Review of Princess Peach: Showtime! - an optimistic gleam for some
Our Verdict
Princess Peach: Showtime turns the Mushroom Kingdom’s monarch into a digital Barbie, filling any role she’s given with personality and charm. Some levels place you on the edge of your seat, while others leave you praying for the interval. A very good game for a highly specific demographic - adult Mario fans, be warned.
I, along with almost every other girlypop gamer I know, have been eagerly awaiting the arrival of Princess Peach: Showtime ever since its announcement in September 2023. We haven't often had the opportunity to play as Peach in a mainstream Mario game over the franchise's illustrious history, and here is our first opportunity to do so on the Switch since the device's release in 2017.
You may choose Peach's fate in this wacky short story by sending her on a solitary quest to stop Madame Grape and her Sour Bunch from destroying the Sparkle Theater and its occupants, the Theets. Along the process, she uses incredible changes to elevate the players and bring each performance back to its previous splendor in collaboration with Stella, the protector of the theater.
Princess Peach: The changes are unquestionably Showtime's biggest selling feature. They especially interest me since I love Kirby, one of my favorite Nintendo properties, and the thought of Peach assuming all these diverse roles reminds me of Kirby. Even though Peach has competed in kart racing, tennis, soccer, and a number of other Olympic sports in different Mario spin-offs, her major role in the series has been as the damsel in distress. We can showcase her actual strength and adaptability in a narrative-driven environment with this game.
Because of its streamlined control scheme, the game is obviously designed to be played by a broad spectrum of players, as I said in my preview. You just need one stick to move, one button to leap, and one to interact with the environment or utilize your abilities. Princes Peach: Showtime is an excellent choice for those of you who want to suggest "my first videogame" to young family members based only on this. I do, however, wish there was a couch co-op option that would let an elder sibling or parent play as Stella, supporting Peach in her tale without taking over. That is after spending more time with Peach and Stella.
Swordfighter Peach is the first change, and I found myself captivated to her right away. The game rewards you with an incredibly beautiful animated cinematic that instantly puts you in the head of the character Peach is portraying and is obviously influenced by magical girl anime whenever you earn a new transformation. The charming and stylish character Swordfighter Peach uses her sword with accuracy and spectacular combinations that seem much more complicated than they really are. It's never a bad thing to be reminded of Revolutionary Girl Utena by the rose theme that surrounds her persona.
Ninja Peach is the next, and although though her control scheme is the same as swordfighter Peach's, I took a lot longer to get used to her. Not so much the gameplay as it was the realization at the conclusion of the level that I had only discovered around half of the secrets, compared to discovering all of them in the first level on my first attempt. While some secrets are fully concealed, there are a few that I was able to glimpse throughout the level but was unable to reach. However, Ninja Peach has a lot going for her, including as her smooth takedown animations and wall leap. In addition, a large portion of the first ninja level encourages stealth over battle, offering instant gameplay variation for each Sparkle Theater production.
Cowgirl Peach didn't really appeal to me, but both her first level and the first ninja level have autoscrolling or never-ending runner-style sections that appear out of nowhere. The thought of parkouring around a hamlet like a ninja or tracking down enemies on my faithful horse is awesome, but I honestly find these portions rather irritating since I wasn't anticipating them at all. My greatest complaint, I believe, is that they emerge out of nowhere and provide no notice, forcing you to swiftly change your playstyle in order to evade foes and gather cash.
It was Patissiere Peach, the metamorphosis, whose cute attire and enormous cake crafting levels that captivated me to Princess Peach: Showtime. Patissiere Peach's gameplay disappointed me, despite the fact that her look is just as gorgeous as the others and the play's atmosphere made my mouth wet. Although it's a bit of a deep cut, I imagined her cake-decorating minigame would be similar to Tamagotchi Connection: Corner Shop on the DS, enabling you to be creative with your creations. Instead, it's more like a sequence of quicktime events with unexpectedly challenging controls.
