Of course, there has been more video game-based anime than most of us can be bothered to count. We didn't get much of it over here, unless you include Battle of the Planets, and that wasn't even based on a game, stupid.
For the most part, the cartoons served up to British kids in the 80s and 90s were always either quirky, re-dubbed European fare (Dogtanian et al), cheap and cheerful American toy ads like He-Man and the Masters of the Universe, or low-fi British efforts, such as Rhubarb & Custard.
Indeed, the few game-based cartoons we received were firmly in that middle category. It's worth noting that for every Pokemon or Super Mario Bros. Super Show, there were ten terrible, terrible, terrible video game-based cartoons. And - ohhhh! - here are ten of them right now!
For the most part, the cartoons served up to British kids in the 80s and 90s were always either quirky, re-dubbed European fare (Dogtanian et al), cheap and cheerful American toy ads like He-Man and the Masters of the Universe, or low-fi British efforts, such as Rhubarb & Custard.
Indeed, the few game-based cartoons we received were firmly in that middle category. It's worth noting that for every Pokemon or Super Mario Bros. Super Show, there were ten terrible, terrible, terrible video game-based cartoons. And - ohhhh! - here are ten of them right now!
DONKEY KONG COUNTRY
Pulled from the Fox Network in the USA after just two episodes (though its one series was shown in full on Fox Kids at a later date), the 1996 Donkey Kong cartoon is a mix of cutting-edge technology, and throat-grasping awfulness.
Though an all-CGI cartoon was novel at the time, the visuals have dated appallingly; the characters' mouths barely bother to stay in synch with their dialogue, and they lope around the screen with all the weight and gravitas of helium balloons. Therefore, it's rather surprising to learn that the show was one of the first ever to utilise motion capture for its animation. Sadly, that's as far as the innovation stretched.
Featuring all of Donkey's extended family from the games, it introduces a number of other characters - all voiced seemingly with the express intention of setting teeth on edge (Diddy Kong goes full Scrappy Doo, while Donkey himself sounds, incongruously, like a whining, all-American, "fratboy" who has just failed a beer-pong challenge).
There's an overarching plot about King K. Rool wanting to steal a magical, wish-granting, coconut from Donkey Kong - though it lacks the action and adventure you might've expected from such a premise, and games which were all action. It's mostly lame jokes, and tedious, feel-good, sitcom messages.
Though an all-CGI cartoon was novel at the time, the visuals have dated appallingly; the characters' mouths barely bother to stay in synch with their dialogue, and they lope around the screen with all the weight and gravitas of helium balloons. Therefore, it's rather surprising to learn that the show was one of the first ever to utilise motion capture for its animation. Sadly, that's as far as the innovation stretched.
Featuring all of Donkey's extended family from the games, it introduces a number of other characters - all voiced seemingly with the express intention of setting teeth on edge (Diddy Kong goes full Scrappy Doo, while Donkey himself sounds, incongruously, like a whining, all-American, "fratboy" who has just failed a beer-pong challenge).
There's an overarching plot about King K. Rool wanting to steal a magical, wish-granting, coconut from Donkey Kong - though it lacks the action and adventure you might've expected from such a premise, and games which were all action. It's mostly lame jokes, and tedious, feel-good, sitcom messages.
THE LEGEND OF ZELDA
Another short-lived series, The Legend of Zelda debuted in 1989, and somehow proved to be more progressive than the games are even to this day; Zelda could be seen fighting alongside Link in most episodes, rather than reduced to the status of an easily-captured damsel-in-distress.
It also sought to explain the vast number of items Link is able to carry - showing him shrinking them down, so that they can all fit inside his special pocket.
Though monsters, items, locations and music are all drawn from the first couple of Zelda games, not every plot would've felt right in the game series. One episode finds Link and Zelda guarding the construction of a water theme park, and another has Link faking a cold in order to get sympathy...
Sounds like he'd have fit right in on Twitter.
