Super Princess Peach

Something strange is happening in the world, especially on Vibe Island. Bowser and his minions are busy hatching dastardly plans as per normal, but the main difference this time round is that they actually succeed in capturing Mario, Luigi and lots of Toads. Therefore, returning home from a leisurely stroll, poor Princess Peach finds herself with the task of rescuing her usual rescuer! Thankfully she has the help of vibe emotions and a trusty umbrella...But this is much more than Yoshi's Story Part Two...

For the Nintendo DS you might feel a little cheated by the graphics within SPP. However, the bright, breezy colours are a joy to the eye and the various locations are such a pleasure to play through that all will be forgiven. The style is somewhat reminiscent of Yoshi's Island from the SNES, except with a higher level of detail and none of the Crayola, children's sketching feel. The range of characters on show is mightily impressive as well, with familiar foes from numerous Mario adventures. In this case, familiarity does not breed contempt. In fact, some of the tunes are lodged in my head right now!

 

The same goes for the music throughout. The sound effects may be a little on the twee side, but the actual soundtrack itself is quite fitting for the proceedings. And again, as with the visuals there is a definite feeling of hearing these tunes elsewhere prior to this adventure. They are not replications of other tunes, but they were definitely orchestrated in a similar vein, which is indeed ideal for a Mario-themed platformer. Again, Super Princess Peach balances itself just right in this respect. All sounds good so far...

But as is always the case, presentation goes nowhere when the actual substance is a rotten, putrid mess. Thankfully, though, this Peach is quite firm and even juicy at times, bordering on the extra soft in places. At least there are no bruises to be found...Anyway, enough of the puns. Super Princess Peach is firmly in Mario territory here, and as mentioned earlier it bears a striking resemblance to previous spin-offs featuring the faithful dino-pet, Yoshi. In fact, with some of the moves and features included, you would be forgiven for thinking this is a Yoshi's Island and Wario Land cross-over...

 

Some may think it would result in a cheap game being produced, but that could not be farther from the truth as SPP carves out its own niche by being so capably crafted by the designers at Nintendo. The usual platform antics are all present and correct, with players controlling Peach (forever Princess Toadstool in my mind...) in a two-dimensional side-scrolling field, running left and right, jumping on enemies or swiping at them with her trusty umbrella companion, uncovering hidden objects and aiming to reach a final goal. All rudimentary stuff, but the execution is the key.

Peach can use the umbrella in various different ways, depending on how many coins you have collected and spent in Toad's special little store. She can use it to float, pound the ground and even shoot at enemies, in addition to the standard swipe ability. To despatch most enemies, as well, you can follow the Mario trend and jump on their heads. Sometimes it is best to use the umbrella to scoop enemies up, though, as Peach has a 'Vibe Meter' that runs down quite quickly and is replenished by collecting special crystals or picking up enemies, pressing down and absorbing their energy. But what exactly is this for?

 

Well, the Vibe Meter is used for the main puzzle element of the game. Super Princess Peach uses the touch-screen to access four 'moods', each one helping the heroine to make progress, uncover secrets and collect special items on each of the stages. Being sad makes her cry (great for growing plants) and run fast (cross falling platforms easily); getting angry brings on flames (burn bridges, scare off bats), remaining calm helps restore hearts and being happy makes her float (reach high up platforms) and spin, causing a whirlwind (clearing clouds). Each must be used wisely to reach the end of each level and it definitely proves to be a pleasing highlight in what is such a charming little game!

The major drawback of SPP, however, is how simple it all is. Whilst the levels are numerous and the internal design sometimes wondrous, the level of difficulty is severely lacking. The unique nature of Peach's emotions suddenly turns from being an interesting new feature to the game's own worst enemy. Being able to restore your energy whenever you please is great during major boss battles, but feels like a cheat option that you should be able to turn off. Instead it renders the game's difficulty redundant as whenever in trouble you can merely tap the screen and boost yourself once more. The same goes for other emotions, in the same way that Kirby constant ability to fly makes his outings too simple at times. Being able to always access your special moves spoils it all...unless you constrict yourself to only using them when necessary. But who really has that amount of will power when playing games? Thankfully there is a LOT to collect in SPP, which proves to be a saving grace...just about.