What Parents Need to Know About Princess Peach: Showtime!

In years past, you may have seen Princess Peach in many Super Mario games, but Princess Peach: Showtime! sees the titular character featured in her own high-stakes stage play. For the first time since 2006’s Super Princess Peach, she’s the undoubted star of the show, taking center stage (literally) in her own adventure. But is Princess Peach: Showtime! appropriate for your family? Read on to find out!

Is Princess Peach: Showtime! Appropriate for Kids?

Princess Peach: Showtime! is rated E10+ for Everyone 10+, with a Content Descriptor for Fantasy Violence.

According to the ESRB Rating Summary, Peach uses specific fighting skills (such as swinging a magical ribbon, sword or lasso, and timing kung-fu kicks), to defeat puppet-like characters in combat. Some villains can shoot cartoony lasers or blasters at Peach. Combat is highlighted by stealth elements and brief slow-motion effects.

Where Can I Play Princess Peach: Showtime! and How Much Does it Cost?

It’s available for the Nintendo Switch, and costs $59.99.

What is Princess Peach: Showtime! About?

The adventure begins as Princess Peach sets out to attend a show at the Sparkle Theater. But before long, the evil Grape (joined by her henchmen, the Sour Bunch) suddenly hijacks the show. Peach must work with the theater’s guardian, Stella, to battle the Sour Bunch with stage play-themed powers.

Princess Peach: Showtime! is rated E10+ for Everyone 10+.

To do so, Stella gives Peach a magical hair ribbon that allows Peach to gain new costumes, each with their own unique abilities. Peach then ventures around the massive complex in an effort to master these powers, take down the Sour Bunch, and return the various theaters and shows to grateful patrons.

How Does Princess Peach: Showtime! Play?

This is a colorful action platformer – meaning lots of jumping across platforms, avoiding hazards, and battling (or avoiding) bad guys. Princess Peach has an array of abilities that change based on her costume. She cuts a dash as she transforms into a ninja, a sword fighter, a lasso-swinging cowgirl, a martial arts expert, and more to take down cartoon enemies.

But battling isn’t always the answer! Princess Peach: Showtime! will also see Peach become a wily detective, using her special magnifying glass to solve mysteries and puzzles. After the theft of cakes from a sugar festival, Peach also turns into a magical pastry chef, baking and decorating sumptuous treats.

Part of the fun is that Peach’s surroundings all match her outfits, in true stage play fashion. The stage for Cowgirl Peach features a western-themed aesthetic as she lassos her way to victory. Meanwhile, Swordfighter Peach fences her way through an environment that screams of The Three Musketeers. The same goes for every costume so you can expect more surprises and secrets along the way.

Like many games in the Mario universe, players will have plenty to collect and explore as they progress through the game. You and your kids may find that the straight path is relatively simple most of the time, but there are always hidden secrets and collectables (like coins and Sparkle Gems) to find for those interested in challenging themselves. Of course, these are optional, and younger players or those learning the ropes of an action platformer may be perfectly happy to act their way through the main objectives.

Set Your Kids Up To Be The Stars Of The Show!

There are plenty of tools and ways to help you set reasonable limits on your kids’ video game experiences as they prepare to help Princess Peach save the day.

Of course, it’s always a good idea to check the ESRB-assigned rating information to make sure it’s appropriate for your children. If possible, we also recommend that you try the game out before giving your kids permission to play, or learn more about the game via online streams and videos.

Additionally, Nintendo Switch has parental controls that allow you to manage what your kids play (based on the ESRB-assigned rating information), when and for how long, with whom, and whether they can spend money on new games or in-game purchases. You can find step-by-step parental control guides at ParentalTools.org.

If you’re looking for more tips about video games and online safety, visit ESRB’s Family Gaming Guide.

Colin Campbell is a freelance journalist whose work has appeared in The Economist, The Guardian, Polygon, IGN, Gamesindustry.biz and more.