Since 1985, female Nintendo fans have been waiting for a princess who not only has to be saved by the friendly plumber, but also takes her fate into her own hands. After the Barbie film in 2023 demonstrated that this could work, Nintendo is now following suit in 2024 and is expected to release “Princess Peach: Showtime!” on March 22nd. on the Nintendo Switch.
Lots of theater and a new villain
The graphics, the music, the dialogues… you immediately feel at home in the Mario world, only this time it's not Mario who saves the world from Bowser, but Princess Peach who saves the theater from Madame Grape. A new villain, a slightly different setting and it quickly becomes clear that there are also very unique game mechanics. Of course, Princess Peach doesn't control herself completely differently, but her abilities and animations are significantly different. The theater setting also has its own charm, which stands out clearly from other Mario installments and gives the whole thing the potential to perhaps become its own, independent series.
New costume, new ability
Depending on which stage Princess Peach enters, new challenges await her and therefore new abilities. The transformation animation is always a highlight and is somewhat reminiscent of a Sailormoon transformation. Once you slip into a new outfit, new abilities and a new gaming experience are revealed. There are certain constants, such as treasure chests and secret additional rooms that are revealed through poses and can be found in each level, but otherwise the different levels play very differently. This brings a fun change and makes you want to unlock the next skills and then revisit certain levels. For the collector's heart, the classic stars are of course also included again, which offers an additional incentive to explore the individual stage sets in detail.
A guard and Yee-haw
While certain costumes, such as the Epee Fencer Costume, fit the Princess's normal gameplay quite similarly, there are others that require completely new ways of playing. The bakery princess Peach can't beat up opponents with her magic wooden spoon, but can decorate cakes and bake cookies. The ninja princess can stealth and jump up walls, while the cowgirl princess can lasso her way through and even has her own horse. The stage designs and opponents also change to suit the respective setting. Here you can see the attention to detail and the well thought-out concept behind “Princess Peach: Showtime!”. In addition, the individual stage sections can be played through quite quickly, for people who don't have a lot of time and want to be rewarded relatively quickly.
For the more patient players, there is still plenty to discover, as some stars are quite hidden. The gaming experience can be as individual as Princess Peach's costumes and we are excited to see what awaits us behind the next curtain.