Popular kids video game company Nintendo has revealed that the newest version of their 2004 game “Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door,” will feature a transgender character.
The character, named Vivian, discusses her gender identity with Mario during the game, explaining that she realized she was a girl and not a boy, after which her evil siblings began bullying her. These “evil siblings” are the games’ villains.
The game has undergone some changes from the original Japanese version, in which Vivian was derogatorily referred to with male pronouns and called a “man” on various occasions. The English version which was released late last week does not include these interactions. According to the New York Post, Vivian was a trans character in the 2004 Japanese version of the game, however the English adaptation from the same year chalked Vivian’s bullying up to being “ugly.”
Back in the ‘80s, a Super Mario Bros. 2 character “Birdo” was revealed to be transgender, though many members of the gaming community didn’t necessarily take this gender identity representation very seriously, according to LGBTQ+ Nation.
Over the years, Nintendo has worked to make inclusive content following backlash from the LGBTQ+ community in 2014, when the release of Tomodachi Life did not include options for same-sex marriage. Since then, LGBTQ+ representation has been seen in games like “Animal Crossing: New Horizons,” and “Fire Emblem: Three Houses.”
In 2022, the company at large implemented sexual orientation and gender identity protections through new company-wide policies.
