Birdo
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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, known in Japan as Catherine (キャサリン Kyasarin), is a recurring character in the Mario franchise. Her first appearance was as an enemy in Yume Kōjō: Doki Doki Panic, which was rebranded as Super Mario Bros. 2. Since then, she has appeared in various spin-off series of the franchise, and her original role as an antagonist has gradually been scrapped in favor of a newer role as an ally. Birdo has also been merchandised into figurines, plush toys, and amiibo cards.
Birdo is part of an entire species, of which other members appear in several works where the central character Birdo does not, including the Mario Strikers games and several episodes of The Super Mario Bros. Super Show!
History
Super Mario series
Super Mario Bros. 2
The first appearance of Birdo is in Super Mario Bros. 2, where she appears as a boss character in many levels, serving the evil villain Wart. Birdo comes in three colors: Pink Birdo[1] shoots eggs from her snout, Red Birdo[1] shoots eggs and fireballs, and Green Birdo[1] shoots fireballs. In the NES version, Green Birdo also appears as grey in World 7-1.
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 two exceptions: Pink Birdo's appearance as a standard enemy in World 4-3, and a Red Birdo room in World 7-2, in which Birdo relinquishes a key needed to get to the Mask Gate leading to Wart.
The Super Mario Bros. 2 cast roll mistakenly labels Birdo as Ostro (and vice versa), an unrelated enemy.
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 spoke clear sentences such as, "This is as far as you go!" and "Well, hello there!". She is portrayed by Jen Taylor.
The aforementioned cast roll mixup with Ostro and Birdo is fixed in the localization of 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, now depicted as separate characters, 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 Birdos, and her friends 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.
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 Mario series 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 manual for this game calls Birdo "Catherine", which is her original Japanese name.
Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars
Birdo appears as a boss in Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars. Birdo is first seen as an egg named Shelly who is found in Nimbus Castle (while the stronghold was under the control of the usurper queen Valentina). The egg is cared for by a Shy Away, who intended to use the newborn Birdo as a weapon. When the Shy Away sees Mario, he quickly abandons his post and flees, leaving Shelly exposed. Mario could then speak to the Birdo inside Shelly, who would request for Mario to play with her. If Mario complies, a battle between his party and Shelly would begin.
Although Shelly never attacks or performs any malicious moves toward Mario and friends, the group could gradually split the egg open to reveal Birdo. She then would introduce herself and start attacking. After suffering more attacks from Mario and company, Birdo would also raise her attacking methods, beginning to shoot out the explosive Eggberts rather than normal eggs.
Depending on a turn, in which Birdo shoots out, Eggberts would actually fling the explosive eggs back into Birdo's nest, where they could be attacked so that they would explode and deal massive damage to Birdo herself. Despite the pain and anger she shows ambiguous signs of going through, Birdo eventually gives up mid-battle due to the fact that she found Mario and his friends too cute to destroy. After being defeated, she gives the key to Mario. Birdo remains within Shelly and Mario gets to the back door of Nimbus Castle.
Mario Tennis series
Mario Tennis (Nintendo 64)
Birdo eventually appears in Mario Tennis for the Nintendo 64, making her sports game debut. She appears next to Yoshi, and the two are seen to be very affectionate. In this game, Birdo competes as a speed player. 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. This is the first game to ever give Birdo understandable voice acting. She is portrayed by Jessica Chisum.
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 Golf series
Mario Golf: Toadstool Tour
Birdo appears as a playable character in the game Mario Golf: Toadstool Tour. In this game, she appears from the start. 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: 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, she has average control and a fade trajectory. She hits relatively high making it easier to avoid obstacles but is more affected by wind. Her driving distance is 212 yards, while her star driving distance is 267 yards. When Birdo celebrates a Par or better she usually blows out kisses and poses a lot. If she gets a Bogey or worse, she starts crying but then puts on makeup, or shoots eggs at the player 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.
Super Smash Bros. series
Super Smash Bros. Melee
In Super Smash Bros. Melee, Birdo reappears as her two-dimensional Super Mario All-Stars sprite on the Super Mario Bros. 2-based stage. 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 one of the two trophies that must be collected in order to unlock the Mushroom Kingdom II stage (the other trophy is a Pidgit).
Super Smash Bros. Brawl
In Super Smash Bros. Brawl, one of the names that can appear whenever players press the random button when they're 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 depicts her winking and standing near a Birdo Egg. The trophy also features information about her appearances in Super Mario Bros. 2 and Doki Doki Panic.
Despite having appeared 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.
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 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 a cameo in 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, or when the player does Time Trials on 16 different courses. 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 character, besides Miis, that isn't used as a staff ghost. Furthermore, Birdo is the only playable female character that doesn't receive a speed bonus.
Mario Kart 8
Despite Birdo herself not physically appearing in Mario Kart 8, a picture of her along with Peach and Daisy appears on some of the "Women of Racing Organization" ads seen on N64 Royal Raceway. Birdo is also mentioned on the speakers in Sunshine Airport.
Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga
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 Designbomb-like enemies 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.
Mario Baseball series
Mario Superstar Baseball
In Mario Superstar Baseball, Birdo makes her first appearance on the baseball field. She is a balanced character, who has a slightly above average batting stat, but is lacking in all other areas. 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 and Body Check She is found on Yoshi's team as a unlockable sub-captain, and could 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. Also she doesn't share a bad chemistry with the rest of the characters.
