Why Mario deserves his limelight
The intrepid, evergreen Italian plumber’s 35th anniversary is marked by another clever Nintendo reinvention of its iconic character
With his squeaky voice, actor Charles Martinet is instantly recognisable as the lovable Italian plumber Mario in the eternally popular eponymous video game.But he looks nothing like the character he has been voicing since 1990.With a thick head of white hair, Martinet has an impish smile that seems to come through in his voice when he chimes that famous line: "It’s-a me, Mario!"Affable and still seemingly somewhat bemused at his unexpected fame, Martinet was in SA a few years ago for a previous Nintendo launch.Since 1990 he has been voicing the "Italian plumber from Brooklyn". He arrived for the audition for the role as the casting directors were packing away their gear.Mario was the unlikeliest of heroes, but here he still is, celebrating 35 years in the gaming business. Yes, he’s 35. And he hasn’t aged a day. But that said, the resolution has definitely got better. He’s as bankable as Brad Pitt.Mario has also been instrumental in the many, many reinventions of Nintendo itself as a...
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