2003 Show's Nick Releases

[CyberCubed]

Even then why are they releasing the last 6 episodes of Season 1 instead of starting at the beginning? Kids of today have never seen TMNT 2k3, they'll be confused.

[Aaronardo]

Originally Posted by CyberCubed

Kids of today have never seen TMNT 2k3, they'll be confused.

Exactly why I don't get this "3 episodes a disc" thing. Nobody except kids of today would want to (coax their parents to) buy these kinds of releases, so why do this? It.. agh... it makes no sense!

[neatoman]

So since Nickelodeon have proven they somehow reach 26 before 1 when they count, what other incompetence have they displayed?

[Aaronardo]

Originally Posted by neatoman

So since Nickelodeon have proven they somehow reach 26 before 1 when they count, what other incompetence have they displayed?

I'd tell you, but there's so much I'm not sure the forum would let me submit a post that big.

[oldmanwinters]

I wonder if this is Nick's attempt at a "dry run" to gauge interest in the old show?

I really think they would have been better off to just release a "Season 1" case with some kind of "Retro Appreciation" labeling and hope for the best in regards to sales.

Originally Posted by The-Shredder

The cover art on these is a real turn off. The previous DVD releases may not have amazing covers, but at least they grab your attention and weren't an eyesore to look at.

https://web.archive.org/web/20120210.../dvd_toons.htm

Agreed. I've never understood why any company would want to release something with a terrible looking cover. I can understand they didn't want to spend lots of money commissioning new artwork, but why not put a little thought into something eye catching since this show is something that is relatively obscure to the generation of kids who grew up on the new show. When DC started released their old Superfriends cartoons on DVD about a decade ago, their release schedule was ridiculous but I do credit them on investing in some decent looking cover artwork in order to appeal to the same folks who were buying their more popular contemporary shows on DVD like Batman: TAS and Justice League.

[TheSkeletonMan939]

Originally Posted by oldmanwinters

I've never understood why any company would want to release something with a terrible looking cover. I can understand they didn't want to spend lots of money commissioning new artwork, but why not put a little thought into something eye catching since this show is something that is relatively obscure to the generation of kids who grew up on the new show.

They don't even need to do any work! I think it'd be acceptable if they even just reused 4Kids' original cover art, since it isn't just the same promo images we've seen everywhere.

They pulled this crappy cover BS with Turtles Forever too. They only had the 4Kids turtles on the cover, even though the film's big thing was that the OT turtles were in it too!

I am curious as to whether they'll bother to have any special features on these discs, or even any menu music.

[CyberCubed]

Originally Posted by TheSkeletonMan939

I am curious as to whether they'll bother to have any special features on these discs, or even any menu music.

Don't be silly, of course not. There will probably just be one commercial for the Nick TMNT cartoon and that's it.

[Leo656]

Originally Posted by oldmanwinters

When DC started released their old Superfriends cartoons on DVD about a decade ago, their release schedule was ridiculous but I do credit them on investing in some decent looking cover artwork in order to appeal to the same folks who were buying their more popular contemporary shows on DVD like Batman: TAS and Justice League.

Haha, I remember that sh*t. I just finally got the last Super-Friends set that I needed for Christmas. That show might have had the worst release schedule ever. Half-season sets, released months or years apart, seasons released in the absolute wackiest order ever - starting in the series middle, then releasing *some* of the earlier ones, then going back and putting out the FINAL few Seasons, THEN going back and finishing the first few, before finally completing the series by releasing the rest of the ones in the middle. And it took them over ten years to do it.

I know many people, myself included, have talked about how stupid the FW and 2K3 TMNT seasons were handled, but I kind of think Suuper-Friends has to take the cake for worst release schedule ever, at least among shows that actually got a full release. I might be the only one who actually has the complete series. Who else would care that much? You needed charts and graphs just to remember which Seasons you already owned, and it's not even a good enough show to justify the effort. Just ridiculous.

But yeah, the cover art was really neat.

[oldmanwinters]

Originally Posted by Leo656

I know many people, myself included, have talked about how stupid the FW and 2K3 TMNT seasons were handled, but I kind of think Suuper-Friends has to take the cake for worst release schedule ever, at least among shows that actually got a full release. I might be the only one who actually has the complete series. Who else would care that much? You needed charts and graphs just to remember which Seasons you already owned, and it's not even a good enough show to justify the effort. Just ridiculous.

Well, at least you aren't quite alone!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-rzZxbC8vqw

I really appreciated this video. "Survival Guide" is an appropriate description though. I've picked up a few myself recently when I found them new priced at around $3 at Big Lots. I have more interest in the later end of the series, in which it actually starts to approach something close to Bruce Timm DCAU quality.

The fact that one volume appears to have been a Target exclusive is just ridiculous.

Originally Posted by TheSkeletonMan939

They don't even need to do any work! I think it'd be acceptable if they even just reused 4Kids' original cover art, since it isn't just the same promo images we've seen everywhere.

I'm sure that removing that old 4Kids logo would cost Nick WAY too much time and money.

[Leo656]

That was neat, thanks. Yeah, I hated buying that f*cking show. So many times I'd be at the store, pick up a disc, and be like, "Wait... is this new? Do I have this already?" And I'd almost never pick them up because I could never remember unless I had it written down on a list in my pocket. A couple times I DID accidentally pick up duplicates, and felt like an idiot for being "sure" I didn't already have this one, only to find out I did. Towards the end I just gave up and stopped buying them in stores and ordered the last few off Amazon. They could have at LEAST put the year each season originally aired on the spine or something. Even putting them on the goddamn shelf in order is a huge hassle! Yeesh.

