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Mario Is Missing!

Review · Educational · Classic Macintosh · NES · SNES

Mario Is Missing!

Reviewed: 30 May 2026

Classic Macintosh · NES · SNES · PC

Radical Entertainment · 1992

Ludograph rating

B

Good

60 /100

06010030BenefitLow riskB 43 · R 0
The Ludograph reading, plotted from the published benefit and risk sub-scores.

Growth (BDS)

43

Risk (RIS)

0

Daily limit

120min

Age guidance

7+

Developmental benefits

B1Cognitive
0.68
B2Social-emotional
0.00
B3Motor
0.45

Mario Is Missing! offers significant cognitive benefits, particularly in critical thinking, reading comprehension, and learning transfer through its educational focus on global geography and history. Players engage in problem-solving and strategic thinking as they navigate the world to find stolen treasures and rescue Mario. The game encourages learning through exploration and interaction with factual information.

Design risks

R1Compulsion-loop pressure
0.00
R2Monetization
0.00
R3Social risk
0.00

This game presents minimal risks. There are no compulsion-loop design mechanics, monetization pressures, or social risks due to its single-player, offline nature and lack of microtransactions. Content risks are very low, limited to mild cartoon violence typical of the Mario franchise.

Content (not in risk score)

R4.1Violence Level
0.33
R4.2Sexual Content
0.00
R4.3Language
0.00
R4.4Substance References
0.00
R4.5Fear / Horror
0.00

Content risk is displayed separately and does not affect the time recommendation.

Regulatory design checks · DSAAssessed: meets criteria·GDPR-KAssessed: meets criteria·ODDSAssessed: meets criteria

  • DSA:What Ludograph checks: whether the game's design gives minors the transparency the EU Digital Services Act expects: plain terms, honest defaults, and clear reporting routes.: Estimated from review data. No dark pattern or child-targeting concerns found.
  • GDPR-K:What Ludograph checks: whether age assurance and consent flows are designed for under-16s, in the spirit of GDPR Article 8.: Estimated from review data. No privacy or child-targeting concerns found.
  • ODDS:What Ludograph checks: whether paid random-reward drop rates are disclosed, as required in China, Japan and South Korea.: Estimated from review data. No paid random-reward mechanics found, so drop-rate disclosure requirements do not apply.

These reflect Ludograph's assessment of the game's design practices against each framework's criteria, not a legal compliance determination.

Parents ask…

Is Mario Is Missing! safe for kids?

Ludograph gives Mario Is Missing! a rating of 60/100, recommended for ages 7 and up. It offers solid benefits but needs parental guidance on the risks.

What age is Mario Is Missing! appropriate for?

Ludograph's rubric recommends a minimum age of 7+ for Mario Is Missing!, based on benefits, risks, and content review.

How long should kids play Mario Is Missing!?

Our session recommendation for Mario Is Missing! is up to 120 minutes per day. It is derived from the game's own structure (natural stopping points, compulsion-loop design, monetization pressure, and social dynamics), not from a universal screen-time dose.

Session recommendations are design-based heuristics. Evidence linking specific daily durations to child outcomes is limited, and context matters as much as time; treat this as a starting point for household rules, not a clinical threshold.

What are the main risks of Mario Is Missing!?

This game presents minimal risks. There are no compulsion-loop design mechanics, monetization pressures, or social risks due to its single-player, offline nature and lack of microtransactions. Content risks are very low, limited to mild cartoon violence typical of the Mario franchise.