Best Cartoons of Yesterday

Back in my day, cartoon were drawn properly, and had good storylines. In my opinion, the quality of cartoons has dropped significantly, with the exception of Anime (Japanese animation), which has actually improved. This is a list of all my favourite cartoon shows I watched when I was a kid, but have for various reasons been cancelled, taken out of syndication and not given decent DVD releases.

Sonic and Sally

Sonic the Hedgehog (SatAM series).

This cartoon totally brightened up my Sunday mornings for a while. It was based on the video game of the same name, but unlike most adaptations, it had a decent plot and characters with personalities. The person who did the voice of Robotnik, the evil villain, was especially convincing. I also thought the sexual tension between Sonic and Princess Sally was played out very well.

Mario, Luigi and Koopa

Super Mario Brothers Super Show.

The show was a combination of live action and cartoon (not together at the same time, though). It was full of silly antics and sound effects from the video game. I can't really explain what was so good about it, but I always got excited when the show changed from live action to cartoon. Maybe it's because I liked the game a lot. Or maybe it was because the live action part was so lame and the cartoon so much better by comparison, like a contrast or something.

Children of the Sun

The Mysterious Cities of Gold.

I don't remember this one so well, because I was only 5 or 6 when I was watching it. But I do know that it was a masterpiece in terms of storytelling, as it had me hooked and if I missed an episode I would be in a bad mood for the rest of the day. The story was centered around these kids who were going on a journey to the New World in search of the lost cities of gold. There was also this huge bird-like machine they could fly in as long as the sun was up. It'll all come back to me once I watch it again (isn't the Internet great).

Heroes in a halfshell

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.

Well, here's one that I'm sure you'll all remember. The cards, the action figures, the movies, the video games. The show was pretty good too, as a matter of fact, combining action with comedy. It was the first cartoon I saw that had decently choreographed fight scenes. The concept was a bit silly, but when you're a kid, you take everything seriously. The craze continues even now, with a new series made just recently.

Teknoman

Teknoman.

Probably my first exposure to Anime (apart from Transformers and Astro Boy, which I didn't really watch a lot). It was set in the future, when the Earth is being invaded by aliens and their only hope is guy called Slade, who can transform into some kind of robotic superhero when he uses this special crystal. It was screened in the morning with the rest of the cartoons, somehow managing to get away with a G rating, despite all the violence and adult themes. But it was also quite philosophical, discussing what it really means to be human.

Eek

Eek!

Another excellent morning cartoon, with the funniest action sequences. It was about a cat called Eek, who spent every waking moment trying to make the world a better place. His most famous line, "It never hurts to help", was often proved wrong, usually to Sharky the Sharkdog's peril. After the first series, the show was split between episodes of Eek! and the Terrible Thunder Lizards, which was also pretty good in its own right.