Nintendo's new Super Nintendo World attraction is set to arrive to Universal Studios Hollywood early next month and fan reactions are mixed on the voice of the iconic Toad. The Super Mario Bros-themed park attraction has been a staple of Universal Studios Japan for nearly two years now. The themed area features a variety of rides based on different parts of the Mario franchise, including Mario Kart and Yoshi. Now, with the American version of the theme park attraction set to launch soon, fans are torn over Toad's voice.
While voice acting has been used infrequently throughout the long-running platformer franchise, recent years have seen a push from the Mario series towards voice acting. The upcoming Super Mario Bros. movie is set to feature several major stars playing the beloved roles with Chris Pratt as Mario and Jack Black as Bowser. While the games have not featured full voice-acting, voice actor Charles Martinet has provided the recognizable voice of Mario since Super Mario 64 in 1996. Now, Super Nintendo World will feature even more voice acting among iconic Mario characters.
A recent video posted through the early launch of the Super Nintendo World app gives fans their first experience with the attraction's voice for Toad. Chef Toad serves as the "head chef" for the Super Nintendo World kitchen, showing off the dining options available at the theme park. The trailer features full voice acting for the role of Toad within the park preview, splicing in CGI footage of Toad in full chef's attire with shots of the theme park's dining area. However, many fans have expressed their concern with the voice acting for Toad.
Fans listening to Toad's voice in the video have been critical of the unnamed voice actor's performance, claiming it "sounds more like Toadette" or preferring the movie portrayal by Keegan Michael-Key. Many fans have taken Toad's full voice acting to call into question why the franchise has not featured greater attempts at voice acting. Many fans cited Super Mario Sunshine with its initial attempts to introduce voice acting into the Mario series, while others felt that the voice acting was jarring and grating on the ears.
Voice acting in Nintendo games has become a common talking point among fans of the renowned developer's many franchises. Fans have pushed for more voice acting in The Legend of Zelda with Breath of the Wild featuring several voiced cutscenes. The Pokemon franchise has been a frequent target for fans asking for greater voice work in games, with some fans going so far as to fan-dub scenes from Pokemon Scarlet and Violet. While Toad's voice in Super Nintendo World may be contentious, the theme park attraction looks to be a popular one when it opens next month.