Birdo has always struck me (and many others) as a little odd, but think about it, what in the Mario universe doesn't strike as odd?  I mean, the entire concept of the game is ridiculous, but none of it makes me feel as uncomfortable as Birdo.

I mean, just look at her.  First of all, she's pink.  She's sporting a bright red bow (how it's attached, I'm not sure), jewelry and purple eyeshadow that rivals Mimi from the Drew Carrey Show.  She's about as feminine as you can get.  No, not feminine, that's not the right word for it, a stronger word is required... Ultra-feminine.  That's the best I can do, but it still doesn't do Birdo justice.

Anyway, as many of you may know, Birdo first made her appearance in Super Mario Bros. 2 for the NES.  However, what many of you may not know is that her name was not originally Birdo.  In fact, Birdo was not even originally a "her."  Here is original exert from the Super Mario Bros. 2 manual:

'Ostro:

He thinks he is a girl and he spits eggs from his mouth.  He'd rather be called "birdetta."'

There it is, word-for-word.  My question is, why would Nintendo even do this?  What was their reasoning behind making Birdo (or "Ostro") a dude?  Who made that decision?

Now, most of those who played the original game probably didn't look at the manual and so, they most likely assumed that Birdo was as girlie as a girl can get.  Nintendo must have noted this, because Birdo has been classified as female for every other game she has appeared in, as far as I can tell.

Another odd case of gender confusion in video games is "Bridget" from the great fighting game series, Guilty Gear.

Yeah, that is a dude.  There is a good reason for Bridget being so androgynous, but I'll save that for you to explore.

I feel like both of the characters I've brought up here are made the way they are, not for an especially good reason, but to confuse the gamers who play them.  For instance, most male first-timers to the Guilty Gear series may find Bridget attractive without knowing the truth behind his deceitful appearance.  Nervous laughter generally ensues.

I'm not sure I have a concrete opinion on this, I just thought I'd bring it up.  If you have any opinion on gender confusion or androgyny in video games (leave your other opinions to yourself please), feel free to leave a comment.  Please keep it tasteful and free of any discrimination.  :D