On the "Mario Golf: World Tour" with Noah Munck

Heads up, Mario Bros. fans! Or should we say, Fore! It's release day for Nintendo's Mario Golf: World Tour, available for the Nintendo 3DS and 2DS systems. The game is packed with your favorite Mario Bros. characters and wacky golf gameplay. And to learn more about it, we talked with Noah Munck, Nintendo's celebrity spokesman for Mario Golf: World Tour.

You might know Noah from his days on the Nickelodeon show iCarly. The California native appeared in 61 episodes of the show as Gibby, one of Carly's close pals. After the show ended in 2012, he found roles on a couple other TV shows and TV movies. He's also branched out to big-screen films, including a new adaptation of Tom Sawyer & Huckleberry Finn, which will be released later this year.

Noah told SI Kids that he's a huge sports fan and he loves playing video games. He might not be the best real-life golfer, but he plays a mean round of Mario Golf. Check out our interview for more, including Noah's his secret for Mario Golf domination!

So how did you become a golf fan so young?

When I was a kid, I got into it through mini-golf, of course. I watched it with my grandpa. It's pigeonholed as an old person's sport, but with Mario Golf: World Tour, it takes golf and makes it kid friendly. It takes golf and takes a great twist on golf.

What other sports were popular in your family growing up? 

Football. I played football all my life. My dad's a huge football player, loves football. We would throw the ball around, play games of pick-up — that's what we do in the summer. 

Who did you root for growing up in Orange County? 

USC, definitely. My dad is also a Cleveland Browns fan, sadly. So I've grown up being a fan of them, not by choice, but by blood. 

Any other sports you like to play? 

I like a little bit of basketball here and there. Paintball is definitely one of my things to do with friends. I love the combat. I'll also mini-golf with friends a lot. Football, paintball, and mini golf: that's me.

What video games did you play growing up?

The Mario series and Legend of Zelda were huge for me. I was a Zelda fanatic. I played every Zelda game there is. 

Favorite Zelda game?

Ocarina of Time, by far. And then the new one that just came out for 3DS — The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds — is incredible. I've just played that over Christmas break and it was awesome. 

Do you golf in real life? 

Occasionally, but I'm not good at it. I'm really good at Mario Golf — I can brag about that.

What's the secret to the game?

Lots of top-spin!

What’s the best character to golf as in the game?

I love Donkey Kong, because he swings it with just one hand. It's just so sick.


Photos courtesy Nintendo