The 1990s seemed to have a strange affinity forcartoonsbased off of video games, with a number of examples of such being prevalent throughout the decade. In the modern age, video game movies have been more popular than ever, withthe upcoming live-actionMinecraftadaptationpoised to be the next major blockbuster to be based on a popular game series.However, in past decades, TV has been more the realm of video game adaptations,with many Saturday morning cartoons in particular using them as a foundation.
These early interpretations of famous video game characters for the small screen often deviated from the source material dramatically.Today, many of these cartoons are most well-known for being meme fodder,with many humorous edits of their episodes proliferating the feeds of late 2000s YouTube users. Fromcartoons based on Nintendo propertiesto other animated adaptations of Capcom or Sega’s games, 90s cartoons got plenty of mileage out of video games.
The Super Mario Bros. Movie
Cast
The Super Mario Bros. Movie is an animated adventure film featuring Brooklyn plumbers Mario and Luigi. Released in 2023, the movie follows the brothers as they are transported to a magical world through a mysterious pipe, leading Mario on a quest to rescue Luigi after they become separated.
Shortly after the release of the hotly-anticipatedSuper Mario Bros. 3was the aptly-named cartoon,The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3.This series was a follow-up toTheSuper Mario Bros. Super Show, which starredLou Albano as a live-action Marioand only barely missed the cut-off to the 90s with its 1989 release.The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3kept some aspects of its predecessor, such as Mario’s Brooklyn accent, while incorporating the new features of the latest release, like the devious Koopa Kids.
In truth,The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3was something of a step-down in quality fromThe Super Mario Bros. Super Show,with the animation, original songs, and sound design all taking a hit in the follow-up series.Still, the cartoon was at least able to add a surprising sense of continuity in relation to its predecessor while still incorporating new elements fromSuper Mario Bros. 3, such as the latest in Mushroom Kingdom power-ups. This cartoon is fondly remembered, even if it is outshone by its more famous older sibling.
Earthworm Jim
Earthworm Jim is an animated television series based on the video game of the same name. The show follows the adventures of an ordinary earthworm named Jim who transforms into a superhero after discovering a robotic suit. Voiced by Dan Castellaneta, Jim battles evil forces and navigates surreal challenges in his quest to save the universe.
Earthworm Jimwas an animated series that took inspiration from the two games of the series that had already been released by the time of its syndication. Like other video game cartoons, the series offered its own original ideas to the franchise. However, unlike many of its peers, these ideas were very well-received, and even became incorporated into theEarthworm Jimgames that followed its release.The most notable of these would be the appearance of antagonist Evil Jim inEarthworm Jim: Menace 2 the Galaxy.
The series was made with close involvement from the original game’s creator, Doug TenNapel, which likely accounted for this positive legacy. For a relatively obscure Saturday morning cartoon based on a relatively obscure game,Earthworm Jimmanaged to accrue an impressive credits list of talented voice actors.Among the cast included Dan Castellaneta ofThe Simpsonsfame, Jim Cummings, known for playing Winnie the Pooh, and Johnny Bravo himself, Jeff Bennett.
8Mega Man
1994-1996
Nintendo wasn’t the only major game company to have its platforming mascot represented with a Saturday morning cartoon in the 90s. Enter 1994’sMega Man, a lighthearted show detailing the adventures of the titular android from the popular sidescrolling game series of the same name. Unlike many animated video game adaptations from the late 80s and early 90s,Mega Manwas shockingly well-received, at one point even being the highest-rated children’s cartoonin syndication on American televisions.
The series followed Mega Man as he battled the infernal creations of the evil Dr. Wily,who sends many of the same robot masters from the games against his Mega Buster-wielding foe. The series was notable for having Ian James Corlett, who would later become well-known as the very first Englishvoice actor to playDragon Ball Z’s Gokuin the original “Ocean dub,” voice Mega Man himself. Sadly, the charming show’s third season never materialized due to monetary factors.
