Game of the Week #30

Metal Mario · 02-06-2010, 05:11 AM

Mario Is Missing! (NES & Super NES, 1993*)

Probably the most infamous edutainment video game there is, Mario Is Missing! features Luigi in his first solo quest as he travels the globe on his mission to win back stolen artifacts from the Koopas and ultimately rescue his brother Mario from Bowser's clutches. In an adventure spanning all seven continents, Luigi must recover treasures like slippers from the Bolshoi Ballet in Moscow or coins from the Trevi Fountain in Rome and return them to their proper places. (Bowser has stolen these things, incidentally, in order to finance his operation to melt Antarctica with the world's largest collection of hair dryers.)

Mario Is Missing! is notable among Mario's library of games for being almost universally despised. Simplistic and repetitive, it's certainly no Super Mario World. But cut it some slack already, guys; Mario Is Missing! was never supposed to be Super Mario World. It was never supposed to be an epic, historic, genre-defining masterpiece that would live on forever in the annals of video game greats like Super Mario Bros. or The Legend of Zelda. It's just a Mario-flavored edutainment game targeted at young children learning about geography and history. If that's not what you're looking for, then chances are you won't enjoy Mario Is Missing! But you probably don't sit around all afternoon watching Sesame Street or Barney & Friends either, and that's because you don't represent the target audience for those shows.

You may agree or disagree, but I believe Mario Is Missing! succeeds at what it sets out to do. I played the Super NES version many a time when I was a wee nipper, and guess what? I actually learned stuff! I learned that the Transamerica Pyramid in San Francisco is earthquake-proof, I learned that the Great Wall of China can be seen from outer space, and I learned that there's a gigantic statue of Jesus in Rio de Janeiro.

*PC version released in 1992.

Random User · 02-06-2010, 09:00 AM

I believe this is where WEEGEE was born.

Luigiman7 · 02-06-2010, 06:16 PM

I wanna play this. I always wanted to.

ONE DAY.

Metal Mario · 02-10-2010, 07:29 PM

All three versions of Mario Is Missing! are basically the same game, but they do also feature notable differences. Observe the following gameplay videos (if you dare).

PC version

Click to view video.

NES version

Click to view video.

Super NES version

Click to view video.

Dizzy · 02-10-2010, 08:46 PM

MiM was not a bad game, really. I had fun, and actually LEARNED stuff.

BTW, Did you already do a GotW of Mario's Time Machine?

Metal Mario · 02-10-2010, 10:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DarkZero

Did you already do a GotW of Mario's Time Machine?

Not yet, but we'll get there someday.

Dr. Furball · 02-11-2010, 01:56 PM

I've got the SNES version.
The novelty of playing as Luigi in a starring role lured me in, and while I was pretty disappointed, I agree that it wasn't terrible, and I learned a few things, too.

The ending was definitely the best part.

TheEvilDM · 02-12-2010, 09:07 PM

omg MiM that takes me back... I had so much fun with this one, was probably one of the few Mario games I've ever beaten completely. (wow, I fail at life, dont I?)

02-06-2010, 05:11 AM	#1
Metal Mario Veteran Member Join Date: Dec 1999 Gender: Posts: 16,435 Thanks: 72 Thanked 190 Times in 127 Posts	Game of the Week #30 Mario Is Missing! *(NES & Super NES, 1993)** Probably the most infamous edutainment video game there is, Mario Is Missing! features Luigi in his first solo quest as he travels the globe on his mission to win back stolen artifacts from the Koopas and ultimately rescue his brother Mario from Bowser's clutches. In an adventure spanning all seven continents, Luigi must recover treasures like slippers from the Bolshoi Ballet in Moscow or coins from the Trevi Fountain in Rome and return them to their proper places. (Bowser has stolen these things, incidentally, in order to finance his operation to melt Antarctica with the world's largest collection of hair dryers.) Mario Is Missing! is notable among Mario's library of games for being almost universally despised. Simplistic and repetitive, it's certainly no Super Mario World. But cut it some slack already, guys; Mario Is Missing! was never supposed to be Super Mario World. It was never supposed to be an epic, historic, genre-defining masterpiece that would live on forever in the annals of video game greats like Super Mario Bros. or The Legend of Zelda. It's just a Mario-flavored edutainment game targeted at young children learning about geography and history. If that's not what you're looking for, then chances are you won't enjoy Mario Is Missing! But you probably don't sit around all afternoon watching Sesame Street or Barney & Friends either, and that's because you don't represent the target audience for those shows. You may agree or disagree, but I believe Mario Is Missing! succeeds at what it sets out to do. I played the Super NES version many a time when I was a wee nipper, and guess what? I actually learned stuff! I learned that the Transamerica Pyramid in San Francisco is earthquake-proof, I learned that the Great Wall of China can be seen from outer space, and I learned that there's a gigantic statue of Jesus in Rio de Janeiro. *PC version released in 1992.

02-06-2010, 09:00 AM	#2
Random User Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Equestrian Republic of Spanglidesh Gender: Posts: 3,562 Thanks: 321 Thanked 195 Times in 143 Posts Blog Entries: 4	I believe this is where WEEGEE was born.

02-06-2010, 06:16 PM	#3
Luigiman7 ヽ(◔ ◡ ◔)ノ.･ﾟ*｡･+☆ Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: ~)´◡｀(~ Gender: Posts: 17,605 Thanks: 1,134 Thanked 1,012 Times in 713 Posts Blog Entries: 8	I wanna play this. I always wanted to. ONE DAY. __________________ ／人◕ ‿‿ ◕人＼ＷＯＮ’Ｔ　ＹＯＵ　ＢＥＣＯＭＥ　Ａ　ＭＡＧＩＣＡＬ　ＧＩＲＬ？

02-10-2010, 08:46 PM	#5
Dizzy Podiaphobe Join Date: Oct 2007 Gender: Posts: 19,359 Thanks: 1,764 Thanked 1,162 Times in 805 Posts Blog Entries: 116	MiM was not a bad game, really. I had fun, and actually LEARNED stuff. BTW, Did you already do a GotW of Mario's Time Machine?

02-11-2010, 01:56 PM	#7
Dr. Furball Member Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Mad Science Academy, 12th Floor Gender: Posts: 1,125 Thanks: 185 Thanked 97 Times in 60 Posts	I've got the SNES version. The novelty of playing as Luigi in a starring role lured me in, and while I was pretty disappointed, I agree that it wasn't terrible, and I learned a few things, too. The ending was definitely the best part.

02-12-2010, 09:07 PM	#8
TheEvilDM Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: the seventh layer of hell. Wisconsin Gender: Posts: 520 Thanks: 33 Thanked 32 Times in 16 Posts	omg MiM that takes me back... I had so much fun with this one, was probably one of the few Mario games I've ever beaten completely. (wow, I fail at life, dont I?)