Summary
Princess Peach: Showtimehas been a long time coming for fans of Nintendo’s iconic princess, as her previous starring role came nearly 20 years ago whenSuper Princess Peachwas released in 2006. Bringing Peach back into the spotlight withPrincess Peach: Showtimehas been a great way to help develop her own identity as a character separate from Mario and build upon her role as princess of the Mushroom Kingdom. However,Princess Peach: Showtimemisses the opportunity to include one of Peach’s most notable companions, who has recently been missing from theMarioseries.
WhilePrincess Peach: Showtimeis aspin-off of theMarioseries, the game’s cast is largely made up of new characters like the Theets and the Sour Bunch. The exception to this rule is the Toads that accompany Peach to Sparkle Theater at the start of the game, and plan to watch the performance with her before Grape and the Sour Bunch take over the theater. Given the inclusion of Toads as the only real core Mario series representation in the game,Princess Peach: Showtimeshould have brought back Toadsworth as a key character in the game.
Princess Peach: Showtime Was the Perfect Chance to Bring Back Toadsworth
Longtime Mario fans are likely familiar with Princess Peach’s loyal steward, Toadsworth, who first made his appearance inSuper Mario Sunshineon the GameCube. Toadsworth only plays a minor role in this game, appearing alongside Peach to help prove Mario’s innocence after he is accused of painting graffiti around Isle Delfino, but it’s clear he is a caring and trustworthy advisor to Peach. Toadsworth would continue to appear in otherMariotitles afterSuper Mario Sunshine, including theMario & Luigiseries,Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door, theMario Partyseries, and severalMariosports spin-off titles.
Toadsworth’s first appearance as a playable character came in 2005’sMario Superstar Baseballfor the GameCube, where he was a member of Peach’s team, the Peach Monarchs.
Unfortunately, Toadsworth has been largely sidelined in recentMariotitles, with his latest appearances coming in re-releases of older titles likeMario & Luigi: Bowser’s Inside Story + Bowser Jr.’s Journeyon the 3DS in 2019, andSuper Mario 3D All-Starsin 2020. Toadsworth is set to reappear in the upcomingSwitch remake ofPaper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door, but he hasn’t had an original appearance in the series since 2013’sMario & Luigi: Dream Team. Given his presence in Peach’s last solo adventure,Super Princess Peach, it would have made sense to bring Toadsworth back inPrincess Peach: Showtime.
How Princess Peach: Showtime Could Have Incorporated Toadsworth
Toadsworth could have been an easy character to incorporate intoPrincess Peach: Showtime’s story given his close association with the princess and history as her travel companion. Rather than having some generic Toads accompanyPeach to Sparkle Theater, it could have been Toadsworth who joined Peach on her outing, just as he did when the princess traveled to Isle Delfino inSuper Mario Sunshine. Doing so would not have changed the story in any way and would have given Toadsworth the chance to reappear in the franchise after such a long absence, even if it was just for a brief cameo role.
Another way Toadsworth could have been featured inPrincess Peach: Showtimeis as a character that Peach needed to rescue fromGrape and the Sour Bunch. Perhaps Toadsworth could have accompanied Peach to Sparkle Theater, only to be captured by Grape after she and the Sour Bunch gain control of the venue, prompting Peach to battle her way through the foes to save Toadsworth. This direction would have given Toadsworth a more important role in the story while also turning the trope of the damsel in distress on its head as Peach worked to save her trusted companion and advisor.
