A broken neck and a leg for the ruler of the Mushroom Kingdom! Of course only in the figurative sense, after all it's all about Princess Peach: Showtime! on the stage of the Funkeltheater. The eponymous princess can not only drive a kart, play tennis and even cuts a fine figure as an elephant, but is now also aiming for a career as an actress.
What awaits you in Nintendo's Broadway adaptation: a simple, somewhat stereotypical, but very charming adventure. Curtain up for the new sparkling star in the theater sky, because Peach has found many creative costumes in the props, but still has a few weaknesses in her luggage.
Nintendo's first fashion show
By costumes we don't just mean pretty dresses, but the transformations that Peach experiences over the course of her stage show. Nintendo didn't go out of their way and integrated a whole range of different costumes, each of which is used in several plays.
Source: PC Games Since a good actress brings her roles to life as realistically as possible, Peach is given special abilities through the transformations. They always fit the thematic concept of the respective performance.
Some of them are more entertaining and interesting than others, but together they still create a varied mix. For example, the figure skater made us feel like Elsa from Frozen, while the detective brought out our inner Phoenix Wright.
Due to the transformations, the structure of the levels differs greatly from one another. Some costumes, such as the Superheroine and the Master Thief, focus on the action, while the Patissière shows off her talents at specific points in the form of mini-games.
Source: PC Games So there is something for everyone. We just didn't particularly warm to the detective. The investigation process is slow and we quickly became impatient with the fairly obvious solutions because we had to follow a certain process despite having the right instinct.
Barbie sends greetings
This brings us to the big crux of the game. We don't want to call it a problem, but Princess Peach: Showtime! (buy now) is clearly designed for a very young target group and is therefore kept simple.
This is already evident in the controls: There is a button for jumping and one for the costume-specific action. You can move with the left stick, otherwise all buttons on the Joy-Cons or the Pro Controller get a well-deserved break.
You've probably already guessed: The respective moveset of the transformations is kept within very manageable limits. The only potential frustration comes from the sometimes not entirely precise controls, which means you can easily miss an important item – otherwise challenge is a foreign word in the sparkling theater.
Source: PC Games So be prepared for a shallow experience and keep in mind that the game is primarily aimed at young girls. This is also reflected in the stereotypical orientation in places.
Because although Peach often has to fight her way out and become a brave heroine, there are pretty pink and white dresses that you can unlock. Your loyal companion Stella, a sparkle fairy, also gives you the special sparkle power with a magical bow.
For the first time in almost 20 years we have a new game with Peach in the lead role and it's immediately about sparkling powers, princess dresses and a costume party. But the whole thing was so lovingly implemented that we were happy to immerse ourselves in this rose-colored stage world and enjoyed every moment – but we were still happy about the transformations beyond the clichés.
A sour surprise
But before we get too lost in the glamorous world of theater, we need to talk about one crucial question: What does Peach actually do on stage and why does she appear in so many roles at the same time?
Actually, the Mushroom Kingdom Princess just wanted to watch a play and enjoy the show, not act in it herself. The villain Grape and her sour group are to blame for the circumstances, who used the power of darkness to take control of the sparkle theater.
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