If DiC made a new Mario cartoon...

A

atomic punk

New member
I was watching my DVD set of Super Mario World when I thought about it. It's been over fifteen years since the last Mario show. Times have changed. TV standards have changed. And Mario certainly has changed, as well. If DiC ever bothered putting out a new Mario cartoon, what do you think it would be like? How many "creative" liberties would they take? What characters would they use? What series would they try to adapt?

Obviously there's likely never going to be a new Mario cartoon from DiC, but it is interesting to think about. Thoughts?
 
Well, to get it on the air, they'd have to shoehorn as many common sense morals as possible to make it E/i, because that's the only thing DIC is doing now.

Personally, i'm disappointed that there hasn't been a Mario anime series someone could dub. Just a long forgotten movie that's impossible to find in japan. You see, Nintendo doesn't think much of their animated series. However, they treat F-Zero and Pokemon like high art. Heh. Go figure.
 
If there ever is going to be a new Mario show, I would hope that:

1. It would be done in CGI, as the technology available to us today could open so many possibilities, and

2. DiC wouldn't be the ones doing it. They're not the studio they once were.
 
I think well done CGI would be great for a theatrical, or even DTV movie, but I'd rather see something 2-D. Maybe manipulate it a little to look video game like.

Personally, I just want to see one happen. Mario is still the biggest video game star there is, and still one of the best (Pac-Man, Mario, and Sonic are the most recongizable VG heroes after all). I also want a stronger plot, but it shouldn't take itself too seriously.

And also, I really don't want Mario to have that phoney baloney Italian accent. I want him to be an Intalian from Brooklin, and have a Brooklyn/Italian accent. You can make any changes based solely on the game, but Mario has to sound that way. And not like Jar Jar Binks with an Italian accent. "Eesa Me! Mah-dio!" No thanks.
 
A Pixar animated Mario Bros. series would be pretty sweet. Unfortunately, Pixar only works with projects within their own studio. They don't outsource, so it's unlikely that they would ever animate a TV series based on a video game.

This is slightly off topic, I realize, but I have to say that I would be open to the idea of a new Donkey Kong Country animated series. A good one this time. Just as long as it didn't have Wrinkly Kong as a creepy ghost. *shudders*
 
Judging the Kirby & F-Zero animes, if the Japanese did a Mario show, they do story arcs. And I can't see Mario doing story arcs. There's so much ground to cover since only one actual Mario game comes out once every console and they need something to write and I want every official Mario game get adapted and referenced in some way. One-shots with occasional two-parter, and maybe movie, but that's it. I don't want it to be CGI, but I definitely want it to be flash animated, especially if it's Canadian. Once I posted my idea for a Mario cartoon.
 
Actually, Japan did make a Mario anime series. I remember reading about it and watching a clip of it online once. I don't know how the story functioned or how long the series was, even though I think it was around 26 episodes, but it was definitely an anime. Depending on which game they were adapting, they could use mini-arcs or something to cover the story line. I don't think that I would want a Mario cartoon in CGI either, but it would be nice to see a new series. I barely remember watching the first one back in the early 90s since I was so little then.



I don't see why Mario wouldn't be the main character of his own series, whether or not its an anime or an American cartoon. He's one of the most, if not the most, famous video game character and practically all of his video games involve him being the main character or one of the main characters.
 
If they did Mario series now... They need to atleast have Charles Martinet doing Mario, Luigi, Wario, Waluigi, and countless other's he has done. As long as they use the cast from the Video Games that can speak English, Since the voice for DK, I believe is Japanese. The voices also have to be more fleshed out other than one word sentences, I would enjoy it, atleast for the voice talent, since I loved it when I got the call from Gamestop for reserving Super Mario Galaxy.

The animation has to be close to the video game art style.

Story, I don't care if it a story-arc or a self-contain episode, just give focus on the characters




I'm guessing you didn't sit throught the train wreck of an anime that was called Sonic X?
 
I'm guessing that you didn't sit through the American Produced Sonic Underground or Double Dragon double trainwrecks. At least Sonic X was watchable.

I mean, why on earth did the Double Dragon twins turn into superheroes?

And I really would like to see someone besides the video game voices play the characters, thank you. I cannot stand Mario's obnoxious stereotype Italian voice, and the wormy Italian stereotype voice they gave Luigi.

And I think that Jim Cummings should play Wario. He could do so much with that role. giving it a cross between Pete, Negaduck, and a Brooklyn sounding Mario.... but with a twist of bizzarre creep. Man, I would just love to see a Wario cartoon starring his voice.
 
If we're discussing voices, I think Kevin Michael Richardson would make a good Bowser.

I don't think I'll be able to listen to Martinet's Mario for a whole episode, if he voices exactly like he does in the games.
 
To me, honestly, i think good animation these days are more the adult themed ones like you see on Adult Swim, Comedy Central (coming soon), and Sci-Fi Ani-Mondays. Saturday Mornings, IMO, are dieing a slow death as much as i don't want to believe it. Cartoon Network has changed for the worse, since they are aiming for preschool and elementary kids more then they want to please their older audience anymore.

It'll be sweet to see another Mario, Zelda, Captain N, or Sonic cartoon again...although out of this list, we did see a new Sonic cartoon called Sonic X, imo, is unwatchable to me. Its just not the Sonic that i know and love and they anime the heck out of it, but then again it wasnt made by DiC so they obiously can do better, Sonic SaTAM being their king of Sonic toons.

