Princess Peach Showtime for Switch is a fun, breezy time at the theater

For the first time in nearly two decades, Princess Peach is starring in her own game. Her new adventure has a familiar-feeling Super Mario-style set up, though: There’s been a kidnapping, and it’s up to a hero from the Mushroom Kingdom to save the day.

The kidnapee in the case of Princess Peach: Showtime! is a playhouse, the Sparkle Theater, which has been taken over by a villain known as Grape and her henchmen the Sour Bunch. With the aid of a cute ribbon fairy named Stella, Peach embarks on a series of stage plays and performances in order to free the theater from its captors.

Thanks to Stella — roughly Showtime’s version of Cappy from Super Mario Odyssey — Peach can transform into a variety of theatrical roles. In a stage based on a Japanese period piece, Peach can become a ninja, utilizing stealth mechanics and a pair of deadly daggers to knock out guards. As Ninja Peach in a hands-on session, I avoided spotlights that would reveal my position by sneaking through grass and using a bamboo snorkel while hiding underwater. I felt a little like Ninja Gaiden’s Ryu Hayabusa as I wall-jumped onto rooftops and slash-stabbed foes.

Image: Nintendo

In another stage, I became Patisserie Peach, a baker who whipped up cookies in timing-based minigames and decorated cakes with a piping bag. This was much more challenging than being a ninja, surprisingly; while dangling over a giant cake, I tried to match a pattern of buttercream decorations as instructed by some friendly bakers.

Showtime expands Peach’s repertoire in a variety of ways. By acquiring a special ribbon power-up in each play-themed stage, Peach can transform into a cowgirl, a swordfighter, a figure skater, a kung fu master, and more. Nintendo recently revealed that Mermaid Peach, Mighty Peach, and Dashing Thief Peach are also in the game.

Playing as any of these transformations is quite simple. There are really only two buttons players need to worry about: jump and ability. As Cowgirl Peach, my actions involved throwing a lasso to wrangle Sour Bunch lackeys and barrels I could throw. In the case of Swordfighter Peach, the actions are stabs and swipes with a saber. In certain situations, Peach can also riposte an enemy’s attack, but I found most of these moves felt automatic. As Ninja Peach, any time I was caught by a guard, I simply lost a heart’s worth of life (Peach appears to have five, normally) which I could easily recover later.

Image: Nintendo

Whatever penalties exist in Princess Peach: Showtime! are forgiving. This is a game that feels aimed at a younger audience who may find Nintendo games like Super Mario Odyssey or Donkey Kong: Tropical Freeze slightly too challenging. Perhaps that challenge intensifies somewhat in later levels.

For longtime Nintendo fans looking for a challenge, Showtime offers that in a series of collectibles and hidden areas in each stage. Peach can use her ribbon to alter certain props in the environment, which will give her coins and power-ups. And scattered throughout each play are hidden stars and secret rooms. The latter can only be accessed by using the game’s third button — pose, which is mapped to the Switch’s ZL and ZR triggers — when under a special spotlight. I found a few of these rooms during my quick playthrough, and they were fun discoveries.

While Princess Peach: Showtime! may not have the depth and challenge of other Nintendo platformers, it has charm to spare. Each stage’s set is full of nicely rendered props and cute supporting characters, little guys named Theets. And secret rooms are rendered like the backstages of a theater, full of storage containers and scaffolding that support the stage. Getting into these backstage areas helps sell Showtime’s aesthetic of a massive, magical theater.

Image: Nintendo

There were other standout moments in my demo, as well. As Ninja Peach, I got to ride a giant destructive Hokusai wave set decoration. As Figure Skater Peach, I twirled and leapt, skating backward with beautiful animation, then faced a silly villainous ice dancer in a skate-off. As Cowgirl Peach, I took part in a thrilling chase on horseback, bringing the dastardly Sour Bunch gang to justice with my lasso. Like Super Mario Bros. Wonder, Princess Peach: Showtime! appears to be packed with big, stage-changing moments.

One concerning thing I noticed during my playtime, however: Princess Peach: Showtime! was running pretty rough on Nintendo Switch. Loading screens and other transitional moments ran at a very choppy frame rate, a technical issue I was very surprised to see in a first-party Nintendo game. Hopefully those performance issues can be ironed out before launch.

That’s very soon, though. Princess Peach: Showtime! comes to Nintendo Switch on March 22.