Time Limit

A Time Limit or Timer is instituted in many Mario series games, especially early platformers.

Time Limit in Platformers
All the Super Mario Bros. series (not including the Doki Doki Panic version of Super Mario Bros. 2), Super Mario World, and even New Super Mario Bros. have time limits in most levels, that is, a certain amount of seconds to find the level exit (or a secret exit in the case of World). These limits usually start large (300/400), but are no less than 200 and are used as a means to keep the Player moving throughout the level, and not have a luxury of "waiting" for enemies to clear on their own by falling down a pit, for example. Faster music cuing the player to finish up the level occurs often if there are less than 100 left. Also, when a level is finished successfully, the time left is multiplied by a certain number, varying by game (often 50), and added to the player's score. The timer speed goes approximately in half-seconds.

However, levels are designed in such a way that they can be beaten well before the time limit expires. If it does expire on a tortoise-moving player, a life will automatically be lost, along with a "time up" message before being returned to the level or map screen. Strangely, if the player starts at a midway point in a level after dying, the time resets all the way back up to the original starting time, making it easier to complete.

Some platformers levels use the time limit to provide an additional challenge. An example is the Super Mario World level Funky.

Also, Super Mario Galaxy and Super Mario Galaxy 2 uses the time limit as a challenge (a legitimate one at that), but only while Speedy Comets and some Purple Comets orbit the galaxy and some mini-game challenges. These two games go by seconds rather than half-seconds.

Mario Platformers with Time Limits

 * Donkey Kong (Original version)
 * Donkey Kong Jr.
 * Super Mario Bros.
 * Super Mario Bros. 2 (Original version)
 * Super Mario Bros. 3
 * Super Mario Land
 * Super Mario World
 * Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins
 * Wario Land: Super Mario Land 3
 * Donkey Kong (Game Boy version)
 * ''Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga
 * Mario vs. Donkey Kong
 * New Super Mario Bros.
 * Mario vs. Donkey Kong 2: March of the Minis
 * Mario vs. Donkey Kong 3: Minis March Again!
 * New Super Mario Bros. Wii
 * ''Super Mario 64x4

Mario Platformers without Time Limits

 * Mario Bros.
 * Wrecking Crew
 * Super Mario Bros. 2 (Doki Doki Panic version)
 * Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island
 * Super Mario 64
 * Yoshi's Story
 * Super Mario Sunshine
 * Yoshi Topsy-Turvy
 * Yoshi Touch & Go
 * Super Princess Peach
 * Yoshi's Island DS (includes an optional Time Trial mode)
 * Super Mario Galaxy (includes optional Speedy Comet challenges and mini-games)
 * Super Mario Galaxy 2 (includes optional Speedy Comet challenges and mini-games)

Time Limit in Spin-Offs
Time limits appear in many Mario spin-off titles. In sports games such as Mario Smash Football and Mario Strikers Charged Football, the match has a certain time limit which can be manually set from two to 15 minutes. If the scores are equal after the time has run out, sudden death follows. Mario Hoops 3-on-3 also has a time limit for all basketball games ranging from 1:40 to 3:20 divided up into two or four periods. The new sports game Mario Sports Mix includes time limit as well, and the only sport that didn't have it is volleyball. The Mario Kart series also has a time limit and comes in various ways. The Shine Thief battle game from Mario Kart: Double Dash!! also has a time limit for holding the Shine Sprite. If the characters hold on to it when the time limit ends, then that team wins. In Mario Kart DS, the game Shine Runners has a sixty second time limit. When time is up after the first round, an additional thirty seconds is added for each new round. Time limits are also found in some missions in Mission Mode. Mario Kart Wii also has a timer for all Battle Mode games. The time limit for all Battle Mode games is 180 seconds (three minutes) with faster music coming in at the final minute of battle. The Mario Party series also has a time limit for all mini-games in the series ranging from three seconds to five minutes. When the timer runs out, the mini-games end.

In the Super Smash Bros. series, the Time mode is one of the rule setting options for VS mode. After the set time limit has run out, the KO scores of the players are tallied up and the player with the most points wins. Coin mode works the same way, but with coins as the scoreboard for each match.