One of the most anticipated animated DVD releases of 2007, the four-disc set of Captain N The Game Master compiles the majority of the animated action-adventure series (which ran from 1989-1991) that was inspired by the popular Nintendo game system. The premise of the show concerns average California teen and Nintendo fan Kevin Keene and his faithful dog Lucky, who are both pulled into their game system to Videoland, an animated world populated by heroes and villains from various Nintendo games. There, Kevin must assist the N Team--a group formed by Princess Lana, Icarus (from "Kid Icarus"), Simon Belmont (from "Castlevania") and Mega Man (from the game of the same name)--in defeating Mother Brain (from "Metroid") and her henchmen from conquering Videoland. The 26 episodes contained here pit Kevin and the team against the dragons from "Dragon's Den" ("Three Men and a Dragon"), a troublesome Gameboy ("Gameboy), and countless other nefarious types, including Dr. Wily ("Mega Man"), King Hippo ("Mike Tyson's Punch-Out!!"), and Donkey Kong himself, whose allegiances shift from episode to episode. Animation is as spotty as most late '80s-early '90s TV cartoons tend to be, but the nostalgia factor for viewers of a certain age who recall their Nintendo systems with fondness should help to overcome this minor setback. The history of Captain N is a convoluted one, despite its brief network run; while earning respectable ratings, the show was partnered with an animated Super Mario Brothers cartoon (which aired as Captain N and The Adventures of Super Mario Brothers 3) before being edited down to a supporting role in its own series and finally giving up the ghost in 1991. Due to its varying lengths and formats, the episodes contained here are only from the first and second season (and for the latter, the Super Mario Brothers portions have been removed). Nothing from the truncated, seven-episode Season 3 is included, which may be a stumbling block for dedicated fans. Extras are somewhat limited as well; thumbnail bios for each of the main characters are spread across the four discs, but little is given about their creation and development in the series. Similarly, the "Exploring Videoland" interactive featurette is a simple gallery of images from the various locations within Videoland. More interesting to the hardcore devotee will be the original cartoon from Nintendo Power magazine that provided the inspiration for the series, which rounds out the supplemental features. -- Paul Gaita
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