Princess Peach: Showtime! Transformations Ranked
Princess Peach: Showtime! is a delightfully charming side scrolling adventure game and new installment under the Mario umbrella. Princess Peach is no longer the damsel in distress, instead a ninja, mermaid and kung-fu master! To celebrate this evolution of the beloved Peach character, I’m ranking the 10 transformations from least fun to most entertaining.
10. Detective Peach
Detective Peach uses her magnifying glass to search for clues and gather evidence from witnesses to solve puzzles within a crime scene, to find a painting thief, or even stop a bomb! Unfortunately, I found these levels quite tedious. The puzzles we’re quite simple, the “Strike of Intuition” got repeititve and annoying after a while, and after the higher octane levels for me the Detective Peach levels just felt a bit flat.
9. Swordfighter Peach
Swordfighter Peach is who you call on to fight through enemies with combo slashes and can dodge and counter attacks. This is the first costume you encounter, and despite putting this at number 9, I did have a lot of fun playing with Swordmaster Peach. Timing the counter attacks is a satisfying challenge, however the I did feel like some of the other combat transformations we’re more inventive. It also took me way too long to finish the Swordflighter Peach rehearsal… but maybe that’s on me!
8. Patisserie Peach
Patisserie Peach does have some fun levels, baking cookes at just the right time to get hte perfect amount of cookie (more of them!) and icing cakes to sometimes quite intricate designs while the cake spins. While the cakes look delicious, the levels themselves can be a little dry, and the timing elements of the baking and decorating can be a bit awkward.
7. Ninja Peach
Ninja Peach was a definite step up in something a bit different in combat compared to Swordmaster Peach. For starters, I did giggle to myself the first time I realised I could hide behind grass and disguise myself as a wall to escape the Sour gang. Wall jumping and executing surprise attacks were inventive additions, as well as travelling past enemies underwater using a bamboo stick as a snorkle.
6. Mermaid Peach
When I first saw Mermaid Peach, I was all set for this to be my favourite transformation. Peach controls fish with her singing to lead them to open clams, or break through barriers to reach the end and perform a majestic musical concert under the sea. Unforunately, the singing gets a little irritating and the fish can be a little awkward to control, so as pretty as these levels look, they could be a little more entertaining.
5. Dashing Thief Peach
Dashing Thief Peach certainly has the most enjoyable music to her levels, making for a thrilling journey to sneakily jump from platform to platform, hide from spotlights, and use the hookshot to dart across and up the stage. Even more fun is hangliding throughout the level, soaring through the air, dodging enemies and collecting coins as she escapes the infiltrated lair.
4. Kung Fu Peach
Kung Fu Peach steps up the combat again with her martial arts skills, kicking and punching through enemies to reach the boss. Kung Fu Peach is even strong enough to kick down sets and destroy items which was good fun, and one combo punch can punch through multiple enemies at once. The best part about this transformation though is the spinning pole attack, spinning Peach around a pole to knock out all enemies around the pole with a spinning kick.
3. Mighty Peach
Mighty Peach is probably the most superhero like transformation in the game. Gain superhuman strength to defeat enemies and fly through the sky to take down alien spaceships. Mighty Peach was great fun to play with, picking up cars and hurling them at the Sour bunch to defeat them and get the Theets to safety.
2. Cowgirl Peach
Narrowly missing out on the top spot is Cowgirl Peach. I loved these levels, using your lasso to save Theets and grab and throw enemies, and even grab barrels and other items to throw at the Sour gang to take them down. The best part of Cowgirl Peach is the horseriding sections which are like high speed chases, lassoing grapes and saving Theets along the way while steering your horse away from obstacles.
1. Figure Skater Peach
And the number one Princess Peach Transformation? Figure Skater Peach of course! I was delighted by these levels. While the gameplay is a little simplistic in comparison to other levels, the sheer pleasure of gliding smoothly around the ice and performing tricks, jumping and spinning on marks and running circles around enemies to defeat them. All the practice leads to a syncronised perfomance with your rescued Theets, which for me was the most enchanting part of the game.
