Princess: Peach Showtime is the first game since 2005 to feature the titular princess as the protagonist, instead of a supporting character for Mario and company. In fact, it appears she (and a few Toads) are the only familiar faces players will see as they seek to reclaim Sparkle Theater from Wicked Grape and the Sour Brunch. That doesn't mean she's alone, however, as she's joined by Stella who grants the Princess the power of Sparkle. The premise is simple, yet engaging, as players are let loose in the Theater, akin to exploring Peach's Castle in Mario 64 or one of the haunted locations of Luigi's Mansion.

The entire game takes place within the Sparkle Theater, as players seek to save each show disrupted by the Sour Brunch. On each floor, there are a handful of plays for Peach to tackle in any order, but players won't be able to proceed to the next floor until the current one is clear. Game ZXC was recently able to play through the first floor of Princess Peach: Showtime, as well as a later level for Figure Skater Peach.

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Right now, there are 10 Princess Peach transformations confirmed so far, and we've played 5 of them: Swordfighter Peach, Patissier Peach, Ninja Peach, Cowgirl Peach, and Figure Skater Peach. These transformations are definitely where Princess Peach: Showtime shines and takes advantage of its simple control scheme. For the most part, players can jump with one button, use the Power of Sparkle with another, and strike a pose by hitting both bumpers, yet the game takes full advantage of this. Not only can Princess Peach defeat enemies with the Power of Sparkle, but she can also interact with the environment, encourage the downtrodden denizens of the theater, and use the powers of her transformations once she takes on that role.

Poses, meanwhile, allow Princess Peach to interact with the stage in different ways. The main element is finding spotlights across the map, which are not immediately noticeable, and posing to unlock secrets. This could be a couple of coins or could be a quick stop backstage. Movement is also multi-faceted in some levels, as Ninja Peach can hide herself by pushing up against a wall, but otherwise it operates as someone might expect. Princess Peach: Showtime is going to be a lot of fun, but perhaps doubly so for completionists as it gives plenty of incentive to check every nook and cranny.

Playing Swordfighter Peach

Swordfighter Peach and her level is pretty straightforward. A fabled hero must save a town in this play, and Peach becomes the fabled hero meant to save the day. This level really showcases how creative the game's simple control scheme can be. Acquiring the Swordfighter form doesn't change much, as her Power of Sparkle becomes a sword strike and her jump remains a jump. However, players gain the ability to perform a riposte. Attacking or jumping when an opponent attacks allows Peach to jump over them, with a nice slowed-time animation, and get the upper hand in the combat. There's also a nice pace for combat encounters in the play, with Peach sometimes fighting a handful of smaller opponents, fighting a significant number of them once used to the form, and facing off with a few mini-bosses and such. Swordfighter Peach is a pure distillation of Princess Peach: Showtime's core premise - elegance, simplicity, and fun.

Playing Cowgirl Peach

The Cowgirl level is filled to the brim with Western tropes: there's a robbery, a lasso, a chase scene, and some good old-fashioned face-offs for good measure. First, players must sneak around a robbery before obtaining the Cowgirl Peach transformation. This turns her Power of Sparkle into a Lasso, which can be used to grab and toss enemies. It can also be used to save innocent country folks and grab and hold onto barrels to toss. After the Sour Brunch makes off with the money, players must chase and lasso enemies across a few screens before coming to the boss fight. It requires players to be mindful of what they lasso, as the boss shoots some larger-than-life bullets (though not Bullet Bill) and barrels at the players. They must weave and dodge the bullets, while lassoing the barrels and using them to defeat the boss. The in-and-out movements, the fun play on common Western tropes, and the general vibe of the level will make it hard for any Princess Peach: Showtime player to forget.

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Playing Ninja Peach

Ninja Peach was our favorite level because it was the most innovative with its simple controls, while introducing fun stealth elements. The play's story and gameplay have strong Naruto vibes, as they feature things such as forbidden scrolls, wall hides, and substitution jutsus. Before obtaining the Ninja Peach transformation, Peach must avoid detection by the enemies, but the entire level changes once she acquires it. She can then interact with the environment in numerous ways, using a reed to stealth through water, hiding in tall grass by sticking up two bigger blades of grass (notably the spotlight turns green too), performing wall jumps, or pressing herself against a wall to pull up a sheet and hide. Players have to avoid detection from spotlights, while engaging enemies and working their way slowly and methodically through the level.

If she is spotted, she performs a substitution jutsu (complete with the log pop-up like in Naruto) and returns to an earlier section of the play. She spends the level searching for a Ninjutsu master and chasing a Sour Brunch enemy in pursuit of an important scroll. At one point, she even performs some form of water ninjutsu that sees her ride a giant wave through the chase. Overall, this one level accomplishes something that defines entire stealth games, and it innovates on all the potential of it to boot. If all the levels are half as fun as Ninja Peach's is, Princess Peach: Showtime could be an early GOTY contender.

Playing Patissier Peach

Patissier Peach is by far the most unique transformation we played, as her Power of Sparkle is more or less contextualized by the task at hand. After the Sour Brunch steals all the delicacies prepared for a celebration, Patissier Peach has to step in, find ingredients, bake cookies, and decorate cakes to save the day. There's less combat than other Princess Peach: Showtime stages because it essentially becomes something akin to Overcooked. To bake cookies, players must whisk the ingredients quickly without overdoing them, as that could burn the cookies. There's a "sweet spot" for players to hit as they quickly move between each station. The game also attempts to throw players off as Peach will sometimes receive help from the kitchen, which doubles the whisking speed.

Players must then decorate a couple of cakes within a time limit. This requires players to move Peach in certain patterns over the cake, with it being "completed" when the white-to-pink icing becomes something more delicious-looking. It's a great way to make some pretty cakes in-game or to make some absolute disasters, with the time limit ensuring that both are easily possible. It plays a lot like a cooking simulation game, and it's undeniably fun. Later on, Princess Peach: Showtime players get to take a look back at their delicious creations (or monstrosities), bringing the whole level full circle.

Playing Figure Skater Peach

The Sparkle Theater hosts a figure skating showcase, but that too is hijacked by the Sour Brunch. Players must fight as they make their way across a snow-covered landscape to get to the Showcase's tent, where the figure skaters have all been chased off or converted by the Sour Brunch. Once Peach acquires the Figure Skater transformation, her movements change as her jump becomes a midair twirl and her Power of Sparkle becomes a quick spin on the ground. The movement on ice feels really good too, and there is also a hilarious animation if normal Peach just stops moving while on it.

As Figure Skater Peach, players must time and control their movements well around various environmental hazards and complete tasks marked on the ground: the yellow icon telling players to jump, the blue telling players to spin. The boss fight of this Princess Peach: Showtime level is also unique in that it's not any form of real combat, but a synchronized skating competition. Players must outperform the enemy, while hitting them with the Power of Sparkle to scatter their synchronized skater formation. Players must bring the brainwashed skaters to their side and use them to defeat the boss, saving this performance from the dastardly enemies.

Ultimately, Princess Peach: Showtime is a shining star of all things Nintendo game design. It's so simple that anyone can pick it up, but it's so well done that anyone of any age will enjoy chasing its secrets, engaging in its transformation, and being the star of the show. Luckily, Princess Peach: Showtime's release date is right around the corner, so fans don't have to wait long for the spotlight.