Webreflinks - Mario's Time Machine

The player begins ''Mario's Time Machine'' in Bowser's museum. The museum is the main [[Overworld#Platform games|hub]], where the player obtains the artifacts and directly accesses all the game's [[level (video gaming)|level]]s (which consist of locations on [[Earth]] in different time periods) using the Timulator. In the Super NES and MS-DOS versions, for each artifact, the player is given the year and place it originated from. For example, the player learns that the "[[Isaac Newton#Apple incident|Apple]]" artifact originated from 1687 [[Cambridge]]. The player can then time travel using this information; time traveling itself is a [[minigame]] in which Mario [[surfing|surfs]] through a wide ocean, collecting [[Mushroom (Mario)|mushroom]]s. Collecting enough mushrooms will transport Mario to the time period and location programmed into the Timulator. The player is given a short document describing the life and notability of the historical person associated (e.g. [[Isaac Newton]]), but the document itself has some of its terms missing. The player thus is required to converse with the local denizens of the time period in order to learn various facts and be able to fill in the blanks. The player chooses the words from a list of pre-determined words; if the player incorrectly fills a blank more than twice, he is sent back to 1993 and is required to try again. When the player fills all the blanks correctly, he can then successfully return the artifact to its original owner.<ref name="ign">{{cite web|author=Buchanan, Levi |url=http://retro.ign.com/articles/901/901621p1.html |title=The Other Mario Games, Vol. 4 - Super NES Feature at IGN |publisher=[[IGN]] |date=2008-08-21 |accessdate=2011-01-19}}</ref> In the game's ending [[cutscene]], Mario manages to confront Bowser, who then steals back the Timulator to make his escape. At this point there are three [[Types of fiction with multiple endings|possible outcomes]] based on the player's overall performance: in the worst outcome, in which the player fails to return the artifacts quickly enough, Bowser successfully escapes to an area known as [[Paradise]]; in the other two outcomes, the Timulator experiences [[mechanical overload (engineering)|mechanical overload]], sending and trapping Bowser in the [[Jurassic era]].

Since its release, ''Mario's Time Machine'' has received negative reception. It holds an aggregate score of 60.25% on [[Game Rankings]] based on two reviews.<ref name="gr">{{cite web|url=http://www.gamerankings.com/snes/588469-marios-time-machine/index.html |title=Mario's Time Machine for SNES |publisher=GameRankings |date= |accessdate=2011-01-19}}</ref> ''[[Nintendo Power]]'' gave it a 2.65 out of five, while ''[[Electronic Gaming Monthly]]'' gave it a 6.75 out of 10.<ref name="gr"/> [[GameSpy]]'s Brian Altano and Brian Miggels named its ending as one of the worst ever, criticizing it for showing Bowser crying.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gamespy.com/articles/101/1013829p1.html |title=The Worst NES Endings, and Why We Deserved Better - Page 1 |publisher=GameSpy |date= |accessdate=2011-01-19}}</ref> Fellow GameSpy editor Mike Drucker called it "half-assed."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://wii.gamespy.com/articles/108/1080907p1.html |title=GameSpy: Mario is Evil - Page 1 |publisher=Wii.gamespy.com |date= |accessdate=2011-01-19}}</ref> [[GamesRadar]] commented that those who like this game may like ''[[Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian (video game)|Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian]]'', which they gave a negative review to.<ref>{{cite web|author=Words: Jem Roberts, Xbox World 360 UK |url=http://www.gamesradar.com/pc/night-at-the-museum-battle-of-the-smithsonian/review/night-at-the-museum-battle-of-the-smithsonian/a-200906031811544711915/g-20090407133441600091 |title=Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian, Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian Review, PC Reviews |publisher=Games Radar.com |date= |accessdate=2011-01-19}}</ref> They later suggested that it was an unpopular game, commenting that "five, maybe six people played the NES version of ''Mario's Time Machine''".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gamesradar.com/f/the-ever-changing-sizes-of-mario-and-bowser/a-20081008112917635057 |title=The ever-changing sizes of Mario and Bowser |publisher=GamesRadar |date= |accessdate=2011-01-19}}</ref> [[ABC Good Game]] called it "awful", and was "way too complicated for any school-aged youngster to understand."<ref>http://www.abc.net.au/tv/goodgame/stories/s2567035.htm</ref> [[Nintendo|Nintendo of Canada]] included a sealed copy of the NES version as part of a charity auction along with several other sealed NES games.<ref>{{cite web|last=Miller |first=Ross |url=http://www.joystiq.com/2008/05/30/nintendo-of-canada-offers-sealed-nes-snes-gameboy-titles-for-c/ |title=Nintendo of Canada offers sealed NES, SNES, Game Boy titles for charity auction |publisher=Joystiq |date=2008-05-30 |accessdate=2011-01-19}}</ref> In the book ''Video Games: A Guide for Savvy Parents'', author David Sheff found the educational elements good, but criticized the gameplay.<ref>{{cite book|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=K8kDYRNreJ8C |title=Video Games: A Guide for Savvy Parents - Google Books |publisher=Books.google.com |date= |accessdate=2011-01-19}}</ref> Andy Slaven, author of the book ''Video Game Bible, 1985-2002'', accused the game of ripping off ''[[Where in Time Is Carmen Sandiego? (1989)|Where in Time Is Carmen Sandiego?]]'', also noting that though it is not a bad game, it is not a good educational one.<ref>{{cite book|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=PnPRd6QwvbQC |title=Video Game Bible, 1985-2002 - Google Books |publisher=Books.google.com |date=2004-01-16 |accessdate=2011-01-19}}</ref>

