Summary
The theatrical presentation ofPrincess Peach Showtimecould lend credence to a popular theory surrounding theSuper Mario Bros.universe. From what has been shown so far, the game looks to go all out with its theme. While this could be simply to go along with the game’s gimmick, similar toSuper Mario Bros. Wonder’s Wonder Flowers, looking at it from a certain angle could give fans a different perspective.Princess Peach Showtimealready has a lot of attention due to its gameplay reveal, and it’s probably going to continue to be a source of interest forMariofans.
After many years,Princess Peach is getting her own gamefor the first time since 2005’sSuper Princess Peach. In the new title,Princess Peach Showtime, what was supposed to be a fun night at the theater ended up being crashed by the Wicked Grape and the Sour Bunch, who attack the various shows being put on. With the cast and crew helpless against this threat, Peach takes up the duty of driving off the Sour Bunch and making sure that the theater will be able to continue its productions. Armed with an array of new powers and transformations, it could be Peach’s most impressive showing yet, though it also has fans thinking about a classic theory rooted in the mainlineSuper Mariogames.
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Princess Peach Showtime Seems to Play Into the Super Mario Stage Play Theory
It’s not hard to find atheory surroundingPrincess Peach Showtime, because it’s ingrained in the game’s setting. Peach’s adventure taked place over several stages, which are all set up like a theater production. There are cardboard obstacles that look like set props and scenery, and Peach gets several outfits that suit each world’s genre in question. For example, a Sherlock Holmes-styled outfit as a detective, or a musketeer-like outfit for a swashbuckling adventure. It’s as though they’re a series of plays all starring Peach, and that plays into the common theory that theSuper Mariogames are all actually stage productions.
Past games have given players reason to wonder, most notablyfan favoritePaper Mario: The Thousand-Year Doorhaving its fights take place on a stage, with impressing the audience actually being a mechanic. Shigeru Miyamoto has even likenedSuper Mario Bros. 3to a play, and the game itself matches the aesthetic, up to including a stage curtain in the intro sequence. It seems likePrincess Peach Showtimewill take this aesthetic even further, even explicitly taking place at a theater. If nothing else, the stage play gimmick should offer a lot of fun and interesting opportunities for stages and boss battles.
The idea of all theSuper Mariocharacters being actors would make sense regarding thelong-runningMario Kartseriesand other such spin-offs. After all, Bowser and his minions constantly appearing alongside Mario and friends in these endeavors would make less sense if they were legitimate archenemies. In that sense,Princess Peach Showtimecould be seen as a game that’s pulling back the curtain a bit more, so to speak. The stage play setting of the levels can feel like a wink and a nod, with the levels being more obviously portrayed like plays than other games in theSuper Mariouniverse.
It’s impossible to say whether anyone working onPrincess Peach Showtimehad the stage play theory in mind, butPrincess Peach Showtimehearkening back toPaper Mariois a solid move regardless. It gives the game a distinct feel compared to otherMariotitles, and it looks to take advantage of the different genres of the plays by offering a good variety of gameplay mechanics. Whether this is a happy coincidence or a nod to the theory is hard to tell. Whatever the case,Princess Peach Showtimecan certainly get one thinking about theSuper Mariostage play theory, and will likely continue to do so after release.
