It's been just a little over twenty years since the world was introduced to Princess Peach Toadstool, reigning monarch of the Mushroom Kingdom. Since then, Peach has become something of a star in her own right, always appearing in a Mario game in some form or another. Usually her role is relegated to being just the damsel in distress, but on occasion she's been known to get her hands dirty-- especially in Super Mario Bros. 2, where she had the unique ability of temporary flight. (Of course, she's particularly vicious as an opponent in the Mario Sports titles, but that's neither here nor there.) Only now has Nintendo's other lovable pink idol been granted her own starring role in a game that's been a long time coming for fans of princess power.
The premise of Super Princess Peach is actually pretty flimsy and not even all that important to the gameplay; while Peach was out for a walk, Bowser's troops, armed with the Vibe Scepter (a mood-control device), stormed the castle and captured Mario, Luigi, and 126 Toads. Peach returns to find the castle in pandemonium, while a mishap at his own castle wreaks havoc on Bowser's army as his minions become giddy, sleepy, despondent, or enraged. Given a magic umbrella by Toadsworth, Peach sets off onto mysterious Vibe Island to rescue her constituents and set Mario and Luigi free.
Most of the gameplay centers around jumping puzzles, with the occasional Vibe objective thrown in. Each of the Island's eight areas has five normal levels, in which are hidden three Toads and a smattering of other items. Players must reach the goal gate without taking too many hits, all the while keeping their eyes peeled for wayward Toads or other goodies. The umbrella is used primarily for defeating enemies or absorbing them to refill the Vibe meter, which powers Peach's four emotional states. Joy allows Peach to create whirlwinds and fly; Gloom causes her to erupt in a river of tears; Rage makes her a blazing, stomping mess of PMS (Perturbed Monarch Syndrome, and you knew I was going to throw that joke in there somewhere); and Calm does nothing except slowly refill her life meter. These states are activated through the touchscreen, and are surprisingly easy to reach during gameplay on a standard DS. Before boss stages there is a stylus-based challenge stage, where the player either rolls or springs Peach up a large corridor or protects her as she floats down a long passageway.
What struck me most about the gameplay was how remarkably similar it was in style to Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island. By taking the convention of what a Mario game is expected to be and turning it upside down, Nintendo manages to breathe new life into a genre that's been sorely in need of it for a very, very long time. If this game had shown up on the SNES ten years ago, it would have sold just as well as any other Mario game of the time-- which is to say, zillions of copies. It might seem a little dated to rave about a side-scroller in this day and age of hyper-realistic 3-D first-person shooters, but trust me-- this is an experience that old-school gamers will not want to miss.
Graphically, the game is gorgeous, as we've come to expect nothing less from Nintendo. It's primarily sprite-based, and the sprites have oodles of frames of animation. Every character and every enemy is extremely detailed, and you can tell at a glance how much effort has gone in to making the mood-swinging enemies instantly recognizable. There are a couple little problems-- like the fact that sad enemies tend to move WAY too fast (maybe they're suicidally depressed?)-- but they can largely be forgiven because in the grand scheme of things, they don't affect gameplay very much. Audio is also a pretty good fit-- the trademark Mario steel drums are in full effect, and music changes depending on which mood Peach is in. Jen Taylor is always a pleasure to listen to, whether she's Peach or Cortana, so her voice doesn't become grating or irritating throughout the game.
I do wish to register a complaint, of course, and that's that the game has a somewhat uneven difficulty curve. In order to advance to the final battle with Bowser, you have to rescue every single Toad from every previous level (a final count of 126 Toads plus Luigi). While that might sound like a tall order, the Toads are not exactly hidden in the most imaginative of spots, and this is compounded by the fact that Peach has an item radar of sorts (entering an area with a Toad or other goodie in it causes an ! to appear by her portrait in the touchscreen). So, a mechanic which at first seems designed to enhance the challenge becomes little more than a chore. On the flip side, once you've defeated Boswer, you are rewarded with new items in the areas you've completed, harder bosses, and three new stages in each world. When all is said and done, there are sixty-four unique stages plus eight bosses-- plenty to justify the purchase.
And as if that wasn't enough, the game card is positively laden with extra stuff to do. Among the goodies Peach collects are puzzle pieces, which allow you to assemble eight jigsaw puzzles. Sound test tracks are also among the hidden swag in the stages, and the game hands you three mini-games as you progress. Throughout each and every stage, however, you can also collect coins to purchase items from a Toad store on the stage select screen. The store carries additional puzzle pieces, more sound scores, extra stages for the mini-games, and additional moves and life/Vibe meter extensions (which make the game even easier than it already is). The puzzles and mini-games confer little advantage to the player, but in their defense are quite a bit of fun.
Overall, it's kind of amusing to observe that the Mario game that side-scrolling fans have been waiting ten years for stars the Princess. Old-schoolers who cut their teeth on the original Bros. have a lot to enjoy in Super Princess Peach, while new players will find an excellent and challenging introduction into one of gaming's most venerable and popular genres. Without a doubt this is one of the few titles that no DS owner should be without.
