By Jade Entien

Ever since I was cast in this year’s spring show, “Sweet Charity” at my college, I haven’t had much time for myself. Rehearsals start at 6:30 pm and sometimes go as late as 10 pm. I was tired every night and feeling like a night owl forced to take early bird classes. After hours of singing and dancing, I was too tired to do anything when I got home.

That is, until Princess Peach: Showtime!

Never before had I played and enjoyed a Nintendo game so much. I asked my friend if I could borrow their Switch for a week, since I had decided to leave mine back home in the city in order to focus on the musical. Initially, I was suspicious of the game. I believe I’m right to be skeptical about any $40+ game – can I get enough from it to justify the price? The last game I believe a game was worth its $60 asking price was Baldur’s Gate 3. But I can now report that I truly can’t remember the last time I enjoyed a Nintendo game as much as I did Princess Peach: Showtime! I found the outfits, the music, and the story behind it to be a lot of fun, and there were very few things I thought were lacking. 

Princess Peach: Showtime! opens with Peach and some Toads going to the majestic Sparkle Theater, the design of which I thought was incredible. The theater was massive and themed with reds and gold; it’s like as if Broadway was one big building. However, before the group can get situated, Grape and her minions, the Sour Bunch, take over the theater and change it completely. The red and gold exterior is grape purple now, and Grape’s minions ruin all the performances. It’s as if someone spoke the name of the infamous Scottish Play (Macbeth); as a performer myself, I dare not think about it. Of course, I went into the game bitter, thinking that Grape and the Sour Bunch had to be one of the most unoriginal, unmemorable names for a Nintendo villain and villain group. I wondered why Peach’s adversary couldn’t have been one of the Koopalings, specifically Wendy. And then I came to a realization. Perhaps the names Grape and the Sour Bunch stem from the importance of grapes in theater. Grapes are a symbol of Dionysus, the androgynous Greek god of theater, wine and a good time. Perhaps there was method to Nintendo’s madness. But then throughout the rest of the game, there aren’t any more Bacchus, or Dionysus, references. 

The gameplay of Princess Peach: Showtime! is nothing short of magnificent; it feels like a bunch of mini games in one. Every stage in the Sparkle Theater houses a different show with a different gameplay mechanic: there’s platforming, combat, and at one point, a rhythmic battle. In each show, Peach has to transform into a different costumed character to beat the Sour Bunch bosses. But although she can use the sparkle power of the theater’s guardian, Stella, this isn’t enough to beat the Sour Bunch. I’m in love with the show Detective Peach, because of its investigative gameplay and Peach’s cute Sherlock Holmes-inspired outfit. The gameplay for Detective Peach reminded me of Ace Attorney, a series I’m very fond of. Similar to Ace Attorney, Peach has to identify possible items to help with her case, and if she focuses on an item that doesn’t, she loses a heart. Once she loses too many hearts, it’s curtains for Peach. 

In addition to the shows having different problems for Peach to solve and different play styles, each pays homage to a different genre of theatrical performances, such as the western, theater on ice, mystery, staged combat, and others. Given more time, I bet I could find little Easter eggs or references to Broadway plays or musicals throughout my playthrough.

Princess Peach: Showtime! might be a one-off game, the only of its kind in the Super Mario franchise. I’d be surprised if Grape and the Sour Bunch show up again as recurring antagonists for Princess Peach, for a few reasons. The bosses are unique, but I was a bit confused about why they belonged there – why animals? Why in a theater? Why not other costumed humanoid villains similar to Grape? But actually fighting the bosses were enough to satiate my needs, especially in the case of Light Fang, the snake-like Darkle boss Peach encounters. Hiding behind pillars and climbing platforms to defeat Light Fang without being caught in its beam was quite the challenge. 

I’m glad Peach has a new dedicated game, since it’s been so many years since her last one, which was 2005’s Super Princess Peach. Nintendo seems to be improving the gender diversity in its main characters, and Mario has had his time to shine. For most of the series’ history, Peach has been either a love interest with not a lot going for her narrative-wise, or a playable character in the sports/racing games Nintendo puts out. But at least partly due to the more opinionated character of Peach in The Super Mario Bros. Movie, I think a lot of fans have been hoping for more out of Peach, and eager to see her evolve into an independent female character with a story of her own.

Jade Entien is an NYVGCC senior intern, a sophomore at SUNY Cortland with a major in Communication studies and passion for Theatre as a minor.

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