forgotten one of Mario Golf's many playable characters. Though the original entry only offered two playable characters, the series quickly evolved, with 14 playable golfers being available in Mario Golf 64 and over 20 playable characters being available in the most recent entry, Mario Golf: Super Rush.
As such, it's only natural then that some fans will have forgotten the odd few characters here and there, especially if they're not the most memorable character in Mario lore. Plum from Mario Golf 64 is, unfortunately, one such character, who has fallen by the wayside a little in recent years. As such, those that see her upon going back to the classic game may be a bit confused, so it is worth looking at who she is and where exactly she came from.
Plum in Mario Golf 64
Plum's first and only playable appearance in any Nintendo game is in Mario Golf 64. Being ranked as an "Amateur" golfer, Plum is one of the first characters that the player can use. Plum is an original character to Mario Golf 64, being developed by Camelot Software Planning solely for this game. She appears right alongside Mario staples like the Luigi, Peach, and Yoshi, and also some other humanoid characters that were created by Camelot, Sonny, Maple, Charlie, and Harry.
In general, Plum is pretty well-balanced, with a fair amount of control over her shots. However, Plum's main weakness is her strength, as her drives lack quite a bit of power and won't carry the ball too far. Though to counteract this, Plum's shots are always very consistent and straight, with her strike area being quite large.
Plum is easily one of the best starter golfers in the game, with a balanced moveset allowing newcomers to learn the ropes with ease. Plum's well-balanced nature also makes her a pretty good option for those who are a little more experienced with Mario Golf 64's mechanics, as although she lacks power, the amount of control she has over the ball can lead to some pretty impressive shots. When all is said and done, Plum is both an excellent option for those just starting their Mario Golf career and those who have already spent hours on the green.
Plum's Appearances in Other Nintendo Games
Although Plum is only playable in Mario Golf 64, she has cropped up in a few Nintendo games since its release in 1999. A few months after Mario Golf 64's release, Mario Golf for the Game Boy Color dropped. Though Plum didn't make the playable roster, she does appear in the game's "Dictionary" section, where she explains the key terms of the sport. While Plum is depicted with black hair in Mario Golf 64, the Game Boy Color version gives her red hair.
Plum also makes an appearance in the Super Smash Bros. series. First, Plum appears as a Trophy in Super Smash Bros. Melee. Plum's Trophy can be grabbed when it appears randomly in any of Melee's single-player game modes. Plum is the only Mario Golf 64 character to get their own Trophy in the game.
Plum also appears as a Sticker in Super Smash Bros. Brawl. Plum is actually a surprisingly useful Sticker, raising the character's attack power by five points. Whereas some Stickers can only be used by certain characters, Plum's Sticker can be used by any fighter. With Nintendo games having so many iconic characters, though, it is easy to forget someone as obscure as Plum.
Mario Golf 64 is available on Nintendo 64.