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Birdo is mostly pink, with a rounded belly, red tail spikes and purple spots on her cheeks. She has purple eyes, each of which is framed by three long, thin eyelashes. She does not have hair, and instead wears a big red bow atop her head, which is usually her emblem. She has small but pointed claws, with four fingers on each hand and three toes on each foot. More recently, a large diamond ring set in gold is occasionally depicted on her left hand. She has a white belly like a Yoshi, as well as white-padded feet. | Birdo is mostly pink, with a rounded belly, red tail spikes and purple spots on her cheeks. She has purple eyes, each of which is framed by three long, thin eyelashes. She does not have hair, and instead wears a big red bow atop her head, which is usually her emblem. She has small but pointed claws, with four fingers on each hand and three toes on each foot. More recently, a large diamond ring set in gold is occasionally depicted on her left hand. She has a white belly like a Yoshi, as well as white-padded feet. | ||
Since ''[[Mario Golf: Toadstool Tour]]'', Birdo commonly wears purple eye makeup. In her team name, "Birdo Bows", from ''[[Mario Super Sluggers]]'', she wears lipstick, which is odd because she does not use lipstick during the game, nor in most of her other appearances. In the Japanese commercial for ''Super Mario All-Stars'', she wears a white stole, a very expensive-looking black dress adorned with a black necklace with many pearls, and a | Since ''[[Mario Golf: Toadstool Tour]]'', Birdo commonly wears purple eye makeup. In her team name, "Birdo Bows", from ''[[Mario Super Sluggers]]'', she wears lipstick, which is odd because she does not use lipstick during the game, nor in most of her other appearances. In the Japanese commercial for ''Super Mario All-Stars'', she wears a white stole, a very expensive-looking black dress adorned with a black necklace with many pearls, and a long cigarette holder<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8KD-X4ZEMe4&ab_channel=Japancommercials4U2 Japanese ''Super Mario All-Stars'' commercial]</ref>. Overall, however, Birdo's looks have not changed as drastically as many other characters have through the ages. | ||
===Color variations=== | ===Color variations=== | ||
Revision as of 02:57, September 9, 2023
- This article is about Birdo, the character and species seen in several games. For the ostrich creature mistakenly labeled as "Birdo" in the Super Mario Bros. 2 cast roll, see Ostro. For the song by Horse the Band, see List of references in music § Birdo.
- "Catherine" redirects here. For the character in Mario's Time Machine, see Catherine Dickens. For the character from WarioWare: Smooth Moves, see Monettes.
| Birdo | |||
|---|---|---|---|
 Birdo in her appearance for Mario Party 9 | |||
| First appearance | Yume Kōjō: Doki Doki Panic (1987, overall) Super Mario Bros. 2 (1988, Super Mario franchise) | ||
| Latest appearance | Mario Kart 8 Deluxe (Booster Course Pass, Wave 4) (2023) | ||
| Latest portrayal | Kazumi Totaka (2003–present) | ||
| Subject origin | Dinosaur | ||
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- “Clearly this is a test for me. Yes, the powers-that-be want me to go out on my own. Once I overcome many hardships, I shall be one step closer to superstardom!”
- —Birdo, Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga
Birdo, also self-referred to as Birdetta and once by the shorthand Birdie, is a recurring character in the Super Mario franchise. She is a prehistoric dinosaur,[1][2][3][4] identified in some early sources as a bird,[5][6] with a funnel-shaped mouth from which she can spit eggs. Her first appearance was as an enemy in Yume Kōjō: Doki Doki Panic, which was rebranded as Super Mario Bros. 2. She is considered one of the first transgender video game characters.[7]
Since her first appearance, Birdo appeared in various spin-off series of the franchise, with her original role as an antagonist being ostensibly scrapped in favor of a newer role as a more neutral character. However, she continues to be occasionally classified as an enemy, as is the case with the Super Mario Trading Card Collection and her being grouped with typically antagonistic characters in the driver list of Mario Kart Tour. Some games portray her as a close friend or even significant other of Yoshi, while others show her simply allying with whoever catches her interest at that moment. Birdo has also been merchandised into figurines, plush toys, and amiibo cards.
While Birdo is often portrayed as an individual character, there have also been many appearances of multiple Birdos that come in different colors and that sometimes have different characteristics. In most cases, these are depicted with the same feminine characteristics as the main Birdo.
History
Super Mario series
Super Mario Bros. 2
The first appearance of Birdo is in Super Mario Bros. 2, serving the antagonist Wart. She appears as a boss character in many levels, with the exception of the third level in the first three worlds, as well as the first level of the fourth. Birdo comes in three colors: Pink Birdo[8] shoots eggs from her snout, Red Birdo[8] shoots eggs and fireballs, and Green Birdo[8] only shoots fireballs. In the NES version, Green Birdo also appears as gray in World 5-1 and World 7-1. Originally, their in-game bows were very small, but the SNES version and other subsequent remakes make them bigger, resembling the size in artwork, and color them orange for the red and green Birdos.
Birdo generally walks back and forth, facing the player character and spitting three projectiles at a given time. To defeat her, the player has to jump on her eggs or another object and throw them back at her. However, if Birdo is green, the player is required to throw Mushroom Blocks instead. Birdo often holds a Crystal Ball, with three exceptions: Pink Birdo's appearance as a standard enemy in World 4-3, and two Red Birdos in World 7-2, one of which relinquishes a key needed to get to the Mask Gate leading to Wart. Birdo is shown physically holding the ball in the NES version of Super Mario Bros. 2 and in Yume Kojo: Doki Doki Panic, although this is harder to see in the latter due to the crystal ball not having the animated red line. In remakes of Super Mario Bros. 2, it instead flies from her snout upon defeat. Unlike the remakes, if the player walks away from the Mask Gate after opening it instead of entering it, Birdo will respawn without the Crystal Ball.
The Super Mario Bros. 2 cast roll mistakenly labels Birdo as Ostro (and vice versa), an unrelated enemy. Later prints of the manual switch their names around as well, but keep the "birdetta" note on the one now labeled "Ostro" despite the inconsistency.
Super Mario Advance
In Super Mario Advance, a Game Boy Advance reissue of Super Mario Bros. 2, there is also a robotic Birdo boss named Robirdo, who takes over Mouser's position as the boss of World 3. Super Mario Advance is also notable for being one of the last games to give Birdo understandable voice acting, as further games would simply allow her to emit honking noises. In this game, Birdo speaks clear sentences such as, "This is as far as you go!" and "Well, hello there!". She is portrayed by Jen Taylor and has the highest-pitched voice out of the different colors, with red and green having sequentially lower voices. The other Birdos have different dialogue lines, implying that they are separate individuals, although Green Birdo's line, "I'm ready for you this time!", implies that she had fought Mario previously. In this version, the player can steal the bows from Red and Green Birdos, making them resemble their original NES sprites, which have much smaller bows. Throwing a bow back at the Birdo places it back on their head.
The aforementioned cast roll mixup with Ostro and Birdo is fixed in Super Mario Advance.
BS Super Mario USA
In the Satellaview special BS Super Mario USA, Birdo first received a speaking role, though it is mostly lost due to the broadcast nature. Taking place sometime after Super Mario Bros. 2, the pink Birdo and her red and green friends, once again depicted as separate characters with different voices, again serve Wart and invade Subcon. Birdo is fought in the same way as in the predecessor, though this time Birdo may appear randomly and invincibly fly at the player. She can also throw multiple eggs in the air and sometimes can throw bigger ones. Like Wart and Mouser, Birdo appears frequently as a card on the screen and can cast spells to switch the player character or change enemies into bombs. In the end, Birdo and her companions lose again against Mario and friends, although it is said that they would receive better treatment in the future. The voice actors for all three Birdos are all okama, a Japanese term for men who act and dress like females, furthering the franchise-long running joke about Birdo's ambiguous gender.
