Scott Burns
- "Scott" redirects here. For the character in Pipe Down!, see Todd, Justin, Scott and Ashby.
| Scott Burns | |
|---|---|
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| Super Mario–related role(s) | Voice actor for Toadsworth, Lubba, King Lakitu, Ninja, and Shrowser; current voice actor for Mario Tennis announcer; former voice actor for Bowser |
Scott Burns is the voice actor who provided the voice of Bowser starting with Super Mario Sunshine in 2002 and continuing until Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games in 2007. He also provided the voice of Toadsworth.[1] Nearly a year following this release, Burns gave up the role of Bowser over a union dispute,[2] but he then briefly returned to both of his roles for Mario Super Sluggers in 2008. Despite no longer taking up the role of Bowser, some of Burns' portrayals have been reused in later games, such as the announcer from Mario Power Tennis in later installments of the Mario Tennis series.
In addition to the Super Mario franchise, Scott Burns worked for Nintendo to voice Slippy Toad's father, Beltino Toad, in English versions of Star Fox Assault.[3] Aside from Nintendo, Burns has also worked for Microsoft, McDonald's, and Boeing. Scott Burns considers himself most suited for characters between the ages of twenty-nine and forty-nine, but claims to be able to voice young adult, middle aged, and senior male characters.[4]
History with the Super Mario franchise
Voicing Bowser
Scott Burns began his career at the suggestion of another voice actor and gained notability through his ability to impersonate people and characters such as Clint Eastwood and Popeye.[4] Burns took the role of Bowser in Super Mario Sunshine, the first Nintendo game where Bowser was given spoken dialogue. However, the title's voice acting was panned by many, including Gamespot reviewer Jeff Gerstmann, who criticized the title as having "some of the lousiest voice-over work to be found on the GameCube. None of the voices fit particularly well.... [Bowser and Bowser Jr.] are completely miscast and downright disappointing."[5] Scott continued to voice Bowser in later games, giving unique grunts, laughs, and reactions to a character whose voice in previous Nintendo games had consisted only of sampled sounds. In Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time, he also voiced Shrowser.
Absence and return
Kenny James took on the role of Bowser in Super Mario Strikers, Super Mario Galaxy, and Mario Kart Wii. Amidst these titles, however, Scott retook the role in Mario Super Sluggers and his voice clips from previous sports titles are recycled in later ones such as Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games (where James instead plays Dry Bowser) and Mario Tennis Open. Since 2010, Burns has also played various other roles in the series, such as Lubba. However in Super Mario Galaxy 2, he also shared the role of Bowser with Kenny James.
Portrayals
- Super Mario Sunshine – Bowser / Toadsworth[1] / Male Piantas[1] (shared with Charles Martinet) / Male Nokis[6] / Raccoon father[6] / Pianta prosecutor[6] / Pianta judge[6] / Isle Delfino Police[6] / Big Daddy of Blooper-surfing / Cannon Pianta / Captain / Crate guy / Hotel manager / Pianta mayor / Sunglasses vendor / Noki elder / Noki grandson / Park director / Il Piantissimo
- Mario Golf: Toadstool Tour – Bowser
- Mario Kart: Double Dash!! – Bowser / Male Piantas (shared with Charles Martinet) / Male Nokis / Bowser's Castle laugh
- Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga – Bowser
- Mario Golf: Advance Tour – Bowser
- Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door – Bowser
- Mario Power Tennis – Bowser / Toadsworth / Announcer
- Mario Party 6 – Bowser
- Yakuman DS – Bowser / Toadsworth
- Dance Dance Revolution: Mario Mix – Bowser
- Mario Superstar Baseball – Bowser / Toadsworth / Male Piantas (shared with Charles Martinet) / Male Nokis / Bowser Castle laugh
- Mario Tennis: Power Tour – Bowser / Toadsworth
- Mario Kart Arcade GP – Bowser
- Super Princess Peach – Bowser
- Mario Party 7 – Bowser / Toadsworth
- Mario Kart DS – Bowser / Male Piantas (shared with Charles Martinet) / Bowser's Castle laugh
- Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time – Bowser / Shrowser
- Mario Hoops 3-on-3 – Bowser
- Mario Kart Arcade GP 2 – Bowser
- Mario Strikers Charged – Bowser
- Mario Party 8 – Bowser / Toadsworth (unused) / Male Piantas (shared with Charles Martinet)
- Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games – Bowser
- Mario Party DS – Bowser
- Mario Kart Wii – Male Piantas (shared with Charles Martinet) / Male Nokis / Bowser's Castle laugh
- Mario Super Sluggers – Bowser / Toadsworth / Male Piantas (shared with Charles Martinet) / Male Nokis / Bowser Castle laugh
- Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games – Bowser
- Super Mario Galaxy 2 – Bowser (shared with Kenny James) / Lubba / King Lakitu / Male Piantas (shared with Charles Martinet)
- Mario Sports Mix – Ninja / Male Piantas (shared with Charles Martinet)
- Mario Kart 7 – Bowser's Castle laugh
- Mario Party 9 – Male Piantas (shared with Charles Martinet)
- Mario Tennis Open – Bowser / Announcer
- Mario Kart Arcade GP DX – Bowser / Dry Bowser
- Mario Kart 8 – Male Piantas (shared with Charles Martinet) / Male Nokis
- Mario Tennis: Ultra Smash – Announcer
- Mario & Sonic at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games – Male Piantas (shared with Charles Martinet)
- Mario Sports Superstars – Bowser (shared with Kenny James)
- Mario Kart 8 Deluxe – Male Piantas (shared with Charles Martinet) / Male Nokis
- Mario Tennis Aces – Bowser (during Special Shot) / Bowcien (shared with Kenny James) / Announcer
- Super Mario 3D All-Stars – Voice work from Super Mario Sunshine
Trivia
- When creating voice clips for Bowser in games such as Mario Kart: Double Dash!! and Mario Super Sluggers, Burns' voice was slowed down to sound deeper. However, in games such as Mario Kart DS, and Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga, his voice clips are unaltered.
- Despite the fact that Mario Superstar Baseball, Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time, Mario Hoops 3-on-3, Mario Party 8 and Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games all have Bowser voiced by Burns, his name is left unmentioned in the credits of these titles due to his clips being reused from earlier games.
External links
References
- ^ a b c Confirmation from Scott Burns via e-mail.
- ^ Thomas Game Docs. (May 12, 2021). Why doesn't Bowser's voice sound like it used to? YouTube. Retrieved May 13, 2021.
- ^ Star Fox Assault (2005) (VG). The Internet Movie Database. Retrieved March 3, 2009.
- ^ a b Character, Offbeat, Dad, Guy Next Door. Voice123. Retrieved March 3, 2009.
- ^ Gerstmann, Jeff. Super Mario Sunshine Review. GameSpot. Retrieved March 3, 2009.
- ^ a b c d e Confirmation from Scott Burns via e-mail.