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. 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, Princess Peach, Wario, 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'll 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.
Mario Party series
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 emblem is her red bow, and her default partner is Yoshi in the "Team Mode" (their team orb being the Egg Orb).
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.
She also appears in the Japan-exclusive arcade game, Mario Party Fushigi no Korokoro Catcher, as a playable character.
She returns as a playable character in Mario Party 9.
Birdo appears in Mario Party: Island Tour as a non-playable character. Here she is a judge in the minigame The Choicest Voice.
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[2], 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's 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 him to a Ski Cross Race. 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 with a blue Birdo. 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 the player, alongside three other Birdos, in Ice Hockey. 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 in the 3DS version, where she is exclusive to the Archery event[3].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.
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. This also compensates to the colored Birdos in Football and Duel Football.
Captain Rainbow
In the 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. Her non-playable character rank is a D.
Paper Mario series
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 statue, 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[4]. 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 Balloon Thing Card 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.
Mario Sports Superstars
Birdo is playable in Mario Sports Superstars. She is a Balance type character in most sports, giving her well-rounded stats. In tennis, though, she is instead a Speed type player as in her previous appearance in Mario Tennis for the Nintendo 64. 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.
Other appearances
Kirby series
Birdo makes an appearance as spectator in the minigame: "Megaton Punch" from Kirby Super Star.
Mario Tennis (GBC)
While Birdo herself isn't in Mario Tennis for the Game Boy Color, she makes a cameo in game when the N64 Transfer Pak is used.
Mario Golf: Advance Tour
While Birdo herself doesn't appear in Mario Golf: Advance Tour, she is mentioned on the score chart during tournaments.
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.
Minecraft: Wii U Edition
Birdo was featured as one of the many Mario-themed character skins in the Super Mario Mash-Up Pack of Minecraft: Wii U Edition.
Personal information
Physical description
Birdo is a member of the species of the same name, a race of prehistoric[5] birds[6] 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.
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 commonly wears purple eye makeup. In her team name, "Birdo Bows", from Mario Super Sluggers, she wears lipstick, which is odd because she doesn't 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 black dress adorned with a black necklace with many pearls, and a very elegant fan[7]. Overall, however, Birdo’s looks have not changed as drastically as many other characters have through the ages.
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 Mario crew. This is shown when losing a round of 18 in Mario Golf: Toadstool Tour, where she never fails to be adorable. She also exudes charm and elegance. 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. According to Play Nintendo, Birdo's favorite things are (in no partcular order): friends, big red bows, and sparkly things.[8]
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 doesn't know them very well, as evidenced in Birdo's relationship with Popple in Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga. In the same game, Birdo 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 manual of Super Mario Bros. 2 (pg. 27)[9]:
He thinks he is a girl and he spits eggs from his mouth. He'd rather be called “birdetta.”
This statement applies to all translations of the title. Throughout the official guide, Birdo is also consistently referred to as a "he"[6]. In Japan, Birdo is portrayed as a male who believes she is a female and prefers to be called by a nickname, "Cathy", rather than her real name "Catherine"[10]. As recently as 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", which has sometimes been used in other occurrences[11]. However, Nintendo of America and Nintendo of Europe usually refer to Birdo as female.
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, and is also shown in the U.S. manual of Mario Golf: Toadstool Tour, where all the female characters have a pink dot behind them, including Birdo. In Super Mario Advance, Birdo has a feminine voice, though the voice's pitch level varies depending on color: Pink Birdo has the highest pitched voice, Green Birdo has the lowest pitched voice, and Red Birdo's voice has a pitch level that's in between.
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 from Mike Tyson's Punch-Out!! 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).
In Mario Kart 8, she appears on "Women of Racing Organization" advertisements in N64 Royal Raceway, and in Sunshine Airport, the person in the speaker calls her "Ms. Birdo".
In Paper Mario: Sticker Star, the first two lyrics of Birdo's serenade alludes to the gender confusion by saying Heart of a woman, heart of a man.... Both can know of love's grace.....
Relationship with Yoshi
- Main article: Yoshi
She 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!?」)[12]
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.
Official 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 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
- Birdo MT64.png
- ItadakiBirdo.PNG
- Birdoslugguh.png
Quotes
- "Where would you like to go?" - Wario's Woods
- "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
- "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
- "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
- "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
List of appearances by date
Names in other languages
References
- ^ a b c Super Mario Advance Prima's Official Strategy Guide, pg. 9
- ^ Birdo in Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games
- ^ Nintendo of Japan (November 12, 2015). マリオ＆ソニック AT リオオリンピック™ トレーラー. YouTube. Retrieved November 13, 2015.
- ^ Crunchii (September 23, 2016). Paper Mario: Color Splash stream. YouTube. Retrieved September 25, 2016.
- ^ "This prehistoric pink creature can be spotted all over Sub-Con, the setting for the hit Super Mario Bros. 2." - Mario Mania, pg. 14
- ^ 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.
- ^ Mario All Stars Japanese Commercial
- ^ https://play.nintendo.com/activities/activities/favorite-mario-characters-fun-poll-survey/
- ^ Super Mario Bros. 2 instruction manual, pg. 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 Cathy.") - 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." - Mario Mania, pg. 14
- ^ Nintendo.co.jp Mario Kart: Double Dash!! character page. Retrieved January 27, 2011
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