Please help update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information. However, in Mario Golf: Toadstool Tour, Birdo uses a muttering noise that has been used in subsequent games provided by Kazumi Totaka.Īppearances In video games 2), the character was given a high pitched female voice provided by Jessica Chisum and Jen Taylor, respectively. In Mario Tennis and Super Mario Advance (a remake of Super Mario Bros. The European website for Mario Strikers Charged Football refers to Birdo as a male character. The Spanish language website for Mario Smash Football while describing Birdo suggests that the character's gender is indeterminate. The character was given a female voice actor in Super Mario Advance, a remake of Super Mario Bros. Birdo is often lauded as the first transgender video game character. It specifically depicts her being imprisoned for entering the women's bathroom, and the player is asked to locate proof of her femininity (her vibrator) to get her out. Brawl, it is said that Birdo is of "indeterminate gender." Birdo appears in the Wii Japan-only video game Captain Rainbow, which delves into Birdo's gender identity. Melee, Birdo, called Catherine, is described similarly to the original manual, though wanting to be called "Cathy." In Super Smash Bros. In the Japanese version of Super Smash Bros. Mention of this fact is further not included in most later games featuring the character and seems to have been retconned to Birdo always being a female to begin with. 2, Birdo is referred to by a text block that states "he thinks he is a girl" and would "rather be called 'Birdetta.'" In later printings, mention of Birdo being male was omitted.
The Japanese manual for Doki Doki Panic, when translated into English, states her name to be Catherine and as a man who thinks of himself as female, adding that she likes to wear a bow and would rather be called "Cathy." However, in the first edition manual for the North American release of Super Mario Bros. Since the character's North American introduction, Birdo's gender identity has been an issue of discussion and speculation. 2 included in the Super Mario All-Stars compilation, but was corrected in the Game Boy Advance re-release titled Super Mario Advance.
The mistake persisted in the version of Super Mario Bros. 2 enemy, Ostro, both in the manual and in the end credits. Birdo's name was mistakenly switched with another Super Mario Bros. In the early version of Birdo, the character had an orange tone. ( October 2021)īirdo is a pink, anthropomorphic creature who wears a red hairbow and has a round mouth that can fire eggs as projectiles. Super Show!, as well as promotional material such as figurines and plush toys.
She has made several appearances in other media, including the Super Mario Bros. The character has received mostly positive reception in the Mario series, although her appearance and gender identity have received mixed reception. Starting with Mario Tennis, Nintendo has treated Birdo as just female and depicted her as romantically involved with Yoshi. 2 removed all mentions of her favored nickname. 2 refers to Birdo as male, "who thinks he is a girl" and would prefer to be called "Birdetta." Some take that as a representation of Birdo as transgender, making her the first transgender video game character.
Birdo has also made several cameos, particularly in the Mario Kart series and the Japan-only Wii video game Captain Rainbow. Initially, she was depicted as an antagonist, but has since been depicted as an ally. Since then, Birdo has been a recurring character in various franchise spin-offs. Her first appearance was as an enemy in Yume Kōjō: Doki Doki Panic, which was localized for English-language audiences as Super Mario Bros. Jun Donna, Rika, and Akemi (Japanese, BS Super Mario USA)īirdo, known in Japanese as Catherine ( キャサリン, Kyasarin, ), is a fictional character in the Mario franchise.