Introduction:

Mario is Missing is an example of Nintendos efforts to connect the fanbase of the legendary Mario franchise with a younger audience who more than likely have not encountered the hero in a game before because they are too young. However, the main character in this game is not Mario but Luigi, with Yoshi the dinosaur playing an important secondary role. At the time the game came out Nintendo was hoping that parents would quickly buy the game for its educational merit.

Story:

The story is basic and simple. Mario is Missing. You, playing as Luigi, must find him by visiting various historical locations. You retrieve items from Koopa Troopas, return them to info booths, answer a few questions and then move along. Nice and simple.

Gameplay:

Mario is Missing has some interesting gameplay features. First of all, you cannot die in this game. This is a game aimed at a younger audience and the last thing mommy or daddy wants to see is a person being killed. This is also a turn off for most gamers as the challenge level drops significantly. The controls are fairly basic. The directional controls are key to this game and being able to quickly select the right items is helpful but not absolutely necessary. One problem is that you have to have the individual item selected in order to talk to people about it and that icon will show up as a ? bag. Also there is no checklist to see if you have asked people everything about the different items. Not that you would lose any sleep over it, but it is annoying.

I give the gameplay: 9/10

Graphics:

The graphics for this game are rather poor but you can make out people and buildings easily. It serves its purpose, but more time and effort would have made this game better.

I give the graphics: 4/10

Sound:

The sounds in this game are both repetitive and annoying. Like most NES games, I advise you to mute the sound and listen to music you like. This is the single worst aspect of this game. In fact the music in this game is slightly worse than other NES games.

I give the sound: 3/10

Replayability:

The game doesn't have any replay value since there are no branching plotlines to choose from or for that matter anything at all that changes in terms of content. However the fact that it is a NES game should be taken into account because many NES games have low replayability value. Giving this game to a younger sibling with a passion for history might not be a bad idea. Giving this game to a 60 year old would more than likely prove to be a far less intelligent idea.

I give the replayability: 5/10

Challenge:

There is no challenge because you can't die.

I give the challenge: 0/10

Value:

There is plenty of historical value to this game. Most serious gamers would not value this game.

I give the value: 5/10

Overall:

I recommend this game to young aspiring history teachers and people who know very little about history and would rather learn through a game than reading a book. Most people however should not play this game as it is designed for youngsters under ten. Serious gamers should avoid this game at all costs. Buying or renting this game is up to you but be warned that the game is not for everyone.

I give Mario is Missing: 8/10

Conclusion:

People either love this game or detest it. Personally I enjoyed the game. I wouldn't buy the game but I would recommend renting it.

Written By: Vitani
E-Mail Address: bmbarry@smcm.edu
Date Submitted: August 4th, 2005

Click Here to see other things Vitani has sent in.