TV Review #9: Captain N: The Game Master (1989 - 1991)

 

Since this is yet another DIC Animation tv program (believe me by the time I'm done you hearing the word Deek will make you shiver and shake!), we can start off with some DIC history that interests me and no one else on this planet. In 1987, Andy Heyward bought out the shares of DIC that were owned by Jean Chapolin (the original creator of the organization way back when it was a French only organization.) and Bruno Bianchi, who were behind all of the original DIC hits, like Heathcliff, M.A.S.K., The Adventures of Teddy Ruxpin and C.O.P.S. and Jean and Bruno left DIC. The Andy Heyward solo era of DIC was an interesting one.

Captain N: The Game Master was not the first show he did solo, I don't put enough effort into these blog posts to find that out. These are just fun little diversions I make after I watch something to amuse portnoyd. So I hope he finds this review amusing. Captain N apparently made his first appearance in the pages of Nintendo Power, which makes sense, he was originally an adult Nintendo worker, I think him being a teenager works better, like in the show. In the show Kevin Keene is brought into Videoland to help Princess Lana and the N Team fight off Mother Brain (whoever decided to get the dude who voiced Audrey II from the Little Shop of Horrors musical remake to voice Mother Brain is a genius and I hope they were given a big raise and a hug and a kiss) and her henchmen Dr. Wily, King Hippo and Eggplant Wizard. My favorite part of this show is the weird games they picked to be on the show. Like Adventures of Bayou Billy, Faxanadu and Burgertime, but no Mario. Probably because DIC also got to make a Mario show.

Captain N's team includes a sexy video game lady who never appeared in any game, Lana, princess of Videoland. I would play a game based around the Captain N stuff. A crossover game would have been cool as hell. Uh, the N team also has Mega Man, who for some reason now sounds like a 60 year old man whos been smoking 2 packs a day since he was 8. Simon Belmont who looks like a buff tanned Egon Spengler from the Real Ghostbusters. Oh and Kid Icarus. I always forget about him. In Season two Gameboy joins the team. They go into a warp zone that takes place in a random Nintendo game. Like really random, what child owned Faxanadu? That was clearly a game you picked up for 5 bucks at  Microplay as an adult collecting these games. (which I used to do before It got shitty and lame thanks to NintendoAge jerks) 

The voice acting is pretty good, even if Mega Man shouldn't sound like that. I mean besides that. The voices work for the characters. The animation is a mixed bag. One episode literally had several scenes not have backgrounds. It was the Bayou Billy episode. No joke, several scenes had no backgrounds and you had to say to yourself, I'm sure NINTENDO gave you enough money to make this show. The second season opener had a lot better animation too it. I don't know who did the animation, but seeing as this was a joint product between Canada and America (all of the voice actors except Levi Stubbs were Canadian). I don't know any other Canadian animation studios other than Nelvana and the CGI company that did Reboot and I know it wasn't either of them. I'd like to know who animated this show honestly because when it was good it was really good.

Captain N: The Game Master ran for 3 whole seasons and 34 episodes between 1989 and 1991. For all the discussion that was done of the show throughout the NES SCENE GLORY DAYS, I'd have thought there were more episodes and more seasons but I guess not. I also have to say the DVD set that I totally legally own and didn't download does not look that much better than VHS honestly. Maybe I'm just spoiled by Blu-Ray but several of the scenes looked fuzzy. I don't think that was the animation.

FINAL VERDICT:  This was a fun show that I recommend you check out if you enjoy these old games. I think that's where you'll have the most fun with it. If you aren't a Nintendo fan the show is still fun to watch but I don't think it works as well. Now I sit and wait for portnoyd to make a comment about how this show sucks because he's a negative angry man who enjoys nothing but being a butt.