Trans character introduced in remake of Mario game
May 23, 2024A forthcoming remake of the 2004 Nintendo video game ‘Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door’ features dialogue confirming that a beloved character is trans, as reviewed by Nintendo Life magazine.
Vivian, a purple ghost who assists the player throughout the game, discusses their gender identity struggles in the original Japanese version for the Nintendo GameCube. This dialogue was excluded from the U.S. A. copies, according to ‘ABC 3340 News’.
Image Credit: Canva
In the 2024 remake for the Nintendo Switch, this dialogue is restored in the U.S.A. version, confirming Vivian is trans.
“Truth is, it took me a while to realize I was their sister, not their brother,” Vivian tells the player in the 2024 version. “Now their usual bullying feels heavier.”
In the game, Vivian is teased by her sisters, Beldam and Marilyn. She eventually allies with the main character, Mario, due to the continued bullying from her sisters and Mario’s kindness.
Nintendo's move could pave the way for other potential trans characters in its American games. For instance, Birdo, a popular character, was initially referred to as a man who “thinks he is a girl” in the “Super Mario Bros. 2” manual, a mention that was later removed.
Birdo later appeared in “Super Smash Bros. Brawl” as a character of “indeterminate gender” and is identified as a man in the British version of “Super Mario Party.”
Nintendo media affairs did not respond to The National Desk’s request for comment on Wednesday.
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