Highlights
- Princess Peach Showtime embraces the stage play theory in the Super Mario universe, as evident from its theatrical setting and play-like levels.
- The game offers a variety of gameplay mechanics and genres, with Peach's different outfits suiting each world's theme, reminiscent of a series of plays starring her.
- While it's unclear if the developers are intentionally paying homage to the stage play theory, Princess Peach Showtime adds a distinct feel to the Mario franchise and keeps fans engaged with the discussion about the theory.
The theatrical presentation of Princess Peach Showtime could lend credence to a popular theory surrounding the Super Mario Bros. universe. From what has been shown so far, the game looks to go all out with its theme. While this could be simply to go along with the game's gimmick, similar to Super Mario Bros. Wonder's Wonder Flowers, looking at it from a certain angle could give fans a different perspective. Princess Peach Showtime already has a lot of attention due to its gameplay reveal, and it's probably going to continue to be a source of interest for Mario fans.
After many years, Princess Peach is getting her own game for the first time since 2005's Super Princess Peach. In the new title, Princess Peach Showtime, what was supposed to be a fun night at the theater ended up being crashed by the Wicked Grape and the Sour Bunch, who attack the various shows being put on. With the cast and crew helpless against this threat, Peach takes up the duty of driving off the Sour Bunch and making sure that the theater will be able to continue its productions. Armed with an array of new powers and transformations, it could be Peach's most impressive showing yet, though it also has fans thinking about a classic theory rooted in the mainline Super Mario games.
Princess Peach Showtime Seems to Play Into the Super Mario Stage Play Theory
It's not hard to find a theory surrounding Princess Peach Showtime, because it's ingrained in the game's setting. Peach's adventure taked place over several stages, which are all set up like a theater production. There are cardboard obstacles that look like set props and scenery, and Peach gets several outfits that suit each world's genre in question. For example, a Sherlock Holmes-styled outfit as a detective, or a musketeer-like outfit for a swashbuckling adventure. It's as though they're a series of plays all starring Peach, and that plays into the common theory that the Super Mario games are all actually stage productions.
Past games have given players reason to wonder, most notably fan favorite Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door having its fights take place on a stage, with impressing the audience actually being a mechanic. Shigeru Miyamoto has even likened Super Mario Bros. 3 to a play, and the game itself matches the aesthetic, up to including a stage curtain in the intro sequence. It seems like Princess Peach Showtime will take this aesthetic even further, even explicitly taking place at a theater. If nothing else, the stage play gimmick should offer a lot of fun and interesting opportunities for stages and boss battles.
The idea of all the Super Mario characters being actors would make sense regarding the long-running Mario Kart series and other such spin-offs. After all, Bowser and his minions constantly appearing alongside Mario and friends in these endeavors would make less sense if they were legitimate archenemies. In that sense, Princess Peach Showtime could be seen as a game that's pulling back the curtain a bit more, so to speak. The stage play setting of the levels can feel like a wink and a nod, with the levels being more obviously portrayed like plays than other games in the Super Mario universe.
It's impossible to say whether anyone working on Princess Peach Showtime had the stage play theory in mind, but Princess Peach Showtime hearkening back to Paper Mario is a solid move regardless. It gives the game a distinct feel compared to other Mario titles, and it looks to take advantage of the different genres of the plays by offering a good variety of gameplay mechanics. Whether this is a happy coincidence or a nod to the theory is hard to tell. Whatever the case, Princess Peach Showtime can certainly get one thinking about the Super Mario stage play theory, and will likely continue to do so after release.
Princess Peach Showtime will be released on March 22, 2024.
