Princess Peach: Showtime! Every Transformation Ranked

Princess Peach: Showtime! is officially available on Nintendo Switch, and the Mushroom Kingdom royalty has some unique abilities that weren’t present in past games. While Peach has had her own distinct control scheme since Super Mario Bros. 2, Showtime! changes things up by giving the heroine the ability to transform into a number of different forms. For the most part, these forms are a joy to use, and give the game a good deal of variety. However, as we mentioned in our official review, there are some clunkers that drag down the game, and feel a lot less enjoyable to use. 

In total, there are 11 different transformations in the game. 10 were revealed by Nintendo in the weeks leading up to release, but there’s also one secret transformation that can be unlocked towards the end of the game. Readers should be advised that the transformation is something of a spoiler for the storyline. While most fans of the Mario family don’t play these games for the story, some readers might want to remain in the dark so that final transformation is a surprise. Anyone that doesn’t want to find out about that ability ahead of time should turn back now! 

Read on to see our ranking for all of the Princess Peach: Showtime! transformations. 

Cowgirl Peach

The best thing about Princess Peach: Showtime! is the sheer variety of content players will come across in the game. Each transformation has its own distinct levels, and Cowgirl Peach’s areas might be the best. Not only is she able to use her lasso against the Sour Bunch, she’s also able to ride a horse in multiple segments. These areas are also a joy to see, because they feature some of the coolest uses of fake props that fit the game’s theater theme. 

Patisserie Peach

While a lot of the areas in Princess Peach: Showtime! center around platforming, the Patisserie Peach stages are much different. Instead, they feature actions focused more on baking and decorating. Peach’s affinity for baking has been a part of her character for decades now, and the developers managed to work this in as one of the more fun diversions in the game. They’re also one of the bigger challenges players will come across. 

Kung Fu Peach

There’s something really cool about seeing Peach kick butt. So many games have portrayed her as a damsel in distress, but the character has also been shown as capable. While games like Super Mario Bros. 2 highlighted the fact that she can defend herself, she’s never really gotten to cut loose. As Kung Fu Peach, she can beat up bad guys with the best of them, and the game does a nice job hitting a bunch of Kung Fu movie cliches. 

Ninja Peach

While Kung Fu Peach is all about taking enemies head on, Ninja Peach has a more subtle approach. In her levels, Ninja Peach uses stealth to avoid the gaze of her enemies, striking when their backs are turned. Her ninja like abilities also let her run along the sides of buildings and wall jump. Like Cowgirl Peach, Ninja Peach’s stages take great advantage of the theater setting; having Ninja Peach ride a prop of a wave is just a really funny concept from the development team. 

Swordfighter Peach

Swordfighting has been a staple of the stage since basically forever, so it’s only fitting that Swordfigher Peach is one of the first transformations that appears in the game. The controls are very simple, but there’s something really charming about the way Swordfighter Peach dodges the attacks of her opponents before hitting them where it hurts. 

Radiant Peach/Super Radiant Peach

Towards the end of the game, the Sparklas combine their powers to create the Radiant Peach transformation. This is the only transformation Nintendo kept secret from players, and with good reason; it doesn’t show up until Peach’s final battle against Madame Grape. While it’s fun to use, and it looks great, it’s hard to rank it too high when you only get to use it for a short amount of time. 

Dashing Thief Peach

Nintendo Switch might not have Marvel’s Spider-Man, but Dashing Thief Peach can swing with the best of them thanks to her grappling hook. The character’s stages are fast-paced and fun, and put more of a focus on puzzle solving versus combat. 

Mighty Peach

Like Kung Fu Peach, Mighty Peach gets a chance to beat up opponents in a major way. With her amplified strength, she can toss vehicles at the alien enemies in her stages (which are really just crafts floating around on ropes and strings). She also gets some fun horizontal shooter areas to take down alien ships while defending her allies. 

Figure Skater Peach

Skating isn’t an activity that appears in a lot of games outside the EA Sports NHL franchise, making Princess Peach: Showtime! a rare exception. Gliding across the ice as Peach is fun and smooth, even if it doesn’t make as much sense with the theater setting as the other transformations do. While it’s ranked low on the list, the transformation has a lot more going for it than our last two entries. 

Detective Peach

While most of the stages in Princess Peach: Showtime! have a quicker pace, the Detective Peach stages move like molasses, with gameplay that’s slow and dull. Like Patisserie Peach, Detective Peach doesn’t have offensive abilities, but it’s a lot more noticeable here. Detective Peach is all about solving mysteries, but the ones that appear in these stages are just a slight step up from what you’d find in an episode of Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. The gameplay mostly centers around pressing ‘A’ at the right time, and there’s not much more to it than that. 

Mermaid Peach

Detective Peach’s stages can be pretty dull, but there isn’t anything worse than Mermaid Peach. The gameplay is equally slow, and the hook of singing to fish to get them to open treasure chests and different areas feels too hands-off to be enjoyable. Sometimes the directions can also be a little too vague, and the theater theme doesn’t really shine like it does in other stages. There aren’t a lot of areas that feel like a chore in Princess Peach: Showtime! but Mermaid Peach’s areas are the worst available. 

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That’s all for our ranking of the power-ups in Princess Peach: Showtime! What’s your favorite so far? Share your thoughts with me directly on Twitter at @Marcdachamp or on Instagram at @Dachampgaming!