During the Nintendo Direct on September 14, players got to see the reveal trailer for Princess Peach: Showtime! This is the first of the titular princess’ solo outings since 2005 so there’s plenty of hype from fans surrounding the game. Luckily, there seems like there’s going to be plenty of Princess Peach to go with all that hype.
The game looks to be focused around various transformations of Peach that will allow her to perform different actions based on the role that she’s transformed into. While we got a look at a few of them from the trailer like Kung Fu Peach, Patissier Peach and Swordfighter Peach, there’s still plenty of different roles that Peach could transform into that haven’t been shown, and what’s a game release without a bit of speculation? Here’s 10 Peach transformations that would be great to see in Princess Peach: Showtime.
Astronaut Peach
Look, maybe it’s just because Starfield has taken up a lot of press since its release, but Peach deserves to be a princess in space, and I’m not just talking about Rainbow Road. It’s not super clear how well this could work given the theme of the game being on a stage for a play-style production, but with enough rigging and magic Peach could be floating around with Stella in no time. Rosalina shouldn’t be the only one who’s allowed to fly.
Not only would the gameplay for the transformation open up plenty of options for what Peach can do while weightless, but it would also probably give her a sweet spacesuit as well. The image coming to mind is hot pink (obviously) with the hands still being white like her gloves, but with a futuristic, sleek sort of vibe. None of those bulky suits from years past, Peach is living in the future.
Scuba Peach
Who doesn’t love a good underwater adventure? Perhaps not the Sour Bunch once Peach is suited up and ready to swim. The show could be based around trying to find the lost city of Atlantis, or maybe she’d be trying to protect underwater wildlife from environmental disaster. Regardless, Peach could find herself faced with sea-themed set pieces and aquatic enemies in-between her and saving the show.
So far, any time that springs to mind where Peach is underwater, she’s never even had a helmet on. Sure, you’ve got to be able to suspend your disbelief a bit, but if she’s gonna be the lead in a production, she’s gonna have to dress the part now more than ever. She doesn’t have to go full-on with the bulky scuba suit, but at least having the helmet and a wetsuit would be fitting for the role.
Director Peach
Lights, camera, Peach! This transformation could be focused around photography or keeping subjects in the frame, or it could just be something like Peach needing to keep everything organized for the production. Maybe Grape and the Sour Bunch want to wreck the scenery for the show and Peach has to stop them before the time ends. Regardless, Peach has got to end up in a Director’s chair at some point.
When it comes to the set design, it would certainly be interesting to see how they go about the meta situation of having a film set be the setting for a stage production. The cameras and directors chair would be a must, but other than that there could be a lot of flexibility regarding if Peach would just be calling the shots, or if maybe her role was a bit more hands-on with the cast.
Cowgirl Peach
Even though Peach has a companion in Stella and doesn’t need a horse to keep her company, she can still benefit from having a mount and a lasso to help her get through the Sour Bunch. Whether she’s got to do some herding or sharpshooting, there’s no reason why a level based around the Old West wouldn’t be a perfect fit for her.
Peach’s Equestrian outfit was fitting for the Olympic games, but she’s gonna need something a bit more fitting for riding a western steed. She’d be trading agility training for wrangling bad guys, so she’d have to trade the fancy outfit for one a bit more utilitarian. Swap out the dress for some leathers and a bandana and just trade the crown for a cowboy hat and she’ll be set for success.
Painter Peach
Alliteration aside, Princess Peach as a painter would make for a perfect picture, and she could paint it herself! Whether the levels were based on matching a drawing to something already drawn, or even something like mixing colors for the perfect shade, the opportunity to let your creative juices flow as a painter would be perfect for Peach’s personal performance.
While you can technically create art while wearing anything, it’s not a transformation unless Peach is dressed the part. The main points would be the smock to keep the paint off of her royal attire, and pair that with the little hat slouching off the side of her head. The hat could even have her crown poking out of the top, just to make sure that everyone remembers that she’s royalty.
Wizard Peach
Kamek seems to act like being a Magikoopa gives him the sole right to using magic in the Mushroom Kingdom, but give Peach a robe and a wand and she could be a real force to be reckoned with. Magic gives a lot of flexibility as to what she could need to use it for, so the possibilities seem endless. Anything from platforming to combat to puzzle-solving, Peach as a wizard could be a great time as she makes her way across the stage.
The wizard garb that Peach wears in the Horror Land level of Mario Party 2 makes for a great starting point for what she could be wearing in Showtime. The big fluffy dress works excellently for being a wizard, and the pointy hat is really what tops it all off. Even if it were the same outfit in a little bit higher fidelity, it would make for a delightful throwback to eagle-eyed fans.
Race “Kart” Driver Peach
I know, I know. Princess Peach driving in a race? Never been seen before. Not to say that the game should entirely copy the format of Mario Kart, but some sort of racing theme could play very nicely into her array of different transformations and personas. She could have to best some of the Sour Bunch in time trials, or maybe have herself a bit of a demolition derby, but letting Peach loose on the “open” road could lead to some good times.
Depending on just what activity Peach is performing behind the wheel, she could be wearing any variation of racing outfit. If she’s doing something a little less professional like a demolition derby, then they could get away with giving her something a bit more comfortable to wear. At the very least though, she should probably trade the crown for a helmet, just to be cautious.
Pilot Peach
While it might take some serious set design to make the trick convincing, it could be really interesting to see Peach fly her way to success. It could be a reflex-based kind of side-scroller with cardboard clouds or more of a dogfighting concept, but there could be a lot of fast-paced action that goes into this transformation. Not to mention the different styles of plane that there could be, so she could be flying anything from a fighter jet to a commercial airliner, which would certainly be a sight to behold.
Of course, that would mean giving up the crown and dress for something a little more practical for the role. If she transforms into a fighter pilot, she’s gonna need the leather cap and goggles but if she’s a commercial pilot, something more refined and sleek would do. Obviously she can still keep it all pink, it just wouldn’t be Peach if not.
Doctor Peach
Not to suggest ripping off the style of Dr. Mario, but hey, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. If the rest of the game isn’t very puzzle-heavy, this could be a great time for those to be introduced. They wouldn’t even have to be the same color-based stacking game that Dr. Mario is, although they could certainly use that for either inspiration or at least for the theme. You could even find yourself in a head-to-head game against some of the Sour Bunch to get through that puzzle.
Doctor Peach is a pretty easy transformation to guess what she’d look like, with the lab coat and stethoscope being absolutely necessary. Of course, racing in a Kart might not be the best fit for this transformation, but setting the stage up to look like a hospital filled with friendly nurse-Toads would serve as a great way to sell the act.
Tennis Peach
I just can’t put my finger on it, but something about Peach screams “tennis” to me. In all seriousness, tennis is a great reflex-based game, allowing for a potentially challenging final face off between Peach and the dastardly Grape. It could be a more watered down version of Mario Aces, that way the player doesn’t have to try and learn a whole new game, but Peach with a racket in her hand would make for a great callback to a strong outing for the pink princess.
Luckily, Peach is already well-equipped in sports attire and equipment, so throwing on the tennis skirt and picking up the racket might just feel like home to her. Of course, it would be interesting to see what kind of refresh they could give Peach so that she’s not still stuck living in 2018, although regaining her former glory would be a great motivation for stepping back onto the court one last time.
That’s all for this list of the top 10 Peach transformations we’d love to see in Princess Peach: Showtime! We’ll have to wait and see how many there turn out to be in the final game, but it should be interesting to see the creative directions they choose to take her. For more lists, keep checking back to Twinfinite.
