Princess Peach: Showtime Is A Tasting Menu Of Different Genres
Princess Peach: Showtime defies easy categorization. Princess Peach has had her own starring vehicle before, the 2005 DS game Super Princess Peach, but that game was a straightforward platformer. Every new trailer for Showtime displays such a variety of mechanics I’ve been left wondering: What the heck is this game? Having now gotten an extended hands-on, the answer isn’t as mysterious as I’d thought. It’s a sampler of different genres, presented simply, seemingly intended to help new players get a hang of them. That may mean it doesn’t scratch the itch of experienced capital-G Gamers, but it’s a sweet idea to let Princess Peach–fresh off her starring role in the blockbuster Mario movie–be the one to gently usher in a new generation of players.
The story begins when Peach and her loyal Toad companions are invited to a playhouse and decide to take in the show. Shortly after arriving, the theater is taken over by a villainess named Grape and her Sour Bunch minions, tossing out the Toads, locking the doors, and rewriting all the plays. Left by herself with a bunch of panicking playhouse workers–a new race of silly-looking creatures called Theets–Peach takes it upon herself to step into each play and restore order.
My demo included five of the costumes–swordfighter, ninja, cowgirl, patissiere, and the newly revealed figure skater. While each version feels roughly similar in terms of movement, every costume has very different mechanics and even stage goals that make them all feel distinct. Princess Peach: Showtime is like a sampler box of chocolates–they’re all chocolate, but the filling sets them apart from each other.