Luigi
The playable hero who travels the world, investigates Bowser's crimes, and searches for Mario.
How it plays
The player controls Luigi from a side-view exploration screen and visits cities on a world map. In each location, Luigi talks to people, examines landmarks, collects clues, and answers questions about geography and history.
Recovered information is used to identify stolen objects and return them to the correct city. Progress comes from solving the current case, learning facts, and unlocking further destinations; the game does not use traditional action stages or character upgrades.
Plan your run
Read every clue carefully and compare it with the city map and reference information. Many questions can be solved by matching a landmark, artifact, or historical fact to its country rather than guessing from the character dialogue.
Keep track of the cities and objects you have already investigated. If an answer is uncertain, revisit the relevant location and inspect its landmarks again before committing to a response.
Meet the cast
The playable hero who travels the world, investigates Bowser's crimes, and searches for Mario.
The missing hero whose rescue gives Luigi's investigation its central purpose.
The antagonist who steals landmarks and artifacts as part of his plot.
A Mario character who appears in the game's educational adventure context.
Before you begin
Use the city map to plan investigations instead of visiting locations randomly.
Record distinctive facts about landmarks and artifacts for later questions.
Expect an educational investigation game, not a conventional Mario platformer.
Mario is Missing! is an educational adventure game developed by The Software Toolworks and published by Nintendo for DOS. When Bowser steals landmarks and artifacts from around the world, Luigi must travel between international cities, investigate clues, and recover them while searching for Mario. The game combines point-and-click-style exploration, geography lessons, trivia, and light puzzle solving rather than traditional platforming. Its accessible format was aimed primarily at younger players and families. Reception was mixed: the educational content and colorful presentation were often recognized, while the slow pace and limited challenge received criticism from players expecting a conventional Mario game.
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