Maybe We Don’t Need to Call Birdo ‘Birdetta’
Since Super Mario Bros. 2, Birdo has come to own her original name.
There’s Super Mario DNA in Doki Doki Panic
And becoming Super Mario Bros. 2 was just a return to its roots.
Wait, Super Mario Galaxy’s Lubba Is Female?
And if she is, this “change” may not actually be Nintendo retconning itself.
How Nonexistence Connects Chrono Trigger to Super Mario Bros. 2
Belthasar was off by one letter; all life actually begins with mu and and ends with mu!
The Origin of Mario’s Trademark Death Animation
Super Mario Bros. taught side-scrolling heroes how to kick the bucket… even if Mario stole those moves.
Searching for Signs of Super Mario Bros. 2 in Mario Kart World
Nostalgia aside, sometimes a green snake in a jar is just a green snake in a jar.
Pauline: A History of Nintendo’s First Leading Lady
And how she waited more nearly forty years to become a playable character.
Was the Zelda Fairy Fountain Music Inspired by a Track From Super Mario Bros. 3?
You too can learn about cultural inspiration, homage and imitation through the history of a Koji Kondo composition.
Long Live Wart!
Scans from a Super Mario Bros. 2-themed activity book show off official Nintendo art of the game’s forgotten characters.
Is Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga One Big Fart Joke?
How a cross-cultural study of flatulence humor can teach us about the human condition. No, really!
How One Weird Little Guy Connects Yoshi’s Island to Donkey Kong
Nintendo’s effort to bring D.K. back into the fold goes back to 1991, well before the Rare era.
Are Super Mario’s Mushrooms a Reference to Hallucinogenic Drugs?
Mentioned herein: Alice in Wonderland, Santa Claus, the Smurfs, Minnie Mouse, and 1970s toadstool decor.
Organ Grinders, Kongs and Super Mario Monkey Business
An old New York tradition lives on in Nintendo’s biggest franchise — but only accidentally.
Did Time Magazine Declare Birdo Trans?
A Super Mario-themed special issue mentions Birdo’s gender — and Nintendo’s reluctance to comment on it.
How WarioWare Brought the Satanic Panic to Nintendo
Ashley’s theme song briefly revived the hysteria about backmasking and the Devil.
The Devil in the Mushroom Kingdom
Nintendo’s early ban on religious imagery (Satan included) was inconsistent.
Is There a Wizard of Oz Reference Hidden in Super Mario Galaxy?
How Rosalina was supposed to be an homage to Glinda the Good Witch — and might still be.
Does the Tower of Babel Make a Cameo in Super Mario Bros. 3?
The Super Mario games generally don’t incorporate religious iconography, but…
A Complete History of Birdo’s Gender
In English and Japanese, from Doki Doki Panic to present, Nintendo’s stance on the pink egg-spitter has evolved.
Princess Peach Can’t Get a Break
Princess Peach: Showtime! makes it seem like Nintendo didn’t learn the right lesson from her first solo adventure.