EN

Subtle Capcom references pop up in Steven Universe

Mar 28, 2014 // Chris

A little bit of DuckTales/Mega Man love courtesy of Cartoon Network

As spotted by Espiownage , Cartoon Network gave a little shoutout to the lil’ blue bot on its March 17th episode of Steven Universe, “ Onion Trade .” While some folks in the Mega Man forums  are debating whether or not the opening scene, which establishes Stephen’s love for a set toys that all have the last name “Guy”, is intentionally referencing Mr. Man, allow me to settle this for you: It does.


Come on, look at that screen! Watch the episode and see for yourself.

If that weren’t enough Capcom reverence for ya, there was also a clever, fairly specific DuckTales nod later in the same episode (about 45 seconds into this clip .) I’ve only watched the first episode of Steven Universe, but I thought it was fantastic. However, what I love even more than new shows like this and Gravity Falls referencing the beloved Capcom games from my youth, it’s that they’re being broadcast to an audience made up largely of viewers too young to have actually experienced them.


Previously in Animated Capcom References, Gravity Falls !

Yes, I’m aware many adults watch the show too, but they’re expected to laugh at these references. If the kiddies get the 8/16-bit references, great! If they don’t, I imagine it’s like the befuddlement I experienced seeing references to WWII rationing and/or Jimmy Durante caricatures in old Looney Tunes cartoons. And that kind of stuff either made me more aware of a previous generations’ pop culture and/or made me more curious to find out more. Apologies for babbling on about cartoons yet again , but the prospect of an 8-year-old either knowing or getting to know Mega Man makes me want to hug the whole dang planet.