Highlights

  • Princess Peach: Showtime gives Peach her overdue solo adventure, showcasing unique gameplay ideas and expanding the Mario franchise.
  • The game's setting in Sparkle Theater adds a fresh twist, setting the stage for potential sequels and further character development.
  • Despite missing opportunities, a sequel to Princess Peach: Showtime could blend unique elements with classic Mario series staples.

After a long wait, Princess Peach: Showtime finally gives Nintendo's iconic princess her due with a solo adventure set in the brand-new locale of Sparkle Theater. While Princess Peach: Showtime may shed some of the core Mario series 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 game Princess Peach: Showtime is, 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.

Before Princess Peach: Showtime, the last time Peach starred in her own adventure was in Super Princess Peach, released in 2006 for the Nintendo DS. Although she would appear as a playable character in other Mario titles 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 far Princess Peach: Showtime goes to introduce unique gameplay ideas and build upon the foundation laid by Super Princess Peach, the next game starring the princess can't have the same lengthy gap between releases.

princess-peach-showtime-mario-3d-world
Related
Princess Peach: Showtime, Super Mario 3D World Prove One Aesthetic Works Wonders for the Franchise

Princess Peach: Showtime and Super Mario 3D World are different in many ways, but they share one aesthetic that has become popular for the franchise.

Princess Peach: Showtime Proves There Are a Lot of Unique Ideas to Explore within a Solo Peach Game

While it may be somewhat controversial for Princess Peach: Showtime to sideline the majority of the Mario universe'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: Showtime has helped expand the greater Mario franchise in a way that deserves to be replicated.

The gameplay of Princess Peach: Showtime is 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

A screenshot of Princess Peach and two Toads in Princess Peach: Showtime.

Princess Peach: Showtime does 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 to Princess Peach: Showtime in 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 a Princess Peach: Showtime sequel could tackle is the history of Sparkle Theater and the backstory behind the Theets.

Other missed opportunities that a Princess Peach: Showtime sequel could include would be more references to forgotten Mario characters, such as Peach'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 core Mario series back into it without losing what made the original game unique. This scenario would create the perfect opportunity for Princess Peach: Showtime to tie together its status as a spin-off and the larger Mario franchise by featuring more of the series' classic staples.