Review: Princess Peach: Showtime! - A Theatrical Triumph

After years of being rescued or being a secondary character in Mario games, Peach exudes splendor in her newest game: Princess Peach: Showtime!

Bringing mechanics and environments that will remind many players of the classic Mario 64, this new game shows how simple mechanics, attention to detail, variation of scenarios and rhythm can be the combination to make an extremely fun game that pleases players of all ages.

Check out our review now with all the details of what you will find in this newest Nintendo IP!

Princess to the rescue!

In other games, Princess Peach is always kidnapped or put in danger due to a greater evil. In this game, everything is very different.

Peach was walking with Toad when they heard about the opening of a new theater called Sparkle Teather through a poster and decided to go check out the show. When you get there, it is full of creatures called Theets.

The theater is then attacked by a villain who wears a theatrical mask, who introduces herself as Madame Grape. It steals all the splendor of the place and imprisons the protagonists of each piece.

With the help of a magical lasso called Stella, Peach must fight Grape's minions, known as the Sour Bunch, to restore the splendor of the place, in addition to rescuing the missing actors.

Gameplay

Princess Peach: Showtime! is a platform game with several built-in mechanics. The theater has many floors and a basement, where each one has four phases with different themes, and according to each theme, we will have unique gameplay.

In phases related to the Western theme, for example, there is a mix of the use of a lasso, riding across the screen chasing thieves and even a train!

After finishing the four phases of each floor, we will unlock the battle with the boss. We need to spend an amount of Sparkle collected throughout the other phases to face them.

In total, there are ten different themes throughout the game, each divided into three acts, the last being the definitive one to rescue the protagonist of that play.

Collectibles

As mentioned previously, in each phase we will be able to collect Sparkle, which is a kind of bright blue star. It serves to unlock the challenge with the area's boss and as an exchange currency for certain items (these can only be obtained after completing the game).

We will find this item in its complete form most of the time, but in certain parts of the levels, it may be fragmented, making it necessary to collect all its parts to form a complete star.

Like any good Mario-related game, we collect coins when interacting with the scenery and NPCs, these are used to release new clothes for Peach and Stella, in addition, every time we lose all our lives, for the price of 10 coins, we are reborn in the last checkpoint. This cost is not optional, this amount will be deducted from your total coins automatically when you lose all your hearts.

In addition to the coins and Sparkle, we can also collect a ribbon per screen, which unlocks new customizations for our protagonists. These ribbons are obtained after solving small puzzles involving a curious figure, which is always close to a decorated bag.

To find him more easily, always pay attention to places with decorative ribbons and interact with the theater's residents to find him among them and get his new clothes!

Mini-Games

Whenever we complete a floor, we unlock a mini-game related to one of the themes presented in it. These mini-games have bronze, silver and gold ratings. Obtaining the bronze or silver ranks, you will receive a reward in coins, but when you reach the gold rank, in addition to the coins, you will also release a new item in your dressing room!

Secrets

Each phase is made with extreme care, detail and care, covering the theme as much as possible, making the player truly feel like an actor in the middle of that plot.

By pressing the ZR button, we can interact with some places, making Peach dance with NPCs or even strike a pose. When this is done in specific places, the light of a spotlight falls on us, taking us to another area where we can obtain more coins and even a hidden Sparkle star, similar to the secret pipes in Super Mario.

Extras and Post Game

At a certain point in the game, we unlock the photographer who works as follows: when you complete a level 100%, he will add a photo to your album.

In addition to the coins collected in the levels being useful for keeping us alive during a level, we can use them in the store to release more dresses for Peach and Stella.

New mini-games will be released upon finishing the game:

Bosses: You can relive the boss battles, accessing them through posters on each floor.

In the game menu, we will also have access to all the clothes released throughout our journey, music and cinematic present in the game!

The richness in details

The graphics of Princess Peach: Showtime! resemble those found in Mario Odyssey and Wonder, being beautiful, extremely colorful and eye-catching.

Something that draws even more attention is the rich detail of the sets, which to look even more like a theatrical play, have ropes leaving the clouds suspended. Curtains hiding lights and the background of the theater, houses and cities in the background that resemble scenes created with cardboard.

Nothing went unnoticed and everything was done for the greatest possible immersion, always maintaining the theme and clichés present in the game.

Pros and Cons

Pros

Balance between the rhythm of the phases

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Cons

Absence more challenging difficulties

Verdict

Princess Peach: Showtime! masterfully demonstrates how a simple game can be extremely fun, addictive and capable of holding the player's attention. In some moments, it manages to make you feel skilled with its challenges that involve quick time events using just one button and in others it makes you feel like a cunning detective solving puzzles in the best Ace Attorney style, despite the simplicity of the challenges.

I finished the game in a little over five hours, but this time can vary between those looking to complete 100% of each phase, unlock all the clothes and items in the game, and get a gold medal in all the mini-games.

It is possible to notice all the care that Nintendo put into every detail of the sets, costumes and characters. The lines make puns on characters and situations in a light and fun way for children and even adults.

I give Princess Peach: Showtime an 8.5/10 score!

Several games that sell themselves for having thousands of mechanics, combos or even more realistic graphics cannot deliver as much fun as this game did for me.

But comment: will you play this new Peach game or are you playing it? Comment what you think and what you would change about it.

Also check our Mario VS Donkey Kong review!