Super Mario Maker
Birdo appears as a costume in Super Mario Maker. She is unlocked by completing the NES REMIX (Super Mario Bros. 2) event course. Her appearance in the game is slightly based off of Super Mario Bros. 2. The sound effects used are also taken from this game: her transformation sound is the Mushroom power-up tune, falling into a pit or lava plays the "lose a life" tune, and clearing a course plays the theme when the player beats a level. Pressing 
causes her to wink at the camera while a heart appears above her.
Super Mario Maker 2
Birdo appears in the sequel, Super Mario Maker 2, as of the version update 3.0.0, where her original sprite flashes on-screen when the mini-boss trigger is activated while under the effects of the SMB2 Mushroom. The music that plays is the generic boss theme from Super Mario Bros. 2.
The Super Mario Bros. Super Show!
Template:Quote2 Multiple Birdos appear in various episodes of The Super Mario Bros. Super Show! as part of the Koopa Pack. They retain their ability to shoot eggs (this time having the ability to explode) out of their mouths from Super Mario Bros. 2, as well as gaining the ability of flight. Two Birdos with dragon wings appear in "On Her Majesty's Sewer Service" and "Quest for Pizza", with the former possessing immense strength and the latter being ridden by Alley Koop. Baby Birdos are also occasionally seen which are lighter in color, lack the ability to fly, and usually make "cheep" noises.
In the tie-in compilation album Super Mario Bros.: Favorite Mushroom Party Hits!!!, Mario dedicates the song "Mockingbird" by Inez and Charlie Foxx to "Birdo lovers", mentioning that he likes his Birdos well-done with pasta.
"Jungle Fever"
In "Jungle Fever," King Koopa utilizes several of them as guards. One Birdo is able to use its egg to bring down an Albatoss carrying Mario, Luigi, Princess Toadstool, and Toad.
"Toad Warriors"
King Koopa deploys Birdos in "Toad Warriors". In order to make money, King Koopa steals the vast majority of Car Land's spaghetti sauce supply, planning to sell it back at a very inflated price.
King Koopa assigns three Birdos to act as the guns of his three State Troopa cars by firing eggs at the Rebel Fort while perched atop the vehicles. The three Birdos are later defeated by Luigi's Bob-ombs after attacking Mario and Toadstool.
"On Her Majesty's Sewer Service"
During the events of "On Her Majesty's Sewer Service", King Koopa hires an enormous Birdo with wings and a "K" emblazoned on its chest. King Koopa, Mouser, Tryclyde, and Koopa Troopa embark to rob Spy Land's Coin supply from Fort Hard Knox, but are pursued by Mario and Luigi in the Spymobile. King Koopa, after several failed attempts to destroy the vehicle, call for the Birdo to lift the Spymobile from the road. The Birdo deposits the brothers in King Koopa's lair.
"The Unzappables"
In "The Unzappables", a mustachioed Birdo wearing a top hat and a tuxedo can be seen dancing with an Ostro in the Koopa Klub. This is a notable instance of a masculine Birdo.
"Escape from Koopatraz"
In "Escape from Koopatraz", King Koopa includes one in the jury for the trial of Mario, Luigi, Princess Toadstool, and Toad. The Birdo deliberates the decision with the three other members of the jury, until King Koopa threatens them with a Piranha Plant. They quickly condemn Princess Toadstool and her friends as guilty.
Nintendo Comics System
As seen in the Nintendo Comics System comics "Bedtime for Drain-Head" and "Betrayal Most Proper," after losing control of the Mushroom Kingdom, Bowser employed Birdos as castle guards. Mario battles these guards on two occasions. Under the delusion that he was Dirk Drain-Head in "Bedtime for Drain-Head," Mario entered Bowser's Castle to save Toad. After laying waste to a large number of enemies outside of the castle, a Birdo blocked Mario's path and shot eggs at him as he tried to enter the castle. However, Mario quickly picked them up and threw them back, defeating this Birdo similarly to the Birdo in Super Mario Bros. 2.
The second encounter with Birdos occurs in "Betrayal Most Proper" as Mario and Toad attempt to rescue Wooster, who are then attacked by Birdos in Bowser's Castle. When their movement becomes impaired by a conveyor belt moving in the opposite direction, the Birdos begin firing eggs. Rather than defeat the Birdos, they simply run off.
In "The Adventures of Dirk Drain-Head," King Koopa claims to keep his Birdos in cages lined with Baroness Blue Blood comic book pages.
Super Mario Bros. & Friends: When I Grow Up
In the coloring book game Super Mario Bros. & Friends: When I Grow Up, the coloring page for Zoo Keeper features Birdo in a cage. The description for the job is as follows: "Mario the zoo keeper think's he's one lucky fellow. After all, not many zoos in the world have such unusual creatures as Birdo, Tryclyde and Pidgit."
Wario's Woods
Birdo makes her first reappearance in the Super Mario franchise since Super Mario Bros. 2 in Wario's Woods, a puzzle game released for both the NES and the SNES. Birdo serves as a primary heroine in the game as she assists Toad and the Sprite. Throughout the game, the trio go up against Wario as he sends out the monsters of Wario's Woods.
Although Birdo is not playable (as she appears only in the top right corner of the screen), she aids Toad (the main hero) by providing him with encouragement and as a look out for Wario throughout the rounds. Birdo will also shout instructions and encouragement to Toad from the corner. If Toad takes too long to complete a level, Wario would grab Birdo, replace her, and cause trouble for Toad. After Wario’s timer is up, Birdo returns, and continues to help Toad. The round ends once Toad defeats all the enemies. The instruction booklet for this game calls Birdo "Catherine", which is her original Japanese name.
Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars
Template:Quote2 Birdo appears as a boss in Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars. Birdo is first found in an egg named Shelly in Nimbus Castle during Valentina's control. While she is in Shelly, she asks Mario to play with her. The battle with her begins when Mario accepts her request. After Mario and his team attack Shelly enough, Birdo hatches from it. She attacks by spitting eggs at the group. After the group attacks her back, she can spit out singular eggs called Eggberts. Defending against these eggs cause them to bounce off and surround Birdo's nest. Attacking the Eggberts cause them to explode and hurt Birdo. After her defeat, she gives Mario the Castle Key 2. Interacting with Shelly in the overworld after this point causes Birdo to say "Don't forget about me!"
Mario Tennis series
Mario Tennis (Nintendo 64)
Birdo eventually appears in Mario Tennis for the Nintendo 64 after being scrapped from Mario's Tennis, making her sports game debut. She appears next to Yoshi, and the two are seen to be very affectionate. In this game, like Yoshi and Baby Mario, Birdo competes as a speed player, meaning she has a fast running speed. In the intro of Mario Tennis, Birdo is seen entering the court after Paratroopa, and loses to Princess Peach in the tournament (allowing the latter to move on to a semi-finals match against Luigi). Later, she is seen with Paratroopa and Yoshi, when Bowser interrupts the fun. Her own court can be unlocked when the player wins the Star Cup with Birdo in doubles. Also, when the player chooses Daisy in the double tournament mode, Birdo would be her default partner. When two players play as Birdo, the color palette changes to blue with a magenta ribbon. This is the first game to introduce Birdo's emblem, which is her ribbon. This is also the first game to ever give Birdo comprehensible voice acting. She is portrayed by Jessica Chisum.
Mario Tennis (GBC)
While Birdo herself is not playable in Mario Tennis for the Game Boy Color, she makes a cameo in game when the N64 Transfer Pak is used.
Mario Power Tennis
Many different colored Birdos appear as background NPCs in trophy cutscenes in Mario Power Tennis for the GameCube, most notably the red Birdo in Bowser's trophy acceptance cutscene.
Mario Tennis Open
Though Birdo herself does not physically appear in Mario Tennis Open, one can unlock a suit of her for customizing their Mii with. It can be unlocked by winning a match against an Ace computer in Exhibition mode. Her racket is also purchasable for use by Miis.
Mario Tennis: Ultra Smash
In the pre-release build of Mario Tennis: Ultra Smash, Birdo was referenced on courtside banners by her Japanese name, "Catherine".
