Princess Peach: Showtime! Review

Reading Time: 5 minutes

Introduction

Princess Peach is a character that needs no introduction while simultaneously being someone who lacks any form of identity. Across the Super Mario franchise, Princess Peach has been at the forefront of many kidnapping attempts from Bowser and his band of misfits. Since the release of the Super Mario Bros. movie, Peach has taken on a new turn and was portrayed as a bit of a badass – and certainly put Chris Pratt’s Mario through his paces. In keeping up with the tradition of giving Mario’s side characters their own games in order to “shine”, Nintendo sends its princess off to the theatre. After all, if Luigi can hunt ghosts, Toad digs up treasure, and Wario…well, Wario does random. Then why can’t Peach do everything in between? 

Princess Peach: Showtime! asks these very questions with its blend of action platformer thrown into a side-scrolling adventure typical of the Super Mario series. The trick here is that set in a vast theatre, where Peach is the star of the show. From swashbuckling adventures to dusty desert romps, fighting alien invasions, and a touch of figure skating, Peach does them all (and a lot more) in her battle against the entirely new antagonist – Grape and her Sour Patch minions. 

Move over, Mario; there’s a new hero in town! 

Taking place within the vast Sparkle Theatre, Showtime! is far removed from the world of the Mushroom Kingdom as the 1994 movie was to the game that inspired it. Aside from a couple of Toads who form Peach’s entourage, there’s no sight of mushrooms, ? blocks, flag poles, and Bowser. Instead, it’s Princess Peach and the Theet – those who inhabit the Sparkle Theater – against Grape and her Sour Patch bunch. While these two new factions do feel a little generic – and newcomer Stella looks a little like Super Mario Galaxy’s Lumas, its gameplay more than makes up for the lack of a coherent plot. It’s this that also makes Showtime! a real treat to play. 

Nothing here connects to any of the wider franchise, and apart from a brief cameo from Princess Peach’s castle, there’s no indication that we’re even in the Mushroom Kingdom. Instead, Showtime! allows Peach to stand on her own two feet whilst introducing new elements that could be incorporated into future titles.

Lights … 

With Showtime! taking its stage within a theatre setting, its level design has to sell this idea to us – the audience. Showtime! and Nintendo do precisely that, with every level oozing with thespian prowess. It’s an incredibly beautiful experience as Peach essentially takes centre stage to battle the Sour Patch. Locations are created by scenery that typically makes up a stage show, with painted backdrops, wooden set design, and other props. Items often fall into place via hidden gantries, and a faint cheer of the crowd can be heard during those heroic moments.

Flying enemies are also under the illusion of being held up by string, and entering some areas causes the entire stage to shift 180 degrees. Lighting effects also paint these scenes well with a cute spotlight that follows Peach, while various other spotlights enhance shadows and other visual elements. Even with its simple gameplay, this attention to its world-building and atmosphere really makes Showtime! quite a charming experience. 

Camera…

Of course, a game that’s based around a theatre means that there’s plenty of variety. Across Showtime!’s ample 9-10 hour runtime, you’ll be taking Peach across a multitude of “acts” as she takes centre stage in each production. Whether you’re swashbuckling across a fantasy landscape as a Zorro-esque swordsman or baking delicious treats, there’s plenty of variety that samples plenty of video game genres. Each play also comes with its own storyline that’s placed over three distinct acts.

For film buffs, these are also set out like a traditional film, with the first act setting the scene, the second seeing Peach grasp her newfound powers, while the finale sees Peach battle the plays main villain in quick-time filled battles or grand games of cat and mouse, and other shenanigans. 

Action

Much like everything else that Showtime! has to offer, there’s plenty of variation in the gameplay that keeps everything feeling fresh and certainly grabs your attention. Ninja Peach was my favourite of all the abilities as the little details harken back to the kung-fu movies of old. For example, using her stealth near water sees the princess grab a bamboo shoot as an improvised snorkel, while sneaking near a wall sees her unravel a sheet that happens to be the same design as the background. The same can be said for the game’s finale. While I won’t spoil what happens, fans of Dragon Ball Z and Mighty Morphin Power Rangers are in for a real treat. 

Encore?

I suppose the real question about Princess Peach Showtime! is if it’s worth returning to once the curtains close on the adventure. Well, while the story does end with a definitive end (at the time), Good-Feel hasn’t necessarily included any “end game” content. Additionally, while some Nintendo titles introduce tougher difficulty settings and plenty of hidden collectables, Showtime! feels more designed for younger players than die-hard gamers.

To give it its dues, Showtime! does have plenty of shiny objects to find in terms of its sparkle items and the various cosmetic items for Peach and Stellar to wear. However, most are incredibly easy to find on a single play-through, and even if you do miss them, there’s really no reason to go back for them.

Even with a lack of incentive to return for another screening, Showtime! does enough to keep you engaged right to its grand finale. Levels range from 10-20 minutes for completion, and the sheer abundance of variation in each performance keeps everything fresh. My game time came in at just shy of 10 hours. Yet, I never got bored of the adventure and was invested in Peach’s quest from the get-go. I will admit to not perfecting every stage or collecting every Sparkle Gem going as to me, I’m not much of a fan of needing to 100% complete a game. But personally, the way that Showtime! is set out, having to replay these levels just to reach one gem would get old very quickly and would certainly take the sparkle away from what Good-Feel has achieved.

Production Values

While Showtime! is a charming title, it’s not without its downsides. It’s tough to criticise the presentation here without factoring in the ageing hardware of the Nintendo Switch. Could the graphics be better? Well, the short answer is yes, they can. However, considering the hardware limitations, it still plays pretty well. At its core Showtime! is a Mario world title through and through. It’s bright, colourful, full of charm and is everything you’d expect from a romp into Mario’s world. And what more could you ask for?

Curtain Call

Princess Peach’s adventure through the Sparkle Theatre is one full of charm and wonder. There’s a great deal of variety to see across the game’s ample runtime. You’ll explore plenty of areas inspired by some of gaming’s beloved genres. However, it’s not as engaging as other Mario-verse outings, Showtime! does plenty to build upon Peach as a Princess who can take care of herself, as seen in the recent Mario Bros movie.

For most Princess Peach Showtime! will be a done-in-one and will be quickly forgotten. But with its quirky cast of new enemies, simple and engaging gameplay, and interesting location, Nintendo has laid the foundations to create more adventures for their princess while she’s not getting kidnapped by Bowser.

Rapid Reviews Rating

4 out of 5

4

Princess Peach: Showtime! is available now and can be purchased via the Nintendo Switch eShop