Peach gets a spectacular makeover on stage in "Princess Peach Showtime!" play review! An action game full of sights and fun!

The main character is Peach!　The story begins in the "Kirameki Theater," which has been taken over!

Princess Peach Showtime!" stars Peach, the princess of the Mushroom Kingdom, a familiar character in the Super Mario Bros. series.
Peach is also remembered for her role as a playable character in the latest title in the series, "Super Mario Bros. Wonder," as well as her appearance in the worldwide hit "The Super Mario Bros. Incidentally, this is the first game starring Peach since "Super Princess Peach" on the Nintendo DS in 2005, almost 20 years ago.

Let's start with the story of this game.

One day, Peach learns of a stage performance at the "Kirameki Theater" from a flyer brought by Kinopio. Peach, together with Kinopio and his friends, immediately went to the Kirameki Theater, where many performances are held in a single theater. ......

Suddenly, mysterious people calling themselves the "Grape Troupe" appear and take over the Kirameki Theater, and Peach is trapped inside the theater. In order to get the theater back, Peach and "Stella," the fairy who has been guarding the theater, must confront the Grape Troupe. ...... is the story of the film.

Unlike the Mushroom Kingdom and the Flower Kingdom in "Super Mario Bros. Wonder," the story takes place in a large theater called the Kirameki Theater, which offers a different kind of excitement from the adventures of Mario and his friends. The characters who appear for the first time in this title, such as "Stella," a fairy who can draw out the power of kirameki that resides in people, the "Grape Troupe," who enter the stage and make a mess of the story, and "Caston," a resident of the Kirameki Theater and performer on stage, are cute and charming and add a lot to the story. The adventure takes place on the "stage".

The adventure takes place on the "stage! The action is pleasant as you make full use of your sparkling powers!

Peach's goal is to take back the Kirameki Theater, which has been taken over by the Grape Troupe, by helping those in need on stage and fighting against their minions who stand in her way. The basic structure of the adventure stages is a side-scrolling action game with a little depth, and Peach's basic controls are movement, jumping, and actions using the power of "Kirameki" drawn from Stella, making it simple enough for anyone to play.

The stage for this adventure is a theatrical performance, and Peach will be moving through the stage of the theater. The stage on which Peach travels is filled with many theatrical touches that are both playful and spectacular. For example, the stage curtains can be seen on either side of the stage, the backgrounds and accessories are made to look like stage sets, such as a stage split, panels, etc., and the wires suspending the equipment can be seen. Walking around the stage while looking at these well-crafted visuals is fun and gives the viewer a realistic sense of being on the stage of a play.

The lighting is also very tasteful, with spotlights following Peach as she moves across the stage and changing colors as she approaches disturbing scenes.

The stage is also filled with "Duke," a member of the Grape Troupe, and other enemies, and there are sections where conditions must be met in order to proceed. The power of Kirameki, which can be activated by pressing B, not only repels enemies who are not good at Kirameki, but also makes trees bloom, cheers up Castan who has lost his confidence and courage, and so on, It can also make trees bloom, cheer up Castan who has lost confidence and courage, and so on. The feeling of having Kirameki change the stage by solving gimmicks is exhilarating, and you will want to test its power everywhere you go.

During the stages, Peach's life is reduced when she is attacked by enemies. However, even if she loses all of her lives, she is only penalized by a loss of coins and being sent back to the next stage, and lives can be obtained at various locations throughout the stage and can be recovered relatively easily. In addition, "Heart Mamori," an item that increases the number of lives, can be obtained free of charge, so players who are not good at games and small children can enjoy the game with peace of mind. The "Heart Mamori" can be returned when it is no longer needed, so players can return it when they feel more comfortable with the game.

Swordsman, patissier, detective, even ninja!　The action and gameplay change drastically with the many transformations!

It is no exaggeration to say that "transformation" is one of the most exciting elements of this game.
By going to special locations on the stage, Peach can transform into the form of each stage performance and use unique abilities that match the form. The various transformations, such as "Peach the Swordsman" and "Peach the Pastry Chef," are so spectacular in appearance that they change not only the action but also the gameplay, which always brings a surprise to the gameplay. The game is not designed to allow players to use multiple transformations at will during a stage; rather, it is a "one transformation per stage" style, and the only button used for action is the B button, so don't worry, it is not complicated.

So, from here, I would like to introduce in detail some of Peach's various transformations that I personally found interesting.

Peach the Swordsman

First up is "Peach the Swordsman," which is the first transformation in the game. Peach, who transforms into a stylish figure reminiscent of the "Three Musketeers," can use actions to cut down enemies and other unwanted objects with the brilliant swordsmanship of the sword in her hand. In addition, Peach is able to counterattack with her sword immediately after evading an enemy's attack, and the sensation of successfully parrying an attack is exhilarating and cool, especially when combined with the slow motion effect. The game is a transformation that offers the feeling of a simple parry action.