Mario Tennis Aces
Birdo appears in Mario Tennis Aces as a playable character, where she is available as a participation prize for the October online tournament or from November 1, 2018 in the game's version 2 update. In this game, like Mario, Luigi, and Daisy, Birdo is an All-Around character; she has balanced statistics. Birdo's emblem is also seen on a bag available as a preorder bonus for Mario Tennis Aces in Japan. Her vertical and horizontal Trick Shots are known as Perfect Pose and Cheer Step respectively. Her Special Shot, Airlift Extravaganza, features Birdo blowing a kiss before being tossed up in the air by Fly Guys with pink stars, dots and hearts surrounding her and her shot.
Mario Golf series
Mario Golf: Toadstool Tour
Birdo appears as a playable character in the game Mario Golf: Toadstool Tour, where she receives her current design. In this game, she appears from the start. She appears in the opening cutscence with Boo at Lakitu Valley playing a round of golf by themselves. Her medium size makes her a balanced character. When playing as Birdo and getting a nice shot, her swing consists of a rainbow. This is actually very similar to the Yoshi golf swing. This game is the first game in which Birdo uses a rainbow ability. This is also the first game to feature Kazumi Totaka, Birdo's current voice actor.
Mario Golf: Advance Tour
While Birdo herself does not appear in Mario Golf: Advance Tour, she is mentioned on the score chart during tournaments, and appears when the GCN cable is linked to the GBA.
Mario Golf: World Tour
Birdo appears as an unlockable playable character in Mario Golf: World Tour. She is unlocked after 55 Star Coins are collected in Challenge Mode. Her general stats make her balanced overall, having average control, a slightly above average sweet spot, and a fade trajectory. She hits relatively high making it easier to avoid obstacles, but her shots more affected by wind. Her driving distance is 212 yards, while her star driving distance is 267 yards. Birdo enters the golf course kissing her golf club, and celebrates a nice shot by hugging her club. When she gets a par, she wiggles her finger and flicks it, and when she gets a birdie she blows kisses and makes poses. Her eagle, albatross, and hole-in-one animations show her kissing the camera, causing it to fall down. If she gets a bogey, she starts crying but then applies more makeup to pretend that nothing is wrong. If she gets worse than a bogey she shoots eggs at the camera but gets knocked back by her eggs. She makes an appearance in the Castle Club in the females' changing room where she gives the player tips about handicap and perfect strokes. She also appears in the game's second introduction, being the only unlockable character to do so. Miis can use her clubs and ball, as well as receive golf clothing based on her from the shop or by entering tournaments. Her costume is won if a Character Costume challenge is completed.
Mario Golf: Super Rush
Birdo makes an appearance as a non-playable character in Mario Golf: Super Rush. She appears in the Golf Adventure, where she acts as the camp-house mama of the house in Bonny Greens where the rookies composed of Boo, Chargin' Chuck, Toadette, and the Mii player are staying. She welcomes the player at the beginning of the adventure and is in charge of waking the rookies up for practice.
Super Smash Bros. series
Super Smash Bros. Melee
In Super Smash Bros. Melee, Birdo reappears as her two-dimensional Super Mario Advance sprite on the Super Mario Bros. 2-based stage, Mushroom Kingdom II. Sometimes, Birdo comes out from the side of the stage and shoot eggs, hurting any player who comes in contact with them. Like in Super Mario Bros. 2, these eggs could be jumped upon and picked up by the playable characters. Birdo can easily be destroyed by a strong attack, however. She also appears as a trophy that can be collected at random; doing so will unlock the Mushroom Kingdom II stage.
Super Smash Bros. Brawl
In Super Smash Bros. Brawl, one of the names that can appear whenever players press the random button when they are naming their custom stage is "BIRDO". Also, a pink Birdo appears as a trophy. Unlike in Super Smash Bros. Melee, however, this trophy is not two-dimensional. It can be unlocked when the player clears All-Star on Hard difficulty.
Super Smash Bros. for Wii U
While Birdo does not appear in the 3DS version, she does make an appearance in the Wii U version as a trophy. It can be unlocked by clearing a solo 3-Minute Smash after getting 100 or more KOs while playing as Mii Gunner. It depicts her winking and standing near a Birdo's Egg. The trophy also features information about her appearances in Super Mario Bros. 2 and Yume Kōjō: Doki Doki Panic.
Despite her appearances in many other games, Super Mario Bros. 2 is the only title listed in Birdo's game appearances. Other characters usually have two titles listed.
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
The Mushroom Kingdom II stage from Super Smash Bros. Melee returns in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, and by extension, Birdo reappears as well in her original sprite from Super Mario All-Stars. Birdo also appears as an online profile icon and Ace-class Grab-type primary spirit, taking up two support slots. The spirit can be summoned using a T-Rex and Starly core. Birdo's spirit artwork is from Mario Party 7.
Mario Kart series
Mario Kart: Double Dash!!
Birdo's first appearance in the Mario Kart series is in Mario Kart: Double Dash!! as Yoshi's default partner. After the player unlocks the second wallpaper, Birdo is teamed up with Peach. Birdo's special item is the Birdo's Egg, which differs from Yoshi's attack in that it has pink spots instead of green. The egg is also different from Birdo's original pure white eggs. Birdo's unlockable kart is called the Turbo Birdo, which features average speed and acceleration, while also having above average weight. Her emblem appears throughout the Dry Dry Desert course, and the staff ghost uses Birdo and Yoshi in the Turbo Yoshi. Yoshi and Birdo are also the staff ghost of Yoshi Circuit, using the Turbo Yoshi kart. In-game, Birdo's bow is smaller than it is regularly.
On Mushroom City and Yoshi Circuit, there are signs posted that read "Ribbon". In much smaller letters in the center, it reads "Birdo watching", a pun of birdwatching. They feature a picture of Birdo posing. Yoshi Circuit and the posters reappear in Mario Kart DS, and are Birdo's only appearance in the game.
Mario Kart Arcade GP 2
Birdo is not playable in Mario Kart Arcade GP 2, but she makes cameos on signs and in the crowd when the player receives a trophy.
Mario Kart Wii
Birdo later appears in Mario Kart Wii as a middleweight, unlockable character. Birdo has an equal balance of weight, top speed, and acceleration. However, when she goes off-road, she loses a moderate amount of speed. She is unlocked when the player defeats 250 other players in online racing, when the player does Time Trials on 16 different courses or when the player plays 1,350 races. Birdo shares the medium-sized group of karts and bikes, but all in her own favorite colors, like purple and magenta. Birdo receives a small weight and off-road boost, while her best bonus is the mini-turbo stat. Birdo's mini-turbo is tied with Diddy Kong's, while being inferior to that of Koopa Troopa, Dry Bones, Wario, and Dry Bowser. Birdo's mini turbo can be used with the Wild Wing and the Mach Bike to make it the strongest mini turbo in the middleweight class. Birdo is the only playable female character not to receive a speed bonus. Birdo is also the only playable character, besides Miis, that is not used as a staff ghost.
Aside from the main Birdo, blue-colored Birdos often appear in audience bleachers.
Mario Kart 7
In Mario Kart 7, Birdos once again appear as audience members.
Mario Kart 8 / Mario Kart 8 Deluxe
Although no Birdos themselves physically appear in Mario Kart 8 or the base game of Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, a picture of Birdo along with Peach and Daisy appears on some of the Women of Racing Organization banners seen on N64 Royal Raceway. She is also mentioned on the speakers in Sunshine Airport.
Birdo appears as a playable character in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, being available in Wave 4 of the Mario Kart 8 Deluxe – Booster Course Pass DLC. Most of her voice clips are reused from Mario Kart Wii, while some were reused from Mario Kart: Double Dash!! and some are new to the DLC. Similarly to Yoshi and Shy Guy, she has multiple differently-colored variants: pink, orange, yellow, blue, light blue, green, red, black, and white (a total of nine colors). She is in the same subset as Peach, Daisy and Yoshi. Art of Birdo also appears on banners in Tour Sydney Sprint.