As I said earlier, patissiere Peach seems much more submissive than the other princess changes, which makes sense as an odd addition to an otherwise uplifting tale. Even though it's entertaining to flip between all of Peach's personas, I much more like the swordfighter, mighty, kung fu, and ninja roles than the detective or patissiere ones. A game such as this shouldn't have to depend on intense fighting to be entertaining, but the roles that don't include violence don't have the same impact as ones in which I may stomp my bitter groupie across the stage.
Fortunately, a few of the less combat-focused transformations are able to strike a balance between the action-packed gameplay and more conventionally feminine themes and theatricality. After Nintendo introduced figure skater Peach, I could not wait to slip on my skates and skate across the ice with the Theets in their ice dance performance, and I was not let down. The whole level exudes a mystical winter wonderland atmosphere, and my particular favorite part is when Peach stumbles and falters a bit as she races over the ice to become a figure skater. It is really priceless.
The level's boss is particularly campy, which adds to the whole "you're in a play" vibe of the game. The figure skating gameplay is wonderfully nostalgic, reminding me a lot of Princess On Ice for the DS (I'm on a roll with the deep cuts). In instance, the final fight requires you to play as a human-sized slither and "duel" a villain from Precure or another magical girl anime.I'm with the Theet ice dancers on an ice rink. erratic, strange, and really enjoyable.
However, I must commend Princess Peach: Showtime for its narrative skills. Stella communicates to the player and Peach directly using big, clear text boxes, whereas Peach is mostly a quiet heroine. The Theets also make brief comments that pop up over their heads; they remind me of the talking flowers from Mario Wonder. That being said, even players who aren't reading yet won't have any problems following along because of how well the game uses ambient narrative, the music, and expressive body language.
The additional hearts option is another fantastic feature for younger gamers or those of us who want a relaxed gaming experience. You may get more hearts at no additional cost by having a conversation with a theater staff member in the hub world. You are free to take them and return them anytime you like. There is no shame in stealing them. In my view, this additional security layer lowers the entrance barrier for gamers much more gently than Mario Wonder's Yoshi and Nabbit characters do.
Now let's discuss customization. The option to alter Peach and Stella's outfits is perhaps one of my favorite features of this game. I've only included a small selection of these exquisite designs in my images, but believe me when I tell that there is a whole wardrobe for both characters to discover. Although each metamorphosis has a unique clothing design that may be unlocked with a ribbon on the first play, it takes some serious talent and commitment to finish 100% of Peach's wardrobe. Despite my desire to be fashion-forward, some of the tasks involved with these gowns are simply too hard or tiresome for me to commit to. Nevertheless, cosmetics are a big motivator for me in gaming.
Unfortunately, the term "tedious" comes to mind quite a bit when I think of Princess Peach: Showtime. Though the Sparkle Theater offers 10 distinct and intricate transformations along with a variety of gameplay and stories, it still seems a little "one note." The more advanced I became, the more difficult it was for me to pick up where I left off, particularly after playing a few consecutive non-combat levels like dashing thief and investigator.
Although I know I don't precisely fit Nintendo's target audience, I've had a number of friends—including those who play entirely other genres than me—tell me they're interested in the game after seeing the trailers. I want other Peach lovers to know this before spending sixty bucks on the game. Nevertheless, I still maintain my initial opinion that this game is ideal for a younger family member who wants to start playing video games! The one-button controls are exquisitely straightforward, the levels are somewhat short, and there is a great deal of variation in terms of aesthetics and graphics.
Overall, Princess Peach: Showtime is still a lot of fun and has all the style and charm that we've come to expect from Nintendo games, even if it's a completely different experience from what I had in mind. Princess Peach: Showtime is a fantastic option for spending time with your family, so take my rating with a grain of salt. It won't be for everyone, and I believe the audience skews a bit younger. This year, a lot of kids are going to become gamers thanks to the princess and Stella.
Check out our catalog of Barbie games for more adventures with strong, independent women. We also have a list of our favorite Mario characters and a review of Mario vs. Donkey Kong.