Captain N: The Game Master facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Captain N: The Game Master
Genre	Action Adventure Comedy Science fiction
Written by	Calvin Kelley David Ehrman Dennis O'Flaherty Dorothy Middleton Greg Klein Jeffrey Scott Matt Uitz Michael Maurer Paul Dell Rick Merwin Sean Roche Steven Weiss Ted Alben
Directed by	Michael Maliani (Season 1) Chuck Patton (Season 2) John Grusd (Season 3) Kit Hudson (live-action sequences)
Voices of	Garry Chalk Ian James Corlett Michael Donovan Matt Hill Alessandro Juliani Andrew Kavadas Doug Parker Levi Stubbs Venus Terzo Frank Welker Tomm Wright
Composer(s)	Haim Saban (Season 1) Shuki Levy (Season 1) Michael Tavera (Season 2–3)
Country of origin	United States Canada
Original language(s)	English
No. of seasons	3
No. of episodes	34 (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producer(s)	Andy Heyward
Producer(s)	Michael Maliani (Season 1; supervising producer, Season 2) John Grusd (Season 3) Jamie Edlin (live-action sequences)
Editor(s)	Lars Floden (Season 1) William P. Magee (Season 1) Warren Taylor (Season 2) Mark A. McNally (Season 2–3) Susan Odjakjian (Season 2–3) Mel Ashkenas (Season 3) Jill Goularte (Season 3)
Running time	22 minutes (Season 1–2) 11 minutes (Season 3)
Production company(s)	DIC Animation City Saban Productions (Season 1 only)
Release
Original network	NBC
Original release	September 9, 1989 (1989-09-09) – October 26, 1991 (1991-10-26)

Captain N: The Game Master was a cool animated TV show from the United States and Canada. It aired on NBC on Saturday mornings from 1989 to 1991. The show was made by DIC Animation City. It brought to life many popular video games from the Japanese company Nintendo. There was also a comic book version by Valiant Comics. The TV show was sometimes part of a longer block with The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3 and Super Mario World.

How Captain N Started

The idea for Captain N first appeared in Nintendo Power magazine. A Nintendo staff member and editor named Randy Studdard created him. He suggested Captain N could be a company spokesperson. Nintendo of America later decided to make a cartoon series based on these ideas. They hired DIC Entertainment to create the animation. The studio changed some parts of the original idea. But the main story of Captain N fighting Mother Brain and meeting video game characters stayed the same.

What Is Videoland Like?

The show begins with a teenager named Kevin Keene from Los Angeles, California. One day, he and his dog Duke are sucked into a giant vortex. This vortex, called the Ultimate Warp Zone, appears in his TV. They end up in a different universe known as Videoland.

An old prophecy says Kevin is meant to be a hero. He will become "Captain N: The Game Master." His job is to save Videoland from evil forces. These forces are led by Mother Brain. She lives in a floating world called Metroid. When Kevin arrives, Mother Brain is close to taking over the Palace of Power.

In Videoland, Kevin gets special gear. He has a Zapper gun and a belt buckle shaped like an NES controller. He and Duke suddenly appear before the N Team. This team includes Princess Lana, Simon Belmont, Mega Man, and Kid Icarus. At first, they don't think Kevin can help. But when Princess Lana is kidnapped, they work together. Kevin soon earns their trust. In Season 2, Game Boy, a human-sized computer, joins the N Team.

The N Team usually fights a group of video game villains. Mother Brain leads them, often with her helpers. These include the Eggplant Wizard, King Hippo, and Dr. Wily. Sometimes, a "villain of the week" appears from a specific game. For example, Malkil from Wizards & Warriors. Other characters like Donkey Kong, The Count from Castlevania, and Dr. Wright also show up. Characters from The Legend of Zelda cartoon also make guest appearances.

The show is mostly action and adventure. It uses ideas from the video games it features. There's also humor from the characters' personalities. Sometimes, funny things happen because Videoland has its own strange rules.

Meet the Characters

The N Team Heroes

• Kevin Keene (voiced by Matt Hill) – Kevin is the main hero and leader. He's a teenager who is sometimes unsure at first. When he comes to Videoland, he gets a special belt. It has a Power Pad that can stop time or give him super speed. He also has an NES Zapper-like gun. This gun can make enemies disappear. He uses it to shoot ice shaped like Tetris blocks. Kevin is friendly and competitive. He often acts like a big brother to others. Most people call him Captain N, but Princess Lana calls him Kevin. He wears jeans, a yellow shirt, and a red jacket. The "N" on his jacket is for swimming.

