Princess Peach: Showtime! isn’t going to set the Switch on fire, but it’s a fun enough platformer that is filled with neat ideas and overall solid execution. There aren’t a lot of big surprises, but the presentation and diverse abilities make for a decent time.
Princess Peach: Showtime!
Developer: Good-Feel
Price: $60
Platforms: Nintendo Switch
MonsterVine was provided with a Switch code for review.
I was a big fan of Super Princess Peach back in 2006, as it mixed up the usual Mario formula and presentation in a unique way. A new Peach-led platformer struck me as long overdue, so Princess Peach: Showtime! intrigued me from its initial announcement. What’s here is pleasant and breezy, though it’s nothing revolutionary or game-changing.
The main mechanic of Showtime! revolves around Peach taking on different roles from the plays and performances taking place at the theater in which the game is set. These range from combat-focused things like a ninja or martial arts master to more unusual ones like a patisserie and mermaid. Each stage and objective varies depending on the role, which is one of the biggest benefits of the game.
Some levels have you going through fairly standard and straightforward platforming stages while knocking away enemies, while others have you decorating cakes or singing to control fish and performing some light puzzle-solving. This variety of objectives is likely the title’s greatest strength, as it provides you with refreshingly diverse and rather enjoyable stages between the somewhat average platforming ones. Using all the unique abilities can be good fun for a short while – not unlike a more simple Kirby game – and they each only get a couple of stages, which keeps them from getting old too quickly.
“You can tell that a lot of creativity went into figuring out how to portray these fantastical situations as though they were taking place on a live stage.“
As you complete stages, you save performers and denizens in the theater while battling bosses. None of the boss fights are too similar to one another, with a couple featuring some rather clever ideas. Being able to use coins gained in levels to unlock new dress designs for Peach and her ribbon friend Stella adds a bit of extra fun to a playthrough and gives you more of a reason to collect coins than most Mario games do.
The visual style of Showtime! is a highlight as well, with all of Peach’s role-specific costumes standing out. As a big theater guy, I especially loved the theatrical/stage show look that each level utilized. You can tell that a lot of creativity went into figuring out how to portray these fantastical situations as though they were taking place on a live stage. It’s a charming aesthetic that really works and sets this title apart from other Mario titles.
One issue with Showtime! that seems to continue to become more common as the years go on is its frame rate. Throughout the game, the frame rate never seems too consistent, often wavering noticeably, with the worst drops thankfully occurring on the load screens. The sooner we can get a follow-up to the Switch, the better, as I’d love to play these newer Nintendo titles with more smooth and consistent frame rates.
The Final Word
Princess Peach: Showtime! is a completely fine platformer with plenty of fun ideas seeded between some pretty standard platforming levels. The presentation and different classes for Peach make the game stand out, though the technical performance and slightly repetitive nature of the game make it more of a neat experiment than a must-play title.
MonsterVine Rating: 3.5 out of 5 – Fair
