Nintendo’s ‘Princess Peach: Showtime!’ was made for the gays

*Photo credit: Nintendo.com

Princess Peach is stepping out of her castle and into the spotlight once again with her new video game.

In Princess Peach: Showtime!, Super Mario Bros. fans will take on the role of the iconic video game series’ damsel-in-distress-turned-heroine. Princess Peach and crew venture out to Sparkle Theater (in her Nicole Kidman “heartbreak feels good in a place like this” era) to catch a show. But that’s sent to stage left when the wicked Grape, another fruit-themed character serving charisma, uniqueness, nerve, and talent, and her Sour Bunch steal the show (and the theater).

So, in an effort to save the theater, Princess Peach takes on Grape and her nefarious team with the help of Stella, a magical ribbon that also serves as the theater’s guardian. What better way to do so than go full on magical girl with a collection of mystical transformations, bestowed by Stella, granting Princess Peach with powers and sickening looks? With martial arts training, baking skills, sword fighting prowess, and sleuthing abilities, Princess Peach is set to bring the Sparkle Theater back to its shiny glory and slay along the way. 

Princess Peach has become a gay icon over the course of her three decades-long video game career. Maybe it’s her keen fashion sense, her elegant skill set, or the fact that she’s a literal princess that keeps the queers in her orbit. Regardless, she’s been a fan favorite among gaymers and an inspiration for many drag performers. 

Princess Peach might be the most prominent gay icon out of the bunch, but she’s not the only one. While Birdo reps for the trans community and Toad for the bisexuals (thanks, SNL, for that Pedro Pascal-led Super Mario Kart trailer), many characters in the Super Mario Bros. franchise queer up the video game world in subtle ways. 

But Princess Peach is one of the few gay icons in Super Mario Bros. to have her own game. Her first game, Super Princess Peach, came out in 2005 for the Nintendo DS. So it’ll be almost two decades in the making when Princess Peach: Showtime! launches in 2024. 

That’s right, we have to wait until next year for this game to come out. Still, gaymers can’t wait to get their hands on Princess Peach’s new powers (and outfits) when her game debuts next year. 

Some also see it as a win for the theater kids and we know that thespians and video gamers can be loudly and proudly queer. 

And of course, fans can’t get enough of Princess Peach’s slay. 

Princess Peach is back and she’s still for the gays.

Princess Peach: Showtime! launches on March 22, 2024 for the Nintendo Switch.

Related:

Princess Peach Has a New Switch Game. Here Are 5 Other Queens Who Should Have One Too

Princess Peach’s solo Switch game is on the horizon, but there’s definitely room for more video game queens to have their solo video game throne.