Nintendo’s new Super Nintendo World attraction is set to arrive to Universal Studios Hollywood early next month and fan reactions are mixed on the voice of the iconic Toad. TheSuper Mario Bros-themed park attraction has beena staple of Universal Studios Japanfor nearly two years now. The themed area features a variety of rides based on different parts of theMariofranchise, includingMario KartandYoshi. Now, with the American version of the theme park attraction set to launch soon, fans are torn over Toad’s voice.
While voice acting has been used infrequently throughout the long-running platformer franchise, recent years have seen a push from theMarioseries towards voice acting. The upcomingSuper Mario Bros.movie is set to feature several major stars playing the beloved roles with Chris Pratt as Mario and Jack Black as Bowser. While the games have not featured full voice-acting, voice actor Charles Martinet has provided the recognizable voice of Mario sinceSuper Mario 64in 1996. Now, Super Nintendo World will feature even more voice acting among iconicMariocharacters.
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A recent video posted through theearly launch of the Super Nintendo World appgives fans their first experience with the attraction’s voice for Toad. Chef Toad serves as the “head chef” for the Super Nintendo World kitchen, showing off the dining options available at the theme park. The trailer features full voice acting for the role of Toad within the park preview, splicing in CGI footage of Toad in full chef’s attire with shots of the theme park’s dining area. However, many fans have expressed their concern with the voice acting for Toad.
Fans listening to Toad’s voice in the video have been critical of the unnamed voice actor’s performance, claiming it “sounds more like Toadette” or preferringthe movie portrayal by Keegan Michael-Key. Many fans have taken Toad’s full voice acting to call into question why the franchise has not featured greater attempts at voice acting. Many fans citedSuper Mario Sunshinewith its initial attempts to introduce voice acting into theMarioseries, while others felt that the voice acting was jarring and grating on the ears.
Voice acting in Nintendo games has become a common talking point among fans of the renowned developer’s many franchises. Fans have pushed for more voice acting inThe Legend of ZeldawithBreath of the Wildfeaturing several voiced cutscenes. ThePokemonfranchise has been a frequent target for fans asking for greater voice work in games, with some fans going so far as tofan-dub scenes fromPokemon Scarlet and Violet. While Toad’s voice in Super Nintendo World may be contentious, the theme park attraction looks to be a popular one when it opens next month.
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