Mario Kart Tour
After an 11-year hiatus of not physically appearing in the Mario Kart series, Birdo returns as a playable character in Mario Kart Tour, introduced in the 2019 Holiday Tour along with the Turbo Birdo. She is classified as a Super character, and her special item is the Birdo's Egg; while functionally identical to the Yoshi's Egg, it now uses a white, spotless design. Some of her voice clips are reused from Mario Kart: Double Dash!! and Mario Golf: Toadstool Tour. The game also features a Birdo Cup.
Several other differently-colored Birdos also appear in the game as playable characters, namely a light-blue Birdo, yellow Birdo, black Birdo, blue Birdo, white Birdo, orange Birdo, red Birdo, and green Birdo, added in the Vancouver Tour, 2020 Yoshi Tour, 2021 Yoshi Tour, 2nd Anniversary Tour, 2022 Yoshi Tour, 2023 Winter Tour, Princess Tour, and Vacation Tour respectively. All the Birdos are Super drivers except for black and white, who are High-End drivers. Birdo (Light Blue), Birdo (Yellow), Birdo (Orange), and Birdo (Red) use the Birdo's Egg as their special item like regular Birdo, while Birdo (Blue) uses the Dash Ring, Birdo (Green) uses the Fire Flower, Birdo (Black) uses the Bob-omb Cannon, and Birdo (White) uses the Triple Mushrooms. There are also several colored variants of the Turbo Birdo kart themed after each of the colored Birdos, namely the Light-blue Turbo Birdo, Yellow Turbo Birdo, Black Turbo Birdo, Blue Turbo Birdo, White Turbo Birdo, Orange Turbo Birdo, Red Turbo Birdo, and Green Turbo Birdo. There is also a Mii Racing Suit themed after Birdo that debuted in the 2022 Yoshi Tour, with Birdo's Egg as its special item.
Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga / Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga + Bowser's Minions
In Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga, Birdo helps the heroes by disguising herself as Princess Peach when Cackletta and Fawful visit the Mushroom Kingdom. When Cackletta attempts to steal the princess's voice, she gets Birdo's instead. Then, when the Beanish witch tried to use the "pure" voice to awaken the Beanstar, it went berserk. All of this is not revealed until later in the game, when Toadsworth and Peach explained the situation to the Mario Bros. As they spoke, Birdo appears and starts wildly chasing two of Lady Lima's Peas, after winking at them flirtatiously.
Sometime later, Birdo replaces Bowser as Popple's "Rookie" out of her mad love for the Beanish crook. Oddly, she is now an enemy of the Mario Bros., even though she had been a helper before in the game. Birdo is a powerful opponent, as one of her attacks involves sucking in Mario or Luigi into her snout. If Birdo is successful in this, it will not only hurt the unfortunate Mario Bro. she sucked up, but will also restore her own HP. The only way to dodge this attack is to hit Birdo with a hammer as her target is drawn near. She can also spit out flaming eggs in a wild, sporadic way. Mario and Luigi must time their jumps to avoid the eggs and the resulting flame each of them creates after their impact. Birdo can also inhale Popple to place him inside one of four protective but deadly egg shields. One egg holds Popple; the other three each contain Bob-ombs that will rush forward after their egg is broken open and need to be jumped over. The main difference between Birdo's and Popple's first Rookie's attack patterns, however, is that Birdo won't counterattack the Mario Bros. if they attack Popple first, making them both easier to defeat. Birdo, however, becomes stronger after Popple has been beaten, as she turns red and says "You may have defeated my darling, but that's as far as you go!" In this state, her attack power is much higher and she now targets both bros. with her egg attack instead of just one and does it much faster.
After Popple and Birdo fail in their attempt to destroy the Mario brothers, Popple blames it all on Birdo and even goes as far as to fire his latest apprentice. Birdo responds by furiously knocking him away through a wall and ending their relationship. She then gives a short speech about her new dedication to strive towards super-stardom, expresses her anger at Mario and Luigi, and runs away. Although Cackletta stole Birdo's voice, she is still able to speak when Mario and Luigi battle her and Popple. This appears to be an error in the game, but Birdo may have gotten her voice back after Cackletta used it on the Beanstar.
Birdo returns in the Nintendo 3DS remake, with the same role as in the original game. Birdo also appears in Minion Quest: The Search for Bowser, in the level Popple's Partner, Part 2. At the beginning of the level, she is found in line to audition to become Popple's partner. She then fights Captain Goomba's squad alongside Popple. She fights as a regular troop in the level's last wave (where Popple is the captain), and is a ranged enemy. After they are defeated, Birdo drags Popple away.
Mario Baseball series
Mario Superstar Baseball
In Mario Superstar Baseball, Birdo makes her first appearance on the baseball field. She is a Balance type character, who has a slightly above average batting stat, but is below average in other stats. Her special pitch/hit is the Weird Ball; when the player purchases the Pink Egg in the store from the Challenge Mode, Birdo is able to use her special move. Her other special moves include Suction, which allows her to catch balls distances away from her, much like Yoshi's Tongue Catch, and Body Check which allows her to attack players on the base when timed right. She is found on Yoshi's team as a unlockable sub-captain, and can also be chosen as a captain in Exhibition Mode. Her alternate names are: Birdo Models, Birdo Beauties, Birdo Bows and Birdo Fans. Birdo shares good chemistry with Yoshi, Shy Guy, and Petey Piranha, and she does not share bad chemistry with anyone.
During the opening cinematic, Birdos in alternate color palettes are seen in the audience at Mario Stadium. However, Birdo's pink color is the only playable source, while the other colors are not playable.
Mario Super Sluggers
In the sequel, Mario Super Sluggers, Birdo takes up her role as a team captain, but still does not have her own stadium. Compared to the predecessor, Birdo gets a good boost in her batting and fielding skills, along with a small speed increase. While still being a weak pitcher, she has great stamina and a strong throwing arm. Her close play attack involves her turning to the side and knocking the player away with her waist. Her Star moves include the Cannon Swing and Suction Ball. Birdo has good chemistry with Daisy, Yoshi, Petey Piranha, Shy Guy, and Toadette, and bad chemistry with Tiny Kong, Peach, Wario, Waluigi and Blooper. Birdo also appears in the Challenge Mode, where she is stuck in a nearby tree, and the rainbow bridge that leads to her is currently down, so the player will have to tackle Bowser Jr. to restore it. He will challenge the player to a minigame of Piranha Panic. After Bowser Jr. is defeated, the player can climb the rainbow bridge and speak with Birdo to add her to the team.
During the opening cinematic, Birdo is seen riding a yacht with Mario, Luigi, Daisy, Yoshi, and Toad en route to the Baseball Kingdom. Upon their arrival, they gaze upon the island from the top of the lighthouse. At Mario Stadium, Birdos in different colors appear as spectators. At Yoshi Park, Birdo carelessly watches as Yoshi falls into a pipe trying to catch the ball with his tongue. Finally, in Mario Stadium again, Birdo watches from the bench alongside with Daisy, Red Toad, and Blue Toad when Luigi makes the final out against Donkey Kong, causing her to go out and celebrate with her teammates. In the third of four cinematics, the one that premieres after defeating Bowser in Challenge Mode, Birdo, and other Birdos of different colors, are seen celebrating with the other characters at the center of the infield. Afterwards, the crew marches towards the entrance of the Baseball Kingdom to gaze upon the sunset before the lights come on at night. The cinematics show Birdos of different colors, but like in the previous installment, only Birdo's pink color is playable.
Mario Party series
Mario Party 7
In Mario Party 7, Birdo is a secret guest of Toadsworth, who resides on the Duty Free Shop. She is one of the two new characters, the other being Dry Bones. They join up to go on a luxury cruise around the world. This is the first game in the Mario Party series with Birdo as a playable character. She is unlocked with 1,000 mileage points on the Duty Free Shop. In this Mario Party installment, Birdo's default partner is Yoshi in the "Team Mode" (their team orb being the Egg Orb).
