Princess Peach: Showtime! - a show without the royal treatment

For 35 years, the inhabitants of the Mushroom Kingdom have been household names in the world of video games and popular culture. Mario, Luigi, Toad, Bowser, and, of course, Princess Peach have been in the minds of not only gamers, but anyone who has been near a Nintendo console in recent years. However, this fame does not mean that each of these characters has their own game. Aside from Mario, it is rare to find a title that stars someone else. In the past year, this has become a special issue, as the Super Mario Bros. movie has made the impact of these characters even greater, especially the ruler of this kingdom. After almost 20 years, Princess Peach is back in a game to demonstrate the progress Nintendo has made in giving this character her own independence on Nintendo Switch. Will she make it?

The curtain rises at the Sparkle Theater

Princess Peach: Showtime, as the name suggests, is a Nintendo Switch game that puts us in control of Princess Peach, who finds herself trapped in the Sparkle Theater one night when she decides to have some fun. In this place, some evil forces have taken control of the place and the plays that are being performed. Princess Peach decides to take matters into her own hands and enters each of these plays, transforming herself into one of 10 possible characters, each with a special ability. The theater is divided into levels, with four plays on each level. At the end, a door appears in the middle, where the boss of the floor is waiting.

In each level, or work to call it another way, Peach, along with his companion Lucy, will have to collect 3 elements, coins that will help to buy outfits and exchange them for a life if we fail. We will also have to collect “Stars”, which will serve as one of the main collectibles of each level, and as currency to open the doors of each floor’s bosses. Finally, each level will have a secret loop, which will be one of the biggest challenges of the game. These collectibles can make the game as easy or as complicated as you want it to be, because in some cases the ways to get them are extremely arbitrary.

Sometimes the stars can be obtained in a very simple way, other times more complicated by finding a secret place in the level, while other times you will wonder where it is since you have already advanced in the level. The same can be said of the lasso, as there will be a character you have to rescue or find to give it to you, but sometimes it will be so hidden that even a complete search of the level will not make it so obvious to find.

The scenarios are one of the main attractions of the game. The creativity and detail that many of them bring to the table shows an impressive level of attention to detail, in some cases being the real star of the game. From details like the lighting that always follows Peach, to the way the stage elements move to create immersive visual effects for the audience, they are a delight. In some scenarios, the creativity of how they would solve certain details such as animals swimming or spaceships flying through space and seeing the wires, are elements that are enjoyed and make clear the theatrical elements of the game.

Peach does everything a princess wants to do

The main attraction of Princess Peach Showtime! are the different transformations that Peach has in each play, reaching a total of 10. As you can expect, not all of them are the same, there are some that are more focused on action, while others have a more artistic theme, while others are more focused on taking advantage of the scenery.

However, each of these princess presentations can be as fun or as boring as you like. Each level features a series of mini-games and mechanics that take advantage of each of these abilities. As with the different theatrical genres, those who enjoy musicals will have an affinity for Mermaid Peach or Skater Peach, who will either sing or skate to complete their objectives. On the other hand, those looking for more action will enjoy Kung Fu Peach, Swordfighter, or even Ninja, who are more about punching and using the stage to face enemies head-on. Perhaps there’s more to come with Mighty Peach, which takes our princess into the world of Super Sentai. On the other hand, Cowgirl Peach and Dashing Thief Peach will use their bows in different ways. Finally, we will have Detective Peach, who will be in charge of searching for clues and concluding, while Patisserie Peach... Decorate cakes and prepare cookies.

One of the problems with the game is that not all skills have the same level of quality and fun. Some skills sometimes feel very similar, like Swordfighter and Kung Fu, but they don’t work in the same way. Personally, Patisserie Peach feels too easy, while Detective Peach feels like it stretches the mechanics for no apparent reason. Again, that’s just an opinion, and I’m sure you’ll enjoy each of them for different reasons.

On the other hand, the game allows a series of non-linear presentations, with up to three options to play with each role. These scenarios follow a similar pattern, the first to give us an introduction to the mechanics, the second to develop it, and the third to test what we have learned. But it is when you get to the third level that you know that the thing ends, because you feel that there is a potential to give more adventure that the game has. Because that also becomes a theme, you can watch the credits after 7 or 8 hours. But of course, you can expect post-game content, as well as a series of challenges in the form of trials with some of the game’s transformations.

Visually, the Princess Peach: Showtime! has its details. Although the game is a delight in the detail that the scenarios have, sometimes there are drops in frames per second in animations or loading screens that simply call our attention. Apart from these moments, the game maintains a framerate of 30 fps.

Princess Peach: Showtime! is a title that, although it fulfills the function of being a potential entry point for an entire generation, leaves us expecting much more. The game is a collection of simple ideas that manage to shine along with an art design that takes advantage of a great series of elements to draw us into these games and, more importantly, let Princess Peach shine in her own right. However, its short length and how uneven these activities are, leave us thinking that the title lacked ambition to give more and determination to bring this play to the Broadway of video games.