Donkey Kong Country
Donkey Kong Country is an animated television series based on the Nintendo game franchise. Airing from 1997 to 2000, the show follows Donkey Kong as he strives to protect his home, Kongo Bongo Island, from the schemes of villainous King K. Rool and his minions. Alongside his friends, Diddy and Cranky Kong, Donkey Kong embarks on various adventures involving mysterious crystals and treasures, blending action with humor.
While many video game cartoons take dramatic liberties in adapting their source material,Donkey Kong Countrytook its inspirational characters in perhaps the most bizarre direction of any of them.Named after the solo Donkey Kong games which proved Nintendo’s lovable ape could compete with Mario in the platforming department, the series made the bold choice to give famously mute animal characters like Donkey Kong, Diddy Kong, and King K. Rool voices. Not only that, but the series staked a claim on painfully-early 3D animation for its art style.
Few cartoons have aged as poorly asDonkey Kong Country, from the annoying personalities of the main cast to the eyesore animation and nonsensical musical segments.The series tried very hard to put its own spin on the franchise with Donkey Kong’s new catchphrase, “Banana Slamma!",and several original characters, not to mention a disturbing fascination with simian romance.
Mike Fallows also directedThe ZhuZhus(2016)
Few 90s cartoons based on video games are as infamous asDonkey Kong Country.
Sonic the Hedgehog
Sonic the Hedgehog, a 1993 animated TV series, follows the titular blue hedgehog and his friends as they battle the evil Dr. Robotnik to save the planet Mobius. Voiced by Jaleel White, Sonic teams up with characters like Princess Sally and Tails to thwart Robotnik’s nefarious schemes in a darker, more serious narrative compared to other adaptations.
Sonic has been doing well at the movies in recent years, withthe upcomingSonic The Hedgehog 3even drawing the talents of Keanu Reeves in lieu of an MCU movie. However, in the 90s, his non-video game exploits were better defined byAdventures Of Sonic the Hedgehog,the first real cartoon adaptation of the Sega mascot.The series featured familiar characters from the games alongside Sonic,such as Tails and Dr. Robotnik, while introducing unique characters like the robotic henchmen Scratch, Grounder, and Coconuts.
Adventures of Sonic The Hedgehogwas largely nonsensical and gag-driven, focusing on comedy above all else for the most part.However, this lighthearted tone came to a screeching halt as each episode was bookended by the “Sonic Says” segments, PSAs narrated by Sonic that often touched on quite serious topics. Still, at least the series can claim to have had a lasting impact on the franchise by being the first piece of media to give Sonic his enduring love of chili dogs.
5Street Fighter
1995-1997
Following the high-profile live-actionStreet Fightermovie starring Jean-Claude Van Damme came Capcom’s very ownStreet Fighteranimated series.Like the movie, the cartoon made the puzzling decision to make American Airman Guile the main protagonist,with the actual leading duo from the games, Ken and Ryu, given distant second-billing as side characters.
Street Fighter 6: Akuma Character Guide (Moves, Combos, & Raging Demon)
The last character of Season 1 of Street Fighter 6 is Akuma, a demonic warrior whose moves, combos, and devastating Raging Demon can defeat all foes.
The cartoon went on to make ever stranger changes to the iconic fighting game franchise’s lore from there, such as turning E. Honda into a computer hacker and Dhalsim into a mad scientist. For these reasons and more,Street Fighterquickly became reviled as a representation of the beloved franchise it stole the name of.
Street Fighterquickly became reviled as a representation of the beloved franchise it stole the name of.
The animation and writing were also quite substandard as well,even for a 90s Saturday morning cartoon with a knowingly cheap budget. While theStreet Fighterlive-action film might’ve been at least endearingly bad with a few genuinely great jokes and fight scenes, the same can’t be said for its spin-off series.
