Showtime! Switch on via jeuxvideo.com

Princess Peach is undoubtedly one of the most represented female characters in video games. It is present in more than a hundred (!) video games and can be played in more than 60% of cases. However, there is only one where she is the main character of the story. It’s Super Princess Peach, released in 2005 on the Nintendo DS… Almost 20 years have passed.

An absence was noted in 2023 for the release of the animated film Super Mario Bros. In this adaptation, which was received with enthusiasm by the public, it is Peach who serves as the dominant character. He is the one who trains Mario before going to kick Bowser’s butt in his own castle. So when are we going to have a video game that allows you to play as this strong woman? This opportunity is great for Nintendo who, a few months later, released Princess Peach: Showtime exclusively on Nintendo Switch.

. It’s enough to make you want to see more of the princess in other games in her honor.

Pre-order Princess Peach: The Showtime Nintendo Switch on Amazon.

Story: It only takes one spark

Perhaps looking for a break after her last two grueling adventures (she’s also playable in Super Mario Bros. Wonder), Peach is looking for something to do outside her castle. At the suggestion of her Todd advisors, she then went to the Théâtre de l’Attinsel where a unique performance was performed. As soon as she unpacks her suitcase, she finds herself in a hostage situation despite herself. The infamous Sirah invades the premises with his progeny and disrupts the sessions.

Stella, the guardian of the place who resembles Luma, then begs the princess to help her. She shares a portion of Spark’s power with him, allowing her to interact with the extras in the plays but mostly to appropriate the power of the sparklers. It is thanks to this that the pitch can transform and acquire new abilities. Just enough to allow him to rescue the sparklers from the clutches of Syrah.

Gameplay: And here we go for the show

As is to be expected for a game of this caliber (really, for any Mario game), the plot serves only as a basis for the gameplay, and this pitch video game is no exception. It still needs to be emphasized that choosing theater as a reference is a brilliant idea, not to say sparkling. Theater is a place where different types of performances are performed. And that’s exactly what Princess Peach: Showtime delivers.

Each floor of the building consists of four theater rooms. Each of them represents a level where Peach must wear a specific costume for the performance, each costume itself has three levels where it is playable. There are ten transformations in total: Ninja, Pastry Chef, Swordsman, Cowgirl, Detective, Superhero, Skater, Mermaid, Secret Agent and Kung Fu Master.. Once the four levels of the floor are completed, a new scene opens in the middle to face one of Sirah’s lieutenants. Once defeated, the upper floor unlocks and so on.

An easy-to-understand gameplay loop that manages not to get repetitive due to Pitch’s different roles. Swordsman is more action-oriented where the secret agent borrows from the platform; Ninja relies on infiltration while Kung-Fu has a beat-em-up look. The Good-Feel Studio (already working on Yoshi’s Crafted World) These different ways of playing succeed in making it unique and very accessible. We only regret the absence of a little extra flair for every outfit to make a statement; Just like the repetition of certain transformations (especially the pastry chef and the detective).

A cartoon drama

Princess Peach: Showtime is more oriented towards the general public through its artistic direction. Each level takes about ten minutes to complete. More than a drama, you really feel like you are watching a cartoon. This is the main quality of this pitch game: the story serves the gameplay, which itself serves the general atmosphere of the title. We remember almost every level because the staging was so creative. We’re really immersed in every presentation, whether it’s related to alien invasion or enemy infiltration. This is really the feeling of being both an actor and a spectator. Good-feel shines through with ideas that are not surprising but are executed in such a way that they remain impressive.

A small anecdote to show the care taken by the studio for the decor: we happened to play without sound during our test session. During some levels, it’s impossible not to whistle a song on the screen that matches the atmosphere of the room. A chance to bow your head and salute the atmosphere, but advice to play with the sound. It’s still good.

conclusion