There's a Narm Charm to the show, but much of the lingo with stylized graphics was not as prevalent as claimed. While that aspect of the show made it dated on arrival, I think the emphasis on showing a wide variety of alternative sports actually gives it a certain timeless quality. You have things like Squid starting to grow into a competent athlete in his own right and Otto is normally The Ace but often has to check his ego when there's Always Someone Better.
Comics are just words and pictures. You can do anything with words and pictures.I loved the fact that there's more to this show than just about a group of kids doing extreme sports. You have characters like Otto and Reggie doing something wrong in the episode and then they learn at the end of the episode to not be so selfish or to not be so hotheaded. I also loved their relationship with their dad Ray as Ray is not shown as being a bumbling dad, like you saw a lot in kid shows back then and he actually tries to discipline Otto and Reggie when they go too far.
I love animation, TV, movies, YOU NAME IT!I loved the adult and kid friendships. You had Conroy and missus stimpleton as positive role models and I really liked the episode where tito was grumpy and Reggie figured out why (he missed Hawaii and Reggie reminded him of the relationships he'd made in ocean shores and got everyone to throw a Hawaiian luau party for him and he was so grateful.) I also liked the flashback of Reggie about 2 or 3 years younger learning to surf under Tito's guidance.
Edited by GlitterCat on Nov 20th 2023 at 5:25:05 AM
see my completed Tangled (Varian) fanfic collection! https://archiveofourown.org/works/24467056/chapters/59049532
Pretty sure it's set in California, but Hawaii factors in greatly. I also 100% agree about Raymundo being a good dad portrayal especially a single one(wife's passing) while also having ship tease moments with the cop lady. I thought it was nice.
Ironically, Splatoons equal Narm Charm referencing this kind of "EXTREME" hobby stuff saw a lot of positive stuff for this show.
Edited by doomrider7 on Nov 20th 2023 at 9:50:57 AM
I think there is just a good Coming of Age aspect for all the kids underneath it all. Teaching that you should find what you're good at and train to become better instead of give up immediately out of frustration. Experiencing pitfalls and making mistakes while learning from them in a way that felt natural to life rather than throwing in a Sentimental Music Cue. Episodes like Sam struggling with surfing only for Tito to recognize a bigger kid needed a wider board, or Otto getting a sponsorship and learning they aren't tolerant of the occasional wipeout stuck with me.
Comics are just words and pictures. You can do anything with words and pictures.This was a cartoon that was never my favorite. I didn't HATE it per se, but even as a kid I just found it So Okay, It's Average. Maybe if I was the kind of kid who liked extreme sports I would have found it enjoyable, but I just passed it on for Rugrats, Catdog, and Angry Beavers.
And I love how some people have called this the worst Nicktoon ever when Fanboy and Chum Chum, Planet Sheen, and Adventures Of Kid Danger exist. Like, even if you hate Rocket Power it's still a masterpiece compared to those 3 shows.
"COCONUTS HAVE WATER IN THEM!"Wasn’t the biggest fan of this show but it had some gems. I recall thinking the episode where The Squid makes a video game about himself where he’s a God-Mode Sue and everyone else is a complete idiot was one of the funniest cartoon episodes I’d seen as a kid. Not quite on par with Billy and Mandy’s “Here Thar Be Dwarves” or Hey Arnold at its peak, but definitely up there.
YOU HAVE BECOME TRAPPED INSIDE ONE OF ROMANDO’S BORING SIXTIES FLASHBACKS. GAME OVER.
x4
I don't really get that since at worse, I still think it's a good solid piece of animation that time capsules a place and time in a good fun way that's kind of sort of making bits of a comeback with stuff like extreme stunts and whatnot being posted on You Tube and those amazing drone shots. Like people have made reference that Twister duct taping a camera to his helmet is no different than peoples use of Go Pro's for the same reason or of it was made today, they'd definitely use drones to catch awesome longshot footage.
Edit: Even as a kid I never quite found Cat Dog quite as enjoyable as other nicktoons. There was just this dislike of seeing Cat getting the short end of the stick even though I understood his side of things more as well as a sort of informed wrongness. Angry Beavers is one of those shows like Rocko that hits way different(a bit similar with Rugrats) when you're an adult than as a kid.
Edited by doomrider7 on Nov 21st 2023 at 2:18:06 PM
I also remember it wasn't afraid to show some less than stellar relationships too. I recall watching the one where Sam's dad visits with my own father (before he passed.) My dad straight up said "That guy's a jackass." My dad had health problems but he still made time for us and made us feel like we, and our interests, mattered. Sam's dad would rather talk business and just throw a bunch of money around instead of paying attention.
see my completed Tangled (Varian) fanfic collection! https://archiveofourown.org/works/24467056/chapters/59049532I remember one episode where there was a new kid on the street and Sam tried befriending him and bring him into the gang. The kid perceived Sam as the loser of the group and proceeded to make fun of him trying to bump up his status as the new kid. The rest didn't really like the kid for that but tolerated it because they thought Sam liked him. The kid then just migrated away from them trying the same shtick with Lars' group.
It was just a shockingly accurate portrayal of social politics, and didn't end with the kid learning a lesson and changing. It also contrasted the difference between mild ribbing within friends and actual toxic behavior.
Comics are just words and pictures. You can do anything with words and pictures.

Does anyone remember this 90s extreme Nicktoons series ''Rocket Power?"
I remembered I used to watch this show a lot as a kid and I was intrigued by the extreme sports shown in this show. However, there were a lot of complaints towards this show that the extreme sports lingo was getting very grating throughout the series.
I love animation, TV, movies, YOU NAME IT!