I remember seeing The New Adventures of Captain S advertised on Screwattack as I went there to watch the Angry Video Game Nerd and thinking it was stupid but it wasn’t until a few years later that I was curious and checked it out and was pleasently surprised, it’s hard to describe what this show actually is but I’ll give it a shot.
The show’s title would let you think it’s a Sega version of Captain N and that’s where it got some inspiration from but not the only place as it’s a mix of various shows from the early 90s like Power Rangers, sitcoms from that era, Nick Arcade and even Superhuman Samurai Syber-Squad. The show is meant to be cheesy but it has just the right amount of selfawareness which is not something you see today as many go overboard with their wink wink nudge nudge and overdo it and here we have tongue in cheek done right.
Episodes have a basic plot but it works because they only last around 10 minutes so the episode finishes before you get bored. Monster of the day episodes work as he goes into different videogames for various reasons and it could’ve been only episodes like this the entire show and it would’ve been fine but the second half of the season has more of a story arc and it elevates this show from being cool to awesome. It has enough drama to keep it interesting but not something overly serious either it’s able to balance stakes with the light hearted nature of the show.
Characters are all baisc tropes but it works since that’s hwat they’re going for and having the villain have the Acronym NES is great and the final villain being the Game Genie just as you remember him from the box art/commercials. They make just enough references to keep you nostalgic but like mentioned they don’t overdo it and somehow this show has an amazing ending, the first time I saw it I wanted a second season so badly but looking back it works fine as a one season thing.
There was even a Christmas special in a crossover with the Angry Video Game Nerd, it made sense at the time since he was still mostly known as the Angry Nintendo Nerd and this was a show focused on Sega. This was one of the first crossovers that ever happened on online shows and it’s a pretty good crossover that takes the best elements of both shows. You have “Filler Fridays” that are either bloopers or shorts in the Captain S universe.
The show was ahead of its time when it came to internet shows since there weren’t many things like it that had such dedication as monetization back then was still very difficult and the reason we didn’t get a second season. Sure many things may now seem amateurish but back then no one was really doing it. The music by Glenn Case is awesome and fits the show very nicely, it’s retro, 90s and catchy.
The new adventures of Captain S was ahead of its time as no other show like it existed back in the early youtube days and the imagination put into it is formidable. Anyone looking for a nostalgic experience of the early to mid 90s owes it to themselves to check out the show.
I’ll leave the first epiosde below but you can watch the entire first and only season including the AVGN Christmas special crossover here.
