Help me write my essay.

[roto13]

Hey, I've been asked to write an essay for a book of essays about themes like philosophy, religion, sexuality etc. in video games. I've decided to write about homosexual and transgendered characters. So far, I have this wikipedia article, and what I know about certain characters (Kevin Smith, Eagle, Flea etc.), but I'd like more. If anyone has any more characters or situations, I'd be greatful if you could let me know. Thanks in advance.

[Yakubyougami]

You might want to include Bridget from Guilty Gear:



He's one of the most notable figure regarding gender confusion in a video game that I can think of.

If this isn't about video games you're in the wrong place of this forum... more like discussion otherwise.

[roto13]

It is about video games, though. Gay characters in video games. And thank you very much for the Guilty Gear thing.

[The Wizard Who Did It]

Originally Posted by Yakubyougami

He's one of the most notable figure regarding gender confusion in a video game that I can think of.

Wait, he really is a guy? My friends and I were wondering about that, thinking it was a mistranslation. Because really, he dresses like a girl, walkes like a girl, swaggers like a girl, uses a yoyo type thing as a weapon, and sounds like a girl.

I guess the duck test doesn't always work.

To put it bluntly, he definately has to be researched by you.

[Astral Harmony]

Zero from the Megaman X series is also famous for having been believed to be a woman. Lesser known is Philbright from Zone of the Enders: The Fist of Mars for the Gameboy Advance. There's also Calintz from Magna Carta who my friend swears up and down looks like a woman. Oh, and Soushi from Thousand Arms! In fact, I think Meis hit on Soushi when they first encountered each other.

Homosexuals are really hard to come by, even in RPGs, where they are usually not main characters and are either villains or comic relief. Pierre Magimel from Shadow Hearts Covenant comes to mind. Gerard, Pierre's brother, seems homosexual as well, but Pierre is definitely gay. If you provide Pierre which cards that have scantilly-clad males on them, Pierre will craft dresses for Cornelia, Gepetto's marionette so that it can unleash incredible attacks on the battlefield.

All Bandiger from Thousand Arms needs to do is hit on a guy to prove he's homosexual, and while I think he actually has during the game, I can't confirm it. But he has that stereotypical gay voice and dresses the part.

I would say to look at RPGs for mistaken gender roles and homosexual characters. That genre has probably...what, like more than half of all of those two types.

[roto13]

Heh. Yeah, I remember thinking Zero was a girl. I think that deserves a mention. Actually, I've managed to find quite a few gay characters. Plus, there's also things to say about the reprecussions of using them in an American market. Like the fact that Flea was female in the original release of Chrono Trigger.

[Mirai Gen]

Flea was supposed to be female, but claims it's really a man. Which leaves alot of fanfiction authors VERY confused.

One notable mention is Guilty Gear XX's Venom. He is heavily suggested - and I believe it was recently confirmed - that he is gay, and his lover was Zato-1, the assassin before he became Eddie.

And yes, if you play any story mode with Guitly Gear XX that contains Bridget, he is definately male. He was just raised as a nun. Yes, the hip sway confused me too.

[Yakubyougami]

Originally Posted by The Wizard Who Did It

Wait, he really is a guy? My friends and I were wondering about that, thinking it was a mistranslation. Because really, he dresses like a girl, walkes like a girl, swaggers like a girl, uses a yoyo type thing as a weapon, and sounds like a girl.

I guess the duck test doesn't always work.

If I recall correctly - Bridgett's a male who was raised as a female.

Yes he's a he, and he caused me to have a complex about my female priest Ragnarok character as well.

[VeryGnawty]

There are two classic examples of gender confusion which must be discussed in your essay.

Birdo
The pink dinosaur which first appeared in Super Mario Brothers 2. The character was described as...

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

Birdo was described in manuals of later Mario games as female. While Birdo's "gender reassignment" didn't have any details, it is very possible that Nintendo is promoting gender diversity.

Samus Aran
The manual for the original Metroid game specifically mislead the reader to confuse the gender of the main character of the game. Samus Aran is a female bounty hunter, but all of her features are completely covered by her body suit. Upon completing the game in under a certain amount of time, she will remove her helmet (or the whole suit) and the player can see that the person under the suit is actually a woman. The player had no way of knowing this otherwise, especially if they read the misleading game manual.

[Lockeownzj00]

This isn't just about 'gender confusion' though. It's about *homosexuality*. Saying, "man I thought that was a girl" != "yo there be a gay in mah game."

Check out The Longest Journey--I don't know the game as well as I should (but I'm replaying it soon), but I know that your landlord is a nymphomaniacal lesbian. To the point where conversations become tangents in her head of caressing female bodies.

I'd buy the game and check it out since it's really good anyway.