Are you ready for opening night? Princess Peach: Showtime! is launching later this month, and Nintendo surprised us when it announced on March 6 that the Switch-exclusive action-adventure game has a free demo that’s available now. The demo lets you get a feel for two of Peach’s transformations before the full game launches on March 22.
As Nintendo stated in its official press release, you can play as both the delicacy-making Patissiere Peach and the swashbuckling baddie Swordfighter Peach across two distinct levels. The first will see Peach, in an apron dress and baker’s hat, “whip up an array of delectable desserts” to stop the Sweet Festival from sugar-crashing. Meanwhile, as a swordfighter in a garb reminiscent of Zoro, Peach will “cut across an action-packed stage” using counterattacks, dodges, and sword swipes. In total, according to Eurogamer, the Showtime! demo lasts about 20 minutes. Unfortunately, Nintendo didn’t confirm if progress will carry over to the full game. (That means you should probably assume that it won’t.)
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At any rate, it’s worth a look if you’re interested in a fresh twist on the classic Mario adventure. You can download it from the eShop for free right now.
Princess Peach: Showtime! was announced during a June 2023 Nintendo Direct, with a flashy trailer revealing a handful of her myriad outfits. From a detective to a figure skater to a martial artist, she can do it all. Based on early previews of the game, it sounds relatively simple, but satisfying for both younger and older players. That she can transform into a ninja has piqued my interest, so I’m curious to see how the full game plays out when it launches on the Nintendo Switch on March 22.