Super Princess Peach (Nintendo DS)

When this game came out in America I wantedit so much, despite the bad thigns people had said about it. I bought it and to be honest, I was not disappointed.

The game starts off where Bowser has plans to take over the mushroom kingdom yet again, and feels that he can succeed this time with the power of his stolen 'Vibe Sceptor'. This sceptor causes people to act out on their emotions i.e. if you're feeling sad you'll be super-sad and cry loads of tears; if you're angry you'll turn into a fireball etc. Bowser succeeds in capturing Mario, Luigi and lots of Toads. Princess Peach discovers something is amiss when she returns from a leisurely stroll. Is she up to the challenge?

The graphics in this game are visually pleasing, reminding me a bit of Yoshi's Island (but not quite...). Overall, the game has a very cutesy charm that may not appeal to some people.

The reason that I'm not giving this game a 5 star review is because I feel that it is perhaps a little too easy. Even though it may be aimed at a younger audience of gamers, my 12 year old sister managed to get through half of it in a matter of nights! The 'abilities' (content, happy, sad, angry) make the game a lot easier than perhaps it should be, so if you want a challenge, take a chance and don't use the 'Vibe tea' to up your abilities in the shop.

Even though this game is very easy to complete, it gives you the chance to unlock more levels once you have completed it, and collect more items which you would not have been able to get first time round. However, it is this aspect (only being able to collect a few things in each level) that makes the game feel quite rigid, although it gives you a sense of achievement once you have obtained the items that you need to get.

I do higly recommend this game, especially to girls out there who feel that there aren't enough platform games designed for us. Hey, it's a bit kiddy, but its a start!

A great addition to any DS games collection.

When Nintendo announced that they were bringing a new Super Mario Brothers game to the DS, the majority of gamers out there rejoiced. Critics ranted and raved, Mario's upcoming game would be the true return to platforming that has been long overdue. But Nintendo unveiled Super Princess Peach as well, and it looked as though Peach wouldn't get any sort of praise for her would-be platforming goodness. Well, I'm here for you, Peach. Super Princess Peach is actually, and you're hearing this correctly, a good DS game with few gameplay problems to speak of. Once you put down your chicken-boobs-and-beer manliness and adapt to the pink, fuzzy, cute Peach charm, you can learn to love the gameplay concepts found within.

Peach plays almost the same as a typical Mario game, but Peach's lighter weight makes her a little less likely to cause harm by jumping on the heads of incoming attackers. Instead, Peach uses a trusty umbrella to attack everything in her way, as well as four different "vibe" powers that are activated by touching large buttons on the bottom of the screen. Throughout the typical platforming levels, which feature tons of enemies, simple but clever puzzles, and elusive collectible items, Peach can find coins that can be spent in Toad's Store for even more abilities.

The vibe powers that Peach has are interesting aspects in themselves. They're used for attacking, travel, and puzzles, something that definitely goes below the surface of the "travel from left to right" gameplay that Mario and Sonic games have so often supported. One of Peach's vibes is the "Joy" vibe, which sends Peach happily floating in the sky. This vibe lets her float, fly, and conjure a cyclone to blow things away. Another vibe is the "Anger" vibe, which sets Peach on fire when activated. Peach's fiery body incinerates enemies while she stomps along. The stomping even allows Peach to hurt bigger enemies (like the Wiggler boss) and stomp on switches. The third vibe, the "Sad" vibe, sends peach wailing, her tears being used to douse flames or water plants. While crying, Peach travels very quickly, allowing players to run and jump around at higher speeds. The last of the four vibes is "Calmness", which restores her health at the sake of losing some extra Vibe "juice", the fuel that powers her ability to use emotions.

