About

<h2>Overview</h2><figure data-align="right" data-size="small" data-img-src="https://www.giantbomb.com/a/uploads/original/3/33529/1085632-gfs_47115_2_10.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-1085632" data-ratio="0.875" data-width="256" data-embed-type="image" style="width: 256px"><a class="fluid-height" style="padding-bottom:87.5%" href="https://www.giantbomb.com/a/uploads/original/3/33529/1085632-gfs_47115_2_10.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-1085632"><img alt="No Caption Provided" src="https://www.giantbomb.com/a/uploads/original/3/33529/1085632-gfs_47115_2_10.jpg" srcset="https://www.giantbomb.com/a/uploads/original/3/33529/1085632-gfs_47115_2_10.jpg 256w" sizes="(max-width: 256px) 100vw, 256px" data-width="256"></a></figure><p>Mario's Time Machine is a comedic <a href="https://www.giantbomb.com/edutainment/3015-2173/" data-ref-id="3015-2173">educational</a> <a href="https://www.giantbomb.com/point-and-click/3015-75/" data-ref-id="3015-75">point-and-click</a> adventure game developed and published by <a href="https://www.giantbomb.com/the-software-toolworks/3010-10/" data-ref-id="3010-10">The Software Toolworks</a> (with <a href="https://www.giantbomb.com/mindscape/3010-132/" data-ref-id="3010-132">Mindscape</a> publishing it in Europe) for <a href="https://www.giantbomb.com/pc/3045-94/" data-ref-id="3045-94">DOS PCs</a> in 1993.</p><p>Part of the <a href="https://www.giantbomb.com/mario-discovery-series/3025-3127/" data-ref-id="3025-3127">"Mario Discovery Series"</a> (an <a href="https://www.giantbomb.com/edutainment/3015-2173/" data-ref-id="3015-2173">edutainment</a> <a href="https://www.giantbomb.com/spin-off/3015-1100/" data-ref-id="3015-1100">spin-off</a> series of <a href="https://www.giantbomb.com/nintendo/3010-90/" data-ref-id="3010-90">Nintendo's</a> mascot <a href="https://www.giantbomb.com/mario/3025-1/" data-ref-id="3025-1">Mario</a> series), Mario's Time Machine has players, as the eponymous <a href="/mario/3005-177/" data-ref-id="3005-177">Mario</a>, using <a href="/bowser/3005-337/" data-ref-id="3005-337">Bowser's</a> <a href="/time-machine/3055-256/" data-ref-id="3055-256">time machine</a> to return valuable stolen artifacts from Bowser's museum back to their proper time, place, and owner. Intended on teaching world history and using deduction (which involves conversing with people from the period), the game also received a geography-focused sibling game with <a href="/mario-is-missing/3030-5443/" data-ref-id="3030-5443">Mario is Missing!</a>.</p><p>The game later received a CD-ROM re-release for Windows PC and <a href="/mac/3045-17/" data-ref-id="3045-17">Macintosh</a> computers, known as <em>Mario's Time Machine Deluxe</em>, featuring voice acting. It also received conversions for both the <a href="https://www.giantbomb.com/super-nintendo-entertainment-system/3045-9/" data-ref-id="3045-9">Super Nintendo Entertainment System</a> and <a href="https://www.giantbomb.com/nintendo-entertainment-system/3045-21/" data-ref-id="3045-21">Nintendo Entertainment System</a> (the latter ported by <a href="https://www.giantbomb.com/radical-entertainment-inc/3010-2249/" data-ref-id="3010-2249">Radical Entertainment</a>), using assets and visual styling from the 1990 game <a href="https://www.giantbomb.com/super-mario-world/3030-1334/" data-ref-id="3030-1334">Super Mario World</a>. The NES version also replaces the adventure game elements with traditional side-scrolling platforming while altering the story and adding a new mini-game inspired by the classic arcade game <a href="/mario-bros/3030-19726/" data-ref-id="3030-19726">Mario Bros.</a></p><h2>Gameplay</h2><p>The basic gameplay consists of players talking to historic figures and solving basic puzzles in order to return artifacts to their rightful owners. Each object in Bowser's museum has attached to it a basic explanation of a famous historical figure, including the date and location the item was taken from. By imputing these co-ordinates into the Timulator, Mario can travel back to the correct era with the item in tow.</p><p>When travelling back in time, players play a brief <a href="/minigames/3015-116/" data-ref-id="3015-116">minigame</a> where Mario travels trough an endless "ocean of time" with many <a href="/whirlpool/3010-6671/" data-ref-id="3010-6671">whirlpools</a>, and the objective is to grab enough <a href="/mushroom/3055-1236/" data-ref-id="3055-1236">mushrooms</a> and deposit them into a wave pool in order to succesfully travel back in time. If Mario does not collect enough mushrooms before falling into a whirlpool or has imputed the wrong year/location combo, he travels back to the prehistoric era where he must play a version of <a href="/donkey-kong/3030-311/" data-ref-id="3030-311">Donkey Kong</a> in order to get back to the museum where players can opt to try again.