Highlights

  • The new characters in Princess Peach: Showtime add a fresh flavor to the Mario universe, making the game stand out from the rest.
  • The Theets, unique NPC characters in the game, have potential to appear in future mainline Mario games due to their charm and backstory.
  • Princess Peach: Showtime incorporates mechanics from the mainline Mario series, showcasing the depth and richness of the franchise.

The greater Mario universe is expanding thanks to the new characters added in Princess Peach: Showtime, which include villains like Grape and the Sour Bunch, as well as the Theets that populate Sparkle Theater. While some classic Mario characters like Toads make appearances as NPCs, Princess Peach: Showtime succeeds at having a flavor all its own thanks to the introduction of these original characters. However, the Theets are a unique group of NPC characters that deserve to be more than just one-off characters in a spin-off game, with the potential to appear in a future mainline Mario game.

The Mario franchise is famous for its wide cast of beloved characters that players will encounter throughout Mario's adventures. Unfortunately, many of these characters only end up appearing in one or two entries before the series moves on to another adventure, as was the case with characters like Vivian from Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door and Geno from Super Mario RPG. It would be a shame if the Theets followed this trend since they are very charming and Princess Peach: Showtime time teases an interesting backstory for them that could be fleshed out in a future title.

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Princess Peach: Showtime Wears its Mainline Mario Series Inspirations on Its Sleeve

Despite being a spin-off title starring the titular princess, mechanics from the mainline Mario series can be found within Princess Peach: Showtime.

Princess Peach: Showtime’s Theets Deserve Another Series Appearance

Princess Peach: Showtime depicts the Theets as the residents and actors of Sparkle Theater who are eager to aid Peach on her quest to regain control of the venue from the nefarious Grape and her Sour Bunch. Despite being stage actors, these Theets have shown that they are somewhat timid creatures, often needing Peach's encouragement through the power of Sparkle to give them the confidence boost necessary to stand up to the Sour Bunch. Theets also appear to have some connection to electricity, with their bulb-shaped noses lighting up to help illuminate the stage during a performance.

While Theets play a big role in Peach's adventure throughout Princess Peach: Showtime, there is still a lot of mystery surrounding their lore and history that is worth exploring in a future game. Players get a glimpse of this lore in The Case of the Missing Mural level, wherein Peach transforms into Detective Peach and helps uncover the mystery of who stole a priceless mural from the local museum. During this stage, players will find various artifacts relating to the Theets and their connection to the power of Sparkle, which suggests a deeper lore surrounding these beings is waiting to be uncovered.

How Theets Could Play into Another Mario Game

It might be tough for Theets to appear in another game set beyond Sparkle Theater since it seems like they don't travel much outside of it. However, like the Piantas of Isle Delfino in Super Mario Sunshine, it's possible that some of the Theets could travel to other locations around the Mario universe and run into the plumber on one of his future adventures. Theets seem like prime candidates to appear in a new Mario sports game or Mario Party, much like how previously established races tend to appear in these types of games that bring together many aspects of the franchise.

However, the lore surrounding the Theets deserves to be explored in depth in a mainline Mario game, rather than confining them to spin-off game limbo. If the next 3D Mario title is Super Mario Odyssey 2, it would be the perfect opportunity to bring Theets back and allow Mario to travel to their home of Sparkle Theater and its surrounding city. Being able to more thoroughly explore this environment and potentially uncover the history of the Theets would give these characters the development they deserve and could cement them as one of the franchise's best NPC character races.