Princess Peach Showtime has all of the makings of one of the biggest Switch highlights this year
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Performing powers
As with any new game on the horizon, it’s always best to temper expectations, but there’s so much about Princess Peach Showtime that speaks to me. The adventure takes place in Sparkle Theater, where Peach goes to see a show, but everything is said to take a turn when “the wicked Grape and the Sour Bunch suddenly make their grand entrance”. With the help of a guardian by the name of Stella, Peach gains the power to transform and take on new roles with different abilities to help save the play. The entire concept sets the scene for some creative platforming scenarios, with glimpses of different theater stages. I also love how the abilities even thematically tie into the play premise, with each one altering her outfit as though she’s doing costume changes between scenes.
But it also, more importantly, means we get to see Peach as we never have before. Withthe trailer showing offthe Princess as a detective, kung-fu master, and pastry chef, we even get to see her wield a sword in style. Just as acting allows us to break away from ourselves and broaden our horizons by taking on new roles or putting on someone else’s shoes, Showtime will let Peach step out of her Princess garb and show us new sides of her character. While I’m looking forward to seeing what other powers she might have, there’s already a great little selection which could present some fun and imaginative ways to complete stages in the theater.
It’s also fantastic to see Peach leading her own show and setting out to save the day herself. After playing the remake of Super Mario RPG for the first time this year, I loved seeing Peach be a bit rebellious and join up with Mario and fight alongside him to restore Star Road. It was just a taste, but the thought of jumping into a new adventure that’s hopefully entirely steered by Peach feels long overdue, and I can’t wait to see just how much of a showstopper she’ll be in her own adventure.
See what else is on the horizon with our roundup ofupcoming Switch games.
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I started out writing for the games section of a student-run website as an undergrad, and continued to write about games in my free time during retail and temp jobs for a number of years. Eventually, I earned an MA in magazine journalism at Cardiff University, and soon after got my first official role in the industry as a content editor for Stuff magazine. After writing about all things tech and games-related, I then did a brief stint as a freelancer before I landed my role as a staff writer here at GamesRadar+. Now I get to write features, previews, and reviews, and when I’m not doing that, you can usually find me lost in any one of the Dragon Age or Mass Effect games, tucking into another delightful indie, or drinking far too much tea for my own good.
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