Mario is Missing! (DOS)

Mario is Missing!
Developer: The Software Toolworks Publishers: The Software Toolworks, Mindscape Platform: DOS Released in US: 1992 (floppy), 1993 (CD-ROM) This game has unused sounds. This game has regional differences. This game has revisional differences.

Mario is Missing! is a game in which Mario gets kidnapped while attempting to stop Bowser's plot to accelerate global warming with giant hairdryers, forcing Luigi to travel the world and set things right through the power of poorly researched geography and history lessons.

The game is notable for being one of the few officially licensed Mario titles on PC. Like the other few, however, it's become rather infamous in the community, and it's mostly brought up these days in regard to its amusingly off-model depictions of the characters, which gave birth to the "Weegee" and "Malleo" memes.

It is not, however, Luigi's first starring role (as opposed to co-star) - that honor goes to Luigi's Hammer Toss, a McDonald's promotional LCD watch game that was released two years earlier.

Unused Audio

The CD-ROM edition contains various unused voice lines.

Star Trek Quote

Seminars and lectures to rows of fools who couldn't begin to understand my systems. Colleagues. Colleagues laughing behind my back at the boy wonder and becoming famous building on my work. Building on my work.

An audio excerpt from the Star Trek: The Original Series episode "The Ultimate Computer" appears in PAT.WAV, which is located in the VOICE folder. The file is interesting, as every other file is both located in sub-directories and is PCM encoded. The filename may be referring to Pat McCarthy, one of the programmers.

Alternate Mario

To do: Try to find these voice lines.

Mario has two distinct voices in this game: an Italian one heard in the intro, and a New York rendition heard during in-game phone calls. There is an alternate take of most of his lines with each accent, so the programmers likely designated the wrong pair of files.

Koopalings

The game features five of the seven Koopalings. While Morton and Lemmy aren't present, they were at least considered enough to have voice lines recorded. It is unknown if they were intended to show up exclusively in the CD-ROM version before being scrapped.

Lemmy Koopa

LK00A

You know, Luigi, a smart guy like you ought to join up with the winners. Here's a nice turtle shell you can wear. If you can't defeat us, you might as well join us.

LK00B

What's a nice plumber like you doing in a place like this? With your talent, you ought to be unclogging drains somewhere, not trying to embarrass yourself as a detective.

LK00C

So, you had a little trouble in the city. Not everyone's cut out to be a superhero. Take a job with us, Luigi - you can always dump our trash and maybe do a little cooking.

LK00D

On the level, Luigi. Put down that burning bloom, man, and let's talk reason. There's no reason to get all fired up.

LK00E

You're very strong and powerful, pal, but excuse me for not running. I mean, you don't have a Fire Flower, do you?

Morton Koopa

MK00A

Go away, plumber's helper! The only place you'll see your brother's face is on a milk carton!

MK00B

Want an onion bagel with that lock? It's the only lock you'll ever see!

MK00C

Nanny nanny nanny! Luigi fell on his fanny! Try again some other time, pipe cleaner.

MK00D

Still burning to find silly old Mario, huh? Oh, no! It's a Fire Flower! Yikes!

MK00E

The cold truth of the matter is, this turtle is only afraid of one thing - and it's one thing you haven't got, buddy. Fire Flowers!

Unused Ending Dialogue

The game's ending would have had voice acting at one point. The video below shows a "reconstruction" using the voice lines.

CL1

Bowser: So, Luigi, you're looking for your brother! I can easily kidnap two plumbers as cheaply as one. C'mere, you!

CL2

Luigi: Ha ha, Bowser! I always suspected that underneath that macho shell, you were just a boxer turtle.

CL3

Luigi: You'll never find it now. I threw it over that wall.

CL4

Bowser: D'oh! That was the only copy, too! Gee... the penguins kind of look like ants from up here.

CL5

Luigi: Sayonara, fly-breath!

CL6

Penguin: Whoa! That has to be the ugliest penguin I've ever seen!

CL7

Luigi: I got the key, now Mario goes free. Bowser's sucking ice, the Koopas aren't nice.

CL8

Mario: Oh, Luigi, it's a great thing you did. It's much nicer to be free. I was getting so sick of Bowser's cooking!

CL9

Luigi: Yes!

CL10

Luigi: I never thought I'd see you again. It's a happy day! A happy day!

CL11

Mario: Thanks for all your hard work, Luigi. You went across the world for me, and I won't forget it. Let's go now, bro. I'm dying for a piece of good old New York pizza.

CL12

Yoshi: Yo, welcome back, Mario! We racked up tons of frequent globulator miles looking for you!

Revisional Differences

Differences in the CD-ROM edition

As mentioned above, the major change the later CD-ROM release made was added voice acting. Other changes include:

• Loading screens replacing brief moments of darkness.
• Live-action visuals and clips for most of the landmarks.
• Other Mario-series characters (such as Peach, Toad, and Donkey Kong) replace certain NPCs on the phone. Although they all have different voices and phrases, the written dialogue did not change to reflect the character's speech.

Regional Differences

• The European release adds a language select screen when the player first boots up the game.
• In the French release of the DOS edition and the European release of the CD-ROM edition, the mayors' sprites are randomized whenever the game is opened.