“Super Mario Multiverse” – Mario Teaches Typing 2 (DOS) by the grandest Isabelle
4 min read
This article is part of a collaboration featuring over 100 bloggers based off of the Legend of Zelda collab originally by NekoJonez. This collab is called Super Mario Multiverse made by The Well-Red Mage, and is about taking an in-depth look at Mario games throughout years with their history and background made by each individual blogger. I hope you enjoy my look into Mario Teaches Typing 2.
Mario Teaches Typing 2
Mario Teaches Typing 2 was released on October 31st, 1996 for Microsoft Windows and Mac platforms. This is a sequel to Mario Teaches Typing that was released in 1992. The game was developed by Brainstorm unlike the first game where it was made by Interplay Entertainment. Brainstorm has also made another game for Nintendo for the PC: Mario Fundamentals. The icon used to start the application is of Mario’s head as you can see on the bottom of the paragraph.
The story
The plot of the game is when Mario and Luigi find a magic typewriter and the typewriter is the key to defeat Bowser as long as it’s typed correctly in the magic scroll that will destroy Bowser’s castle if not the typewriter will self destruct. As Mario types out the magic words he types them incorrectly which then the typewriter then proceeds to self destruct and blast away into three pieces, which you will need to find throughout the game.
The gameplay
The gameplay is identical to the first game with using the same levels, this game is mostly just an updated version of the first one with some small changes and some bigger ones like cutscenes and the title screen. There are three main different levels with the first levels are just single keys that you need to press. The first level has different things to show you your progress with things like words per minute, a timer, how many errors you have made, and how many words you have typed in total. They teach you how to type by showing you hands and highlighting the finger you need to use to press that key.
The levels in this world consist of you pressing the right keys to hit a block or Koopa Troopa and if you hit a block at the very top you get to go to a special area for a few seconds before going back to the level. Just like in the first game at the end of a level it shows you how you did at the level.
Level 2 has you go into an underwater level where instead of typing individual keys you type random words with commas and spaces, and hitting a bubble or pressing the key inside the bubble will take you to a bonus area. Instead of hitting blocks or Koopas in this level you swim in the water trying to escape a Boss Bass.
Level 3 has you in Bowser’s castle and instead of typing random words this level has you type complete sentences where you type things like the Super Bowl and World War 2. In this level, you have to type your way around Thwomps and swim your way out of quicksand. There will be sometimes be blocks where if you press the key it will take you to another bonus area. At the end of the level there will be another cutscene but this time instead of ending the level you have to go to travel your way back to the start of the level.
At the end, Mario and Luigi fix the typewriter and use it to destroy Bowser’s castle and then the game ends where it shows how you did on the last level and then it gives you an option to print a certificate.
There is another game mode typewriter where basic preschool stuff like “a is for apple” and when you press a key on the keyboard it tells you what key that is.
Misc stuff about the game
This was one of Charles Martinet’s first roles as Mario in a game predating Mario 64, at least in the first Mario Teaches Typing. The second one came out in October 1996 and 64 came out in June 1996 so they are 4 months apart. The Mario head cutscenes have grown very popular on the internet with lots of people using it for YTPs and edits with sentences mixing using a blue screen or green screen.
Wahoo! You are a Super Reader! But the adventure doesn’t stop here… There’s more of this project in another castle! This article is just one level in an entire Super Mario Multiverse, a galactic collaboration between writers around the world sharing a bit of our hearts and memories about our favorite Mario games. Visit the Center of the Multiverse to see more:
