There is probably no tradesman in the entire games universe who is more popular than the plump plumber with overalls, mustache and red cap. We are of course talking about Super Mario, whom we all know and love. But after more than 27 years of hopping, coin-collecting, and racing, Nintendo is parting ways with one of the adventurous Italian’s most defining traits.
“It’s-a me, Mario!” – Anyone who has ever played a Super Mario game will surely hear the cheerful voice of the little plumber in their ears. He owes his characteristic way of speaking to the American voice actor Charles Martinet – and has done so since 1996. Back then, “Super Mario 64” was the first game in which Martinet was able to let off steam vocally and made the turtle-hunting hero into the one we know today.
An era comes to an end
In interviews it’s easy to see that Martinet is just as funny and energetic as the video game character that made him famous in the industry. But after 27 years of successful cooperation, it’s over now. This was announced by Nintendo of America via X (formerly Twitter).
It is not known why Martinet is resigning as a voice actor. However, the 67-year-old doesn’t seem to be looking for a comfortable retirement, since from now on he will be on the road as an official Mario ambassador at the major Nintendo events. Not surprising, as Martinet not only breathed life and character into Super Mario with his voice, but also holds a Guinness World Record as of 2019: most voiceover performances for the same character. However, one has to admit that the effort involved in voice-over should have been limited, since Super Mario doesn’t have much to say apart from his typical sayings like “Mamma Mia” and “Let’s-a-go”.
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“It’s-a me” or “Itsumi”?
A debate recently flared up again about Mario’s catchphrase “It’s-a me, Mario” – the “a” comes from the Italian accent. In the past few days, videos have gone viral on both TikTok and Instagram in which users claim that Mario doesn’t call out “It’s me, Mario” at all, but “Itsumi Mario”. The first confusion arises when the reels claim that “itsumi” is Japanese and means “super”. After all, Nintendo is a Japanese company. These claims have provoked many reactions (stitches) from people who actually speak Japanese, clarifying that “itsumi” is not a real word but a surname, but actually means “super” or “superior” in a broader sense.
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From this, fans have developed the theory that Mario’s real name is Itsumi Mario and he calls out the Japanese form of his name, which happens to sound the same as the Italian-tinged “It’s-a me, Mario”. After all, in Japanese, last names come first. This theory, which sounds at least somewhat plausible with a little creativity, has never been confirmed by either Nintendo or voice actor Charles Martinet. And in the rest of Mario’s vocabulary there is no further allusion to Japanese origin. While the debate is rocking social media right now and prompting many disbelieving responses, it’s not new and has flared up on Reddit time and time again over the past few years.
The first game without Charles Martinet
Incidentally, Mario owes its name to the US real estate entrepreneur Mario Seagle, who rented premises to Nintendo in the 1980s. After Seagle once quite loudly, almost spiritedly demanded the rent payment, the character Jumpman developed at the time was renamed Mario. Mario’s then adversary Donky Kong was later set to music by Charles Martinet. And Martinet also lent his voice to the no less popular characters Luigi, Wario, Waluigi and Toadsworth for many years.
The new game Super Mario Bros. Wonder, which will be released on October 20, 2023 for the Nintendo Switch, will already be the first without a Martinet. On the other hand, it is not yet known who will follow in his big footsteps. In the animated film “The Super Mario Bros. Movie” from this year, Chris Pratt (“Guardians of the Galaxy”) had already proven himself as the English voice actor. However, there is no concrete evidence as to whether he would be a candidate for the new position. The new speaker may even have been decided. Attentive fans had already speculated after the first announcement trailers for the games “Mario Bros. Wonder” and “WarioWare: Move It” whether Charles Martinet and Mario would go their separate ways from now on.