Charles Martinet in Australia – Interview and Pictures

The Nintendo Experience at EB Games, Swanston Street today played host to Charles Martinet – the man behind the voice of a number of the most beloved video game characters of all time

Mario. Luigi. Wario. Waluigi. Toadsworth. Baby Mario. Baby Luigi.

When I arrived, shortly before 11:30am, the line to meet Charles could be seen from a block away. I walked towards the store and as I got closer I noticed quite a few Nintendo fans dressed as their favourite characters from the Nintendo universe. Then I remembered – Nintendo were to award a prize pack to the best-dressed gamer. I smiled as I thought about the dedication it must have taken to put together some of the costumes… I spotted Link, Kid Icarus, Yoshi, Princess Zelda, Zero Suit Samus, and Wario, to name a few.

As I walked up the stairs towards where Charles was greeting his fans (and autographing anything they brought with them) I also noticed a large variation in the ages of the people waiting in line. One of Nintendo’s strengths has always been the wide appeal of their games.

When I first saw Charles he was smiling from ear to ear and chatting with one of the many eager fans. He stood up to take a photo with them and I was shocked at how tall he was. Not that I expected a short, fat, Italian plumber or anything, but… how do such high-pitched voices come so easily from a man of Charles’ height?

I stood by watching Charles talk to fan after fan and it was apparent – he had a loving heart. He genuinely cared about the little things, such as how to correctly spell the name he was autographing or if the photo taken came out looking good. This didn’t stop for about two and a half hours. There was no slowing down. It was like Mario himself was sitting behind that very desk. Cries of "Waa-hoo!" continually filled the room and everybody, from the kids to the adults, were enjoying an amazing
experience.

Finally, after waiting around for the opportunity for hours (though I amused myself by taking photos) I finally had the chance to meet Charles myself. The genuine nature of his greeting made me smile. He was kind and courteous. He stood up to take a photo with me. He entertained all the interviewers, though he didn’t have to.

Charles was happy to fill any request, including speaking only as Mario for one particular interview and recording multiple sound bites for websites. Unfortunately Charles had a plane to catch, so interviews were cut short, but I did get to ask him a few questions… and wow, it’s an amazing thing to hear him speak about his experiences. My thanks to Vooks.net – you’ve made one of my dreams come true.

You can listen to our short and sweet interview with Charles Martinet below.

Interview

Photos from the event!

But wait there’s more!
Charles will be appearing at two more places this week this time in New South Wales. Here are the locations!

New South Wales

– Myer Sydney City, 436 George St Sydney – Thursday 10th September, 1:00pm
– Harvey Norman Auburn, 103-123 Parramatta Rd, Auburn – Saturday 12th September, 11:00am

Vooks note: Thanks to Charles Martinet for coming down to Australia to see us all and letting us interview him! We’d also like to thank Heather at Nintendo Australia and Nintendo Australia themselves for setting it up. Big thanks also to Theo who wrote the above story, took the pictures and did the interview. What a trooper!