Space Strikers (In French: 20,000 Lieues Dans L'Espace) is a 1995 French animated series made by Métropole Production and distributed by Saban Entertainment. In a distant future, the courageous Captain Nemo, commander of the technologically advanced starship Nautilus, and its bold crew fare against the nefarious Phantom Warriors and their dreadful leader, the Master Phantom. Together, the Nautilus crew must save the galaxy from total domination, as the Phantoms are bent on spreading chaos throughout the universe. It's kind of a loose adaptation to Jules Verne's 20000 Leagues IN SPACE!!
Notable for being one of the first series to extensively use computer-generated 3D scenes (and also 3D glasses were shipped around the United States to promote this point, called "Strikervision") for the scenes in space, while keeping it 2D for the characters. Unfortunately, due to the fact this show wasn't very popular at all and that it was never released on VHS, it was nigh impossible to find footage related to this show for almost 20 years and at one point was considered lost.
However, in 2014 some episodes (from an apparent home-made VHS recording) were uploaded to YouTube.
Tropes used by the series:
- 2D Visuals, 3D Effects: All scenes of spaceships in space are fully CGI, whereas scenes of the crew inside the ships (or on land) are traditionally animated. Considering it was one of the first times where 3D imaging was used, it's somewhat forgivable. It looked nice back then.
- Abandonment-Induced Animosity: As shown in the opening credits, the man who would become Master Phantom was abandoned on an asteroid when the place became dangerous.
- Cool Starship: Each side of the conflict use a big mothership bristling with laser cannons and able to launch fighters.
- Darth Vader Clone: The Big Bad is a former good guy very close to the hero, who became a cyborg after suffering grievous injuries, turned evil and became a Galactic Conqueror. He even dies after Nemo redeems him, saving the heroes and dying in his former friends' arms.
- The Dragon: Master Phantom's second-in-command is a robot named Metallic, who's responsible for saving his life and turning him cyborg.
- Emergency Transformation: When Metallic rescued the man who would become Master Phantom, he replaced the broken organs with cybernetic implants... And then replaced a lot more of him with the sole aim of disguising him as a robot, because his robotic brethren hated humans.
- Evil Former Friend: Nemo and Master Phantom used to be friends before the latter's Face–Heel Turn. His wrath is directed both at humanity in general and at Nemo in particular, but in the latter case a flashback proves it misplaced. Young Nemo didn't willingly abandon his friend; his CO overrode his ship's controls because he didn't like the odds.
- Intelligent Gerbil: Captain Nemo's crew includes a Wolf Man alien and a dolphin-man alien, contrasted with a shark-man alien in Master Phantom's crew.
- Medium Blending: The series mixed 2D with 3D footage.
- Recycled IN SPACE!: As the title implies, the Nautilus turned from submarine to starship, along with his captain.
