Mario's Game Gallery

Last updated

Mario's Game Gallery
Mario's Game Gallery.jpg
Developer(s) Presage Software
Brainstorm Entertainment (Mario's FUNdamentals)
Publisher(s) Interplay Productions
Mindscape (PC version of Mario's FUNdamentals)
Stepping Stone (Mac version of Mario's FUNdamentals)
Producer(s) Thomas R. Decker
Programmer(s) Roger Sherron
Composer(s) Michael Pukish
Brian Salter
Matthew Berardo
Series Mario
Platform(s) DOS, Windows, Macintosh
ReleaseDOS
Win
  • NA: January 1997 (re-release)
Mac
  • NA: 1996 (re-release)
Genre(s) Game compilation
Mode(s) Single-player

Mario's Game Gallery (later re-released as Mario's FUNdamentals) is an American compilation of games published by Interplay Productions and developed by Presage Software, Inc. for DOS, Windows and Macintosh. It was released in 1995 in the United States. It was later re-released as Mario's FUNdamentals for Macintosh in 1996, and for Windows in January 1997, though it was published by Mindscape for the DOS and Windows versions and by Stepping Stone for the Macintosh version. It was also developed by Brainstorm Entertainment.

Contents

The game includes five traditional games: checkers, backgammon, Go Fish, dominoes, and "yacht", a version of Yahtzee. Players play against Mario in these games, which play similarly to their real world counterparts, though with themes based on the Mario universe.

Since their releases, both versions have received mixed reception; while publications such as The State and the Los Angeles Times found the game to be a good educational game, authors David Wesley and Gloria Barczak blamed it in part for almost destroying the Mario brand. Official Nintendo Magazine listed it as one of the rarest Mario games as well.

Gameplay

The player playing backgammon against Mario, one of multiple games available Mario's Game Gallery Backgammon.jpg
The player playing backgammon against Mario, one of multiple games available

Mario's Game Gallery consists of five games: checkers, Go Fish, dominoes, backgammon, and "yacht", a version of Yahtzee. In these games, players face off against Mario. The games all play similarly to their real world counterparts, featuring pieces based on the Mario universe. [1] Mario's Game Gallery is the first game in the series to feature Charles Martinet as Mario's voice actor; Martinet went on to voice Mario in all speaking appearances in video games until he stepped back from the role to take a new role as an ambassador for the character, in 2023. [2]

Development

Mario's Game Gallery was published by Interplay Entertainment Corp. and developed by Presage Software, Inc. for the PC. It was released in 1995. It was later re-released as Mario's FUNdamentals, though it was published by Mindscape for the PC version and by Stepping Stone for the Macintosh version. The game was also developed by Brainstorm Entertainment. It was released for the Macintosh in 1996, and for the PC in January 1997. [3] [4] [5]

Reception

Since their releases, both Mario's Game Gallery and its revision, Mario's FUNdamentals, have received mixed reception. The State praised it for providing fun for whole family, describing the games included as "excellent". [6] The Miami Herald praised its "sharp" graphics and "fun" animations, as well as the music, which they claim to be based on music from the Mario series. Like The State, they describe it as "fun for the whole family", though they criticized it for being too difficult at times. However, they recommend it for first-time PC users who want an "easy-to-install product for the new CD-ROM". [7] The Advocate called it a fun game, and praised Martinet for his Mario voice, stating that small children will "giggle with delight". [8] The Los Angeles Times included it in an article of educational video games that would appeal to younger gamers. [9]

Authors David Wesley and Gloria Barczak cited Mario's Game Gallery as one of the games released in a "flood of ill-conceived Mario spin-offs", stating that it and the others nearly destroyed the series. [10] Official Nintendo Magazine 's Tom East featured it as part of his "Rare Mario games" article, commenting that though it featured Martinet as Mario first, most identify Super Mario 64 as his first role as Mario. [11] It was deemed the sixth-worst Mario game of all time by ScrewAttack, who concluded that there was "nothing fun about FUNdamentals". [1]

Related Research Articles

<i>Dr. Mario</i> 1990 video game

Dr. Mario is a 1990 puzzle video game developed and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo Entertainment System and Game Boy. It was produced by Gunpei Yokoi and designed by Takahiro Harada. The soundtrack was composed by Hirokazu Tanaka.