Mario Party 8
In Mario Party 8, MC Ballyhoo and Big Top invited Birdo and her friends to the Star Carnival. In this game she appears as a playable character from the start and her automatic partner is Yoshi. Their team name is "Egg Explosion". When Birdo emerges victorious from the Star Battle, she is crowned the Superstar and wins a year's worth of candy. This applies to the other characters, too.
Mario Party Fushigi no Korokoro Catcher
She also appears in the Japan-exclusive arcade game, Mario Party Fushigi no Korokoro Catcher, as a playable character.
Mario Party 9
Birdo returns as a playable character in Mario Party 9, helping Mario and the gang get the Mini Stars back from Bowser to put them back in the sky. Her Star constellation is called "Egg Thrower", which is purchasable at the Museum for 50 Party Points.
Mario Party: Island Tour
Birdo appears in Mario Party: Island Tour as a non-playable character. Here she is a judge in the minigame The Choicest Voice.
Mario Party Challenge World
Birdo also appears in the Japan-exclusive arcade game based off of Mario Party 9 called Mario Party Challenge World as a playable character.
Super Mario Party
Birdo appears in Super Mario Party as a non-playable character. She gives out information about the previous Mario Party games, even saying that she was a previous playable character herself when she was younger, as well as advice as to what the player is doing throughout the game and hosts regular quiz sessions. She also gives out her own stickers for use in the Sticker Gallery and the golden oar to the player to use in River Survival after receiving them. The British English and Italian versions of the game refers to Birdo as male, while most other versions refer to her as female. The French and Chinese versions use ambiguous genders instead.
Mario Party Superstars
Birdo returns as a playable character in Mario Party Superstars. This marks her first playable appearance in the series since Mario Party 9. Many of her animations and her main artwork return from this game as well.
Mario Strikers series
Super Mario Strikers
Birdo appears as a sidekick character in Super Mario Strikers. When compared to the other species involved, Birdos are the most aggressive, scoring the hard hits against opponents necessary in the sport. Birdos are also shown among the spectators. Depending on which team captain is selected, Birdo's color regarding her skin, bow, and uniform may vary. For Daisy's team, Birdo's skin color is fluorescent orange, while the bow is standard orange, and the uniform is emerald green and orange. For Donkey Kong's team, Birdo's skin color is saddle brown, while the bow is lime green, and the uniform is lime green and chestnut brown. For Luigi's team, Birdo's skin color is green, while the bow is prussian blue, and the uniform is green and prussian blue. For Mario's team, Birdo's skin color is scarlet red, while her bow is steel blue, and the uniform is red and steel blue. For Peach's team, Birdo retains her default colors, while her uniform is pink and bright azure blue. For Waluigi's team, Birdo's skin color is indigo, while her bow is purple, and her uniform is purple and black. For Wario's team, Birdo's skin color is pastel yellow, while her bow is saffron, and her uniform is yellow and purple. For Yoshi's team, Birdo's skin color is cyan, while her bow is dark navy blue, and her uniform is orange and dark navy blue.
Sidekicks
Princess Daisy's team
Donkey Kong's team
Luigi's team
Mario's team
Princess Peach's team
Waluigi's team
Wario's team
Yoshi's team
Mario Strikers Charged
In the sequel, Mario Strikers Charged, multiple Birdos compete as sidekick players, this time breaking away from all-Birdo teams and playing alongside other species. She is a power character with very high defense and shooting skills but very poor passing and speed. Her Skillshot is the Extreme Egg. Birdos once again appear as one of the many species filling the stadiums, among them white Birdos and black Birdos can be noticed. During Princess Peach's losing animation where she lashes out at her teammates, all of them cower out of fear except a Birdo, who does a "talk to the hand" gesture to Peach and saunters off.
The following is a list of Birdo colors appearing in Mario Strikers Charged.
Audience
Pink Birdo
Blue Birdo
Light blue Birdo
Green Birdo
Yellow Birdo
Orange Birdo
Red Birdo
Black Birdo
White Birdo
Sidekicks
Bowser's team
Bowser's team (alternate)
Bowser Jr.'s team
Bowser Jr.'s team (alternate)
Princess Daisy's team
Princess Daisy's team (alternate)
Diddy Kong's team
Diddy Kong's team (alternate)
Donkey Kong's team
Donkey Kong's team (alternate)
Luigi's team
Mario's team
Princess Peach's team
Princess Peach's team (unused)
Petey Piranha's team
Petey Piranha's team (alternate)
Waluigi's team
Wario's team
Yoshi's team
Yoshi's team (alternate)
Mario Strikers: Battle League
Birdo returns in Mario Strikers: Battle League, now selectable as a captain, via the version 1.3.0 update alongside Bowser Jr. as the last characters added to the roster. Her team number is 4, which is Petey Piranha's number in Mario Strikers Charged. She is an Offensive type player and has the strongest shooting ability out of all playable characters while also having strong technique, though her strength and passing are among the worst in the game. Like in the previous game, she carries the ball in her snout when running with it. Unlike in the previous installments of the Mario Strikers series, the player cannot have multiple Birdos on their team, like with Yoshi, Toad, and Shy Guy, nor does her skin color change depending on the team she is in, though Birdo's bow will change color.
Mario Hoops 3-on-3
Birdo is an unlockable character in Mario Hoops 3-on-3, playing alongside characters from the Final Fantasy series. She is unlocked when the player finishes the Hard Mushroom Cup with a bronze rank. Here she is an all-around type and her Special Shot is the Egg Shot. She begins by spinning around twice. Later, Birdo catches the ball in her snout, jumps, and spits it out toward the basket as an egg. To perform this move, the player must tap out an upside-down triangle twice. Once again, Birdo still does not have her own stadium, but she appears along with Yoshi in one of the screens of the Mario Stadium.
Itadaki Street DS
She is also playable in the Japanese game Itadaki Street DS, a crossover with Dragon-Quest. To unlock Birdo, the player needs to defeat her in Luigi's Stage Level 1. Birdo's head and clothings are collectibles that can be equipped on customizable characters.
Mario & Sonic series
Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games
Birdo, along with Donkey Kong, Silver the Hedgehog, and many others, were originally going to appear as playable characters in Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games[9], but were scrapped from the final product for unknown reasons.
Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games
Although Birdo is not a playable character in the Wii version of Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games, she appears as a VIP member: a character who watches the player in certain events, and if found, awards them with 100 points. It is possible for the player's Mii to wear a Birdo costume, once Birdo is found in an event her character suit is available in the shop for 100 points. She also has a sticker available for use on the player's equipment.
In the Adventure Tours mode on the DS version she is seen in Cubyrinth. Yoshi loses his drift board but luckily Birdo has found the item. When the player goes to her she says she has found a drift board. Yoshi tells her that the board belongs to him, but she says otherwise. Birdo claims that the drift board is for an elite athlete, so Yoshi must prove himself before she can give him the item. She challenges in Ski Cross Racing. Once defeated, she gives up the drift board and stays in Cubyrinth, available for rematches.
Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games
Birdo appears as one of the rivals to defeat in the Wii version of Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games. She is found in the London Party mode and must be faced in the 100m Freestyle event, and later in Badminton - Doubles with a blue Birdo. Birdos appear as goalies in Football, where the color of the Birdo matches the color assigned to the team. She also appears regularly around the map, giving out gossip or challenging the characters with a pop quiz. She also retains her Mii costume from the previous game. Despite Birdo being a recurrent character in many games, this is the first one to give her a theme song.
Mario & Sonic at the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games
Birdo appears in Mario & Sonic at the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games as a rival in the Legends Showdown mode. Birdo is found in Area 1 and faces off against Sonic, Tails, Yoshi, and Donkey Kong in Ice Hockey, being accompanied by a blue, yellow, and green Birdo. Birdo's theme from the previous installment returns, as well as her Mii costume.
Mario & Sonic at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games
Birdo makes her first playable appearance in the Mario & Sonic series in Mario & Sonic at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, but she is only playable in the 3DS version, where she is exclusive to the Archery event. Her stats are strong skill and stamina with average speed and above average power make her a generally balanced character. She plays a main role in "Road To Rio" as she challenges the player on day 4 of Sonic's story in Archery. She also hosts some training sessions. Five differently colored Birdos (red, blue, green, yellow, and light-blue) act as extra teammates for Daisy in Football and Football Plus.