• Princess Lana (voiced by Venus Terzo) – Lana is the ruler of Videoland. Her father, King Charles, was sent away by Mother Brain. She is kind but also brave. She can keep up with the N-Team on their adventures. She knows how to defend herself. Lana often helps the team members get along. Both Kevin and Simon like her. She seems to prefer Kevin and kisses him sometimes. She wears boots, a two-piece dress, a tiara, and a necklace.

• Duke (voiced by Tomm Wright) – Duke is Kevin's dog. He followed Kevin into the Ultimate Warp Zone. Duke is smart but sometimes acts like a normal dog. He is usually with Kevin during all the action. Duke wears a bandanna. In the live-action parts, he looks like a Golden Retriever. In the cartoon, he looks like a beagle.

• Simon Belmont from Castlevania (voiced by Andrew Kavadas) – Simon is a vampire hunter. Before Captain N arrived, he thought he was Princess Lana's top helper. He is very proud and loves looking at himself. He often talks about himself in the third person. Simon tries to charm Princess Lana. He also loves taking care of his looks and muscles. He is very competitive with Captain N. He wears a blue outfit, goggles, and big gloves. He carries a backpack with many random items. His whip can also make enemies disappear.

• Kid Icarus from Kid Icarus (voiced by Alessandro Juliani) – Kid Icarus is a small angel from Mount Icarus. He is very loyal to Princess Lana. He acts childish but is very brave. He isn't very strong physically. But he is the only N Team member who can fly. He is also a very good archer. His quiver has regular arrows and special gadget arrows. He often adds "-icus" to his words. He has feathery wings and wears a toga.

• Mega Man from Mega Man (voiced by Doug Parker) – Mega Man is a robot built by Dr. Wright. He is from Megaland. He is also very protective of Princess Lana. Despite his size, he is super strong, tough, and fast. He wears green armor and a visor. He has two energy blasters on his arms. He sometimes starts words with "mega-". In one episode, he wished he was human. His green color might have been a mistake from playing the game on a bad TV.

• Game Boy (voiced by Frank Welker) – Game Boy joins the team in Season 2. He is a human-sized supercomputer. He looks like the Nintendo handheld console. King Charles sent him to help Captain N. He says he is "programmed to play games." But he is good at challenges. He can stretch his arms and hands. Game Boy can also create objects and monsters from his screen. He has a computer to analyze things and track enemies.

Main Villains

• Mother Brain from Metroid (voiced by Levi Stubbs) – Mother Brain is the main bad guy. She is a loud, mean, power-hungry brain in a giant bottle. She comes from the world of Metroid. She loves herself almost as much as Simon Belmont does. She usually stays in her control room on her floating world. She uses a special mirror to spy on the N Team. She also has tentacles to shock her helpers when they fail.

• King Hippo from Punch-Out!! (voiced by Garry Chalk) – King Hippo is a huge, pear-shaped monster. He is strong but not very smart. He is cruel and loud. He often gets angry at the Eggplant Wizard. He comes from the world of Punch-Out!!

• Eggplant Wizard from Kid Icarus (voiced by Michael Donovan) – The Eggplant Wizard is a one-eyed, human-sized eggplant. He is from Mount Icarus. He is a main enemy of Kid Icarus. Mother Brain often yells at him because he is not very good at his job. He also fights with King Hippo. The Eggplant Wizard can create vegetable-themed gadgets. He sometimes tries to come up with his own evil plans.

• Doctor Wily from Mega Man (voiced by Ian James Corlett) – Dr. Wily is a short, old scientist from Megaland. He is loyal to Mother Brain. He is probably the smartest of her main villains. He is a typical mad scientist. He builds crazy gadgets and makes complex plans to beat the N-Team. He speaks with a German accent and often wheezes. He sometimes uses his Robot Masters, just like in the video games.

Other Characters and Villains

• Donkey Kong from Donkey Kong (voiced by Garry Chalk) – A giant gorilla who lives on Kongoland. He gets angry easily and doesn't like visitors. People have to give him food to keep him from causing trouble. He doesn't have loyalties and is dangerous to everyone.

• The Count from Castlevania (voiced by Garry Chalk) – A pale, skinny vampire. He is the show's version of Dracula. He can control the undead and turn into a bat. He usually works alone.

• Alucard (voiced by Ian James Corlett) - The Count's son from Castlevania. He is a teenager who likes skateboarding. He often rebels against his father.

• Dragonlord from Dragon Warrior (voiced by Don Brown) – A huge red dragon. He tries to rule Dragon's Den, his world. He is smart but sometimes easy to trick. He uses his size and magic to conquer his world.

• Ganon from The Legend of Zelda (voiced by Len Carlson) – A pig-like wizard. He is Link and Zelda's biggest enemy in Hyrule. He is a powerful magic user.

• Medusa from Kid Icarus (voiced by Venus Terzo) - A female gorgon from Mount Icarus. She can turn anyone to stone with her gaze.

