PixlBit

VG cartoons get a lot better as we move into the new century

While most of the VG cartoons from the 90s were terrible, a shift happened when we entered the new century: suddenly VG cartoons were very good! Perhaps companies finally realized that they shouldn't stick their noses in the area of VG cartoons unless they knew what they were doing. Whatever the case is, most of the cartoons I cover here are decent if not great. So enjoy these ones; you've earned it for making it through the worst of the worst in the 90s. We're gonna look at 12 VG cartoons from the 2000s that take us right up to the present.

Final Fantasy: Unlimited

Aired: October 2, 2001--March 26, 2002

Seasons: 1

Episodes: 25

This anime is loosely based on the Final Fantasy franchise. If it weren't for a moogle, a chocobo, and a guy named Cid, you would think it's just another anime. The story follows two twins who are looking for their parents in a world called Wonderland (no, Alice isn't a part of the story). Several characters join them on their quest with their own motives and agendas; everyone seems to have a backstory, which are revealed in very cofusing flashbacks (typical anime stuff). The heroes are fine, but the cast of villains is bizarre, and anything goes in this one since it's fantasy. Mainly, they want to stop a powerful being called Omega from being resurrected, and the ultimate enemy is referred to as Chaos. Cid is a real standout character (resembling the Cid from FF7 a little), being overzealous for machines and gadgets to a humorous degree. The music is just fantastic, fully ochestrated and coming in at just the right moments to make everything epic. The final conclusion in the last episode is powerful and emotional, and the animation is great, CG mixed in with the usual stuff to give it an edge. It would have been nice to see some familiar FF characters, but the overall show still has a lot to love.

Final Verdict: Great

Kirby Right Back at Ya!

Aired: October 6, 2001--September 27, 2003

Seasons: 2

Episodes: 100

This awesome cartoon stars the world's most unlikely hero: Kirby. Right away we're introduced to the cappies (the inhabitants of Cappy Town) along with King Dedede and his right-hand snail Escargoon. Kirby crashlands in the town and ends up staying there, defending the town time and again from DeDeDe's monsters (which he gets from a monster company). Backed by an incredibly awesome jazz theme song, KRBAY is quite the show. Besides the cappies and Escargoon, all the characters are from the Kirby games, which is a huge treat for Kirby fans. The stories are full of charm and can be very humorous, and the animation is just stellar. King Dedede is so mischievious, always getting in over his head and then needing help from Kirby, and what's even funnier is the fact that he has a Southern accent! This one never becomes boring because they use so many different characters and monsters throughout the series, many of which are straight from Kirby games, so it never gets old or samey. Everything you would want in a Kirby cartoon is here.

Final Verdict: Amazing!

Mega Man NT Warrior

Aired: March 4, 2002--March 31, 2003

Seasons: 2

Episodes: 56

Mega Man charges into the 21st century with this new spin on the series in which Mega Man is a cybernetic navi who deals with deadly viruses in cyberspace. No doubt the cyber stuff is due to the massive success of the internet at this time. The cartoon is based on the Mega Man Network games, which started on the Game Boy Advance. The show stars a group of kids who go to school but also end up trying to stop the villainous World Three (a team of cyber-hackers who want to take over cyberspace), which is led by a madman named Wily. Lan is the main character, and his relationship with Mega Man is interesting. The show can be a little cheesy (especially when Lan yells "JACK IN, MEGA MAN! POWER UP!" every time he plugs him in), but that is to be expected with a kids show. However, with a wealth of characters to use from the MM universe, the show never becomes old. The stories, characters, villains, and humor is all legit. And the cyber perspective is interesting and unique.

Final Verdict: Great

Sonic X

Aired: April 6, 2003--March 28, 2004

Seasons: 2

Episodes: 78

This more modern take on Sonic introduces some of the newer characters in the franchise, such as Amy Rose, Cream and Cheese, Big the Cat, Rogue the Bat, and Shadow. It's a little weird to see all of these animal characters interacting and talking with human characters, but that's how this show goes. A boy named Chris and his grandpa help Sonic and his friends. Dr. Eggman is after the chaos emeralds, and Sonic has to stop him. The show is good, but not impressive in any way. Atleast all the main Sonic characters are used, I guess.

Final Verdict: Good

F-Zero GP Legend

Aired: October 7, 2003--September 28, 2004

Seasons: 2

Episodes: 51

This show came out right around the time the newest F-Zero game was being released for Gamecube--F-Zero GX. But considering the fact that the F-Zero series has 30 racers, it's a little weird that they decided to bring in a new main character for the cartoon. Rick Wheeler is the main focus of the show; he was put into a long sleep after an accident in 2051 and somehow survived for 150 years. Now he's a part of a team of investigative racers (which is cliched) headed up by Jody Summers. Another cliche is the fact that Rick is a hothead racer who wants all the glory, and has to learn throughout the series to be a team player. The main villain is Black Bull, who wants to take over the universe (cliched again). Despite stiff voice acting and these typical tropes, the show is decent, even using CGI for the vehicles. It's cool to see all the different characters and Captain Falcon is the most intriguing, being shrouded in mystery, everyone wondering if he's good or bad. But it would have been nice to have Falcon as the main character and not some young punk they made up just for the show. This cartoon actually led to a game after the same name being released on Game Boy Advance the following year. 

