"Captain N" and "The Matrix"

[Dean_Siren]

Neo and Captain N have many similarities:

Both travel between the real world and a computer generated virtual world.

Both have extra powers in the virtual world. Both are summoned to fight in the virtual world because they are more capable there than any other human.

Both eventually want to get back home to the real world.

Both live with a team of freedom fighters.

Both have a love interest that gets tangled with another team member. Kevin-Lana-Simon, Neo-Trinity-Cypher.

Both can slow down time, move impossibly fast and jump high. Both shoot a lot.

In their past lives they both did something with computers. Kevin played video games, Neo programmed.

Both have new names in their new lives. Kevin Keene became Captain N. Mr. Anderson became Neo.

Space warp gates are a significant feature in both of their virtual worlds. Warp zones for Captain N, telephones for Neo. Both shows have trick warps.

In both shows, the real world and virtual world look different. In "Captain N", the real world is live action while the virtual world is cel animated. In "The Matrix", the real world is blue and The Matrix is green.

Both heroes encounter fake "real" worlds. Mother Brain once tricks Captain N into thinking that he's back home, and at the end of Matrix Reloaded, Neo still has his superhuman powers in the "real" world, suggesting that what he thought was reality is just another layer of The Matrix.

In both shows, computer generated (CG) characters occasionally look computery. In "Captain N", CG characters pixilate and vanish when they die. In "The Matrix", CG people are made of scrolling green characters.

Both "Captain N" and "The Matrix" were made by US studios but inspired by Japanese games/anime.