With simple controls and forgiving difficulty, Princess Peach: Showtime is targeted at young Switch gamers. Does it offer anything for anyone else?

Nintendo

The Super Mario Bros. Movie surprised audiences by putting Princess Peach in a prominent role rather than portraying her as a prize to be saved from Bowser. Since then, gamers have been anticipating her highness’s first-ever starring role in a console game. Princess Peach: Showtime finally made its grand debut on the Nintendo Switch, but does it offer enough to please everybody?

I was so excited that I pre-ordered my copy months before any reviews were available. As a fan of most Mario games, I was confident that Showtime would meet the high-quality standards Nintendo is famous for. However, I wasn’t sure if the experience would be sweet yet evanescent like cotton candy, or if it’d be more satiating and keep me coming back for more.

I can honestly say Princess Peach: Showtime lived up to my expectations, but you should know what you’re getting into before you pay full price for the game.

Setting the stage

A game that imitates art

While Peach is trying to enjoy a play at the Sparkle Theater, the stage gets hijacked by a group called the Sour Bunch led by the ghastly Grape. The Princess must then team up with the theater’s guardian, a talking ribbon named Stella, to save the imprisoned patrons so the show can go on.

Following the short introduction, Princess Peach follows a formula familiar to 3D Mario game fans. Each floor of the theater has four levels, or “plays,” for Peach to save, then you fight a boss and move on to the next floor. What sets Showtime apart is that each level almost feels like its own game.

Whip, stir, chop, and solve mysteries

Dress up and play the hero

Every play puts Peach in one of 10 different roles, ranging from a cowgirl to a crime solver. Roles come with unique abilities that players must master to complete each level. My personal favorite is Patissiere Peach, who can conjure confections with a spin of her cooking whisk.

One level has Peach chasing bandits on horseback. Another has her tracking down missing artifacts in a museum. Yet another has her baking Halloween cookies for hungry zombies. Accomplishing all these goals will require thorough exploration, quick reflexes, and even a little deductive reasoning.

While the gameplay variety is impressive, there’s not a lot of variety within levels. You’re confined to one role per play — there’s no way to switch between roles — which makes things a little too easy since you always have the exact ability you need in any situation. If you want an actual challenge, try finding the many collectibles hidden throughout each level. You might get frustrated quickly though, because if you miss something, you must start over from the beginning.

One major drawback is the lack of a multiplayer mode, which is a surprising omission for a game in the Mario franchise. Playing Princess Peach: Showtime isn’t supposed to be a group experience like Mario Party or Super Smash Bros. It’s simple enough for kids to play alone, but it’s also fun just watching someone else play.

Pretty in pink (and every other color)

Eye-popping visuals perfect for the TV

The greatest strength of Princess Peach: Showtime is its presentation. The level designs exude imagination, and the stage lighting makes the smooth character animations pop against the inventive background set pieces, resulting in some dramatic scenes. If you don’t have the Switch OLED, make sure you play Princess Peach on a TV to fully savor the eye candy.

Not all is perfect in the Mushroom Kingdom, however. The load times before levels are tedious no matter your age, but that’s unfortunately come to be expected due to the Switch’s technical limitations. It’s a very minor complaint, though.

Easy to digest, if not fulfilling

It certainly doesn’t overindulge

I played Princess Peach at a leisurely pace, not out of necessity, but because I found the game more enjoyable in small chunks. Want to throw buses at spaceships for a few minutes? Play through “Alien Invasion.” Want to orchestrate an undersea opera? Take the stage in “Melody of the Sea.” I never lost sleep because I was eager to see what the next level had to offer, but I did replay some levels several times because they were fun, trippy, and short.

Those three words sum up Princess Peach: Showtime pretty accurately: fun, trippy, and short. In that way, Showtime feels like it could belong better in the Kirby franchise, which is known for being more lighthearted and kid-friendly. It also reminds me of Captain Toad Treasure Tracker, a game that is the opposite of stressful.

The Verdict

Anyone can play it, but it’s not for everyone

With its simple controls, vibrant colors, and forgiving difficulty, Princess Peach: Showtime! is clearly aimed at younger gamers. That said, if you want to play something easy and mindless to unwind when you’re stressed, Princess Peach: Showtime! will probably put you in a better mood.

If you’re looking for a more challenging Nintendo experience, pick up Mario Wonder or Mario vs Donkey Kong. Better yet, if you still have a Nintendo DS, see if you can find a copy of Super Princess Peach, which is a pretty unrated 2008 platformer.