List of Mario educational games facts for kids
The Super Mario series is super popular, right? Because of this, some special Mario educational games were made between 1988 and 1996. These games were like spin-offs, meaning they used Mario characters but taught you different things instead of just being adventure games.
Interestingly, Nintendo didn't make most of these games themselves. Other companies, like The Software Toolworks and Interplay Entertainment, developed them. You could play these games on different systems, including the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES), the Super NES, or personal computers.
These Mario educational games were usually made for younger kids, like those in preschool or kindergarten. They helped teach skills such as language, typing, geography, and even history. However, many people didn't really like these games, and some even called them the worst Mario games ever! Still, some of them became famous for funny Internet memes.
I Am a Teacher: Super Mario Sweater
I Am a Teacher: Super Mario Sweater was a unique game released only in Japan in 1986. It came out for the Famicom Disk System. A company called Royal Industries Co., Ltd., which made sewing machines, designed this game.
In this game, players could design their own sweater. Then, the company would actually make the sweater for them for a small fee! It was a very different kind of Mario game.
Mario Discovery Series
The "Mario Discovery Series" is a name given to five Mario educational games. These games were all developed by a company called The Software Toolworks.
Mario Is Missing!
Mario Is Missing! is a game that teaches you about geography. It was released in 1993 for PCs, Macintosh computers, the Super NES, and the NES. Different companies developed the game for different systems.
In the game, Bowser sets up a castle in Antarctica. He plans to melt all the ice there using hair dryers to flood the Earth! To get money for his plan, he sends Koopas to cities all over the world to steal famous artifacts. Mario, Luigi, and Yoshi go to Bowser's castle to stop him. But then, Mario gets kidnapped by Bowser! This means Luigi has to rescue him.
Luigi moves through Bowser's castle, and each floor is guarded by a Koopaling. There are also pipes that take Luigi to different cities. In each city, Luigi has to jump on Koopas to get back the stolen artifacts, which are pieces of famous landmarks. After getting an artifact, Luigi must take it back to its right place in the city. He also has to answer two questions correctly about the landmark. Once an artifact is returned, the landmark opens again.
Mario Is Missing! is special because it was the first Mario game where only Luigi was the main character. This didn't happen again until Luigi's Mansion, which came out in 2001 for the Nintendo GameCube.
Mario's Time Machine
Mario's Time Machine was first released on MS-DOS computers. Later, it also came out for the NES and Super NES. An updated version, Mario's Time Machine Deluxe, was released in 1996.
In this game, Bowser uses a time machine to steal important items from different times in history. Mario's job is to travel through time and return these items to their correct places. Just like Mario Is Missing!, this game wasn't very popular with players.
Mario's Early Years! games
The Mario's Early Years! games were made for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System and computers. There were three games in this series:
- Mario's Early Years! Fun with Letters
- Mario's Early Years! Fun with Numbers
- Mario's Early Years! Preschool Fun
These games were released in late 1994, one after another. All three games could even use the SNES Mouse accessory. In these games, Mario, Princess Peach, and Yoshi travel on a wooden boat. They go from island to island, learning about different subjects like letters and numbers. All three games used the same basic game design.
Mario Teaches Typing games
The Mario Teaches Typing game was released for personal computers. Its main goal was to help children learn how to type better. The company Interplay Productions developed and published this game.
A sequel, Mario Teaches Typing 2, was made by Brainstorm and released by Interplay in 1997.
Mario's Game Gallery
Mario's Game Gallery includes five classic games that are similar to real-world board games, but with a fun Mario twist. In these games, you play against Mario himself! This was the first time Charles Martinet voiced Mario in a game. While some people liked this game and its re-release Mario's FUNdamentals, others thought it was one of the worst games featuring Mario.
Super Mario Bros. & Friends: When I Grow Up
Super Mario Bros. & Friends: When I Grow Up is a computer coloring game for kids. It features Mario and Luigi and was released in 1991 for MS-DOS computers. Players could color in pictures of Mario and other Nintendo characters.
See also
In Spanish: Anexo:Videojuegos educativos de Mario para niños
