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If anyone's going to steal the show for Nintendo this year, it's Princess Peach. After all, we're about to see our favorite Mushroom Kingdom royal literally take center stage in a creative, theatrical fashion with the release of Princess Peach Showtime on March 22, 2024. With a rather sparse lineup of first-party games announced for the console so far, you could argue that Peach's new adventure is easily one of, if not, the biggest Switch exclusives coming our way in the near future.
But even if we did have a stacked catalog of upcoming Switch games, Princess Peach Showtime would still stand out from the crowd. In fact, I'd go as far as to say it's one of the most exciting games coming out in 2024 overall, let alone on the Switch. Announced officially last summer as what was then known simply as the new Princess Peach game, the reveal of its title and another trailer a few months later only helped to add to my sense of anticipation. Not only will Showtime give us a game that puts Peach in the much-deserved spotlight after so many years, but it looks set to do so in a fresh, inventive way that could very well have the makings of one very memorable Switch outing.
Performing powers
GamesRadar+ is exploring the most anticipated video games of the year with Big in 2024, with new articles dropping every day throughout January
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. With the trailer showing off the 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.
With a decidedly strong helping of first-party releases last year – from Legend of Zelda Tears of the Kingdom to Pikmin 4 and Super Mario Wonder – it's hard not to hope Showtime will continue to keep Nintendo's winning streak going into 2024. Besides, it has the casting, set design, and flair needed to put on one show to remember, and I'm looking forward to seeing Peach take the center stage from both the Sour Bunch in-game and with the Switch lineup. It's hard to say how Nintendo's year will shape up, with there being every chance we'll get some new announcements in the months to come, but Princess Peach Showtime may well help to ensure the console kicks off its year on a high note.
See what else is on the horizon with our roundup of upcoming Switch games.
