Math Rescue

Lore & Background

The plot involves the world's numbers being stolen by the Gruzzles. The player character spots a Gruzzle removing numbers from a house, and Benny the Butterfly aids the player in stopping the Gruzzles. It is revealed that an alien race called the Glixerians from planet Glixer II sent their pets, the Gruzzles, to steal Earth's numbers so humans would become the Glixerians' pets. Benny was once a Gruzzle who took refuge on Earth. He recognizes a Gruzzle named Zorja as his cousin and convinces her that Gruzzles can be free on Earth. The Gruzzles return the stolen numbers and provide gardeners with built-in slug control, while the Glixerians hatch another plot.

Reader's Guide

Math Rescue is significant as an early educational platformer that combined math problem-solving with engaging gameplay. It was part of a wave of shareware games that helped popularize the distribution model. The game received positive reception from Computer Gaming World, which called it and Word Rescue 'excellent choices for younger children' and noted they were 'difficult to quit playing'. It was awarded 'Best Education Software' in 1993. The game's structure—three episodes with 15 levels each, a learning mode for word problems, and a shareware model—made it accessible to a wide audience. Its legacy includes a sequel, Math Rescue Plus, and a planned but unstarted sequel, 'Gruzzle Puzzles'. The 2015 Steam release extended its reach to modern platforms.

Did You Know?

• The game's early pre-release title was 'Number Rescue'.
• The game can interact with a pair of Stereoscopic Vision Glasses.