Imbued with a theater aesthetic, Princess Peach: Showtime shines as it unfolds within the captivating stages of Sparkle Theater where Peach fights to reclaim control from the Sour Bunch. Through the incorporation of theatrical elements into its level design, the game successfully emulates the experience of being immersed in a stage play. Nonetheless, a notable absence in Princess Peach: Showtime is the lack of an active audience, a missed opportunity to pay homage to Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door.

The Mario series has frequently embraced stage plays as a framing device, with Super Mario Bros. 3 being a prominent example. However, Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door elevated the concept of gameplay unfolding on a theatrical stage, a feat that Princess Peach: Showtime could have further expanded upon. Despite its utilization of a theater aesthetic, Princess Peach: Showtime falls short by omitting a crucial aspect that resonated in the intricate stages of Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door. Given the upcoming Switch remake of the latter, now would have been an ideal moment to acknowledge this design influence.

Princess Peach: Showtime's Missed Audience Engagement Opportunity

In Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door, combat unfolds separately from the overworld, a common trait in turn-based JRPGs. Battles take place on a stage resembling a theater, with an audience comprising various minor NPC characters like Toads, Shy Guys, Dry Bones, and occasional appearances by Luigi. Unlike passive observers, these spectators play an active role by providing Mario with diverse benefits during combat.

An integral support mechanism in Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door involves the audience granting Mario SP each time he attacks, enabling the accumulation of Star Power to unleash potent Crystal Star moves. Moreover, the audience occasionally tosses useful items onto the stage to aid Mario in battle. In certain boss encounters, the audience can turn against Mario, as seen when Hooktail consumes audience members to replenish its HP or when Magnus von Grapple 2.0 hurls audience members at Mario as projectiles.

Enhancing Princess Peach: Showtime with an In-Game Audience

Unlike Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door, Princess Peach: Showtime lacks a visible audience as Peach navigates through stages. While the game deviates from the RPG genre of Paper Mario, there existed opportunities for Princess Peach: Showtime to integrate an audience, enhancing mechanics and enriching its theatrical theme. Drawing inspiration from Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door, allies like Theets in the audience could have thrown beneficial items like coins and hearts onto the stage for Peach to collect.

Members of the Sour Bunch could have also acted as audience members, hurling harmful objects or even intruding onto the stage to assail Peach during her progress through a level. Given the ingenious level design in Princess Peach: Showtime, the limited audience involvement feels like a missed opportunity. Just as crucial as actors in a stage play, the audience could have exemplified this relationship through gameplay in Princess Peach: Showtime.