</p><p>Once reaching the correct era, Mario can walk around and ask NPCs for hints. Most will provide at least one of the clues necessary to fill in the explanation provided with the item, and once this report is correctly filled in the item is given to its correct owner and the player can move onto the next.</p><h3>NES Version</h3><p>The NES version is a little different from the original SNES version. In this version, Mario has to fight Koopa Troopas in platforming sequences before being allowed to travel back in time. Mario also has no idea which artifact goes in which period (the SNES version informs the player as soon as they collect one of the artifacts) and must use the NPC hints to figure out which artifact is the right one for each period.</p><h2>Story</h2><figure data-align="right" data-img-src="https://static.giantbomb.com/uploads/original/1/14599/347872-marios_time_machine_snes_screenshot1.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-347872" data-size="small" data-ratio="0.875" data-width="256" data-embed-type="image" style="width: 256px"><a class="fluid-height" style="padding-bottom:87.5%" href="https://static.giantbomb.com/uploads/original/1/14599/347872-marios_time_machine_snes_screenshot1.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-347872"><img alt="Title Screen of Mario's Time Machine" src="https://www.giantbomb.com/a/uploads/original/1/14599/347872-marios_time_machine_snes_screenshot1.jpg" srcset="https://www.giantbomb.com/a/uploads/original/1/14599/347872-marios_time_machine_snes_screenshot1.jpg 256w" sizes="(max-width: 256px) 100vw, 256px" data-width="256"></a><figcaption>Title Screen of Mario's Time Machine</figcaption></figure><p>Somehow Bowser has gotten a hold of a time machine, called the Timulator. Using the Timulator he goes back in time and steals many important artifacts of history. Bowser places all of these artifacts that he has taken into what he considers to be "the greatest <a href="/museum/3035-1295/" data-ref-id="3035-1295">museum</a> of all time." Bowser will then destroy the Timulator after he is done building his collection, and therefore change the course of history forever.</p><p>It is up to Mario to stop Browser from completing his collection of artifacts and return them to their respected time eras. If the artifacts are not brought back history will be changed permanently.</p><h2>Historical figures</h2><figure data-align="right" data-img-src="https://static.giantbomb.com/uploads/original/1/14599/347870-edumario17.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-347870" data-size="large" data-ratio="0.87109375" data-width="256" data-embed-type="image" style="width: 256px"><a class="fluid-height" style="padding-bottom:87.1%" href="https://static.giantbomb.com/uploads/original/1/14599/347870-edumario17.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-347870"><img alt="No Caption Provided" src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==" sizes="(max-width: 256px) 100vw, 256px" data-width="256" class="js-lazy-load-image" data-src="https://www.giantbomb.com/a/uploads/original/1/14599/347870-edumario17.jpg" data-srcset="https://www.giantbomb.com/a/uploads/original/1/14599/347870-edumario17.jpg 256w"><noscript><img alt="No Caption Provided" src="https://www.giantbomb.com/a/uploads/original/1/14599/347870-edumario17.jpg" srcset="https://www.giantbomb.com/a/uploads/original/1/14599/347870-edumario17.jpg 256w" sizes="(max-width: 256px) 100vw, 256px" data-width="256"></noscript></a></figure><p>The historical figure that are featured in the game are:</p><ul><li><a href="/cleopatra/3005-5296/" data-ref-id="3005-5296">Cleopatra VII</a></li><li><a href="/queen-elizabeth/3005-3405/" data-ref-id="3005-3405">Elizabeth I</a></li><li><a href="/ferdinand/3005-8011/" data-ref-id="3005-8011">Ferdinand Magellan</a></li><li>Issac Newton</li><li><a href="/joan-of-arc/3005-725/" data-ref-id="3005-725">Joan of Arc</a></li><li>Johann Gutenberg</li><li><a href="/leonardo-da-vinci/3005-3202/" data-ref-id="3005-3202">Leonardo de Vinci</a></li><li>Ludwig van Beethoven</li><li><a href="/gandhi/3005-2186/" data-ref-id="3005-2186">Mahatma Gandhi</a></li><li>Marco Polo</li><li><a href="/michelangelo/3005-172/" data-ref-id="3005-172">Michelangelo</a></li><li>Plato</li><li>Thomas Alva Edison</li><li><a href="/thomas-jefferson/3005-3649/" data-ref-id="3005-3649">Thomas Jefferson</a></li><li>William Shakespeare</li></ul><h2>Critical Reception</h2><p>When the SNES version was released in 1993 Electronic Gaming Monthly issued the review scores of 7,7,6 and 7. Danyon Carpenter wrote, "I actually enjoyed Mario is Missing and I expected this one to be the same. Luckily, it is and it offers even more challenging quests than the first. Kiddies may have a tougher time with this one. For all you experienced gamers, the game will seem like a cakewalk, especially the Donkey Kong-like scenes and the surf boarding, but once you start reading those questions you'd better break out the history books".</p>