Why doesn't Mario sound like he used to?

I've talked about various Nintendo characters and their voices before - Luigi's voice, Peach's voice, Yoshi's voice and many more! But today we're tackling Mario, quite possibly gaming's most famous voice! As you've probably heard already, Mario's voice actor has just been changed for the first time in decades! But there's more to the story of Mario's voice than just Charles Martinet... So let's talk about why Mario doesn't sound like he used to!

SOURCES

CREDITS

(Yes I re-used a little bit of the Luigi video - sue me!)

[ThomasGameDocs]

SURPRISE! 2 videos in one week!!!

I spent literally 12 hours nonstop editing this video, I am utterly exhausted and I will never work this hard again in my life.

This series has been one of my favourites to make, and when I started I never imagined that I could make one about Mario, since you know, his voice hadn't changed. Cut to 2 and a half years later, and things are a little different now... I hope you enjoy the video, I am going to go get some much deserved sleep :)

[NATER-TAINMENT]

I guess it’s kinda fitting that Charles Martinet’s last performance is him playing Mario’s father, calling out “These are my boys!”

[FSAPOJake]

You can't deny; succeeding Charles Martinet is such a daunting task. It's genuinely on the level of choosing a successor for Mel Blanc for Looney Tunes back in the day.

I'm glad to see the positive reception Kevin Afghani has been getting; hopefully it makes them feel relieved.

Still, Charles Martinet retiring is such a weird thing. We all knew it was going to happen eventually, but still, he invented Mario's voice, Luigi's voice AND characterization, among many others in the series, and he has been doing Mario's voice for 30 years (SM64 wasn't his first time playing him). We all just took for granted that he was Mario - it was just a fact of life.

[barrysteakfriessimp_real]

honestly, the last line Charles did for a Mario project being "These are my boys!" is really sweet, i think. Mario and Luigi are his boys, they have been for so long now. Charles gave them a voice, a personality, a life of their own that has inspired a generation of fans for decades. he's proud of them, they're his boys! they're his little guys! they've spread so much joy and happiness around the world and he's so proud of them for that! i think that's a nice sendoff :)

it's as if Charles is passing down the torch with pride and joy, and hopes that Kevin will continue that tradition of giving the Mario Brothers the life and spark they've always had. and from what we've heard so far out of Mario Wonder, i think he's done a wonderful job at it :)

[Peeby]

Seeing Kevin get a majority of positive feedback is so wholesome. Must have been daunting on him to get hate and I would say 95% are cool with him

[CaptainCat]

I'm going to miss Charles. I'm glad most of us grew up with him while we did.

[tuskoub]

I met Charles myself, grew up with his voice, and was kind of resistant to this idea of the voice changing, even because the voice itself was slightly off, but the idea of a new and upcoming actor who grew up inspired by Charles’ role… carrying on that legacy with a sense of unbridled passion

That kinda idea speaks to me and makes me want to root for Kevin!

[michaelcollins]

Dang, Mario's new voice actor JUST got revealed and you already have a video ready for it. 😂

[leftygurl]

im really glad to hear afghani finds the art of games and animation important, it’s good to have someone who appreciates his gig on that level. as for his voice, my reaction to hearing the first wonder trailer was “martinet sounds a bit different here, huh” so i’d say he’s slotting into the role(s) really well.

[BagelNosedDSuser]

It’s sad that Charles stopped voicing Mario, considering he wanted to voice Mario till he died.

[Pepstep_]

Charles, a beginner voice actor with little experience took up voicing Mario, starting out with voicing him at events before taking on the role of voicing him in the and decades later, he gracefully semi-retires, going back to voicing Mario at events, and a new voice actor with little experience takes the role. It's beautifully poetic.

[DEADisBEAUTIFUL]

Goodness…I won’t lie, I tear up thinking about Charles no longer voicing the single most important video game character in my life. I was a HUGE fan of Mario in my youth and that actually continues to this day. In school, I wrote about Mario for a school project at a very, very young age. As a teenager, I ended up with an original Donkey Kong arcade game in my home. When I was expecting my son, I was bedridden…and to keep myself company? Why, I played Super Mario 64. When my son was born in ‘02? I purchased the Nintendo Wii and would play Super Mario Sunshine while my son napped. And, that love of this character was passed down to my son as well. We’ve spent hours bonding while playing all of the various Mario games. Charles, and his ever so iconic voicing of my favorite video game character, is a very special part of my life. I’ve loved the character since I was a child, and that was well before Charles brought Mario to “life”. But, once Mario “spoke” to the world, it was through Charles. And in my opinion, no one can ever truly replace him.

[gameo]

I really hope one day we get to hear the original tape Charles recorded, I'd love to hear the first time Mario's voice came to life :)

[kyowomii]

im gonna miss charles but kevin does a great job at marios voice

[mrspamification]

"I *really* hope you enjoyed this special episode of-"
damn that hit me so deep, so profound, such impactful words!

[Mucrush]

A thing I like about having someone as young as Kevin taking on the role is that... a lot of young adults can relate to him! Not that Charles was ever non-approachable, but he's from a different age. Meanwhile Kevin really is a fresh sound for the character. Not that most people would know about the actor behind. But Kevin being able to get an insanely huge role like this is really good inspiration for any young voice actor!

Also fun fact: Kevin was born the same year that Super Mario 64 was released!

[antilopezmexicanos]

Kevin is the perfect choice for the New Mario's Voice, Passionate, talented, friendly and energetic, he fits perfectly, for the role, sounds similar, but yet unique enough to give a cheerful vibe.

[amazingfireboy]

Wow, Thomas really didn't skip a beat when Kevin started voicing Mario.

[CamNelz]

The video we all thought would never come! Thank you Charles for all you’ve done!

[earthboundman]

I wish Mr. Afghani the best in the future. I actually really love this new Mario voice from what I've heard. I think Mario as a character needed some new blood for a while, as precious as Martinet is. I can't wait to see Kevin's voice grow in years to come