The Backyardigans: Mission to Mars is based on a CGI animated children's television series created by Nickelodeon executive Janice Burgess. The heroes are preschool age creatures whose imaginations turn their backyard into a place of adventure; in this game, Uniqua, Pablo, and Austin travel to Mars to investigate the origin of a strange signal Mission Control is picking up. Gameplay is similar to that in the Dora the Explorer games; completed mini-games move the player through the story. In this case, each mini-game brings the Backyardigans closer to the source of the strange sounds, and rewards the player with space specimens that will be analyzed on returning to earth - these specimens contain music and printable pages.

The mini-games are played with the mouse, mostly point and click, and sometimes moving the mouse to control a character or vehicle:

Lift-off - remember and repeat a flashing light pattern to launch the shuttle
Zero Gravity - control Austin to help him put away all the floating supplies in the right cabinets
Shuttle Control - select the correct pre-laid path to maneuver the shuttle through obstacles in space
Meteor Shower - drive the Rover over the Mars surface while avoiding meteorites and collecting crystals
Amaze-ing Caves - use the mouse to move through mazes and blast boulders out of your path
Cliff Walk - cross chasms by dragging bridge pieces into place
Martian River Float - steer around obstacles as the Rover floats down an underground river
Hide-and-Seek - click on items to find the Martian, and then help her find some things she's looking for
Music - the Backyardigans want to celebrate; select an instrument for each one and listen to them play
Analysis Machine - place space specimens on a conveyor belt to the analysis machine to discover more music and some pages to print

Finishing a mini-game in Journey mode unlocks it in Free Play mode, so the player can then return to it whenever he wants. Cut scenes have a skip option, and all other screens have exit and volume icons.

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