E for Everyone?

I didn’t think I’d be discussing Princess Peach: Showtime! again so soon. For one, I thought there’d be nothing left to discuss. And two, I’m the wrong demographic to be dissecting its controversies, as I’m an adult male. But that’s precisely why it’s so important to mention the game again. Especially since a demo’s now available on the Nintendo eShop.

I’m not alone in trying it out. The demo has been played by several people, and the consensus is that it’s interesting and unique, but simple and easy. I agree on the former points, but the latter? Not so much. And even so, I don’t see that as a negative.

For those who unaware, I’m not great at video games. I enjoy them, often to my detriment, but I find even the easiest ones difficult. I’ve gotten stuck on almost every game I’ve played, even when the solution was staring me in the face. At times I’ve had to look up some obvious solutions. It’s for that reason I both have a soft spot for simple and easy games, and have disdain for gamers who think modern games are “too easy”.

What little I played of Princess Peach: Showtime reconfirms this. The first stage, involving Swordfighter Peach, I actually died halfway in and had to start over. The second stage, with Patisserie Peach, I not only restarted because I’d soft-locked myself, I also died in the cookie segment and got confused in the cake decorating segment. I enjoyed myself though, because I own my failures! That includes getting stuck and making mistakes in obvious parts of simple games.

I honestly don’t care if this game’s “simple and easy”. Nor should you, really. Because this game’s not only charming, it’s also inventive. It even shakes up the formula for each level to keep from boredom. I say that from only two levels! You have no idea how hard that is to pull off if you’re unfamiliar with Nintendo’s gameplay mechanics.

This also ties into a bigger complaint I see popping up a lot nowadays, as well as how obnoxious it really is: games are “too easy” now. That’s not only an overgeneralization, especially when Dark Souls exists, it also ignores the inverse: many older games are too difficult. I know it’s subjective, and perhaps unfair, but older hardware required the difficulty level to be amped up to compensate for a lack of length. Still, that doesn’t mean some games weren’t brutal anyway. And I’ll use an example:

Remember The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time? It’s a classic for a reason, but The Water Temple’s a nightmare to complete. The core gimmick, raising and lowering the water level to access specific sections, requires tedious pattern memorizations, and this ignores how the bulk of the level’s hidden away. I spent three hours over two days tinkering with the water levels before resorting to a walkthrough and an online speed-run, and even then I struggled. This is supposed to be fun?

I don’t like my video games becoming homework. It’s why I never finished the aforementioned game’s sequel, as well as why I gave up at the final bosses for Donkey Kong Country’s successors. And yet, that’s what many older video games honestly feel like, even classics. It’s one problem to occasionally look up help, but being chained to help? You might as well have someone else play the game.

What little I’ve experienced of Princess Peach: Showtime! doesn’t have that issue. Which makes sense, as the game was developed by the same team as Kirby’s Epic Yarn and Yoshi’s Woolly World. Those weren’t difficult either, and they didn’t need to be. They coasted on simple and easy gameplay, which worked to their advantage. Besides, if you went into a Kirby or a Yoshi game expecting challenge, then you were in the wrong franchise.

To that end, Princess Peach: Showtime! accomplishes what it sets out to do. It’s not the most sophisticated or challenging experience, even on the Switch, but so what? I had fun, and it has the standard level of Nintendo polish. It’s won’t rock your world, but it doesn’t need to. It’s a vehicle for Peach to be a main character, instead of the typical damsel in distress. Isn’t that important too?

As a final note, the game’s target demographic of young children, particularly girls, shouldn’t be understated. Female gamers are prepped at a young age to not be fairly represented, and while that’s changing now, there’s a lot of progress that needs to be made still. A game like Princess Peach: Showtime!, which has Peach in an active role, is a step in the right direction. It also covers many of the areas of interest young girls are into, as well as a few they normally aren’t. And that’s okay.

So yes, male gamers, accept that not every game by Nintendo is for you. Because if a beloved character like Princess Peach can star in a game that doesn’t reduce her to stock emotions, then there’s hope yet for the future of gaming!