Mario is Missing
Bowser doesn`t like geography but Mario does!
Mario is Missing is a cool educational game, with its focus set on geography. It will teach kids and older how to read a map, how to look on a globe and how to read a city map. Mario and his forever arch nemesis Bowser have always hated one another, and in this game too, Mario is being tricked by Bowser, and, from there on, an entire globe chase will ensue. The puzzles, as I said are based on map reading, and other such clues. The game includes a globulator map (a spinning globe), a city map and a photo album like puzzler. All in all, the game is pretty relaxed and, for those that love a Mario game with a totally different build than the sidescrollers that we've all been accustomed to, you will find it pretty interesting. Also, it features Yoshi, as your most trusted companion and locomotion animal! And, with 25 cities to play through, it can be said that Mario is Missing is pretty well done, pretty fun and satisfying to sink into. Else, see your Super Mario game of choice! and keep the Mario dream alight!
Mario Sandiego, Not Bad
Mario Is Missing is a fantastic example of the possible educational power of computer games. Mario is kidnapped and his brother, Luigi, scours the world to find him. The game is quite long and requires the player to learn about major landmarks and cities while globe trotting. It's a perfect introduction to global culture and some history, in a setting younger players would be attracted to. I first played this when I was younger and I remember learning a lot about the world from this game. It's a great complement to the Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego series for learning fundamentals of geography. Parents who wish to enhance and supplement their children's education should also look into Mario's Time Machine. Any of these games can inspire a child to go investigate certain nuggets of knowledge further and find out more on their own time. The sprites and animations are a bit awkward looking, Luigi and Yoshi just don't seem to look exactly like how we've come to know them. Hopefully that player will be able to forgive it, or at least not be so discriminating to give up on the game.
