"Top 5 Cartoons Series Without DVDs!!"

And now, the first "Top 5" list! A cliched and time-honored part of geek-dom. Whenever an animated series from my youth comes out on DVD, I do a little dance. Sometimes in my head, sometimes in the middle of the electronics section in which I find myself. But there are a few series which have yet to come out! Can you guess where this is going?

#5:

"Kidd Video" featured the adventures of the titular teenage garage band after they are sucked into the alternate cartoon world of the Flipside by Master Blaster, the series villian, who was a parody of music execs.

Heavily influenced by MTV and the pop-culture of the '80s, the show featured a unique combination of live-action and animated sequences, musical interludes reminiscent of "Scooby Doo, Where are You?" and original songs/music videos, in which the live action cast performed. If anything, "Kidd Video" proves the concept of "The Monkees" was not a one-time fluke!

#4:

"The Centurions" was set in the near-future, where mad scientist/cyborg Doc Terror and his legions of Doom Drones seek to rule the world. The only ones capable of stopping him are Max Ray, Jake Rockwell and Ace McCloud, The Centurions! Upon shouting "Power Extreme", they use their hi-tech exo-frames to merge with specialized weapons systems that were beamed to them from their satellite HQ! Any super-hero team that has a satellite in space as a base wins my vote. Each member had several 'armors' that they could use, each more powerful than the last. Once they were armored up, the team looked one part Gundam, one part Iron Man and all kinds of kick-ass! Needless to say, the series was built for a toyline!

Though the series only ran for 65 episodes between '86 and '87, I still remember this show fondly and await the DVD set the way I awaited the toys on Christmas. And I'm still waiting.

#3:

Based on the classic video game series, "Double Dragon" is the story of Billy & Jimmy Lee, twins who were separated at birth. Billy was raised by the Oldest Dragon, leader of the Dragon Dojo in Metro City's Chinatown. Jimmy was raised by the leader of the evil Shadow Dojo, Shadowmaster. At first, the brothers met as enemies, with Jimmy acting as Shadowboss, 2nd in command to the Shadowmaster. After this initial conflict, Billy and Jimmy discovered mystical powers inherited from their father and used them to fight Shadowmaster as the Double Dragons!

Using their martial arts training, as well as the aid of their fellow Dragon Warriors, Billy and Jimmy Lee fought a never ending battle against evil, while following the "Code of the Dragon". Now, if only BKN Entertainment (the show's producers) would follow the "Code of the Geek" and give us this DVD set!

#2:

Based on the hit film, "MiB - The Series" shows the continuing adventures of Agents Jay & Kay as they act as the first, last and only line of defence against alien threats against Earth. The series takes place shortly after the first film, with Agent Kay never having been 'neuralized' (a slight change from the film's ending) and still partnered with Agent Jay. Now operating out their new HQ (located beneath LaGuardia Airport) and aided by the brainy Agent Elle, the Worms and Frank the Pug, Kay and Jay continue their job of"protecting the Earth from the scum of the universe!"

The series was produced by Adelaide Productions (makers of "Jackie Chan Adventures", "Extreme Ghostbusters" and "Big Guy & Rusty the Boy Robot") and featured their signature 'quirky' style in the character, background and alien designs. Though DVDs were created for Autrailian and UK DVD markets, there are currently no plans for a North American release. Now, Adelaide executives, make with the DVDs before I bust out the Noisy Cricket and get wicked on ya'!

And now, the one you've all been waiting for.....

#1:

Say what you will about the movie it was based on, "Godzilla" was a pretty decent cartoon. The series, produced by Adelaide Productions (they sure were busy in the '90s), featured a story-telling style similar to the Hanna Barbera "Godzilla" series of the 1970's, along with references to the classic movie series of the same name. A direct sequel to the 1998 film, the animated series followed Nick Tatopoulos (voiced by Ian Ziering) and his Humanitarian Enviromental Analysis Team (H.E.A.T.) as they traveled the world investigating various giant monsters and mutations that have mysteriously sprung up since the arrival of the original Godzilla. The Godzilla featured in the show was the only hatchling to survive the bombing of Madison Square Garden in the film. Godzilla imprints on Nick as its father and Nick uses this bond to direct Godzilla against the monsters that H.E.A.T. faced each episode.

Regardless of the negative response to the film, "Godzilla The Series" was actually very popular during its original run, despite being over shadowed by the increasing popularity of 'anime' series like "Digimon" on Fox Kids. Though a few DVDs have been released, there is no plans to release the whole series at this time. Where's a giant, fire-breathing nuclear lizard when you need one??

Now, don't get the wrong idea, I am no authority on what series should be on DVD more than any other. I'm just a nerd with a jones to fill out my DVD collection!

-- Phreak711