Princess Peach: Showtime! (Nintendo Switch) Review

When I sat down to write my review for Princess Peach: Showtime! I found myself struggling with how to start it. I thought too many writers would make the bold claim that “Princess Peach is finally starring in her own game,” but since Peach has been an active participant in so many games, the idea of suddenly shining a spotlight on one, the sentiment just seemed somewhat disingenuous to me.

But of course, Princess Peach: Showtime! is one of the few games that deviate from the more “traditional” Super Mario plots—as in, there’s no Bowser to kidnap anything and no plumbers to help save the day. Instead, what’s on offer in Princess Peach: Showtime! is a whimsical adventure that puts creativity and fun on center stage and reminds players what makes the iconic princess so beloved.

We all know the plot—thanks to a combination of Nintendo Directs and a playable Demo—but in case you missed it I’ll cover it briefly. Princess Peach: Showtime! begins as Peach is strolling the grounds of her kingdom, when suddenly a Toad runs up to her with a flyer for a grand show at the majestic Sparkle Theater. However, things take a dark turn when the mysterious Lady Grape and her Sour Bunch take over and begin changing all the performances.

What’s worse, the Sour Bunch kidnap the various Sparklas—the stars of each production—leaving each play without their lead actor. Thankfully, Peach is on hand to help save the day and is joined by the theatre’s guardian, Stella; the two will work together to take on the starring roles and save the theatre.

“…what’s on offer in Princess Peach: Showtime! is a whimsical adventure that puts creativity and fun on center stage and reminds players what makes the iconic princess so beloved.”

It’s an incredibly fun plot that finds a solid balance between making things intense and meaningful while maintaining a playful air about the whole thing. Much like Super Mario Bros. 3, the fact that everything is taking place on a stage gives Peach a chance to show off her many unique abilities while never feeling overly serious, giving the whole game a surreal, almost dreamlike vibe.

In the gameplay department, Princess Peach: Showtime! balances a somewhat simple production on a technical level with a massive amount of variety and creative ideas. It’s a fairly straightforward, two-button affair with levels typically playing out in two parts. Starting with Peach moving through the stage, helping various Theets with her Ribbon until she is able to transform into the play’s Star, gaining access to a whole new persona and suite of abilities.

While several abilities act similarly to each other—Swordfighter and Kung Fu Peach are mechanically similar, as are Mighty Peach and Cowgirl Peach—they each add a lot of variety to the game that consistently keeps it fun and charming. Ninja Peach—which was always going to be my favourite—has the Princess utilizing a wide array of tactics and trickery to sneak past and dispatch her opponents, while Mermaid Peach uses her enchanting singing voice to control nearby fish.

“Princess Peach: Showtime! balances a somewhat simple production on a technical level with a massive amount of variety and creative ideas.”

And when the abilities are different, they add such a unique layer of fun to the gameplay. Detective Peach plays like a paired-down Phoenix Wright, where Peach must use contextual clues and clues from other actors to deduce Sour Bunch members hidden within the show. I didn’t think I’d like Patissiere Peach as much as I did, but her gameplay is equally fun and challenging—mainly utilizing a Mario Party–style minigame to match designs on cakes.

Despite their simplicity, I found myself enjoying each ability in the micro and macro sense—I enjoyed not only how they played but how they played out in relation to the performance. But I also love just how much each individual transformation works to capitalize on Peach’s own characteristics. Honestly, there’s a solid foundation for something really special here, and I could see a whole series of games where Princess Peach utilizes these abilities in greater detail.

As a Princess, she embodies a warrior in the Swordfighter and Kung Fu, a strategist in the Ninja, a peacemaker in the Patissiere, a diplomat in the Detective, and a hero in both the Cowgirl and the Mighty persona. Her grace is captured in the Figure Skater, and the way she enchants everyone around her is present in the Mermaid. Maybe I’m overthinking it, but it really does seem like every aspect of Peach was separated and brought to life in this game, giving her a flourish that was always present but never really remarked upon.

Visually, Princess Peach: Showtime! is an absolute delight, playing a lot with the visual conceit that the whole thing is taking place on an elaborate stage. The game has a lot of fun playing around with set design and lighting effects to really commit to the idea of each level being an over-the-top stage performance. Little touches like how the spotlight is always on Peach, how bonus stages happen backstage, or how certain effects are created through light projections add so much charm to the visuals and really bring the whole thing to life.

However, if there’s one area where the game suffers, it’s in the audio. While Princess Peach: Showtime! has a solid soundtrack, everything is just very subdued, never really achieving the bombast and flair that matches the visuals. While it’s not bad, I just wish it would’ve gone really over the top—utilizing a full orchestra or even just an over-the-top soundtrack to really add the kind of campy drama that befits the theatre.

This problem is present in Peach as well. While it may be just a nitpick, Princess Peach sounds a bit off—despite longtime Peach actor Samantha Kelly reprising her role. She lacks that high-pitched, breathy affectation that has somewhat characterized the Princess for so long, and in most of the worded dialogue cues she gets, she sounds a lot more like Rosalina than Peach.

I have no doubt that Princess Peach: Showtime! will end up being a favourite amongst a lot of younger female gamers. Its easy-to-understand gameplay, visual and thematic bombast and commitment to fun are sure to delight. Furthermore, seeing the beloved Princess take a starring role in another game—one that bears her name, no less—will definitely be inspiring to many. I really hope Nintendo continues this Princess Peach series in ways that continue to explore and elevate one of the most beloved characters in gaming history.

Princess Peach: Showtime! can be found on Amazon for $59.99 USD or $79.96 CAD.

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