Princess Peach: Showtime! review: An excellent platformer that knows its strengths and its audience

Princess Peach: Showtime! is not the usual 2D action-platformer that most spin-off Mario games tend to be. It's a bit hard to describe or classify this game within any single genre; it's more like a mish-mash of different genres that ultimately results in a rather intriguing and dare I say, fun, gameplay experience.

As someone who's spent a good amount of time playing games like Super Mario Maker 2 (which I don't seem to get enough of, despite having played it for more than 500 hours), Mario vs Donkey Kong, Luigi's Mansion 3, and Mario Kart, I always appreciate these spin-off Mario games.

While Princess Peach: Showtime! doesn't feel or play anything like other Mario spin-off games, it doesn't mean you should look past it, especially if you're a fan of 2D platformers. Although not perfect by any means, the game knows its audience and plays to its strengths rather than trying to appeal to everyone.

I've always been an advocate for art style over raw graphical fidelity. Don't get me wrong, graphical fidelity does matter, especially in games that aim to immerse you into a grounded story. Titles like Uncharted, Horizon Forbidden West, and Red Dead Redemption 2, all highly benefit from their photorealistic visual and graphical presentation.

However, for most games that don't aim to tackle a grounded setting and want to be just a simple video game, having a good and attractive art style is paramount. This is what most Nintendo flagships excel at, and Princess Peach: Showtime! being no exception.

Much like other Mario spin-offs on the Nintendo Switch, Princess Peach: Showtime! is a colorful and aesthetically charming game. Also, its soundtrack, while not being a standout akin to Super Mario Wonder or Luigi's Mansion, is still quite