Final Fantasy XVI’s main protagonist has auditioned to give Mario a new voice

This week we received the shocking news of the goodbye of a legend of the video game and entertainment industry, an unmistakable voice that has accompanied several generations of gamers and has remained imprinted in our memory. The charismatic voice actor Charles Martinet, Mario’s voice since Super Mario 64, will stop voicing the character after almost three decades.

Who will pick up the baton? We don’t know, but Ben Starr, prominent voice actor who has recently been recognized for being the voice of Clive Rosfield, the protagonist of Final Fantasy XVI, has uploaded a video on his social networks showing his candidacy to be the new voice of the legendary Nintendo character.

The new voice of Super Mario

In a humorous way and with the seriousness and tone that characterizes his voice, Ben Starr performs a performance that has nothing to do with the Mario we have known. Would a new voice like this be possible? Unlikely, very unlikely, but Ben Starr had to try, and giving the jumping plumber that very mature Clive Rosfield touch to the Nintendo character is certainly curious and very funny.

It is not easy to take over from a legend like Charles Martinet, who has forged Mario’s character in an unmistakable way thanks to his unique voice. His ‘It’s-a me Mario’ along with all kinds of sounds and phrases remain very much alive in our memory, an immortal legacy that will always accompany one of the most popular characters in video game history. Martinet has been essential in the history of Nintendo, giving voice to numerous Nintendo characters such as Luigi, Waluigi, Wario... His new role will be that of Mario Ambassador, and soon there will be a special video dedicated to fans in which both Charles Martinet and Shigeru Miyamoto will participate. Two legends of the Japanese company that continue to shine with great force.