GeekDad: On a Role – GeekDad Reviews ‘Princess Peach: Showtime!’

It’s been a while since Princess Peach, the longtime ruler of the Mushroom Kingdom, has received top billing in a video game. The last time was 2006’s Super Princess Peach, which, while a competent enough DS-era platformer, was a little hampered by the shoe-horned inclusion of an emotion-based gameplay mechanic. The Emotion Meter basically meant that Peach was a slave to her feelings, with joy, gloom, rage, and calm literally determining her move set.

This is, of course, a far cry from the contemporary Peach who, while still subject to the occasional abduction plot, is generally portrayed in a more heroic, more self-reliant, and much less emotionally volatile light. It is this modern Peach that is on display in the new Nintendo Switch release Princess Peach: Showtime!—a game that is, at first blush, a simplified two-button brawler, but once you look a little deeper, is so much more.

Princess Peach: Showtime! begins with a familiar, almost Luigi’s Mansion-style setup; Peach arrives by way of a special invitation at the majestic Sparkle Theater only to discover that the diabolical Grape and her Sour Bunch have stolen the proverbial show. With its stars, the Sparkla, imprisoned and the supporting cast of affable, glowing-nosed Theets displaced in their own productions, Sparkle Theater’s protector Stella, a sentient ribbon à la Mario’s ally Cappy, teams up with Peach to right these wrongs, play by play and floor by floor.

This is accomplished via a transformation mechanic, whereby Peach becomes the hero of each distinct play, whether that be a swashbuckling swordfighter, a twirling figure skater, or a singing mermaid. You can almost think of it as a Kirby game… minus all that pesky cannibalism. Peach can’t transform on command, so, instead, her powers/persona are tied to each specific level. Every floor contains four theaters showing a growing variety of dramatic fare. To complete them (and defeat each floor’s boss) Peach must master the assigned role, entering the production and becoming the star of the show.

Early on, you’d be forgiven for thinking the gameplay was a little same-y, typically relying on a simple two-button interface: A for jump and B for action. The X button is used sparingly, generally just to have Stella explain the basics of a new power set, and the ZR button makes Peach “strike a pose”—useful in uncovering the occasional hidden area.

But the real genius of Princess Peach: Showtime! is how this straightforward control scheme changes depending on the role. Pressing B as the default Peach can inspire or aid distressed Theets and even make barren plants flower. For Swordfighter Peach, it is used to execute a slash and to dodge/parry stronger enemies, while King Fu Peach’s B-button unleashes a flurry of punches and kicks as the battle dictates.

Things go even further afield as our heroine expands her repertoire; Figure Skater Peach executes graceful spins and jumps on ice-covered sets, Patissiere Peach performs various feats of timed baking and cake decorating, Ninja Peach uses a blend of quick strikes and rudimentary disguises coupled with a buttery-smooth wall-jump, and Cowgirl Peach—a personal favorite—can capture and flings objects (and enemies) with her handy lasso.

What doesn’t change from play to play is the game’s gorgeous design, complete with a lush, thematic, and always spot-on soundtrack. Elements like rotating set pieces, a blend of layered backdrops and charming two-dimensional props, and clearly visible wires connecting and moving the more complex pieces, like Cowgirl Peach’s horse, provide an admirable level of cohesion that instantly put me in mind of previous standout titles like Yoshi’s Crafted World. This is so effective, in fact, that I regularly found myself putting off replaying completed levels (more on that later) in favor of exploring what fun new twists and atmospheric tweaks the game would reveal next. 

A word that I’ve seen tossed around a lot regarding Princess Peach: Showtime! is “easy,” and while it is a little on the short side and no one is likely to mistake its modest combat for Elden Ring, I’d instead describe it as “accessible.” Yes, younger gamers will certainly appreciate the understated pick-up-and-play nature of this title, but there’s also a serious collectibles element that’s equally sure to please completionists.

Each level contains scores of coins (used to purchase dresses and ribbons for Peach and Stella from the first-floor shop), 10 Sparkle Gems (used to access each boss battle and progress to the next floor), a special Ribbon, and more. It’s certainly possible to get a perfect run on your first playthrough of a… um… play, but, honestly, I think I only managed to achieve that twice in the entire game. The rest required additional replays to find hidden elements or meet the unspecified conditions needed to claim my reward.

And that replayability is in addition to things like the timed Action Rehearsal mini-games, optional boss fight achievements, and supplementary post-game content. All combined, this makes Princess Peach: Showtime! easy to pick up and hard to put down, which, when it comes to Switch titles, is sort of the gold standard.

In summation, Princess Peach: Showtime! is a game that finally lives up to its regal title. Sparkle Theater is a vibrant and fitting environment, Stella a worthy ally, and Grape is an imposing and suitable foil for Peach to finally call her own. Blending elements from many of my favorite first-party Switch titles in new and exciting ways, it’s an easy recommendation with but one minor caveat; would it have killed them to make Princess Peach’s jump a little floatier?!

Review materials provided by Nintendo of America. This post contains affiliate posts. Yes, even 35+ years after Super Mario Bros. 2 I still expect Princess Peach to float-jump!

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