Summary
After a long wait,Princess Peach: Showtimefinally gives Nintendo’s iconic princess her due with a solo adventure set in the brand-new locale of Sparkle Theater. WhilePrincess Peach: Showtimemay shed some of the coreMarioseries elements in favor of adopting its own identity, the fact that nearly 20 years have passed since Peach’s last starring role is worthy of celebration on its own. Given how popular Peach is among fans, and how unique of a gamePrincess Peach: Showtimeis, Nintendo needs to fast-track the next solo Peach game so fans aren’t left waiting to see what else is possible with this character.
BeforePrincess Peach: Showtime, the last timePeach starred in her own adventure was inSuper Princess Peach, released in 2006 for the Nintendo DS. Although she would appear as a playable character in otherMariotitles in the time between these games, Peach never got to have the same level of character development as others in the franchise due to the lack of Peach-centric titles available. With how farPrincess Peach: Showtimegoes to introduce unique gameplay ideas and build upon the foundation laid bySuper Princess Peach, the next game starring the princess can’t have the same lengthy gap between releases.
Princess Peach: Showtime Proves There Are a Lot of Unique Ideas to Explore within a Solo Peach Game
While it may be somewhatcontroversial forPrincess Peach: Showtimeto sideline the majority of theMariouniverse’s established characters and settings in favor of original ones, these unique aspects give the game its own identity and showcase what is possible for Peach when she is not tied to Mario and friends. Giving Peach the villain of Grape to face off against created a new dynamic between the heroine and her foe, and having the Theets act as a supporting cast introduced new possibilities for the series to explore these characters' lore.Princess Peach: Showtimehas helped expand the greaterMariofranchise in a way that deserves to be replicated.
Thegameplay ofPrincess Peach: Showtimeis also perfect to be expanded upon in a future title as well. Having each stage tell its own self-contained story using the specific mechanics afforded by its transformation for Peach allows the game to continually introduce new ideas that could be taken to the next level in a sequel or future Peach solo game. With this type of foundation laid, it would be a waste for Peach to be relegated to a supporting character when there is still so much more of her character that could be explored.
Princess Peach: Showtime’s Missed Opportunities Could Be Rectified in a Sequel
Princess Peach: Showtimedoes a great job of setting the stage for a potential sequel, given the nature of its level-specific transformations that could be added to in a follow-up title. A sequel toPrincess Peach: Showtimein the near future would not only help build Peach’s character in a solo setting but also create a new opportunity to feature some of the ideas that were missed in this original title. A major element that aPrincess Peach: Showtimesequelcould tackle is the history of Sparkle Theater and the backstory behind the Theets.
Other missed opportunities that aPrincess Peach: Showtimesequel could include would be more references to forgottenMariocharacters, such asPeach’s faithful steward, Toadsworth. Although the game succeeds by adopting its own identity, a potential sequel could use that identity to weave elements of the coreMarioseries back into it without losing what made the original game unique. This scenario would create the perfect opportunity forPrincess Peach: Showtimeto tie together its status as a spin-off and the largerMariofranchise by featuring more of the series' classic staples.