Birdo appears in the Wii U version, but she is not playable, instead appearing by the sand statue where the Heroes Showdown multiplayer mode can be chosen. Her Mii costume also reappears. Her stats are the same as in the 3DS version, but her power has weakened and her speed has went up. Red, blue, and green colored Birdos appear as selectable goalies in Football and Duel Football. In the game's opening, Birdo herself can be seen as a goalie in Duel Football, while other colored Birdos are used as goalies in the actual game.
Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020
Birdo does not make a physical appearance in Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020, but the blue and red Birdos return as goalies in Football. However, Birdo's color scheme is erroneously used for the head icon of the second team's Birdo instead of the red Birdo used in-game.
Captain Rainbow
In the Japan-only game Captain Rainbow, Birdo is a damsel-in-distress. She lives on Mimin Island, in the so-called Kawaii Ouchi, or Cute Home. It is located on a remote place of the island. The Cute Home represents Birdo's personality and her likings: the interior consists of mostly pink and red equipment decorated with many heart and ribbon emblems.
In the game, Birdo is imprisoned for using the female bathroom, as the robot jailer does not believe her when she insists she is a girl. She gets quite upset about this, and asks Nick to go to her Cute Home and find something that will prove she is not lying. Nick finds a mysterious object under Birdo's pillow (which is blurred out, though it is implied to be a vibrator), it serves its purpose and Birdo is released.
Birdo develops a crush on Nick, and calls him her "boyfriend". Nick accompanies her in her walks near her Cute Home, and she helps him carry a fallen Star to the altar on the top of Mimin Island. If Nick lets Birdo's wish be granted, she flies into the sky with the Star and disappears.
Fortune Street
Birdo returns as a playable character in the Wii follow-up to Itadaki Street DS, Fortune Street. She is available from the start and her rank is once again a D. In Tour Mode, Birdo is faced on Yoshi's Island and Alefgard.
Paper Mario series
Super Paper Mario
In Super Paper Mario, there is a Sammer Guy named Squatting Birdo, an obvious reference to Birdo and the species. Like a few other Sammer Guys, Squatting Birdo recognizes his namesake as an almost deity-like creature, and his ramblings when first encountered suggest that Birdos are flightless birds. This may have been a reference to the confusion between Birdo and the ostrich-like Ostro in Super Mario Bros. 2.
Paper Mario: Sticker Star
- “Heart of a woman, heart of a man... Both can know of love's grace...”
- —Birdo, Paper Mario: Sticker Star
Birdo makes her Paper Mario series debut in Paper Mario: Sticker Star. Here, she appears in the level of W4-1: Snow Rise, on a giant swing as Mario comes to a cliff and hits a nearby tree. She will perform to him a short serenade and then give him the Goat, also warning Mario not to "get egg on [his] face" upon swinging away.
Birdo later shows up at the parade at the end of the game. She is shown in the three-minecart chain with two Shy Guys for the Bowser's Snow Fort section of the parade winking at the player.
Paper Mario: Color Splash
- “Two hearts in doki doki panic. My heart Flutter Jumps.”
- —Birdo, Paper Mario: Color Splash
Birdo appears in Paper Mario: Color Splash. She holds a concert in Plum Park, accompanied by dancing Koopa Troopas, before an audience of Shy Guys, Mario, and Huey. Her song lyrics reference her original Japanese debut game (Yume Kōjō: Doki Doki Panic), as well as Yoshi's Flutter Jump ability.
She also appears during the Balloons Thing animation, where she blows a kiss to the enemy to send them flying away. Birdo also appears during the credits slowly moving on her moon.
Paper Mario: The Origami King
- “Now I've got Mario madness... and you've got the only cure.”
- —Birdo, Paper Mario: The Origami King
Birdo reappears in Paper Mario: The Origami King, where she first appears falling into the spring in Whispering Woods after Mario pulls on a nearby tree tug. Birdo later appears in Big Sho' Theater for a performance on the second stage. During the act, two Paper Macho Koopa Troopas fight over her while Mario battles them. In the coffee shop at the Spring of Rainbows, Birdo will appear if Mario chooses the special, where she blows a heart into his mug.
Mario Sports Superstars
Birdo is playable in Mario Sports Superstars. She is a Balance type character in most sports, giving her well-rounded stats. Her stats are similar to Yoshi, but in soccer her finesse is higher, and in baseball and golf her power is stronger. In tennis, though, she is instead a Speed type player as in her previous appearance in Mario Tennis for the Nintendo 64. Her speed allows her to run around the court quickly, but her power and spin are only average. In golf, her default drive is 217 yards, and her shots travel medium-high in a fade trajectory. Her emblem is once again her ribbon. Her special boost in horse racing is magenta and has sparkles and a bird tweet following it. Her special shot in baseball and soccer is similar to horse racing, but in baseball the ball is encased in a Birdo's Egg. Like all playable characters, Birdo receives five amiibo cards for each sport from the game's series of amiibo cards. All her cards reuse artwork from previous games except tennis, where her artwork is new. When players tap in Birdo's cards, they receive jewel-themed gear that Birdo can optionally use, though the gear is only for aesthetic purposes. Players can also use jeweled gear for Birdo if they have unlocked it through purchasing randomly-packed digital cards.
Other appearances
Kirby series
Birdo makes an appearance in Kirby Super Star as a spectator in the Mt. Dedede arena during Kirby's fight with King Dedede, as well as in the minigame Megaton Punch. In both instances, she can be found on both sides of the arena.
Yakuman DS
She is one of the opponents to defeat in the Japanese game Yakuman DS. She is generally balanced with skill being her best stats. She can be found on easy and normal challenges.
Super Mario Chess
In Super Mario Chess, Birdos appear as knights on Bowser's team.
Minecraft
Birdo is featured as one of the Super Mario-themed character skins in the Super Mario Mash-up, available in versions of Minecraft released on Nintendo systems.
Unused appearances
Mario's Tennis
Birdo's Japanese name "Catherine" (though romanized as "Cassarin") can be found within the game data of Mario's Tennis, implying she was originally intended to be playable.
Personal information
Physical description
Birdo and the rest of her species are dinosaurs with funnel-shaped mouths and a body structure similar to a Yoshi, though slightly shorter and with a row of three spikes on the tail, not the head. In several early illustrations, she is depicted as being orange instead of pink, and on the cover of Yume Kōjō: Doki Doki Panic, she is depicted with distinct nostrils midway up her snout and what appears to be a tongue in her mouth, though neither of these traits has ever been shown again. In the various iterations of Super Mario Bros. 2, her snout ends with a small hole and is somewhat barrel-shaped, inverting while it is open; later games, however, use the latter shape in all situations, likely due to looking that way in her original artwork.
Birdo is mostly pink, with a rounded belly, red tail spikes and purple spots on her cheeks. She has purple eyes, each of which is framed by three long, thin eyelashes. She does not have hair, and instead wears a big red bow atop her head, which is usually her emblem. She has small but pointed claws, with four fingers on each hand and three toes on each foot. More recently, a large diamond ring set in gold is occasionally depicted on her left hand. She has a white belly like a Yoshi, as well as white-padded feet.
Since Mario Golf: Toadstool Tour, Birdo commonly wears purple eye makeup. In her team name, "Birdo Bows", from Mario Super Sluggers, she wears lipstick, which is odd because she does not use lipstick during the game, nor in most of her other appearances. In the Japanese commercial for Super Mario All-Stars, she wears a white stole, a very expensive-looking black dress adorned with a black necklace with many pearls, and a long cigarette holder[10]. Overall, however, Birdo's looks have not changed as drastically as many other characters have through the ages.
