Nintendo Fans Welcome Kevin Afghani as the New Mario Voice but Also Miss the OG “Wahoos”

Mario fans were looking forward to Super Mario Bros. Wonder for a very special reason. Besides the game being a new, innovative addition to the series, it marked the beginning of a new chapter for the Italian plumber, seeing as to how Mario got a new voice actor. When Kevin Afghani was confirmed, fans were thrilled, but at the same time there was skepticism as well, considering Charles Martinet was leaving some massive boots to fill. Well, fortunately, the big change has made it easy for the Nintendo fans to move forward. 

Ever since Nintendo announced Charles Martinet retiring from the voice of Mario, a strong wave of emotions followed. Such is the legacy of Charles Martinet. However, the Japanese Gaming giants had assured the fans to stay positive and confident for the new beginnings. With Super Mario Bros. Wonder, the world witnessed a new take on Mario and it has already started to resonate with the community.

Kevin Afghani the new voice of Mario aces the job? A Reddit fan sparks a discussion

Charles Martinet is a major reason behind the popularity of Mario as a character. His association with Nintendo for all these years has established the phenomenal brand value of the Italian plumber. Unfortunately, Martinet took a new role in the company, leaving the void under fan scrutiny. Thus, the challenge for Kevin Afghani was huge, and the stakes were high. A Reddit user, through their post, tried to initiate the discussion around Kevin’s performance and its comparison with the OG. 

The post read, “I absolutely love the game, but every time Mario talks, I miss Charles Martinet. I think many felt that he mostly just makes “wahoos” and “It’s-a mes”, and it wouldn’t be a big deal to recast…but after listening to Kevin Afghani’s Mario, it’s so different in enough subtle ways, it really makes me appreciate how special Charles’ take on the character was.”

Now that we’ve had a few days with Mario’s new voice…
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Apparently, the big skepticism around the new voice has been mostly cleared out as Kevin Afghani has delivered a convincing performance. The early comparison to the works of Martinet, however, might be unfair to the debut voice. Of course, for hardcore Nintendo fans, a lot of time would be required to process the big change. 

Read More: For One Last Time, Nintendo Switch to Bring Charles Martinet Voiced Mario Back With This Release

The good news is the efforts made by Kevin Afghani will only make things easier for the Mario Fandom. Evidently, the man has already won a lot of hearts in his big debut! 

Nintendo fans give the ‘stamp of approval’

Most of the fans seemed quite satisfied with the performance of the debut Mario actor. Although a lot of fans nodded to the fact that the classic touch of Charles Martinet seems the missing piece, a rather refreshing take made things easier. Here are some of the reactions that ‘approve’ their new superstar. 

A user hailed praises for Kevin Afghani and believes that with due respect to the legacy of the OG, this new voice just fits the world of Bros. Wonder. 

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Another user wrote down the differences they felt between the two characters. Besides one or two major changes, hence, another thumbs up is given! 

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“Welcome the change,” a fan has accepted the change with open arms, praising the sound design as well.

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Fans commonly believe that the work has been so profound that the change seems unnoticeable most of the time. A massive compliment to the makers and the actors. 

A user perfectly summed up the change, stating that “Mario’s voice is in safe hands.”

Clearly, fans love and trust Kevin Afghani to carry forward Mario and Charles Martinet’s legacy. 

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