REVIEW: ‘Princess Peach: Showtime!’ Turns Peach Into A Jack Of All Trades, Master Of Some (Switch)

The old saying goes that “clothes make the man,” but what about a princess? Princess Peach: Showtime! proves that sometimes a royal costume change is all you need to tackle your problems and save the day. From developer Good-Feel and published by Nintendo, the latest solo Princess Peach outing is a short but sweet experience, even if it does prioritize style over substance.

Hijinks ensue when Princess Peach visits a theater that quickly falls under attack. This endangers the venue and the Theets, the small humanoid creatures that produce and act in the shows. She is forced to participate in the plays to save everyone from Madame Grape instead of simply watching them. Teaming up with a small floating companion named Stella, Peach can take part in the plays in various roles. Whether it’s as a singing mermaid, a martial arts master, a pastry chef or another of the ten available roles, Peach saves the day against the villainous Sour Bunch. These outfits were the most enjoyable aspect of Princess Peach: Showtime! giving Peach fun, new abilities that allowed her to fit right in.

Unfortunately, not all costumes were equally engaging or fun to use. On the positive end of the spectrum, the Patisserie outfit lacked combat abilities but allows Peach to engage in cookie-baking and cake-decorating mini-games to feed the hungry masses. Likewise, the Figure Skater role allows Peach to glide across the ice, and the Mermaid costume gave her the ability to control marine life with her singing, and both culminated in a rhythm game.

On the other hand, the Martial Artist, Cowboy, and other combat-oriented classes largely felt the same. The stages and the thrilling set pieces they culminated in felt distinct, but by the end, it started to feel a little repetitive. When the stories become more outlandish, such as turning Peach into a massive space warrior to fight aliens or putting her on horseback to stop a runaway train, Princess Peach: Showtime! really shines. It’s a shame that these moments occur near the end of each play’s narrative.

True to the structure of a play, each story players can experience takes part in three acts, each of which is a self-contained stage. The first introduces the conflict, costume, and Peach’s new abilities, while the second stage escalates the tension. The final stage of each story sees Peach rescuing the Sparklas and teaming up with them. These special Theets were the stars of their shows before they were captured, requiring that Peach fill their role. These finales contained some of the most spectacular moments in the game, but there’s not enough of them. Additional stages or bonus areas may have run the risk of overusing some of the stages’ gimmicks, but the current state just left us wanting more.

While the story establishes a flimsy pretense for Peach’s transformations, it doesn’t quite make sense. The Sour Bunch’s role is unclear; presumably there was some sort of conflict in the various plays before the villains took over the theater, but it’s unclear how the plays were meant to unfold naturally. The Sour Bunch provides an antagonistic force that fits neatly into each story.  Whether they’re abducting the mermaid singer before the big show, or appearing as a rival martial artist kidnapping your master’s family, they play their role perfectly. It doesn’t detract from the overall experience, it’s just a strange story quirk.

Another oddity is the game’s performance. The stages ran flawlessly, even with all the action, but when loading in and out of a stage, Princess Peach: Showtime! really slowed down. A slideshow loading screen isn’t the end of the world, but this also contributed to lengthy loading times. On its own, it’s not a dealbreaker, but it is worthy of note.

Fans of Princess Peach will likely enjoy her latest adventure, and there’s even something to be found for completionists. Each stage contains a number of collectibles, some of which are necessary to advance the story, while others unlock cosmetics, such as new dress patterns for Peach or appearances for Stella. Some require looking under every proverbial rock, while others require the player to excel at the various mini-games, and will have players coming back to each stage multiple times to find every last item. Other players may notice a distinct lack of difficulty, with most stages never posing a threat to Peach’s health pool. Even if Peach loses all her health, she only goes back to the most recent checkpoint, a few coins poorer for the experience.

Despite this, Princess Peach: Showtime! remains a worthwhile endeavor. With a focus on style over substance and a lack of any real friction in gameplay, Princess Peach: Showtime! is not going to provide a deeply engrossing experience. However, fans of the character and people looking for a relaxing jaunt into the dramatic arts will find plenty to enjoy. Ultimately, despite some setbacks, there’s enough to warrant a second show.

Princess Peach: Showtime! is available on Nintendo Switch.