The latest Nintendo Direct gave us a new look at the upcoming Princess Peach: Showtime!, the first full game starring Mario’s number one princess (sorry Daisy) since 2005’s Super Princess Peach. The new trailer showcases Princess Peach’s magical new abilities, as she seeks to save the Sparkle Theater from the wicked Grape and the Sour Bunch. The game looks as pretty as you’d expect a Princess Peach game to look, but one thing caught me by surprise and had me raising some questions. The release date.
Princess Peach: Showtime! releases on March 22 2024 for the Nintendo Switch. Whilst at first glance that just looks like any date, it’s actually a little more significant than it may appear. We’ve had a lot of leaks recently from Gamescom regarding the Switch successor system (which most are calling Switch 2), where the system was allegedly demoed for key business partners. One of the lesser reported leaks from the latest barrage of them comes from noted leaker Nate the Hate, who actually suggested that March is a key month for Nintendo’s new console.
It’s not clear at present whether March will be used for the reveal or release of the system, but Eurogamer reports Nintendo wants to get the new console out sooner rather than later. The Switch itself released in March of 2017, so a March release date for the next system would be fitting, a seven year gap between the two consoles. It also gives Nintendo six months to reveal and market the console, generating plenty of hype before release. If these leaks are true, then the March 22 release date for Princess Peach: Showtime! just got a lot more interesting.
It’s hard to think of a more perfect launch game opportunity than Princess Peach: Showtime!. Just from the limited previews we’ve had so far, there’s a lot to go off regarding exactly who the game is being marketed towards, and what it’s role could be in launching the Switch 2. Nintendo will certainly want to recreate the success of the Switch with their follow-up console, and one of the key elements that made the Switch sell so many units is its universal appeal. The Switch is a very popular console amongst children, and a bright, flashy game starring Princess Peach would give younger gamers something new and exciting to enjoy day one.
Princess Peach is also traditionally used to market towards female audiences, and whilst that certainly does not in any way mean the game is only “for” one gender over another, from a marketing perspective it does add some variety to a launch line-up, especially if paired with a contrasting game for other audience demographics. If Nintendo want to convince their existing Switch user base to invest in a new system, they’re going to need something for everyone, and Princess Peach: Showtime! is certainly shaping up to be a captivating title for many.
The timing of the release is also a perfect one for a potential system launch day release. The game will be releasing on a Friday, just like the Nintendo Switch did back in 2017. That’s not a rarity for Nintendo – they release a lot of games on Fridays – but its just one other element that seems very enticing when in combination with the other factors considered. It’s always possible the Switch 2 could release in March next year, and Princess Peach: Showtime! could be a Switch-only release before or after the system launch, but that seems unlikely given the bundle potential of launching the game with the system.
Finally, there’s how the game actually looks. This is completely speculation and subjective, but Princess Peach: Showtime! looks incredibly polished and clean for a Switch title, especially with the trailer running at a silky smooth 60fps despite all the flair and effects. A lot of Switch games look good and run well, but as the Switch has gotten older, some games have fallen to the 30fps frame rate to allow them to look so good, such as Kirby and the Forgotten Land. Again, this is purely speculative, but the game is surprisingly good looking and running well for a Switch release. It could just be a case that the game is a smaller scale with less intense processes allowing the game to run so smooth, like we see with Splatoon 3 or Super Mario Odyssey.
That’s our theory! What are your thoughts, do you disagree? Are you looking forward to Princess Peach: Showtime!, and when do you think we’ll see the Switch 2? Sound off whatever you’re thinking in the comments down below, and stay tuned to GameLuster for breaking news, reviews and more.
