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Developer: Nintendo
Publisher: Nintendo
Genre: Platform
Region: NTSC
Format:
Release Date: 27 Feb 06
User Rating
9.8 (11 votes) -
- With all the focus previously on Mario and Luigi, Princess Peach steps up with her own adventure. Solid gameplay and sweet Nintendo visual treatment makes this a winner.
Overview
There are times where you just sit back and wonder what Nintendo is thinking, and other times you are thinking why did it take them so long to think of this. Well today I was thinking the latter of the two statements, as we are going to be checking out a game today that I wonder why it wasn't already done a long time ago. It is the very first Nintendo game solely based on our beloved Princess Peach. The game is entitled Super Princess Peach and it has been released for the Nintendo DS. So how does the lovely princess fair on her first outing? Read our full review to find out!
Gameplay
Super Princess Peach actually starts off in really great Mario fashion with you witnessing Bowsers' successful capture of Mario, Luigi, and Toad. He uses this ancient artifact called the Vibe Spectar, and now it is up to Princess Peach to save the day. Now I have to admit my excitement level for this game at first was rather minimal, but as I loaded it up I have to say seeing the whole Mushroom Kingdom was really a good start the Princess Peach's first outing.
For the most part Super Princess Peach is a pretty typical 2D, Mario style platforming experience. The game does a lot of jumping and a lot of running, two things that fans of the Mario series are very familiar with. In this game it all handles very nicely and is very intuitive, which means it will be a breeze for almost all gamers to be able to pick up and play this game. Now although the majority of the game is really standard Mario style 2D gaming (which is not a bad thing at all), the game does manage to bring in some areas that are unique to Princess Peach.
The main difference is actually in my opinion a big sexist slam, which is the Vibe system. I say this because there are some meters that show on the screen, which represent the four different moods that Princess Peach can be in. The four different moods are calm, gloom, joy, and rage, all of which have different influences on the game. And although I think some feminist women out there may take exceptions to this stereotyping, the system is done very tastefully, and really added some much-welcome depth to the title. These different moods are used in a variety of puzzles, and ties up very nicely into the overall experience.
Although Super Princess Peach really is flawless in terms of its gameplay fundamentals, there are some things that did leave me wanting more. First and foremost, this can be found in the length of the game, which easily could be finished in a few short sittings. The game really is enjoyable throughout, but when you finish a game this quick you just really feel like you want more out of it. Also some of the puzzle ideas are reused a few too many times. In the end, Super Princess Peach is still a really enjoyable. It may be short, but I didn't mind playing a second time.
Graphics
One thing you have to give Nintendo credit for is their ability to really give a great Nintendo treatment to each of their games. Super Princess Peach just looks and feels exactly how you would expect a Princess Peach game to look and play. I have to say that this may not be the best looking game on the DS, but it is a game that just combines some great looking worlds with good character models to make for a very nice and neat looking package.
Fun Factor
I could talk more about how Super Princess Peach is a rather short experience, but I should also say that the whole experience of this game was just extremely enjoyable. This game really managed to bring in a lot of great platforming avenues that all came together to make for a very fun experience. But by far the most enjoyable aspect of Super Princess Peach was the boss battles, which were simplistic but challenging.
Overall
In the end, Super Princess Peach is a game that has a lot of good things going for it, whether it be the Mushroom Kingdom back-story, the solid platforming, or the good visuals - this is really a very solid package. Had the game had some extra length or extras it quite possibly could have been one of the best games of 2006. But even with that being said, if you're looking for a new platformer for your DS, then I would highly recommend checking out Super Princess Peach.
- Gameplay
8.0 - Graphics
8.0 - Fun Factor
8.0 - Overall
8.0
