Charles Martinet has been the voice of Nintendo's mascot Mario since 1996, but no more. Nintendo has announced that the actor is to step down from the role, and will instead act as a "Mario ambassador" in the future, which is all rather ceremonial and full of pomp for a gig that mainly involves shouting "wa-hoo!"
Martinet has been the voice of Mario since 1996, and his first role is probably what sealed the deal: Super Mario 64. Arguably the most accomplished and polished 3D title of its era, part of the game's appeal was its characterful and fun reinvention of Mario himself, with the "let's a-go" accompanying each star selection burned into the brain of any '90s gamer. Martinet would go on to voice Mario across a wide range of titles, with Nintendo's plumber never short of side-gigs, including the Mario Kart and Mario Party series.
