Being a Nickelodeon child of the mid-eighties, The Mysterious Cities of Gold was quite the main stay for the four years it was on. I remember enjoying it due to the fact it was styled after the likes of Transformers, G.I. Joe, and a variety of other Japanese made cartoons that used the more realistic vision of the human characters.
But on the other hand, it was the story that really set this show apart. I guess you could say it was revolutionary, especially since it was one continuous story and didn't have any product tie- ins. Plus, it was so unique from a cultural aspect, portraying the jungles of South America and utilizing Inca legend as opposed to the more Euro-centric choices that dominated the mainstream. The ideas were quite incredible, from a solar powered ship to the Olmecs being some weird, alien-like race made for some interesting viewing. Plus, throw-in the darker aspects of the story (abandonment, father-son relations, greed vs. the right thing) and you have a relatively complex show that was supposedly aimed for kids.
It was too bad we never did see the adventures of the other cities of gold like the end of the cartoon alluded to, but at least we got 39 episodes to fully appreciate.
But on the other hand, it was the story that really set this show apart. I guess you could say it was revolutionary, especially since it was one continuous story and didn't have any product tie- ins. Plus, it was so unique from a cultural aspect, portraying the jungles of South America and utilizing Inca legend as opposed to the more Euro-centric choices that dominated the mainstream. The ideas were quite incredible, from a solar powered ship to the Olmecs being some weird, alien-like race made for some interesting viewing. Plus, throw-in the darker aspects of the story (abandonment, father-son relations, greed vs. the right thing) and you have a relatively complex show that was supposedly aimed for kids.
It was too bad we never did see the adventures of the other cities of gold like the end of the cartoon alluded to, but at least we got 39 episodes to fully appreciate.