History VideoGame / MarioIsMissing

''Mario Is Missing!'' is a geography-based [[EdutainmentGame educational game]] developed by The Software Toolworks and released for the PC in 1992 and UsefulNotes/{{Nintendo|EntertainmentSystem}} [[UsefulNotes/SuperNintendo consoles]] in 1993. The game is the result of Nintendo partering with Radical Entertainment to create an educational Mario game. Nintendo licensed the Mario characters but was otherwise not involved in the game's development. While Mario still stars in the title, this was the first game with Luigi as the main character, and remained the only one until Nintendo released their own take with ''VideoGame/LuigisMansion1'' in 2001. The PC version is notable for giving birth to the "Weegee" internet meme, based on Luigi's creepy sprite.

* TheCameo: Princess Daisy runs the information booths in some versions.

* CreepyChild: Princess Peach's voice acting.

* CanonDiscontinuity: To the extent that the series ''[[NegativeContinuity has]]'' continuity; while unlike ''VideoGame/HotelMario'', this and ''VideoGame/MariosTimeMachine'' at least made it to Nintendo consoles, Nintendo themselves doesn't reference the two titles even in franchise retrospectives. To further hammer this home, ''VideoGame/LuigisMansion'', which was released in 2001, is presented as if it's the first time Luigi went on an adventure to find his missing brother.

* OffModel:
** In the PC version, at least two castle hallways have shields bearing the faces of Larry, Roy, Iggy, Ludwig, and Lemmy... except Lemmy is blatantly Larry with Lemmy's hair in a glaring example of cutting corners.
** Bowser in the PC version has brown hair instead of orange (which was his default color before later games were able to show him as a redhead) and his tail is somehow a part of the shell rather than his body, which also shows that his actual body has no tail after Luigi yanks the shell off. The SNES version has Bowser with a very small belly/body, making his legs and arms looking too big by comparison. The NES version is even worse; Bowser looks completely different, looking more like a koopaling or even a normal koopa with fangs and despite [[YourSizeMayVary ranging from tall to giant]] in most games, here ''he's shorter than Luigi!''
** Mario in the SNES and NES versions has purple overalls instead of the usual blue.
** Yoshi in the PC version looks like someone who had tried to draw him after only seeing him once. Yoshi's body is very elongated and his head is laughably small, along with having a pair of comically small arms. When viewed from the front, Yoshi looks like he suddenly became obese and very wide.
** The Koopalings in the SNES version not only suffer HeadSwap syndrome, but their bodies have the same green shell, even though they typically have shells of different colors and sizes to reflect their character.

''Mario Is Missing!'' is a geography-based [[EdutainmentGame educational game]] developed by The Software Toolworks and released for the PC in 1992 and UsefulNotes/{{Nintendo|EntertainmentSystem}} [[UsefulNotes/SuperNintendo consoles]] in 1993. The game is the result of Nintendo partering with Radical Entertainment to create an educational Mario game. Nintendo licensed the Mario characters but was otherwise not involved in the game's development. While Mario still stars in the title, this was the first game with Luigi as the main character, and remained the only one until ''VideoGame/LuigisMansion1'' came out in 2001. The PC version is notable for giving birth to the "Weegee" internet meme, based on Luigi's creepy sprite.

* ExcitedShowTitle: Just to clue you in that Mario is indeed missing!

* StupidStatementDanceMix: Exhibited in [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3UHGIoe5E8g this video]].

''Mario Is Missing!'' is a geography-based [[EdutainmentGame educational game]] developed by The Software Toolworks and released for the PC in 1992 and UsefulNotes/{{Nintendo|EntertainmentSystem}} [[UsefulNotes/SuperNintendo consoles]] in 1993. The game is the result of Nintendo partering with Radical Entertainment to create an educational Mario game. Nintendo licensed the Mario characters but was otherwise not involved in the game's development. While Mario still stars in the title, this was the first game with Luigi as the main character, and remained the only one until ''VideoGame/LuigisMansion'' came out in 2001. The PC version is notable for giving birth to the "Weegee" internet meme, based on Luigi's creepy sprite.

A sequel, ''[[VideoGame/MariosTimeMachine Mario's Time Machine]]'', eventually came, which is pretty similar, but [[RecycledInSpace WITH TIME TRAVEL!]]

* PaletteSwap: The NES and SNES versions of the game [[VideoGame/SuperMarioBros continue]] [[VideoGame/SuperMarioBros3 the]] [[VideoGame/SuperMarioWorld trend]] of having Mario and Luigi look exactly alike. Averted in the PC version, where Luigi has his comparatively taller and more lanky appearance that more closely resembles his official depiction.

* ExcitedShowTitle

* WeAllLiveInAmerica: All five of the NPC townspeople always have the same voices in the Deluxe version, regardless of where you are at...up to and including their lack of local accents. Particularly jarring considering the mayors do get proper accents (albeit of the FakeNationality sort).

* DanBrowned: Despite the game's ostensibly educational nature, it features [[https://www.mariowiki.com/Mario_is_Missing!#Mistakes_and_errors a massive amount of errors]] in its teaching material. A few highlights:
** It's stated that Alexander Alexeyevich Gorsky directed ballet until 1942. He died in 1924.
** Someone in Nairobi says that female Asian elephants cannot grow tusks. In real life, they actually can.
** Australia's capital is mistakenly stated to be Sydney instead of Canberra.
** Prisoners in Alcatraz are portrayed as wearing stereotypical black-and-white prisoner shirts. They didn't wear these in real life.
** A lot of places have their names spelled wrong. Caracas in Venezuela is called "Caracus", Stockholm is spelled "Stolkolm", Auckland is called "Auchland", and much more.
** Buildings in Athens have the text "ΟΔΑΝΤΟΚΡΕNΑ" on them. This [[AsLongAsItSoundsForeign isn't a real Greek word]], although it could be a misspelling of "ΟΔΟΝΤΟΚΡΕΜΑ", which means "toothpaste".

* PolarPenguins: Reading newspapers will bring up news stories about penguins ending up in different parts of the world due to Bowser melting the south pole.

* EverythingsBetterWithPenguins: Reading newspapers will bring up news stories about penguins ending up in different parts of the world due to Bowser melting the south pole.

The premise is that [[BigBad Bowser]] [[EvilPlan plans to]] [[TheGreatFlood flood Earth]], and he sends Koopas to steal famous landmarks to help fund his operation. Mario, Luigi, and Yoshi travel to Bowser's castle to stop him. Mario enters all by himself and gets captured, prompting Luigi to go and rescue him.