Everything We Know About Princess Peach: Showtime!

In just a couple of months, Princess Peach: Showtime! will give Peach her own standalone game. That’s a bit of an upgrade on relegation to the role of a side character in yet another Super Mario Bros. title. We haven’t gotten a solo Peach game since 2005 (and that one was pretty shallow and insulting), so this is long overdue. The upcoming action-adventure game for Nintendo Switch is due out in March, but everyone is curious about what it will entail and how many outfit changes Peach will get during it (it’s a lot).

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So, we’ve put together in-depth look at Princess Peach: Showtime! The most recent look we got at the game was in late January, when Nintendo dropped a very short little trailer. That drop coincided with the announcement of special, flower-pink Joy-Cons to celebrate the release. But what else do we know about the upcoming Peach game? Let’s get into it.

Princess Peach: Showtime! and Pastel Pink Joy-Cons release date

Princess Peach: Showtime! drops for the Nintendo Switch on March 22, 2024. You can pre-order the game on the Nintendo Switch eShop and other retailers, as well as left and right pastel-pink Joy-Cons (previously this colourway was only available in a duo that included one yellow controller and one pink one).

Princess Peach: Showtime! trailer

The September 2023 Nintendo Direct gave us our first look at Princess Peach: Showtime! by way of a trailer, which starts with Princess Peach and some Toads heading to the Sparkle Theater to watch a play. But before the curtains rise on the production, the bad guys (Grape and the Sour Bunch) show up and ruin the show. Peach and the theatre’s guardian, a floating star named Stella, have to stop her, and we see how Peach and Stella will work together in the game—Peach can use Stella’s ribbon-esque appendages to reach faraway objects or slap baddies.

But the dynamic duo of Peach and Stella isn’t the core gameplay concept here—it’s actually Peach’s collection of Sailor Moon-like transformations, whereby her entire outfit changes and she gains new powers for each look. It’s very Barbie-core.

Princess Peach: Showtime! setting and story

From what we’ve seen in the trailers, it appears that the theatre setting in Princess Peach: Showtime will serve as a backdrop and centring mechanic for the story—as Peach and Stella try to reclaim the Sparkle Theater from Grape and the Sour Bunch, the stage design will shift and change as if new shows are being put on. This will also tie into Peach’s outfit transformations, which are sure to be cosplay fodder in 2024 and beyond.

Other than that, it’s unclear what’s going on here. Did Peach try to see a show solo to give herself a reprieve from Mario? Was she, perhaps, considering an acting career? Is she the theatre’s biggest donor?

Princess Peach: Showtime! transformations

So far, between the two different Princess Peach: Showtime! trailers, we’ve seen the princess turn an impressive amount of looks (each has unique abilities). Here are all the ones we know of so far:

• Ninja Peach: Peach wields two kunai that she can use to dash forward and slash at enemies. She’s very lithe and fast, and also appears to be able to procure fake grass to hide behind.
• Cowgirl Peach: Peach can ride a horse and use a lasso, all while wearing chaps.
• Swordfighter Peach: Peach has a thin sword she can hack-and-slash baddies with, and a feathered cap, of course.
• Detective Peach: Peach can use her magnifying glass to find clues and a notebook to jot down details or take testimony from other characters.
• Patisserie Peach: Peach dons a chef’s hat and can bake and decorate cakes.
• Kung Fu Peach: Peach can gracefully jump high in the air and spin around poles, kicking baddies with each rotation.

It’s unclear if this trailer shows off all of the Princess Peach: Showtime! transformations, or if Nintendo is keeping a few surprises under its belt.

Princess Peach: Showtime! gameplay

Though the format of Princess Peach: Showtime! differs from traditional Super Mario Bros. games, it appears that this upcoming title will mainly focus on platforming elements, with Peach’s transformations changing how you can traverse a level. Princess Peach: Showtime! is a single-player game.

Where can I pre-order Princess Peach: Showtime! in Australia and how much will it cost?

Princess Peach: Showtime is available to pre-order now from most major retailers that stock games, including EB Games, JB Hi-Fi, and Big W, as well as the Nintendo Store itself. The average cost varies between $69-79.95 AUD, with JB Hi-Fi and Big W coming in with the cheapest copies currently available to pre-order in Australia. If you’re after the Pastel Pink Nintendo Switch Joy-Cons as well, they’re also on pre-order now with a March 22 release date to coincide with the launch of Princess Peach: Showtime! and will set you back around $119.95AUD at retailers like EB Games.

Image: Nintendo