Final Verdict: Good

Viewtiful Joe

Aired: October 2, 2004--September 24, 2005

Seasons: 2

Episodes: 51

Viewtiful Joe is perfect for a cartoon series, and is personally one of my favorite video game series. Joe is a regular nerd who's thrust into adventure when his girlfriend Sylvia is captured and he follows her into another dimension called Movie Land. The voice actors for the show are different than the ones from the games, and I prefer the Joe from the game, but the one here is all right. The bad guys belong to an organization called Jadow, and all the villains are bumbling and inept except for Allistar, who is very calm and smart. Sylvia calmly waits in her room while Joe (and eventually Blue Jr.) takes his time rescuing her. The show is hilarious, and amazingly, there are NO bad puns! The humor is legit. Joe makes for an unlikely hero, so much that the bad guys can't figure out how to beat him for the longest time. His transformation is always fun to watch, combined with an awesome theme. Joe may be nerdy, but Viewtiful Joe is awesome.

Final Verdict: Great

Xenosaga: The Animation

Aired: January 5, 2005--March 23, 2005

Seasons: 1

Episodes: 12

This sci-fi anime covers the first Xenosaga's story quite faithfully, as I've heard. It's about a group of intergalactic fighters who are trying to defeat a group of enemies known as gnosis. The plot is much deeper than that, of course, and tends to be a little convoluted and confusing. There are tons of characters to keep up with. Also, I guess in the far future everyone will wear tight uniforms, as that's what everyone wears in the show. There's plenty of backstory going on, which can be interesting, but also confusing too. Voice acting is fine, and the music is exceptional, being fully orchestrated and epic. If you are a xenosaga fan, definitely check this one out.

Final Verdict: Good

Viva Pinata

Aired: August 26, 2006--January 18, 2009

Seasons: 2

Episodes: 52

This is another CGI cartoon that's connected to Rare, and while it's not as terrible as Donkey Kong Country, it's still pretty bad. The show is about the pinatas of Pinata Island, who want to be chosen to go entertain at parties (so they can get beat by a stick?). The pinatas live on candy, of course. The stories are ridiculous, and the humor is hit and miss. Luckily, they avoid bad puns, but much of the humor is groan-worthy, some is just meh, and very little is actually funny. I understand that they were aiming for kids with this one, but that doesn't mean that all the characters should be stupid and the stories lame. There's only so much you can do with pinatas.

Final Verdict: Okay

Devil May Cry: The Animated Series

Aired: June 14, 2007--September 6, 2007

Seasons: 1

Episodes: 12

Capcom's horror action series gets its own anime, and this one is not for kids. With freaky demons, language, and tons of blood, DMC: The Animated Series is definitely for mature audiences. The show centers around Dante's devil-hunting business, which is called "Devil May Cry." Along with Dante, the regular cast includes Trish and Lady, along with some new characters: Morrison, Dante's agent, and Patty, a young girl who hangs out with Dante (despite the fact that she's always yelling at him for being so lazy). Dante is a man of few words, but when he speaks, it can be quite humorous or surprising. Each episode is self-contained, and the stories are intriguing, but not great. Don't expect any plot twists. "Oh my, that person was a demon!" Yes, pretty much everyone in the show is a demon. If you're a DMC fan, you may really enjoy this one.

Final Verdict: Good

Sands of Destruction

Aired: July 7, 2008--September 29, 2008

Seasons: 1

Episodes: 13

You may remember this little RPG for the Nintendo DS; what you may not realize is that it had a corresponding anime that aired right up to its Japanese release. The show is set in a fantasy world comprised of humans and beastmen, each group despising each other. A boy named Kyrie gets mixed up with a girl from the World Destruction Committee named Morte. Kyrie, while the main character, is the comic relief of the show, while Morte is the serious one. The humor is great. A little bear creature named Taupy also joins them and they set out to, um, destroy the world? It's certainly a strange story, and anything goes, but it's also quite interesting. Atleast this strange story ends within its 13 episode run, and that's always a good thing. I would say this an enjoyable anime to watch.

Final Verdict: Good

Angry Birds Toons

Aired: March 16, 2013--present

Seasons: 2

Episodes: 52+

This one is not on actual TV, but on a mobile channel called Toons TV, provided by the makers of this fine cartoon. Angry Birds Toons are split up into short episodes (each being about 2-3 minutes in length) which involve all the birds from the games and the pigs. There is no talking, just squaks and sounds as they move around. The show really reminds me of the Loony Toons style of humor, which is a very good thing. The pigs are always trying to come up with something to defeat the birds and failing miserably, while the birds are usually trying to protect their eggs from disasters (which they brough on themselves). Animation and muisc is great. Due to the fact that the episodes are so short, they never become boring. Truly hilarious stuff.

Final Verdict: Amazing!

Rabbids Invasion

Aired: August 3, 2013--present

Seasons: 1

Episodes: 26+

This show centers around Ubisoft's raving rabbids. It's completely bizarre, mostly showing the rabbids trying to figure out some piece of technology, from drive-thru speakers to vending machines to cell phones. The rabbids are so stupid, which strangely enough, is why they're so charming and lovable. Sadly, the show is hit and miss, some moments being funny while others are dull, hilarious moments being rare. On the plus side, the CGI is great. The true potentail of the rabbids never seems to be utilized in this one, but the show is still decent.

Final Verdict: Good

Thanks for reading! Stay tuned for the Top 5 Best Video Game Cartoons!