4Captain N: The Game Master
1989-1991
Perhaps the most infamous of all the late 80s to early 90s Nintendo cartoons was none other thanCaptain N: The Game Master.Rather than being an adaptation of a single video game property,the series actually brought together a collection of classic video game characters from different franchises and companiesin a sort of prototypical version of theSuper Smash Bros.crossover series. The cartoon was notable for including Kid Icarus from the series of the same name long beforeSuper Smash Bros.made him relevant once again.
Kid Icarus was joined by Simon Belmont fromCastlevaniaand Mega Man on the N team alongside several forgettable original characters. Infamously,Captain N: The Game Masterhad some pretty unrecognizable representations of the characters it did lift from games, with all three looking and acting completely differently than they did in their original incarnations.Sadly,Captain N: The Game Masterremains the closest thing video game fans have ever gotten to aSmash Bros.-style Nintendo cinematic universe.
3Super Mario World
1991
The Adventures Of Super Mario Bros. 3wasn’t the only Mario series of the 90s to follow in the footsteps ofThe Super Mario Bros. Super Show.Just as the previous show had updated the series to fall more in line with the latest game, so too did theSuper Mario Worldcartoon, whichincorporated elements from the game of the same name.While the voice actors for Mario and Luigi were brought back once again, Toad was absent from this series, replaced with Yoshi and the original character Oogtar, a feral caveboy.
King Koopa returned as the antagonist, harassing the Mario brothers and their new companions to no end.This iteration of a Mario cartoon was noticeably impacted by the Children’s Television Act,which mandated moral lessons be implemented into many kids' shows, includingSuper Mario World.
While the voice actors for Mario and Luigi were brought back once again, Toad was absent from this series, replaced with Yoshi and the original character Oogtar, a feral caveboy.
Compared toAdventures of Sonic the Hedgehog, which managed to at least separate these morals into their own self-contained bit,Super Mario Worldintegrated them much more clumsily.
Pokémon
Pokémon follows Ash Ketchum on his journey to become a Pokémon Master, accompanied by his loyal Pikachu. Released in 1997, the series explores Ash’s travels through various regions, where he encounters new friends and challenges, underscoring the themes of adventure and teamwork.
By far the most famous of any video game cartoon,Pokémonneeds little introduction as the only 90s series to surpass more than a handful of seasons.The original series starred the passionate Pokémon trainer Ash as he traveled far and wide in hopes of becoming the greatest Pokémon masterof all time, alongside his friends, the tenacious Misty and the hopeless romantic Brock. All the while, the trio had to avoid letting the prized Pokémon Pikachu fall into the clutches of the comedic villains, Team Rocket.
The cultural impact of Pokémon simply cannot be understated, from itsiconic theme songto its hilarious sense of humorand tense Pokémon battles. Much like the Pokémon it revolves around, the series has gone on to evolve into new forms as time has passed, morphing with each successive generation of Pokémon games. It’s hard to remember that such a pop culture giant had humble origins as a 90s Saturday morning cartoon.
1Darkstalkers
1995
Street FIghterwouldn’t be Capcom’s only struggle in successfully adapting one of their fighting game franchises into a 90s cartoon, as evidenced byDarkstalkers.Based on the cult classic game series of the same name,the TV show introduced the game’s creative takes on classic Universal movie monsters to the small screen, tying together the cast with a stock child protagonist for kids to relate to, Harry Grimoire. Harry joins forces with the friendly feline demon Felicia to combat the villainous Morrigan and the vampire lord Demitri.
LikeStreet Fighter, Darkstalkerscompletely mis-represents many of the series characters,turning Morrigan from a sympathetic anti-hero into a straight-up villain.The merman Rikuo also went in a notably weird direction compared to his game appearance, constantly being noted by other characters as being “strangely attractive.” In truth,Darkstalkerswas a bad choice for a children’scartoonfrom the beginning despite its zany art style, with much of the franchise’s trademark darkness, violence, and sexual themes having to be completely excavated from the series.
