We are in 2024 and in video games, as in other industries, we are striving to offer another image of women. And it's true that Peach, until now, was just the princess in a long candy pink dress that Mario had to save each time. A big cliché as old as time that Nintendo has nevertheless tried to break on several occasions, like in 2005, 20 years ago when the young woman was entitled to her own platform game on Nintendo DS. But since then, nothing, it was a total shortage, and even if she was playable in the last Super Mario Wonder, seeing her return in her own adventure is something that we welcomed with a smile. To justify his return to business, the writers at Nintendo decided to send him to the Théâtre, not des Variétés, but de l'Etincelle, a highly distinguished place in the Mushroom Kingdom, but which will be the subject of an attack suddenly by Syrah, a sort of evil magician/witch who will transform the place into an area of trials and dangers to be overcome; all surrounded by the theme of theater which will adapt both to the visual, but also to the gameplay. And as is often the case with Nintendo productions, this is where the magic will happen.
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KEEP FISHING
Roughly speaking, Peach will have to wander the corridors of this large theater where rooms will allow her to access specific tests, some with a costume to unlock. These outfits, as you can imagine, will allow him to access new skills. In swordsman mode, Peach can use her blade to cut whatever she wants, including branches and thorns that previously blocked her path. When she puts on her ninja outfit, Peach gains agility but also stealth. Indeed, our princess is capable of bouncing off walls, but can also be discreet to surprise her enemies from behind, without forgetting her two kunais which will even pierce the metal armor of certain enemies. There are costumes less inclined to fight, such as the pastry chef's outfit where she goes through a series of recipes in party game mode, or even that of the detective where she thinks she is Sherlock Holmes, but everything is adapted to the situation. Of course, by accumulating outfits, Peach can move from one gameplay to another, although certain outfits are reserved for very specific passages of the game. For example, the ice skater outfit is only used to perform acrobatic tricks. , like the mermaid costume which is only accessible during aquatic passages. Real-time transformations are therefore limited to a few outfits only, especially since Peach can call on her friend Stella, a star who gave her a headband that allows her to hit enemies with it. In total, there are 10 transformations ranging from the ninja to the superheroine, including the secret agent, the kung fu master, or even the cowgirl and the others that we have already mentioned.
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In any case, the idea with Princess Peach Showtime is to advance through the levels with a certain dose of fun and great variety. Each area of the theater offers its share of rooms to discover, each having a very specific theme and therefore the right costume to use. A structure that is a bit reminiscent of Super Mario 64 and its castle that you also had to discover, with the difference that with Peach, there is no challenge compared to the Mario of the Nintendo 64, and that is voluntary. In no case did Nintendo want to impose a harsh difficulty on players, especially since the manufacturer knows full well that it is the young female audience who will be interested in the title. Obviously, when you are an adult in your 30s or 40s who has been playing video games forever, this Princess Peach Showtime would not present any difficulty, the enemies, including bosses, being childishly simple to beat. I don't think I ever died once in the game. As for my 10 year old daughter, she didn't find the game very difficult either, but she had fun finding as many collectibles as possible. in each level. Because like any platform and adventure game from Nintendo, Princess Peach Showtime has a replay value that encourages the player to come back to it, even after having finished the game the first time. It will take you between 6 and 8 hours to complete the adventure in a straight line, approximately 3 hours more if you want to recover everything.
As is often the case with Nintendo, it is the gameplay that takes precedence and with Princess Peach Showtime, the manufacturer is targeting a very specific audience. However, in terms of production, the title has a rather attractive plasticity, often playing on perspectives. If we are more on a platformer with a 2.5D view, the game does not hesitate to shake up the viewing angles to vary the pleasures and have fun with this theme of theater and therefore of the stage. Between the sets which change or rotate to renew themselves, the projectors which capture the attention in a precise way, Princess Peach Showtime gives the feeling of attending a performance of a play, it's quite pleasant. There are also some beautiful flashes, like this shoot'em up passage where Peach, but also the enemies, evolve like puppets hanging on strings. A great idea. On the other hand, there is a downside, that of the frame-rate which is a little wobbly and which proves that optimization was not the strong point of the Good-Feel studio. It's to them that we owe the game Yoshi's Crafted Story and it's true that we find some visual similarities there. Still, Princess Peach Showtime finds a way to see its frame rate drop during cutscenes and even loading screens, complete madness.