Color variations
Similar to Yoshis, Birdos also come in various colors besides pink. Below is a list of all known colors and their first appearance.
| Image | Color | Primary bow color | First appearance |
|---|---|---|---|
|
|
Pink | Red | Yume Kōjō: Doki Doki Panic |
|
Red | Pink | Yume Kōjō: Doki Doki Panic |
|
Green | Yellow | Yume Kōjō: Doki Doki Panic |
|
Light-blue | Blue | Mario Power Tennis |
|
Orange | Red-orange | Mario Power Tennis |
|
Yellow | Orange | Super Mario Strikers |
|
Blue | Purple | Super Mario Strikers |
|
White | Light-blue | Mario Strikers Charged |
|
Black | White | Mario Strikers Charged |
|
Purple | Orange (as Giant Birdo) Brown (Super Mario Strikers; audience) |
The Super Mario Bros. Super Show! |
|
Gray | Gray | Yume Kōjō: Doki Doki Panic |
|
Brown | Lime green | Super Mario Strikers |
Personality and traits
Birdo displays great determination and confidence in all aspects of her life. In Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga, Birdo revealed her goal of becoming a Superstar. Birdo has tackled a wide variety of sports and was the first known Birdo to emerge in the public spotlight in Mario Tennis.
Birdo is somewhat vain, as she perceives herself to be very beautiful and feminine, and often strikes eccentric poses to show off her appearance. Also, she is portrayed to be very friendly, and enjoys being with the whole Super Mario crew. This is shown when losing a round of 18 in Mario Golf: Toadstool Tour and Mario Golf: World Tour. She also exudes charm and elegance as shown in many games whenever she wins or appears on-screen, where she waves and blows kisses frequently. Additionally, Birdo always wears a massive diamond ring on her finger. In Mario Party 7 and Mario Party 8, when Birdo gets a Star, she shows off this ring during one of her poses. Birdo appears to enjoy the spotlight, as shown in the Paper Mario series, where she occasionally puts on a singing or theatrical performance in front of Mario and other characters. Her penchant for singing is also alluded to in Mario Kart Tour, where she is shown on banners advertising the Sydney Music Festival in Sydney Sprint. According to Play Nintendo, Birdo's favorite things are (in no particular order) friends, big red bows, and sparkly things.[11]
Always looking for love, Birdo has had a variety of crushes and relationships throughout her life. Birdo is very flirtatious and affectionate with others, even when she does not know them very well, as evidenced in Fortune Street where her dialogue is very playful, flirty and endearing. This is also seen in Birdo's relationship with Popple in Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga where she expresses her high opinion of love and romance, explaining her flirtatious nature and drive to find love. The effect of these whirlwind romances on Birdo have only been hinted at in her Egg Shot move in Mario Hoops 3-on-3, which sends broken hearts flying; this is a stark contrast to Princess Peach's Heart Shot.
Powers and abilities
In addition to eggs, Birdo has also shown the ability to utilize her snout in a manner similar to a vacuum, using it to suck things closer to herself or even swallow them; Birdo displays this ability in both Mario Superstar Baseball and Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga, the latter of which also has her leeching away the health of those she sucks up. On occasion, Birdo has enveloped people, including herself, in large eggs, in order to increase defense. She is often classified as all-around in sports games, where she has a great deal of strength. She also has shown this strength when angered in Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga, when, after discovering that Popple did not actually love her, she knocked him right through a wall, indicating she has super-strength, as well in Mario Superstar Baseball and Mario Super Sluggers where her strongest stat is batting.
In Mario Golf: Toadstool Tour, hitting a nice shot while playing as her will cause a rainbow to form similar to Yoshi, but rainbow abilities have since then not been seen. Birdo also has some hints of heart based power similar to Princess Peach as shown in Mario Golf: Toadstool Tour in her victory cut-scene and Mario Hoops 3-on-3 in her special shot. However, they are not as strong or as useful as Peach's hearts. This often has comedic results, such as when they only succeed in charming Birdo's Golf trophy into the air for a short time until it fell down again, to its owner's great surprise.
Gender
According to the North American instruction booklet of Super Mario Bros. 2 (pg. 27):[12]
He thinks he is a girl and he spits eggs from his mouth. He’d rather be called “birdetta.“[sic]
This statement applies to all translations of the title.[citation needed] Throughout the official guide, Birdo is also consistently referred to as a "he".[5] The stance of this manual is shared by the Yume Kojo: Doki Doki Panic manual, Super Smash Bros. Melee (when set to Japanese), and Itadaki Street DS. In Japanese, Birdo is said to be a male who believes she is a female and prefers to be called by a nickname, "Cathie", rather than her real name "Catherine".[13] In Super Smash Bros. Brawl, Birdo's trophy description describes the character as "gender indeterminate", and uses the pronoun "it" rather than gender-specific pronouns such as "he" or "she" (in contrast to Super Smash Bros. Melee's English trophy description for her using female pronouns), which has sometimes been used in other occurrences.[14]
In games for the Japanese-only Satellaview, Birdo is consistently shown as an okama, a Japanese term that usually refers to a masculine man that dresses as a woman, but is also used as a slur interchangeably to refer to trans women, gay men, crossdressing men, and effeminate men.[15] In Satella-Q, a picture of Birdo is shown with a masculine, humanoid torso, while in BS Super Mario USA, all three Birdos are shown making typically feminine poses in the world title cards but are given deep voices, being voiced by actual self-identified okama.
Nintendo of America usually refers to Birdo as female. The femininity of Birdo is implied in Mario Kart 8, where she appears on "Women of Racing Organization" advertisements in N64 Royal Raceway along with other female characters, and in Sunshine Airport, where she is referred to on the broadcasting system as "Ms. Birdo". In the North American instruction booklet of Mario Golf: Toadstool Tour, every female character has a pink dot behind them, including Birdo. Nintendo of Europe usually refers to Birdo as female as well; however, the character is referred to with masculine pronouns in the British English localizations of Mario Tennis Aces[16] and Super Mario Party (other localizations of these games use feminine pronouns for her instead, besides the French and Chinese translations which are ambiguous). Additionally, in Mario Super Sluggers, Peach's Heart Swing, which stuns male characters and characters of unknown gender, does not stun female characters, including Birdo.
In Mario Tennis and Super Mario Advance, Birdo is given a feminine voice, with the latter being provided by the voice actress of Princess Peach and Princess Daisy at the time, Jen Taylor. However, starting with her appearance in Mario Golf: Toadstool Tour, she is given a masculine-sounding voice provided by composer and Yoshi voice actor Kazumi Totaka instead.
The confusion surrounding Birdo's gender has also been addressed in a light-hearted matter, such as when Popple pauses before settling on calling Birdo a "dame" in Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga. The description of Birdo on the Japanese Mario Kart: Double Dash!! website jokes about the matter ("Birdo appears to be Yoshi's girlfriend, but is actually his boyfriend!?"),[17] as do the Spanish website and manual for Super Mario Strikers ("Birdo is your man... well, or woman."). In Paper Mario: Sticker Star, the first lyrics of Birdo's serenade allude to the gender confusion by saying, "Heart of a woman, heart of a man... Both can know of love's grace..."
In the game Captain Rainbow, Birdo is heard with a deep, male voice which gets high-pitched when she gets angry or excited. Additionally, in the game's second trailer, Little Mac speaks about Birdo, calling her a "young lady," only to take a short break and ponder. His final verdict is, "Depending on one's view point, she is a young lady." In the game, Birdo's indeterminate gender also forms the basis for a side quest to find proof that she is a girl (which is found, but censored). Overall, it is suggested that she is a transgender female.
Relationship with Yoshi
- Main article: Yoshi
Birdo has a special relationship with Yoshi, since they are often partners in sports and party games. Despite this, Birdo has never appeared alongside Yoshi in a Yoshi game.
In Mario Kart: Double Dash!!, the two are partners and share a similar Special Item. On the official Japanese site for Mario Kart: Double Dash!!, the description for Catherine states she "appears to be Yoshi's girlfriend, but is actually his boyfriend!?" (「ヨッシーの彼女に見えて実は彼氏!?」)[17]
In Mario Tennis for the Nintendo 64, they share a tennis court and are default partners; the two are seen to be very affectionate. In the Mario Baseball series, they share good chemistry with each other, and she is the Sub-Captain of Yoshi's team. The two also share the same Special Orb in Mario Party 7.