It also sought to explain the vast number of items Link is able to carry - showing him shrinking them down, so that they can all fit inside his special pocket.
Though monsters, items, locations and music are all drawn from the first couple of Zelda games, not every plot would've felt right in the game series. One episode finds Link and Zelda guarding the construction of a water theme park, and another has Link faking a cold in order to get sympathy...
Sounds like he'd have fit right in on Twitter.
DOUBLE DRAGON
Lasting for an impressive 26 episodes, produced between 1993 and 1994, the Double Dragon cartoon goes into the sort of backstory that the games couldn't manage.
We learn that twin brothers Jimmy and Billy were separated at birth, and - somewhat coincidentally - are both raised by martial arts masters. Unlike in the game, rather than street pugilists, Billy and Jimmy are more superheroes - able to transform into their heroic identities at moments of heightened violence.
In a sort of reverse of how Prince Adam transforms into He-Man, they drop their alter-egos by crossing their magic swords and shouting "By the power of the dragon!". Notably, the forgettable Double Dragon V: The Shadow Falls was based upon the cartoon.
We learn that twin brothers Jimmy and Billy were separated at birth, and - somewhat coincidentally - are both raised by martial arts masters. Unlike in the game, rather than street pugilists, Billy and Jimmy are more superheroes - able to transform into their heroic identities at moments of heightened violence.
In a sort of reverse of how Prince Adam transforms into He-Man, they drop their alter-egos by crossing their magic swords and shouting "By the power of the dragon!". Notably, the forgettable Double Dragon V: The Shadow Falls was based upon the cartoon.
CAPTAIN N: THE GAME MASTER
Having appeared initially in Nintendo Power magazine as a wannabe corporate mascot, Captain N was upgraded to star in his own cartoon series - where he was otherwise known as Kevin Keene, a Nintendo fanatic from California.
Kevin and his dog Duke find themselves transported - Tron/Jamie & The Magic Torch-style - to another dimension called Videoland, which is under attack from the forces of Metroid's Mother Brain. Armed with a Nintendo Zapper, he teams up with Kid Icarus, Mega Man and Simon Belmont from the Castlevania games.
They encounter other second string characters from Nintendo games, such as Burger Time, Paperboy, Punch Out, and - in series two - the Game Boy, a human-sized supercomputer. Which is a bit of a joke, although probably not the intentional sort.
Kevin and his dog Duke find themselves transported - Tron/Jamie & The Magic Torch-style - to another dimension called Videoland, which is under attack from the forces of Metroid's Mother Brain. Armed with a Nintendo Zapper, he teams up with Kid Icarus, Mega Man and Simon Belmont from the Castlevania games.
They encounter other second string characters from Nintendo games, such as Burger Time, Paperboy, Punch Out, and - in series two - the Game Boy, a human-sized supercomputer. Which is a bit of a joke, although probably not the intentional sort.
EARTHWORM JIM
Released in 1995, and lasting two seasons, Earthworm Jim did a reasonable job of recreating the absurdist tone of the games - perhaps helped by the fact that Jim's creator Doug TenNapel (real name) served as executive producer and writer. Further adding to the pedigree of behind-the-scenes talent, Jim himself was voiced by Dan "Homer Simpson" Castellaneta.
Nicely, every episode ends with one of the characters being crushed by a cow.
Nicely, every episode ends with one of the characters being crushed by a cow.
MORTAL KOMBAT: DEFENDERS OF THE REALM
Cancelled after a lone season of 13 episodes, Mortal Kombat: Defenders of the Realm failed to serve up the one thing that the game series had going for it: extreme violence and gore.
Packed with risible one-liners, and shoehorning a previously unexplored heroic angle into the game's mythos, it also featured the characters flying around in jet planes.
Its only lasting contribution to Mortal Kombat lore was the introduction of Quan Chi - who would go on to become a major antagonist in the game series. Perhaps the only other thing you need to know is that Sub-Zero was voiced by Beverly Hills 90210 actor Luke Perry.