• King Charles Oberonn (voiced by Long John Baldry) – Princess Lana's father and the original king of Videoland. Mother Brain captured him and sent him to the Mirror World. He is a kind and fair ruler.

• Princess Zelda from The Legend of Zelda (voiced by Cynthia Preston) – A beautiful young woman who rules Hyrule. She protects the Triforces from evil. She is a close friend of Princess Lana.

• Link from The Legend of Zelda (voiced by Jonathan Potts) – A brave young warrior who serves Zelda. He is Kevin's favorite video game character. Link and Kevin become good friends.

• Doctor Wright (voiced by Antony Holland) – A genius scientist from Megaland. He built Mega Man and Mega Girl. He helps the N Team fight Dr. Wily and Mother Brain. He is like a father to Mega Man.

Episodes and Games

Captain N: The Game Master took place in a world where video games were real. So, many video games were used in the show's 34 episodes. Sometimes, only parts of a game were used, like areas or items. But the main character from that game might not appear. Examples include Wizards & Warriors, Dragon Warrior, and Metroid.

Here are some of the video games featured in the series:

• The Adventures of Bayou Billy - This is the setting of Bayouland.
• Bo Jackson Baseball - This is the setting of Baseball World.
• BurgerTime - This is the setting of Burger Time.
• California Games - This is a beach-themed world.
• Castlevania
• Castlevania II: Simon's Quest - Music from this game was used.
• Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse
• Donkey Kong - This is the setting of Kongoland.
• Donkey Kong Jr. - Music from this game was used.
• Dragon Warrior (now Dragon Quest) - This is the setting of Dragon's Den.
• Faxanadu - This world has dwarves and elves.
• Final Fantasy - This is the setting of its self-titled world.
• Jordan vs. Bird: One on One - This is the setting of Hoopworld.
• Kid Icarus - This is the setting for Mount Icarus.
• Marble Madness - The studio world of Marblopolis was inspired by this game.
• Mega Man - This is the setting of Megaland.
• Mega Man 2 - Robot Masters from this game appear.
• Mega Man 3 - More Robot Masters from this game appear.
• Metroid - This is where Metroid is.
• Nemesis - Music from this game was used in Season 2.
• Mike Tyson's Punch-Out!! - This is the setting of Punch-Out.
• Paperboy - This is the setting of News World.
• Puss 'n Boots: Pero's Great Adventure - This world has talking animals.
• Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves - This is the setting of Nottingham.
• Solar Striker - Music from this game was used.
• Super Mario Bros. - Kevin compares the Ultimate Warp Zone to this game. Many sound effects came from it.
• Super Mario Bros. 2 - Music from this game was used.
• Tetris - This is the setting of its self-titled world.
• Wizards & Warriors - This is the setting of Excalibur.
• The Legend of Zelda - This is the setting of Hyrule.
• Zelda II: The Adventure of Link - Rebonack appears from this game.

The Super Mario games were not in the show much. This is because The Super Mario Bros. Super Show was on TV at the same time. That show featured the characters and world of the Mario games.

Voice Actors

• Garry Chalk – King Hippo, Donkey Kong, Count Dracula, and others
• Ian James Corlett - Dr. Wily, Alucard
• Michael Donovan – Eggplant Wizard
• Matt Hill – Kevin Keene/Captain N
• Doc Harris - Narrator
• Alessandro Juliani – Kid Icarus
• Andrew Kavadas – Simon Belmont
• Doug Parker – Mega Man
• Levi Stubbs – Mother Brain
• Venus Terzo – Princess Lana, Medusa
• Tomm Wright – Duke
• Frank Welker - Game Boy

Additional Voices

Comic Book Series

The Captain N comic book was published by Valiant Comics in 1990. It was part of the Nintendo Comics System. The comics were quite different from the TV show. They had a more serious tone. Also, characters like Simon Belmont and Mega Man were not in the comic. Samus Aran, who was never in the cartoon, was a recurring character. She fell in love with Kevin and became Lana's rival.

Mother Brain's second-in-command in the comics was Uranos. He was the God of the Sky, based on an enemy from Kid Icarus. Kid Icarus's toga was yellow instead of white. Princess Lana's dress was purple in most stories. In the comics, Lana also had a scepter as a weapon.

Music in the Show

Haim Saban and Shuki Levy created the background music for the first season. Michael Tavera took over for Seasons 2 and 3. In the first season, some chase scenes used short studio covers of pop music. These songs were removed in later reruns because of copyright issues. Original songs were used in action scenes in Seasons 2 and 3.

Images for kids

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  A robot, like Mega Man or Game Boy, from the show.

See also

In Spanish: Captain N: The Game Master para niños