A DIVERSITY OF PLAY

Although these quick-twitch levels are fun, “Showtime!” offers gameplay opportunities that are slower-paced and quirky. Patisserie Peach has players doing a slew of “Cooking Mama”-ish minigames to make cookies and decorate cakes. Detective Peach is more cerebral and has players analyzing objects and piecing together clues to find Sour Bunch adversaries disguised as Theets or finding and disarming bombs. These levels are more puzzle-oriented and a great change of pace when choosing levels on a floor.

The most unusual role is Mermaid Peach, which has players controlling fish to interact with the world. The levels have a “Little Mermaid” vibe as the princess sings to control the marine life, which can open seashells and help her overcome obstacles. The mermaid finales are musical in nature and have Peach protecting herself with her voice against enemies. For all its unconventional design, these stages were the most delightful to play.

The worst role is Figure Skater Peach, which requires a lot of maneuvering. Peach has to jump and twirl to defeat enemies and clear obstacles and that can be frustrating because players skate around doing wide turns. The controls and gameplay feel cumbersome.

ROOM FOR AN ENCORE?

With more than 30 levels and minigames, “Showtime!” is on the shorter side, but it has replayability elements as players will go through the same level several times to find all the stars and gather other secret collectibles. The game rewards players who find all the stars with special album art of Peach’s performances. Players will also have the ability to purchase new costumes with the in-game coins that players earn. The cosmetics even apply to the Stella sidekick. It’s unfortunate they don’t do more than change the look.

“Showtime!” is proof that Princess Peach can carry a project and carve out a gameplay niche. Good-Feel made a smart move giving the Mushroom Kingdom royal her own gameplay identity or at least several of them. It proves that Peach can have as much range as her mustachioed counterpart.

‘Princess Peach: Showtime!’

3 stars out of 4

Platform: Nintendo Switch

Rating: Everyone 10 and up

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