Authors David Wesley and Gloria Barczak associated ''Mario's Time Machine'' with the recent "flood of ill-conceived ''Mario'' spin-offs", arguing that these games nearly destroyed the ''Mario'' license.<ref>{{cite book|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=O5KjS3Q7QdsC |title=Innovation and Marketing in the ... - Google Books |publisher=Books.google.com |date= |accessdate=2011-01-19}}</ref> ''[[The Independent]]''{{'}}s Janet Swift discussed ''Mario's Time Machine'' in her article on the latest generation of educational titles in 1994. She compared it to ''[[List of Mario educational games#Mario Is Missing!|Mario Is Missing!]]'' in its execution, which she found "special", praising it for its educational value for children.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.independent.co.uk/extras/indybest/gadgets-tech/computers-teaching-children-to-teach-themselves-the-latest-generation-of-edutainment-programs-can-keep-children-as-engrossed-as-their-favourite-shoot-em-up-janet-swift-looks-at-indoor-attractions-for-halfterm-1393384.html |title=Computers: Teaching children to teach themselves: The latest generation of 'edutainment' programs can keep children as engrossed as their favourite shoot 'em up. Janet Swift looks at indoor attractions for half-term - Gadgets & Tech, IndyBest |publisher=The Independent |date=1994-02-11 |accessdate=2011-01-19}}</ref> [[Allgame]]'s Brett Alan Weiss called the action scenes "dreadfully dull" and the presentation "merely average".<ref>{{cite web|last=Alan |first=Brett |url=http://www.allgame.com/game.php?id=13473 |title=Mario's Time Machine - Overview |publisher=allgame |date=2010-10-03 |accessdate=2011-01-19}}</ref> He added that while he does not dislike educational games, they must be both "entertaining and enlightening."<ref>{{cite web|last=Alan |first=Brett |url=http://www.allgame.com/game.php?id=12507&tab=review |title=Mario's Time Machine - Review |publisher=allgame |date=2010-10-03 |accessdate=2011-01-19}}</ref> [[IGN]]'s Levi Buchanan included it in their assessment of the "other ''Mario'' games," implying that the premise was boring and criticizing the game for lacking any real platform gameplay. He commented that it had "honorable intentions", but that it was "decidedly shallow". He also criticized the act of putting Mario in realistic time periods, commenting that he "occupies the imagination, a place with Star Festivals and giant piranha plants."<ref name="ign"/> In 2007, [[ScrewAttack]] placed ''Mario's Time Machine'' as the fourth worst ''Mario'' game, criticizing it for ruining the concept of a Mario time-travel game.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gametrailers.com/video/top-ten-screwattack/23547 |title=Top Ten Worst Mario Games |publisher=Gametrailers |date=2007-08-14 |accessdate=2011-01-20}}</ref>