Mario's Time Machine is an educational game developed by The Software Toolworks. It launched for MS-DOS and SNES in 1993, and NES in 1994, teaching world history through interactive gameplay.
The story follows villain Bowser, who uses the "Timulator" time machine to steal historic artifacts and display them in his castle museum. Players control Mario, who uses the same time machine to return artifacts to their correct eras and stop permanent historical changes.
Players interact with characters from different time periods to learn artifact backgrounds, and return items correctly by answering questions. The game uses a side-scrolling view, with varying mechanics across versions: the MS-DOS version has a point-and-click interface, while console versions use platform controls similar to Super Mario World, letting Mario move left/right and jump.
Mario's Time Machine covers many eras and figures, including:
- Alexandria, Egypt, 48 BC, meeting Queen Cleopatra
- Athens, Greece, 369 BC, visiting philosopher Plato
- New Jersey, US, 1879, witnessing Thomas Edison’s inventions
Through these journeys, players help Mario restore historical integrity, interact with iconic historical figures, and learn about their contributions and eras.