Mario is Missing!

"A game unlike other Mario games"

Mario is Missing in unlike any of the classic Mario games in the series: it is not very much fun. It is a very short game, that attempts to tie in learning during the game. The game is aimed at children around the age of 10, but may be boring for them also.

Gameplay - 2/10

The gameplay in this game is very poor. The basic story is that Mario has been kidnapped by King Koopa, and it is up to you, playing the role of Luigi to find him. Before you can find him, you have to recover relics stolen from famous places, and return them to the proper location. In each area, you run around the town, and jump on the koopas. Of all of the koopas around the town, 3 of them hold the relics for that town. Once you have recovered a relic, you have to take it back to the information center relating to that item. When you get there, you have to answer questions about that landscape, or relic, the answers of which can be found on the pamphlet they will give you, to ensure that you don't have a fake relic.

The townspeople walking around the town are practically pointless. They are basically there to give you hints as to where you are. At this point, you use your globulator to send Yoshi to that area. It is not until you have Yoshi that you can escape an area. The koopas that walk around the town are no threat, as they cannot harm you. Succeeding in this game is basically a matter of being able to read, and putting in the time to finish each stage.

Graphics - 7/10

The graphics have the common Mario series quality. The main characters look pretty good, but the townspeople do not, with little detail to them. Backgrounds are decent, with buildings, and shadows of the landscape for the famous place you are in.

Music - 7/10

Once again, the music is similar to many of the tunes common to the Mario series, and the style reflects the country you are in. Songs in this game are good, but forgettable, and nothing very special.

Overall - 3/10

Overall, I cannot see many people enjoying this game. It is designed for younger children, but younger children may have difficulty handling the reading involved, and remembering the facts about each landmark. For the people who do not have difficulty with the reading, they may find it boring, since the plot, and general gameplay is not very exciting, and there is no real difficulty to the game.

Reviewer's Score: 3/10, Originally Posted: 10/13/01, Updated 10/13/01