Ninja Peach

Next is "Ninja Peach. Dressed as a black Japanese-style ninja, she uses a kunai to fight off enemies. Instead of fighting enemies head-on like Peach the Swordsman, she approaches them from behind and slashes at them from behind, just like a ninja, allowing the player to enjoy the thrill of stealthy action. In addition, there are also scenes in which the ninja run through walls with a ninja-like sense of speed, providing a taste of both static and dynamic action, which is also appealing. The ninja-like effects are also a must-see, such as holding tree branch-like panels in both hands in the grass, breathing underwater by holding a tube out of the water, and using cloth to hide behind on the walls of a castle.

Patissier Peach

Next is "Patissier Peach. In this cute transformation, the player wears a cook's hat and apron, and the gameplay changes drastically from the previous two. In this game, the player must perform mini-game-like actions, such as mixing the dough to make cookies or decorating the cake with cream according to the sample provided. The game play is reminiscent of the mini-games in the "Mario Party" series, and despite the simplicity of the gameplay, the game is unintentionally exciting.

Detective Peach

Next is "Detective Peach. In this game, the player is dressed up in a hat, coat, magnifying glass, and other classic detective-like attire, and the gameplay changes drastically in a different direction from that of Patissier Peach. In this new incarnation, the game is played in the style of a mystery adventure game, in which the players walk around the scene of the crime to solve it, and Caston and his team interview and investigate suspicious locations. This is it! If the player gets it right, the story progresses, but if he or she gets it wrong, the player is damaged. If you get it right, the story progresses; if you get it wrong, you take damage. I was very surprised by the game's "use your brains, not your actions, to clear the game," a gameplay that is different from other makeover games.

Figureskater Peach

Next was "Figureskater Peach. As the name implies, this transformation, which is dressed in a beautiful light blue-based costume, is characterized by spectacular figure skating action. She skates on the ice, performing jumps and spins on snowflakes that appear, and even pair dances with other dancers. There are also scenes in which the player fights enemies and bosses while successfully sliding on the ice, giving the impression that the game is both an action game and a shooting game in the same style.

In addition, many other transformations appeared, such as " Cowgirl Peach " with her skillful rope handling, " Phantom Thief Peach " with her drone and wire action, " Mermaid Peach," " Super Hero Peach," " Kung Fu Peach," and many more. All of the transformations are easy to use, with only jumps and actions as buttons, but they all have a completely different play feel that makes you wonder, "Is this really a single game? The game is so different that you may wonder, "Is this really a single game? This unique and fun experience is something that must be experienced for yourself.

There are also many challenging elements such as dress collection and score attack games!

Let's take a look at some of the more challenging elements of the game.

First, there is the " store.
This is a facility where you can purchase "dress ribbons" to change Peach's dress and "Stella ribbons" to change Stella the fairy's ribbons, using coins earned during the stages. By changing the dress ribbons, visitors can enjoy a slightly different coordinated Peach, such as striped or polka-dot patterns. In addition to purchasing ribbons at the store, players can also help "Uncle Ribbon" who is in trouble on the stage and receive dresses and ribbons in return.

Each stage has several "Kirameki Stones," which can be earned by "doing great things on stage," such as accomplishing something or discovering something hidden. These Kirameki Stones are necessary for the progress of the story, and once all the Kirameki Stones in each stage have been obtained, the pictures are released in an "album". The photos in the album are beautifully angled and show Peach in action, and are very collectible. Some of the glittering tones are relatively easy to obtain, while others require careful searching to find them.

Next is the " action rehearsal.
This is a high-score attack-like element that challenges the player to rehearse a scene in a stage as a rehearsal for a play, such as the challenge of defeating an onrushing army of enemies with the swordsman Peach, or the challenge of acquiring gems while gliding through the sky with the thief Peach. The highest score earns the player a reward, but even a single failure results in an instant termination of the game, creating a fun mini-game with a sense of tension that makes players want to try again and again.

Princess Peach Showtime!" is overwhelmingly recommended for game beginners who can fully enjoy the charm of Peach!

So, here are our first impressions of "Princess Peach Showtime!

The unique sensation of opening up a new path with "kirameki" and the completely different gameplay and action that can be achieved by "transformation" are fresh and fun. The bright, positive, and cute Peach is a must for anyone who likes Peach or the Super Mario series. The controls are simple and easy to understand, so even people who don't usually play games can enjoy it without worry, so please check it out if you are interested.

Title Information

Princess Peach Showtime!

Release date: March 22, 2024

Price: Package version: 6,578 yen (tax included)

Download version: 6,500 yen (including tax)

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