Charles Martinet retires as Mario - a look back at the many voices of the man behind the mustache
On Monday, August 21, the most recognizable video game character in the world lost his voice.
Longtime voice actor and Nintendo icon Charles Martinet is officially stepping down as the voice of Mario, Luigi, Wario, and a host of other Mario characters. Nintendo has announced that Martinet is moving instead into the role of “Mario Ambassador”, a unique role at the company created specifically for the beloved actor.
Martinet has been voice acting in video games since the early days of the medium and has been the sole voice of Nintendo’s mascot since 1994. He’s even been recognized by the Guinness Book of World Records for performing the same character in over 100 titles – the most of any video game voice actor.
There’s not much more to say about Martinet’s time wearing the red cap, except that he will go down in history as one of the most celebrated voice actors of all time. But his work as Mario isn’t the only work he’s done. Martinet has been all over the gaming sphere…albeit in some out-there roles. Here’s a glimpse at some of the defining characters Charles Martinet has voiced that aren’t a part of the Nintendo family.
SUPER PUNCH-OUT!! : ANNOUNCERS, REFEREE, AND BOXERS
While one-man shows aren’t exceedingly rare in the acting world, it’s not often they pop in a video game. But for 1994’s Super Punch-Out!!, Martinet got to claim an unusual acting credit: all of them.
Martinet voices the announcers, referee, and every boxer, which is every voice part in the game. It’s so impressive for the time that Martinet scored a Special Thanks in the credits. That seems underappreciative compared to the scale of work Martinet did, but keep in mind that Super Punch-Out!! came out in the early 90s, at a time when voice actors were rarely if ever credited at all in gaming.
CARMEN SANDIEGO’S GREAT CHASE THROUGH TIME : SHAKESPEARE AND BEETHOVEN
Five years later, Martinet had cemented himself as the perfect voice for Mario, playing him in Super Mario 64, Mario Kart 64, and Mario Party. Still, for actors, it’s all about a diversified resume. That makes his next part less surprising (but still hilarious) as both William Shakespeare and Ludwig von Beethoven in Carmen Sandiego’s Great Chase Through Time.
Point-and-click “edutainment” games were all the rage in the 90s, with Putt-Putt Saves the Zoo! and Freddi Fish and the Case of the Missing Kelp Seeds serving as excellent examples of the genre. Martinet even voiced Mario in one, helping kids learn to type in Mario Teaches Typing (and the follow-up Mario Teaches Typing 2, where he teaches them…more typing?) So combining the hit show Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego? with the educational fun of learning games was a no-brainer, especially with classic historical figures like Shakespeare and Beethoven – both of whom Martinet voiced.
Imagine being able to say in a resume that you’ve played Shakespeare, Beethoven, and Super Mario!
JOJO’S BIZZARE ADVENTURE : SENATOR WILSON PHILLIPS
Martinet’s absurd resume continues to get weirder with a bit part in JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure as the voice of U.S. Senator Wilson Phillips.
Senator Phillips doesn’t have a lengthy part in the episode, and Martinet only voiced him in the OVA series and not the TV broadcast – that honor goes Jonathan Fahn. But it’s still a fun and unexpected piece of Martinet’s acting history.
RATCHET AND CLANK FUTURE: A CRACK IN TIME : ORVUS
Jumping ahead by a decade sees Martinet stepping into the shoes of Orvus in the third Ratchet and Clank game A Crack in Time. Martinet plays the designer of the Great Clock, a temporal device in the center of the universe, and (spoiler warning for a fifteen-year-old game!) Clank’s true creator.
By A Crack in Time’s release, Martinet had been playing Mario for 15 years, so a change in pace from the lovable plumber must have been appreciated.
And if we’re talking about an impressive range…
THE ELDER SCROLLS V: SKYRIM : PAARTHURNAX
We all remember the iconic conversation with the Elder Dragon Paarthurnax atop the Throat of the World. That famous philosophical battle, over which is better: “to be born good or to overcome your evil nature through great effort?” The majesty and epic scale of an aging dragon, having conquered his cruel nature, imparting an era’s worth of wisdom on you as the player character.
Well, Paarthurnax and Baby Mario share a voice actor.
Yes, Charles Martinet voiced one of the most quoted characters in video game history in a true departure from his usual work. Most gamers don’t know this, which is why it’s such an impressive feat on the part of Martinet. Yes, anyone could attempt a deep, bellowing tone to match the grandiose nature of a dragon. But to voice a dragon deep in philosophical thought and voice Mario and Luigi playing table tennis in Mario and Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games? Now THAT’S range.
