The voice of the Mushroom Kingdom is about to change.
Charles Martinet, who became the official voice of Nintendo’s Mario character instantly recognizable to a generation of gamers with phrases like “It’s a-me, Mario” and the unmistakable “woo-hoo,” is stepping down from his role, the company said.
Instead, Martinette will step into the role of “Mario Sphere,” as Nintendo said in the A.D statementTo which he added that he will continue to travel around the world and interact with fans.
“It’s been great working with Charles to help bring Mario to life for so many years,” the company said.
“My new adventure begins! You are all Numba One in my heart! #woohoo!!!!!!!” Martinet wrote on social media.
Martinet has been the voice of the cheerful Italian plumber since the release of Super Mario 64 in 1996, the company said. He also voiced Luigi, Mario’s brother and sidekick, and Wario, Mario’s arch-rival.
Super Mario 64 moved the series into three dimensions and brought much of the video game industry with it. In the game, which was released on Nintendo 64, players see Mario from behind as he runs forward. The game has achieved something close to cult status since then, and Martinet would go on to lend his voice to dozens of other games.
A new game, “Super Mario Bros. Wonder” is due out in October, in which Martinet does not appear to have a role, according to his IMDB profile, as he is not listed as the voice of the character.
Martinet did not voice Mario in the Super Mario Bros. movie. Movie released this year, ceding the role to Chris Pratt, but had a small role in the movie as the voice of Mario and Luigi’s father.
The New York Times review of the film said that Pratt – “who doesn’t look like Mario of the Games” – recalled Martinet’s catchphrases, including “it’s a-me” and “Let’s a-go”.
in Interview with CNN in 2017Martinet said he had roles on stage and television but knew nothing about video games when he “crashed an audition” in 1990 and was told to voice the character, “an Italian plumber from Brooklyn”.
“The character, for me, brings out the best in me,” Martinet said in the interview.