Mario's Time Machine (NES)

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Falco Girgis
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Mario's Time Machine (NES)

Post by Falco Girgis »

Graphics: 9.5
Sound: 6.0
Replay: 3.0
Gameplay: 5.5

Review: This game is another of the 2 'edutainment' games by Radical Entertainment. I find the educational Mario games to be more respectable than most puzzlers, but still missing something crucial. This game is no different. Yoshi has been kidnapped and Mario (for some reason) has to return all of the artifacts to their proper place in time before he can rescue Yoshi (ooookay).

Graphics are straight up awesome. You'd think they were from the SNES (because they were). Most of the tiles, sprites, and such are straight from Super Mario World. This is actually a good thing. The graphics look nicely polished with vibrant and pretty colors to liven up the relatively short levels. Backgrounds every now and again are a bit too simple. That's the only thing that gives the graphics anything lower than a 10.

Sound is average. It may even of actually been a bit good, but it is far too repetitive. For the most part you wont even notice, but then the primitive deep sounding beeps may get to you. Don't worry, most levels won't bother you.

Gameplay killz! As Mario, you have access to seven doors of the museum. By entering one, you are in an original 'Mario Bros' looking area with koopas coming out of their classic pipes. If you knock three of them off screen, you'll get an item. Each door has 2 items, making 14 items in all. Next, you get into the time machine. Choose a date and be taken to a level with that time frame as the theme. Using the hint boxes, find out where to place the item. To place it, find it in your inventory (select) and push start. This'll return the artifact in its proper place in history. Now, repeat with the other 13 items and after you've done that, enter the eighth door with Bowser waiting inside.
Now, if that didn't sound so bad, I'll tell you what makes it worse. You never die. NEVER. You get hit by an enemy, and you'll be stunned. This makes the game not only UNchallenging, but almost pointless. Next, Each level is pitifully small, tiny. The game almost seems way too simple. When you are in the tiny levels, nothing can hurt you. Like nothing else exists. It's really kinda lonely.

This game isn't really bad or anything, it just really isn't for most people. If you like to learn and play at the same time, collect NES or Mario games, or liked the description, then go ahead and buy. Otherwise, just don't even bother.
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