Reboot!
Reboot! No I am not suggesting that you reboot your computer though I know if you run are certain operating systems, you are sure to be doing that a lot. I am referring to the amazing cartoon that was produced by Mainframe Entertainment from 1994 to 2001. In this computer-inspired show, you are exposed to various computer elements within a world called Mainframe (who remember what a mainframe is?). This world is inhabited by binomes which represent the 1s and 0s of the computing world as well as sprites who are generally the focus of the show and the more detailed characters in the show.
There were four seasons of this show which has the show going from episodes that are focused on each individual episodes to more of a plot building episodes where each episode build on a major story line. The transition to this format happens in season two with the introduction of the "Web" which is an external threat to the world of Mainframe.
The first season focuses primarily on Bob who enters "gamecubes" that land in various parts of MainFrame. In these games, Bob "reboots" to take on the role of a game character whose goal is to defeat the user at the game. If he fails to beat the game, the section of Mainframe that gamecube fell on is destroyed and the binomes are turned into worm-like parasites called "nulls". Another battle for Bob to fight is the threat of the viruses Hexadecimal and Megabyte within Mainframe.
The second season major arc is based on a tear that is formed as a result of a bomb that Bob had taken a fair distance away from everyone to avoid impact to Mainframe. Sadly the explosion creates a tear which the Web creatures use to create a portal. Bob and his friends team up with Megabyte and Hexadecimal to close the portal but as a terrible cost with Megabyte betraying the alliance, crushing Glitch, Bob's toolkit and weapon, and sending Bob into the Web without a trace. Apparently no one could run a traceroute in Mainframe....
Season three is where the show gets a major reboot, pun indeed, with improvements to the graphic design and storytelling of the show. The show goes from a kid's show to an adult cartoon with Matrix, formerly Enzo being a very dark character and AndrAIa, the sprite that was with him when they were caught in the game in the start of this season. They are now wandering the Web trying to find a way home. Much has changed for both of these characters as Matrix is now carrying Glitch, who was damaged by MegaByte and Gun, a voice-controlled weapon. To add to the complication of the situation, Matrix and AndrAla have both aged. Matrix is full of anger and become a shoot-now-ask-later type of person. Luckily for him, AndrAla is his partner in both a romantic and fighting sense, and keeps him calm with some success. The season ends on high note with the two finding Bob and a way back to Mainframe.
The last season, four, is sadly never finished leaving the show with a major cliff hanger with the return of Megabyte. This season is essentially three movies with only two having been produced. The two that were produced answer a great deal of the history of Mainframe, where Bob came from and the origin stories of both Megabyte and Hexadecimal.
After many years of silence, Reboot was revived from the grave with plans for a Reboot movie and a webcomic. The Arrival webcomic was done by the fan artists as the fans are still dedicated to the Reboot cause even though it has been offline for several years now. The story is very ironic as the User is now gone and is stuck in an endless MMOG game. A system called Gnosis had devised a way to stop Megabyte but has gone rogue and is attempting to gain User-like powers. Heroes are assembled to fight this menace including little used characters such as Lens the Codemaster.
A number of reboot figures were produced by Irwin Toys. These figures can be found on eBay for the people who are obsessed with this retro cartoon. Shown below is some of the Reboot figures that you can pick up if you are lucky enough to find them.
Also a game was created for the Playstation in 1998 for the cartoon. In the 3D shooter, you play as Bob and attempt to beat the virus Megabyte. Sadly, the game did not live up to gaming standards for that era and the game was considered a flop with difficult controls and graphics that were nowhere near the par of the cartoon.
Though Reboot is one of the favorite cartoons, I have to admit their usage of computer terms did stretch a bit with the mixing of mainframes, games and web. Especially so since I come from a computer background. If you enjoy the cartoon style of Reboot, I highly recommend that you watch two other great shows from Mainframe Entertainment, Beast Wars and Beast Machines.