Princess Peach to star in new Nintendo Switch game in 2024

Nintendo will give Princess Peach a starring role in her own Nintendo Switch game next year, the company announced at Wednesday’s Nintendo Direct. It’s the first Princess Peach-led game in more than 17 years, and only the third title led by her royal highness.

Game designer Yoshiaki Koizumi and Nintendo president Shuntaro Furukawa showed only a brief glimpse of Peach’s untitled Switch game, which appears to be themed as a stage play. Peach’s unnamed partner will have its own set of powers and abilities. It is a star-like character that appears to be able to transform itself into a piece of ribbon. Peach’s partner can attack enemies or transform stage props with its powers — and can apparently transform Peach herself. “When she steps on this particular spot on stage,” Furukawa says of her mysterious transformation, followed by Koizumi asking, “Whoa! What is happening?” in their teaser reveal of the game.

Princess Peach on Nintendo Switch, which is the game’s placeholder title, shows Peach moving across a world inspired by theater, with spotlights focusing on her and what appear to be enemy characters dressed up in costumes.

Image: Nintendo

Peach’s previous starring role came in 2005, with the Nintendo DS game Super Princess peach. Peach was sent on a rescue mission by Bowser to save Mario and Luigi. It was a complete flip of the typical damsel’s in trouble structure that is found in many Super Mario Bros. While the role reversal of Peach and the Mario Bros. was a welcome change in direction, critics pointed out “weird sexist undercurrents in the game design.” Super Princess peach was knocked for being “rather sexist about the idea that Princess Peach’s big secret weapon is that she can get really overly emotional at the drop of a hat.”

Prior to Super Princess peachThe leader of the Mushroom Kingdom has only appeared in one previous game. Princess Toadstool’s Castle Run, an LCD game-watch title released in 1990 as part of a promotion with McDonald’s.

Peach appears in a co-starring role in Nintendo and Illumination’s Super Mario Bros. MovieThe new Super Mario Switch game will feature Peach as well. Peach is also playable in Super Mario Switch’s new 2D side scrolling game. Super Mario Bros. Wonder.