257: The Worst (and Best) Videogame Cartoons

[Nadia Oxford]

The Worst (and Best) Videogame Cartoons

Many early videogame characters had their escapades translated to the small screen in the form of weekly animated shows. Unfortunately, most of them were awful. Nadia Oxford chronicles the highs and lows of cartoons based on videogames.

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[JEBWrench]

How dare you downplay Captain N? FIEND!

What felt wrong about it? I still remember the Tetris world's non-stop holiday calendar.

 

[Zenode]

I still say just because of this video and Funks' imitation of the dance, not saying the rest were bad but Funks was the best XD (Darn that Mario Party video for getting the song stuck in my head for days) it is to me the greatest :-D

<youtube=65uNCLBTje0>

 

[DaxStrife]

I knew this article couldn't go without a mention of Sonic/SatAM. It's the only video game cartoon I know of with a large and active (or at least loud) fanbase. I admired the cartoon just for having the audacity not to be bright and colorful and lean more to the dark, oppressive/depressive side of things. When you get right down to it, it's a cartoon where the bad guy has already won, and the main character is a terrorist who blows things up.

 

[craddoke]

God help me - my kids have been watching the Super Mario Bros. Show on Netflix and they love it.

Of course, I got to see the episode with Danica McKellar. That makes it okay, I suppose.

 

[Plinglebob]

A very good article, and I enjoyed the memories it brought back. Sadly it was ruined by this line:

Maybe it's time for game cartoons to mature along with the audience that it enraptured through the '80s.

My question is why? No matter what the adult consumers of various forms of media may think (Film, games, TV Shows, Comics etc) getting Children interested is still important because they have both the brand loyalty and pester power that adults lack. Sadly the only company that seems to realise this is Nintendo with the Wii and Marvel Comics with their Ultimate Universe series. If they ever make anothercartoon series, I want it to be aimed at children as they are the ones that will keep gaming going.

Also, cartoons aimed at adults have been a flop recently with EA's efforts for both Dante's Infurno and Dead Space being a bit crap.

 

[Tharticus]

Oh dear, I remember those cartoon specials. This is another nostalgia whiff of all the Saturday cartoons.

Super Mario Super Show was alright, Zelda was annoying but tolerable with the "Excuse Me Princess" and The Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog with his drugged up crazy antics occur seems to be even considered massive amount of Youtube Poop videos. However, Sonic SatAM makes up for that.

But by golly was Captain N: The game master was the worst video game cartoon ever. It takes all the video game characters and potentially making it worst.

 

[The_root_of_all_evil]

"The fairy was a very minor element in the original game," [Bob Forward, writer of the Zelda cartoon] said. "I decided to make her a character, and make her cute, because, like many males working in the animation business at the time, my first sexual fantasy character had been Tinkerbell. That scene where she stands on the mirror worrying that her butt is too big? Still gives me wood."

...

So Navi is basically there from a sexual fantasy.

...

 

[Midniqht]

Oh damn... I remember watching the Sonic cartoon as a kid. Then, I enjoyed it... but I actually watched an episode out of nostalgia recently and wanted first and foremost to beat the hell out of Tails. Not just Tails though... I couldn't stand the whole show anymore - why was this something I ever enjoyed?

 

[GrandmaFunk]

Earthworm Jim was AWESOME (especially the episode with The Nameless Beast)

I still regularly quote it.

 

[Optimus Hagrid]

I am glad nearly all of these were before my time. Although I miss Earthworm Jim.

 

[tsb247]

I knew this article couldn't go without a mention of Sonic/SatAM. It's the only video game cartoon I know of with a large and active (or at least loud) fanbase. I admired the cartoon just for having the audacity not to be bright and colorful and lean more to the dark, oppressive/depressive side of things. When you get right down to it, it's a cartoon where the bad guy has already won, and the main character is a terrorist who blows things up.

I was thinking the same thing. I remember watching SatAM religiously back when I was about 7 or so, and when I look back, I can't help but see how incredibly dark that show really is. I went out and bought both seasons about two years ago, and I still pop them in the DVD player from time to time when I am really bored. It's quite a stroll down memory lane.

 

[Hayate_GT]

Street Fighter was awesome...used to watch it every saturday...also both of the sonic cartoons...the goofy version used to get on my nerves tho...i even watched AND LIKED sonic underground...yes i said it...

 

[Formica Archonis]

Moreover, what does it say about Luigi that he seemingly fathered an illegitimate child and dumped her on Mario's doorstep?

Haha! The concept never even occurred to me. Cartoon protagonists in need of a spouse-free kid have siblings composed of little more than vapor, seemingly existing only long enough to start a family and foist it onto someone else. Think of it: Mickey Mouse has two nephews, Morty and Ferdie. Despite their repeated appearances, it's never even been made clear whether Mickey has a brother or a sister. (At least we know Huey, Dewey, and Louie are the kids of Donald Duck's sister.)

I've seen a few more recent series at least make the relationship single parent and child, with the other parent being made of vapor. Dead? Divorced? Living a nomadic life with the Tuareg in the western Sahara? Never mentioned. Unless perhaps the show is a long runner that needs some more plot fuel, the second parent just doesn't exist; the kid might as well have sprung fully-formed from the head of the onscreen parent.

 

[zombie711]

I do belive you skiped over kirby right back at ya. The 2nd greatest videogame cartoon ever made.

 

[yourbeliefs]

I remember most of these shows. Don't remember that arcade block of shows on CBS and apparently the Capcom flood happened after I stopped watching such shows. One thing that was annoying about the Super Show was every show started with Mario yelling, "Hey, paisanos!" and since my last name rhymes with paisano, tons of people at my school started calling me that name. Maybe after I re-activate my Netflix account (suspended it to save money) I'll look back on some of those shows..

 

[Not G. Ivingname]

The Worst (and Best) Videogame Cartoons

Many early videogame characters had their escapades translated to the small screen in the form of weekly animated shows. Unfortunately, most of them were awful. Nadia Oxford chronicles the highs and lows of cartoons based on videogames.

Read Full Article

What about Carmin Sandiego?

It was a point and click adventure game BEFORE it was a cartoon or gameshow. Any thoughts on that one?

 

[RobDJClark]

Sonic satam was amazing. Well...I think so anyway

 

[Generic_Dave]

God, I don't remember any of these except Mario and Sonic...did most of them not air outside the States? And I can't remember the Zelda cartoon from the Mario show...dang.

To be honest though, the most vivid Saturday morning show in my memory is Trapdoor...

'"Somewhere in the dark and nasty regions where nobody goes, stands an ancient castle. Deep within this dank and uninviting place lives Berk..."

"Ullo!"

"...overworked servant to the thing upstairs."

"BERK! FEED ME!"

"But that's nothing compared to the horrors that lurk beneath the trap door! For there is always something down there... in the dark... waiting to come out!"

Don't you open that trap door!
You're a fool if you dare!
Stay away from that trap door!
'Cause there's something down there!'

 

[fletch_talon]

"The fairy was a very minor element in the original game," [Bob Forward, writer of the Zelda cartoon] said. "I decided to make her a character, and make her cute, because, like many males working in the animation business at the time, my first sexual fantasy character had been Tinkerbell. That scene where she stands on the mirror worrying that her butt is too big? Still gives me wood."

...

So Navi is basically there from a sexual fantasy.

...

She promotes celibacy and never getting married.
"HEY! Listen!"
"LINK!"
She nags just like the real thing.