It’s him, Nintendo has just been using the same voice lines and samples for the past ten years or so, and now a new direction for the series has opened up, Martinet has made a return to give the character new life. Maturity is all we’re hearing as the voice of an actor who likely hasn’t stepped into Mario’s shoes since 2013 is asked to do so again.
Anyone would sound different under these circumstances, and it doesn’t make the character any less. Just listen to Tom Kenny as Spongebob Squarepants in more recent iterations. The laugh just doesn’t sound quite the same anymore as his vocal range has fallen victim to the reality of growing older. Besides, Martinet recently played two roles in the Super Mario Bros. movie and was given deserved billing for his impact on popular culture, so to suddenly give him the boot for the next mainline game just wouldn’t make sense.
