Captain Rainbow investigates the Birdo gender issue
by JC Fletcher 
{ Aug 29th 2008 at 9:52AM }
Birdo was famously characterized as a cross-dresser in the manual for Super Mario Bros. 2, but seems to have been made female in her appearances in the Mario sports games. According to Chris Kohler, who is currently playing through the Japanese version of Captain Rainbow, the character's gender dysphoria is back, and being discussed in-game for the first time.It turns out that Birdo has been in jail on Mimin Island for using a women's restroom. She asks Captain Rainbow to find proof that she's a female so she can get out of jail, and he does -- buzzing, under her pillow. When he picks it up, it is censored.
Maybe Nintendo will rewrite this bit so it's about sandwiches. Then it could be released outside Japan.
The weirdest thing about Birdo's gender is that the thing seems to be gender-free except for the bow. So, then, does it mentally identify as a man identifying as a woman? And let's ignore the egg-laying issue entirely.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
supa_s @ Aug 29th 2008 10:16AM
bah i don't wanna buy a japanese wii just for this game! it's bad enough that I don't have enough money for my wii and ds as it is
CJLopez @ Aug 29th 2008 12:45PM
Why buy a japanese wii to play japanese games when there is a homebrew alternative to play other region games
http://wiibrew.org/wiki/GeckoOS
Proboscis @ Aug 29th 2008 11:01AM
It's more than just the bow that is gender indicative. Birdo is also pink, has long eyelashes, and spits eggs.
sn1per @ Aug 29th 2008 2:35PM
I've seen guys wear pink
I've seen guys with long eyelashes
Male seahorses give birth to the babies
There, I've successfully placed birdo's gender back in question.
deaddays @ Aug 29th 2008 10:56AM
Birdo uses a dildo!? ARGH! MY BRAIN!
iMeh @ Aug 29th 2008 12:57PM
Not a dildo. a vibrator. dildo's don't buzz, but vibrators do. :)
megapenguinx @ Aug 29th 2008 4:36PM
that is really more than I wanted to know
Drew @ Aug 29th 2008 12:45PM
Oh my gosh that is so disturbing, especially for a Nintendo character ahah.
Chris @ Aug 29th 2008 11:55AM
Ok, it's official. This game won't be coming stateside.
Mr Khan @ Aug 29th 2008 12:01PM
Ouch. That'll hurt any chances of localization, at least to America.
Europe, maybe. As long as it goes English, i could pick up Gekko Region Free and use that
Maattp @ Aug 29th 2008 12:16PM
Why are the rules so much tuffer in North America that we can't have games like this? Why can the Japenese get away with it and not us!!!! ARGGGG
SoshiKitai @ Aug 29th 2008 12:18PM
Because we're crazy as ****. :D
Mr Khan @ Aug 29th 2008 12:40PM
Because gut-splattering violence is good. It builds character, but sex is from the devil, and if you have sex, you're automatically in al-Qaeda
Roto13 @ Aug 29th 2008 12:49PM
This is more sad than funny for me, because I was still holding out hope that they'd eventually release this game outside of Japan. xP
Magnus @ Aug 29th 2008 2:51PM
Why can't just Nintendo do a 4Kids on this one and release it? Or better yet, don't censor it and release it outside Japan anyways, because the game will most likely sell even with a T rating.
Mr Khan @ Aug 29th 2008 3:40PM
A 4Kids would take a lot of the spirit out of this game
Of course, it did the same thing to the episodes of One Piece 4Kids was allowed to ruin :(
turnabout_gamer @ Aug 29th 2008 4:09PM
and dont forget what 4kids did to pokemon. I think we all know how 4kids feels about cross dressing.
bc @ Aug 29th 2008 3:03PM
I've been trying to keep up with this sporadically and figure out if it's a snarky web-comic or an actual game. It's a game? Made by Nintendo? Wow.
Max Headroom @ Aug 29th 2008 4:53PM
Wait, so vibrators are kids' stuff in Japan? Or is this game meant for older players?
Either way, this game looks bad.