Mario's Time Machine is an educational game developed by The Software Toolworks. First released for MS-DOS in 1993, it was later ported to SNES, NES and other platforms. It teaches players human history through interactive gameplay.
Set in 1993, the game follows villain Bowser, who uses his time machine "Timulator" to steal key historical artifacts from different eras and display them in his castle museum. To prevent permanent historical changes, players control Mario to return the artifacts to their original time periods using the Timulator.
Gameplay varies across platforms. The MS-DOS version uses point-and-click controls, while SNES and NES versions feature side-scrolling platforming similar to Super Mario World. Players collect artifacts from Bowser's museum, then select the correct time and place via the Timulator. In SNES and MS-DOS versions, time travel includes a surfing minigame where players collect mushrooms to complete the jump. Upon arrival, players talk to locals to gather info and fill in historical figure profiles to return artifacts correctly.
The NES version emphasizes platform jumping more. Players fight Bowser's minions in a Mario Bros.-style minigame in the museum to get artifacts, then use the Timulator to visit 14 selectable time periods, explore for clues and find the right time and place for each artifact. After returning all artifacts, players answer multiple-choice questions about the visited eras, then face Bowser in a final showdown after answering correctly.
Overall, Mario's Time Machine combines educational content with classic Mario elements to offer players a unique way to learn history.