Packed with risible one-liners, and shoehorning a previously unexplored heroic angle into the game's mythos, it also featured the characters flying around in jet planes.
Its only lasting contribution to Mortal Kombat lore was the introduction of Quan Chi - who would go on to become a major antagonist in the game series. Perhaps the only other thing you need to know is that Sub-Zero was voiced by Beverly Hills 90210 actor Luke Perry.
Q*BERT
Another game character who was watered down from his foul-mouthed arcade incarnation, the Q*Bert cartoon also gave the character arms, and the ability to fire rocks from his nozzle. Cartoon Q*Bert lives in the town of Q-Burg, inhabited by similarly-nozzled characters, where he attends a high school, and makes Q-related puns. Nobody ever mentions how they all resemble flaccid peenies.
POLE POSITION
Pole Position was only loosely connected to the game series - beyond the name, which was licensed from Namco, it has virtually nothing in common, beyond it revolving around brum-brums.
Unlike the game, which was a fairly straightforward race 'em up, Pole Position featured gadget-packed transforming cars, with talking computer brains. As with the vast majority of shows in this article, it lasted one series before being axed.
Unlike the game, which was a fairly straightforward race 'em up, Pole Position featured gadget-packed transforming cars, with talking computer brains. As with the vast majority of shows in this article, it lasted one series before being axed.
BUBSY
If, like us, you didn't think it was possible for Bubsy the Bobcat to become more risible and loathsome, you only have to watch the 1993 pilot of his never-fully-commissioned animated show.
Every inch the hyperactive smartarse he was in the games, we learn that Bubsy lives with a cowardly armadillo (who, early on, is the subject of a baffling news report about how he's going to die), Bubsy wastes few opportunities to spout his grating catchphrase "What Could Possibly Go Wrong?" (indeed - the title of the pilot is named for it).
The plot of the pilot, such as it is, begins with Bubsy kissing an alarm clock depicting a representation of his own face, and inexplicably putting an orbital sander against his lips, before throwing his nephew and niece into the mix.
Somehow, they prove to be even more annoying than their uncle, and when they stumble into possession of a reality-warping device invented by a rat, they go on a rampage of destruction. And, of course, there's a villain - an egotistical cat, with a pair of idiot henchmen, who seem to exist only to be brutally assaulted at every turn.
An astonishing mess.
Every inch the hyperactive smartarse he was in the games, we learn that Bubsy lives with a cowardly armadillo (who, early on, is the subject of a baffling news report about how he's going to die), Bubsy wastes few opportunities to spout his grating catchphrase "What Could Possibly Go Wrong?" (indeed - the title of the pilot is named for it).
The plot of the pilot, such as it is, begins with Bubsy kissing an alarm clock depicting a representation of his own face, and inexplicably putting an orbital sander against his lips, before throwing his nephew and niece into the mix.
Somehow, they prove to be even more annoying than their uncle, and when they stumble into possession of a reality-warping device invented by a rat, they go on a rampage of destruction. And, of course, there's a villain - an egotistical cat, with a pair of idiot henchmen, who seem to exist only to be brutally assaulted at every turn.
An astonishing mess.
BATTLETOADS
With the lead writer of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles cartoon on board you'd have expected the cartoon version of Rare's Battletoads to be significantly better than the wretched, low-budget, mess it ended up as.
For reasons that are hard to fathom, the three main 'Toads are depicted here as unpopular high school nerds, who - after being drenched with sci-fi ooze - are transformed into their amphibious alter egos.
They can switch back and forth between their toad personas by shouting either "Let's get warty" or "Let's get normal". Which, however you look at it, isn't quite as quotable as "I have the power".
For reasons that are hard to fathom, the three main 'Toads are depicted here as unpopular high school nerds, who - after being drenched with sci-fi ooze - are transformed into their amphibious alter egos.
They can switch back and forth between their toad personas by shouting either "Let's get warty" or "Let's get normal". Which, however you look at it, isn't quite as quotable as "I have the power".
RSS Feed