Profiles and statistics
- Main article: List of Birdo profiles and statistics
Mario Kart: Double Dash!! information
- Partner: Yoshi
- Personal Kart: Turbo Birdo
- Special Item: Birdo's Egg
- Bio: "Birdo is decked out in her favorite bow and ready to race!"
- Bio 2: "You might be asking yourself who Birdo is. Of course, you'll be pondering this on the side of the road after Birdo's giant egg has crushed your kart."
Super Mario Advance information
- Bio: "Watch out for Birdo's special egg attack. The best way to deal with Birdo is to catch the eggs and toss her right back."
Mario Golf: Toadstool Tour information
- Bio Quote: "I love to golf and now I want to play other golfers! Are you in?"
- Range Marker: 209y.
Gallery
- For this subject's image gallery, see Gallery:Birdo.
Quotes
- Main article: List of Birdo quotes
- "Where would you like to go?" - Wario's Woods
- "Well Done" - Wario's Woods
- "Play!" - Wario's Woods (NES, Round Game)
- "Oh!" - Wario's Woods (NES/SNES, Round Game)
- "Fight!" - Wario's Woods (SNES, Round Game)
- "Which level would you like to play?" - Wario's Woods (SNES, Vs. Com)
- "Which data file would you like to select?" - Wario's Woods (SNES, Vs. 2P)
- "This is as far as you go!" - Super Mario Advance
- "Well, hello there!" - Super Mario Advance
- "I'll remember this!" - Super Mario Advance
- "I'm gonna finish you off!" - Super Mario Advance
- "You've come a long way!" - Super Mario Advance
- "How could you?!" - Super Mario Advance
- "I'm ready for you this time!" - Super Mario Advance
- "You got a lot of nerve!" - Super Mario Advance
- "Don't call me Birdo, call me Birdie!" - Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga
- "You may have hurt my darling, but this is as far as you go!" - Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga
- "I CAN'T believe I lost to YOU!!!" - Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga
- "Yoo hoo! Hey! Look! I'm up here! Help me, please! Bowser Jr. is over there!" - Mario Super Sluggers
- "You're all my heroes! You must let me join you!" - Mario Super Sluggers
- "Hello gorgeous! Long time no see! It's me!" - Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games
- "I lost?! I don't how you stayed focused with me swimming next to you. I'll turn your head next time!" - Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games
- "I have to WALK? I thought we'd get to ride in karts! I'm glad I left my high heels at home!" - Fortune Street
- "Come on, die, Mama needs a brand-new bow!" - Fortune Street
- "I'm going to put a little pink bow on this shop so everyone knows it belongs to me!" - Fortune Street
- "Sorry, shoppy-woppy-poo! I don't want to sell you, but I'm afraid I must!" - Fortune Street
- "Just try not to get egg on your face." - Paper Mario: Sticker Star
- "They're good enough to be pros, so they don't even bother playing handicap tournaments. Pretty cool!" - Mario Golf: World Tour
- "The party has started! I'm so excited!" - Super Mario Party
- "I want to see you take the top prize so go out there and party like you mean it!" - Super Mario Party
- "I knew you'd mop the floor with those delinquents, but my GOSH. Now I've got Mario madness... and you've got the only cure.♡" - Paper Mario: The Origami King
- "Oh! But I forgot to introduce myself. I'm Birdo, the camp-house mama. You can even CALL me "mama" if you want!" - Mario Golf: Super Rush
- "Golf is a way of life here at Bonny Greens Golf Village. The main course is our pride and joy, and even our practice facilities are world-class. You couldn't pick a better place to learn the game. Good luck out there!" - Mario Golf: Super Rush
List of appearances by date
Names in other languages
| Language | Name | Meaning | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Japanese | キャサリン[?] Kyasarin |
Catherine | |
| オストロ[18][19] Osutoro |
Ostro | ||
| Chinese (simplified) | 凯瑟琳[20] Kǎisèlín |
Catherine | |
| Chinese (traditional) | 凱瑟琳[21] Kǎisèlín |
Catherine | |
| Dutch | Birdo[?] | - | |
| German | Birdo[?] | - | |
| Italian | Strutzi Draghella[?] |
From struzzo (ostrich, struzzi in the plural), probably because of the infamous mistake in the cast roll. From drago (dragon) and the endearing female suffix -ella. |
|
| Korean | 캐서린[?] Kaeseorin |
Catherine | |
| Portuguese | Birdo[?] | - | |
| Russian | Бирдо[?] Birdo |
Birdo | |
| Spanish | Birdo[?] | - | |
| Swedish | Birdo[?] | - |
External links
- Birdo (character) on Mario's Castle, the Italian Mario wiki
- Birdo (species) on Mario's Castle
References
- ^ "This prehistoric pink creature can be spotted all over Sub-Con, the setting for the hit Super Mario Bros. 2." - M. Arakawa. Nintendo Mario Mania Player's Guide. Page 14.
- ^ Perfect Ban Mario Character Daijiten. Page 60. Birdo's「種族」(tribe) is listed as「恐竜族」(dinosaur clan).
- ^ "A dinosaur that spits eggs from her huge mouth. Birdo is very particular when it comes to fashion, though her reliance on the color pink is a bit limiting. Her bow and ring are her pride and joy. Birdo's mouth has massive suction that can even catch a ball by sucking it in." - Birdo's Mario Superstar Baseball bio.
- ^ Birdo's Baller Name is "Diamond Dino" in Mario Hoops 3-on-3.
- ^ a b "If you want to beat this bothersome bird, catch the eggs he launches at you and wing ’em back." - Super Mario Bros. 2 Inside Out, Part I. Page 7.
- ^ "Inside is a giggling bird with a bazooka beak. Birdo’s idea of fun is shooting high-powered eggs at her playmates!" - Pelland, Scott, and Kent Miller. Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars Player's Guide. Page 87.
- ^ Loguidice, Bill, and Matt Barton (2009). Vintage Games: An Insider Look at the History of Grand Theft Auto, Super Mario, and the Most Influential Games of All Time. Focal Press. Page 280. ISBN 978-0-240-81146-8.
- ^ a b c Stratton, Bryan. Super Mario Advance Prima's Official Strategy Guide. Page 9.
- ^ Birdo in Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games
- ^ Japanese Super Mario All-Stars commercial
- ^ https://play.nintendo.com/activities/activities/favorite-mario-characters-fun-poll-survey/
- ^ Super Mario Bros. 2 instruction booklet, page 27. PDF scan available on Digital Press (retrieved September 28, 2013).
- ^ 「自分をメスと思いこんで口からタマゴなどをはくヤツ。キャシーと呼ぶときげんがいい。」 ("He thinks he is a girl and he spits eggs from his mouth. He'd rather be called Cathie.") - Yume Kōjō: Doki Doki Panic instruction booklet, page 35.
- ^ "It guards several gates in the land and spits eggs toward approaching trespassers in order to ward them off." - M. Arakawa. Nintendo Mario Mania Player's Guide. Page 14.
- ^ https://legendsoflocalization.com/okama-in-game-translation/
- ^ Template:Media link (British English version). A Toad commentator lauds Birdo's Trick Shot, the Cheer Step, during a COM Tournament against Toadette. To refer to Birdo, the commentator uses masculine pronouns.
- ^ a b Nintendo.co.jp Mario Kart: Double Dash!! character page. Retrieved January 27, 2011
- ^ Super Mario USA instruction booklet, page 29.
- ^ Perfect Ban Mario Character Daijiten, page 225.
- ^ From the ending scenes of Super Mario Advance as localized by iQue. Reference: 无敌阿尔宙斯 (August 28, 2013). 神游 超级马力欧2敌人官译. Baidu Tieba. Retrieved February 2, 2017.
- ^ https://www.nintendo.com.hk/ssqj/character/index.html
- Birdos
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