Each character was well drawn and detailed and developed as the show went on. The producers of the show put the focus on the story and characters instead of creating gimmicks that could be merchandised. The show was years ahead of its time and still carries a small cult following. Wielding duel pistols his mutation allowed him to heal rapidly and his body would automatically adapt to suit any environmental condition. Most awesome was Shane Gooseman, part of a genetic experiment to create mutant super-soldiers (who he is now tasked with hunting down). Walter ‘Doc’ Hartford was a swashbuckler who carried a pistol and sword, but also is a master computer hacker who can visualize his thoughts in holographic form. Niko has her psychic and telekinetic abilities enhanced and knows awesome kung-fu while wielding a massive gun. Zachary Foxx had his entire left side replaced with cybernetics giving him massive strength and the ability to fire laser blasts from his arm.
Each of the four main characters were equipped with cybernetic implants that were activated by pressing their badges. The Rangers were tasked with maintaining peace in the new colonies springing up on terraformed planets and defending them against enemies. In exchange they provided the human race with advanced technology and interstellar space travel. In the year 2086 two aliens arrived on Earth seeking allies against the expanding Crown Empire.
Unlike most cartoons of the era it challenged the young viewers with its physics defying world and long running character unexpectedly dying. It was sadly cancelled after 21 episodes leaving the story unfinished. Along with Ren is the ecomancer Tula, a monkey bird called Niddler and Loz, a treasue hungry pirate.Įven with talent like Roddy McDowell, Peter Cullen and Tim Curry providing the voices, an imaginative setting, and an engaging on-going story line the show never got the audience it needed to maintain production.
Submarine cartoon series#
A more complex and involved series for Hanna-Barbara it concerned a young prince named Ren who needed to collect Thirteen Treasures of Rule that would allow him to combat the Dark Water, a deadly substance that was devouring the world. The Pirates of Dark Water was technically set on an alien world, but this was just an excuse to blend fantasy with a swashbuckling pirate adventure. Although the show did come under fire for the higher level of violence than normal (including one episode where the young heroes debate whether or not to take the chance to murder their enemy) it remained consistently popular for a two year run. Unusually for the time, while the individual episodes featured their own stand alone stories there were a couple of running narratives that build up to some story twists. The animation was slick, the characters were diverse and the bad guys were unusually awesome (seriously, check this bastards out). While guided by the Dungeon Master they try to find their way home, encountering the evil Venger and the dragon Tiamat (who themselves are rivals). The story involved a group of teenagers who ride a roller coaster at the fair only to be transported into a realm called, um, the Realm where they fulfill various fantasy archetypes – wizard, thief, barbarian, ranger, cavalier and for some reason an acrobat – and equipped with a special item. Dungeons & Dragons was quick to cash in on the growing success of the table-top game of the same name, although plot-wise it showed very little resemblance to the source material. Let’s start with one that some people may remember pretty well, ease our way into these. Thanks to Youtube and a wider DVD market, many of these are now available again…we just need to be reminded about them Some have managed to maintain their popularity over the years through merchandising, nostalgia, reboots and cinema adaptations (all four in the case of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles) whilst others have slipped into the realm of obscurity. Both America and Japan (and sometimes France) were delivering new material week to week.
Before they all started trying to emulate Pokemon and rely of cheap CGI we had a barrage of great shows both before and after school to deaden our brains with. This was a golden age for children’s entertainment.
Being young for the years spanning 1985 to 1992 was awesome for one specific reason: the cartoons.
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