Despite the amount of moves and abilities players can gain in Peach, one shouldn't assume that it's a difficult game. Every level is rather easy, even in the later parts of the game. Finding the Toads that are lost in each level (just one of the several "elusive collector items" I mentioned earlier) is just a matter of searching each room until you come across a very obvious, large, pink, and bouncy box. Some of the boss fights required effort, though Wiggler was particularly annoying, and it took me about four lives to put the angry worm down. Sadly, this is the place where Peach breaks a nail; the gameplay is fun, but the game isn't very long at all. I would estimate that the average player could beat this game in a few quiet sittings. All of the unlockable items are an added bonus to those gamers that want to get everything in the game, but going back through every easy level to find hidden items isn't necessarily the most enjoyable thing to do.

Sadly, Peach also isn't the most technically advanced game. The graphics want to scream "old-school", but if the DS is capable of recreating a Nintendo 64 classic like Super Mario 64 with improved visuals, certainly Nintendo could do a little more than make a fresh Peach sprite and new sprites for enemies like Goombas and Koopa-Troopas. Peach is like that moderately-attractive girl that is appealing once you get to know her, but doesn't look like anything special at first glance.

Super Princess Peach isn't just a game for your little sister, or your daughter, or your girlfriend. It's an entertaining platforming game in its own right. It may only take a few hours to complete, but it goes to show that the plumber in red isn't the only Nintendo star who can steal some limelight. I'd highly recommend this game to DS owners, especially those of you who enjoyed Super Mario 64, Kirby's Canvas Curse, or Yoshi's Touch & Go on the handheld. Until Mario steals the show with the "New Super Mario Brothers" in just a month or so, Peach is your best handheld platforming outlet.

With the arrival of the DS it's apparent that Nintendo has come a long way since its misguided 'rescue the girl or play like one' advertising campaign for The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. The handheld console has shifted the proverbial paradigm of gaming and introduced many previously apprehensive female players to the medium. So it's apt that Princess Peach should finally be emancipated from her role of Mario's damsel in distress to front her own adventure in which the roles of kidnap victim and rescuer are reversed. But beyond the pink dress and flowing blond hair of the protagonist, this is a candidate for the finest platform game to be specifically developed for a handheld console yet and deserves the attention of all fans of the genre.

The graphics do what you want Nintendo graphics to do your serotonin levels, with enemies and themes pleasingly familiar to the Mushroom Kingdom transported to Vibe Island's vibrant new locales. Possibly due to the DS's set up, the controls aren't as slick as the platforming perfection found in the classic NES and SNES 2D Mario games, but Peach has an array of tricks up her sleeve - and her umbrella - which make the game a joy to play. The game's core concept centres on her four 'vibes' - joy, rage, gloom and calm - which can be activated via the touch screen to various effects. For instance, if Peach becomes stroppy, flames that can burn her through to otherwise unreachable areas will surround her. The 'vibes' offer solutions to the levels' fun puzzles, never frustratingly taxing, even for the most inexperienced of gamers.

The familiar objective of coin collecting is present, but whereas some games allow scant reward for collecting, Peach can trade her haul in for items from the menu's shop, adding longevity to the game and a strong incentive for repeated plays. Other items are scattered throughout each level that reward the player for exploration, and many of the levels have a relatively non-linear course to traverse, although it's also possible to rush through to the end for the less patient.

The DS's stylus comes into use every now and then but the game is not as reliant on it to the extent that other DS games are and for the most part the D-pad and face buttons are used (you have to activate the 'vibes' on the touch screen but I find touching the appropriate icon with my thumb to be the easier option). A number of unlockable mini games do make good use of the stylus and the DS's mic, and while they're not quite up to the standards of Super Mario 64 DS's mini games, they are nevertheless enjoyable distractions, serving as a breather from the main game and adding further value to the overall package.

It is noticeably easier than Mario's quests and tends to give the player a helping hand too often and too blatantly, but the necessity to find all the Toads scattered throughout the levels will ensure the experience is not over too quickly. And after the deviously humorous scripts of the two Mario & Luigi RPGs, cynical, hardened gamers (like myself) who decide to investigate it will, unsurprisingly, be left disappointed by the return to the clichéd dialogue and narrative. But this is a great platformer with something for everyone. It might be little more than an appetizer for Nintendo's main course of New Super Mario Bros., but while it lasts it's pure, unadulterated fun.