But yeah, "Galactic Guardians" was pretty sweet. Almost impossible to believe there's less than 5 years in between that season and Batman: TAS.

But yeah, what a chore. As a small thing that would have helped tremendously, I think putting the original year of airing/release date of a movie or show on the DVD case should be mandatory across the board, and I don't know why only a very small number of them do this. Just for the sake of convenience. Sometimes my wife will be like, "When did this originally come out?" And I can't just look at the box, because half the time that will only tell me when the DVD itself was released and not the show/movie. "Minor" nitpick, perhaps, but really, there's zero reason NOT to do it. Some do, but they all should.

[Spike Spiegel]

Meh...

Part of me still wants to buy these just to make Nick think they could do well with season sets. Have they pulled this sort of thing with any of their major, non-Shout Factory shows?

[funatic]

Just seeing this now and all I can say is—uggggh, seriously?? Recently sold my entire 4kids DVD collection (seasons 1-5 on 20+ DVDs) in anticipation of a nice simple collection of season sets from Nick. Wanted to sell them while they still had some value... well looks like they still do. Oh well, at least I made a pretty penny.

[FlawedCoil82]

Ugh! Well it looks like Cyber Cubed was wrong... How much more proof does anyone need to see that Nick UNDENIABLY could not possibly care any less about the 4kid series? Whoever the head honcho at Nickelodeon is, must fap himself half to death just at the mere sight of seeing 4Kids TMNT fans being cheated and screwed over again and again as some kind of sick fetish.

[Bry]

Originally Posted by FlawedCoil82

Ugh! Well it looks like Cyber Cubed was wrong... How much more proof does anyone need to see that Nick UNDENIABLY could not possibly care any less about the 4kid series?

Again, if that were true, they'd just bury it and pretend it never happened. They have re-aired the first two seasons and released them on iTunes. These DVDs are undeniably lazy and disappointing, but they're not nothing. I wish they'd give it more care and effort too, but it could be worse.

Originally Posted by FlawedCoil82

Whoever the head honcho at Nickelodeon is, must fap himself half to death just at the mere sight of seeing 4Kids TMNT fans being cheated and screwed over again and again as some kind of sick fetish.

Honestly, they probably didn't think of the 4Kids fans much at all. Most likely they're just trying to make a little extra money from the brand, they had content from a previous series ready to release, and they felt this was the quickest, easiest way to do it.

Not excusing the decision, mind you -- it is one weird, lazy, mind-boggling decision to release only the last six episodes of the first season in three-episode discs -- but I really don't think it was intended as any kind of personal insult.

[DarkLightDragon]

^Yeah, it's not really them taking the p*** out of 2k3 fans on purpose, but just another example of them looking at things from a business-perspective rather a fan's perspective. Which is common practice for big companies such as Nick.

[Bry]

I'm almost certain their thinking went something like this: they wanted something to put out quickly and easily, decided that three-episode releases were their "sweet spot", and they wanted to go with one overall "story" each (sort of making it like a DTV movie) so they just picked what seemed to be the "best" multi-episode stories from the first season.

I'm disappointed too, but who knows - maybe these will sell decently well for the kids and lead to a bigger/better, proper release for the full series down the line. Based on the press release these are just intended as cheap ("value-priced") kid-oriented DVDs, so I'm not gonna lose all hope yet. I'm not gonna buy them, but if they help give the 2003 show more exposure, that's a good thing.

[ABrown]

Originally Posted by TheSkeletonMan939

Do you realize how mind-bogglingly hard it is to find DVDs for this series, let alone be able to purchase them? Some of the harder-to-find ones go for over 100 bucks!!

Wait, what? I had asked one specific person why he's ditching his 4kids dvds(that he already owns) to watch the show on the computer if he's specifically saying that he prefers watching on dvd to watching on the computer. I'm not saying that if someone doesn't already own the dvds, they should spend a fortune to purchase them. I think if someone doesn't already own the dvds, the better option absolutely is to watch on the 4kids series on the computer.

[Netkeeper]

Originally Posted by Bry

Again, if that were true, they'd just bury it and pretend it never happened.

Oh, you mean the thing they WERE doing up until a few months ago?

Face it, Nick hates 2k3. No need to be in denial now.

[Whatswiththeheadbands?]

Originally Posted by Powder

What the hell is this sh*t? Nobody's gonna buy that.

^^This is literally what everyone is thinking right now.

Companies only did this kinda thing with VHS releases.

Come on Nick, get your act together. Give us a proper release.

[CylonsKlingonsDaleksOhMy]

Originally Posted by Netkeeper

Oh, you mean the thing they WERE doing up until a few months ago?

Face it, Nick hates 2k3. No need to be in denial now.

I don't care what anyone says, I'm pretty much 100% convinced Nick is deliberately sidelining and burying the 4Kids cartoon due to its comparatively darker and more serious tone.

I also don't believe the IDW staff when they say Nick isn't forcing them to mimic the current cartoon's physical designs for Mikey and Don. With this atmosphere, I'm honestly surprised Donnie got smashed in Issue #44.

And before some of you jump all over me, let me just say: some people believe in 9-11 conspiracies, or Area 51 conspiracies, or JFK assassination conspiracies... this is the conspiracy I believe.