Software Toolworks Inc. The

An American software publisher known for educational games, productivity tools, and the Miracle Piano Teaching System.

Educational

Driving

Action

Racing

Founded

1980

Acquired

1994

HQ

Novato, United States

Parent

Pearson plc

Known for

Educational / Puzzle / Strategy

10

Games

1990–1995

Years

5

Platforms

$81.06

Ø CIB

-18.4%

24M change

About

The Software Toolworks published notable educational spin-offs of Nintendo's flagship franchise, including Mario is Missing! and Mario's Time Machine in the early 1990s. They also developed and published the innovative Miracle Piano Teaching System and published the futuristic racing game MegaRace.

Founded in 1980, the company initially developed software for early microcomputers before transitioning into a major publisher of CD-ROM and console titles. The release of Miracle Piano (1990) and Miracle Piano (1991) marked a significant venture into hardware-software integration, utilizing a proprietary MIDI keyboard compatible with the Nintendo Entertainment System, Super NES, Sega Genesis, and personal computers.

Licensing agreements with Nintendo allowed the publisher to expand the Mario franchise into educational territory. Mario is Missing (1993) and Mario Is Missing (1993) (released across MS-DOS, SNES, and NES) focused on geography, while Mario's Time Machine (1993) and Mario's Time Machine (1994) taught world history. These titles stood out for putting Luigi and Mario in non-traditional, non-platforming roles.

In the multimedia boom of the early 1990s, the publisher distributed MegaRace (1993), a combat racer that leveraged CD-ROM technology with pre-rendered video backgrounds. This was followed by Space Shuttle (1994), a simulation developed in cooperation with NASA. In 1994, the company was acquired by Pearson plc, subsequently operating under the Mindscape banner.