<i>Mario Bros.</i> 1983 video game

Mario Bros. is a platform game developed and published by Nintendo as an arcade video game in 1983. It was designed by Shigeru Miyamoto and Gunpei Yokoi, Nintendo's chief engineer. Italian twin brother plumbers Mario and Luigi exterminate creatures, like turtles (Koopas) and crabs emerging from the sewers by knocking them upside-down and kicking them away. The Famicom/Nintendo Entertainment System version is the first game produced by Intelligent Systems. It is part of the Mario franchise, but originally began as a spin-off from the Donkey Kong series.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mario</span> Fictional character

Mario is a character created by the Japanese game designer Shigeru Miyamoto. He is the star of the Mario franchise, a recurring character in the Donkey Kong franchise, and the mascot of the Japanese video game company Nintendo. Mario is an Italian plumber who lives in the Mushroom Kingdom with his younger twin brother, Luigi. Their adventures generally involve rescuing Princess Peach from the villain Bowser while using power-ups that give them different abilities. Mario's distinctive characteristics include his large nose and mustache, overalls, red cap, and high-pitched, exaggerated Italian accent.

<i>Donkey Kong 3</i> 1983 video game

Donkey Kong 3 is a shooter video game developed and published by Nintendo. It is the third installment in the Donkey Kong series and was released for arcades worldwide in 1983, the Family Computer in 1984, then in North America for the Nintendo Entertainment System in 1986. The gameplay departs from previous Donkey Kong games, and it stars an exterminator named Stanley instead of Mario.

<i>Mario Is Missing!</i> 1993 video game

Mario Is Missing! is a 1993 educational game developed and published by The Software Toolworks for MS-DOS, Nintendo Entertainment System, and Super Nintendo Entertainment System, later released on Macintosh in 1994. The player controls Luigi, who must travel around the world to find and return stolen treasures as part of a quest to find his brother, Mario, who has been captured by Bowser. Mario Is Missing!, part of a series of educational Mario games, was Luigi's second starring role in a video game, following the 1990 Game Watch game Luigi's Hammer Toss and preceding the 2001 GameCube game Luigi's Mansion.

<i>Miracle Piano Teaching System</i> 1990 video game

The Miracle Piano Teaching System is educational software which uses a MIDI keyboard to teach how to play the piano. It was published in 1990 by The Software Toolworks for the Nintendo Entertainment System, Super NES, Macintosh, Amiga, Sega Genesis, and MS-DOS compatible operating systems.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yahtzee</span> Dice game by Milton Bradley

Yahtzee is a dice game made by Milton Bradley. It was first marketed under the name of Yahtzee by game entrepreneur Edwin S. Lowe in 1956. The game is a development of earlier dice games such as Poker Dice, Yacht and Generala. It is also similar to Yatzy, which is popular in Scandinavia.

<i>Marios Time Machine</i> 1993 video game

Mario's Time Machine is an educational video game originally released for MS-DOS and then for the Nintendo Entertainment System and Super NES consoles. The Software Toolworks both developed and published the MS-DOS and Super NES versions in 1993, while the NES version was developed by Radical Entertainment and published by The Software Toolworks in 1994. The Microsoft Windows version was re-released as Mario's Time Machine Deluxe in 1996.

<i>Mario Teaches Typing</i> 1992 educational game

Mario Teaches Typing is an educational video game developed and published by Interplay Productions for MS-DOS compatible operating systems, Microsoft Windows, and Macintosh. The game uses the Mario character, licensed from Nintendo, to teach keyboard skills. A sequel to the game, Mario Teaches Typing 2, was developed by Brainstorm and published by Interplay in 1997.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Charles Martinet</span> American actor (born 1955)

Charles Andre Martinet is an American actor. Martinet created the voices of both Mario and Luigi in the Super Mario video game series, portraying them from 1992 to 2023. He also voiced other characters in the series such as Wario, Waluigi, and the baby equivalents of Mario and Luigi, prior to stepping down as voice actor to become an official brand ambassador for the series.

Chessmaster is a chess-playing video game series, which is owned and developed by Ubisoft. It is the best-selling chess franchise, with more than five million units sold as of 2002. The same cover art image featuring Will Hare was used from Chessmaster 2000 to Chessmaster 9000.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Software Toolworks</span> American software developer

The Software Toolworks, Inc., was an American software and video game developer based in Novato, California. The company was founded by Walt Bilofsky in 1980 out of his Sherman Oaks garage, which he converted into an office, to develop software for the Heathkit H89 microcomputer. It quickly expanded into video games, releasing Airport and MyChess in 1980; other notable games include Chessmaster 2000, Mavis Beacon Teaches Typing, and Mario Is Missing!. Toolworks merged with its distributor, Software Country, in 1986 and, after going public in 1988, acquired IntelliCreations, DS Technologies, and Mindscape. By 1994, Toolworks employed 600 people and had a revenue of US$150 million. In May that year, it was acquired by Pearson plc for $462 million, which converted it to bear the Mindscape identity by November.

Game & Watchgames have had many different re-releases.

<i>Clubhouse Games</i> 2005 video game for Nintendo DS

Clubhouse Games, known in some European countries as 42 All-Time Classics and in Japanese as Dare demo Asobi Taizen, is a compilation video game developed by Agenda and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo DS, consisting of board, card, and tabletop games from around the world. It was released in Japan on November 3, 2005, in Europe on September 29, 2006, and in North America and Australia in October.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Monopoly in video games</span> Video game series

There have been numerous Monopoly video games based on the core game mechanics of Parker Brothers and Hasbro's board game Monopoly. They have been developed by numerous teams and released on multiple platforms over 35+ years.

<i>Game & Watch Gallery</i> 1997 video game

Game & Watch Gallery is a game developed by Nintendo and released in 1997 for the Game Boy. It is the second game in the Game & Watch Gallery series, after Game Boy Gallery. It is known as Game Boy Gallery in Japan, and as Game Boy Gallery 2 in Australia. This game is the only game in the Game & Watch Gallery series to have its own soundtrack album with rearranged versions of the music featured in the game.

Hasbro Family Game Night is a series of video games that adapt board games manufactured by Hasbro.

<i>Marios Early Years!</i> 1993-1994 video games

The Mario's Early Years! series is a trilogy of point-and-click educational games released on MS-DOS and Super Nintendo Entertainment System by The Software Toolworks. The three games consist of Fun with Letters, Fun with Numbers and Preschool Fun.

References

  1. 1 2 "ScrewAttack - Top Ten Worst Mario Games". ScrewAttack's Top 10 . GameTrailers. July 21, 2007. Archived from the original on April 22, 2009. Retrieved June 29, 2008.
  2. ↑ Records, Guinness World (March 11, 2008). Guinness World Records Gamer's Edition - Google Books. Guinness World Records. ISBN   9781904994213. Archived from the original on January 17, 2023. Retrieved January 20, 2011.
  3. ↑ "Mario's Game Gallery Release Information for PC". GameFAQs. Archived from the original on June 28, 2011. Retrieved January 20, 2011.
  4. ↑ "Mario's FUNdamentals Release Information for PC". GameFAQs. Archived from the original on October 26, 2012. Retrieved January 20, 2011.
  5. ↑ "Mario's FUNdamentals Release Information for Macintosh". GameFAQs. Archived from the original on October 26, 2012. Retrieved January 20, 2011.
  6. ↑ "'MARIO'S GAME GALLERY' PROVIDES FUN FOR WHOLE FAMILY". June 9, 1995. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016.
  7. ↑ "A must for first-time PC users who want an easy-to-install product for the new CD-ROM". May 19, 1995. Archived from the original on December 3, 2013.
  8. ↑ "Mario helps children jump into fun with five offerings in Game Gallery". Archived from the original on October 24, 2012. Retrieved January 20, 2011.
  9. ↑ Churnin, Nancy (December 15, 1997). "EDUCATION: SMART RESOURCES FOR STUDENTS AND PARENTS". Pqasb.pqarchiver.com. Archived from the original on November 5, 2012. Retrieved January 20, 2011.
  10. ↑ Wesley, David T. A; Barczak, Gloria (2010). Innovation and Marketing in the ... - Google Books. Gower Publishing. ISBN   9780566091674. Archived from the original on December 13, 2023. Retrieved January 20, 2011.
  11. ↑ "Nintendo Feature: Rare Mario games". Official Nintendo Magazine. April 10, 2009. Archived from the original on January 7, 2011. Retrieved January 20, 2011.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.