If we did another Mario game, obiously the Mario galaxy being out recently would be what they would do via storyline and i do love the game, but really making it into a cartoon will not work at all. Be nice to see some kinda form but i dont think they have a spark storyline to get it started again, but then again like someone pointed out, E/I would make it too much educational then entertainment.
 
Sorry to quote so many people, but I don't think anyone got Super Levithan's original point: the fact Mario wouldn't be the star of his own toon if it was a Nintendo produced related anime. You can argue about the quality, but you can't argue the fact that Kirby: Right Back At Ya, Sonic X and even F-Zero Legend had the focus of the show as Kirby, Sonic and somewhat Captain Falcon as heroes, but they weren't the main stars. Either due to not recieving the most screentime or the most character development. Which could happen to a Mario anime as well when they make Mario the hero but pass the characterization/screentime to someone more "flawed" and "idenifable" to the viewers. Since Mario is obviously the most well known video game character it might not happen to the same degree but if produced by anyone related to those three shows it would still happen.

I think I'll say this till the day I die/get banned on these boards, but though I would like another Mario toon, I would rather him be one of the Stars of a Super Smash Brothers toon/anime where he chould share the heroing duties and character development with the other lead Nintendo stars. Either way though if a new Mario toon were to come out in some form, I wouldn't want DIC involved. They're style of producing/thinking is way too outdated. Though I don't know where the best fit for a Mario toon would be now though. With Saturday animation being dead I doubt they'd want to revive Mario there and the other key networks all have some other problem. If there was a Smash Brothers series it'd have to be on Toonami (which would still hopefully be around at the time) but they would sckew the viewers younger for just a basic mario series like how they're "kiddifying" his games more latley.
 
That's okay that you had to quote me atleast. I was stating that due to the fact that Chris Thorndyke ruined most Sonic part that were in the game, like the arc based around SA2, and spotlight stealing from Sonic and crew. Also the fact that I can't relate to Chris is a problem... I'm not rich like he is, My parents are always around, the fact that I'm not as polite as him. I'm just saying that Chris isn't someone I can relate to, or anyone else for that matter.

Though I do agree that DiC shouldn't handle the cartoon, especially since I forgot what recent show of their has become a major hit. My suggestion is the answer to America's work problem... Outsourcing and let the Japanese handle that.
 
I actually did see some episodes of Sonic X. I also recall seeing the original Sonic series and another one that I can't seem to remember at the moment. I thought that the series was okay, but I definitely enjoyed the first Sonic series much more than that.

But I see your's and Neo Ultra Mike's point about how a new Mario series could have less focus on him and more on other characters, as what happened with Sonic X. I still think that a Mario series could be possible, if it had strong writing. And strong writing includes providing the characters, or at least the main characters like Mario, with enough screen time and/or development in order to have the series grow.

I'm also one-hundred percent sure that there was a Mario anime in Japan. I watched a clip of the first episode through means of which I cannot mention. Nor can I post it here. But I'm sure that there are clips of it online or an article about it somewhere.
 
There were 2 Mario anime projects, but NONE of them were a regular TV series...

Project one A theatrically released movie based very loosely on the first video game.

Project 2 A DTV series where the characters from SMB3 (including the Hammer Brothers and the Koopa Kids) played out different fairy tales, both European and Japanese.

Nintendo has a bug perminantly lodged up its butt about having its video game characters in a cartoon. With the exception of Kirby and Pokemon. And maybe that F-Zero (which scores an F and a zero). I remember in the press release of the Captain N DVD, Shout actually specifically said they didn't mean anything to them anymore, and they were a one time marketing thing. Somehow they feel embarassed by them (and not Pokemon's ultra repetitiveness?).

Oddly, Sega Embraced the cartoons of Sonic. SatAm characters had a Cameo in Sonic Spinball, and AOSTH versions of Robotnik, Scratch, Grounder, and Various Bounty Hunters from the first episode were in Mean Bean Machine. And indeed, the AOSTH Robotnik was part of the style guide for a while. (A McDonald's promo toy as well as valentines, and various other merchandise). other than the Valient Comic series, I never seen Koopa in his Mario cartoon form on Merchandise at all.
 
Gee, I liked the pics for that second one. Mario does seem to look similar to the way he did on the DIC series', with the exception of the colors of his clothes being reversed. In all honesty, I don't know if I'd agree with Charles Martinet voicing Mario in an animated series. I think it would be better if they could bring back Lou Albano or Walker Boone. He didn't do a bad Mario voice.
 
Oh, okay. I only saw a clip of the second project. That seems to be the the one project with a better design for the characters. I must have mixed up what I heard on another form about a Mario anime since I thought that it did air as a television series. My mistake.



I have heard of this F-Zero series, but I don't believe that I've ever seen an episode. Maybe they didn't want to do another kind of series since it wouldn't be as successful as Pokemon. I don't know. But I do agree with you on how Pokemon has repetitiveness, but I'm pretty much fine with that. I think that it would be great if there was a cartoon series that involved another Nintendo video game series, such as Mario or Zelda, since they have a good amount of room to develop their stories into a good solid television series.
 
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