My Super Princess Peach impressions, TOO LONG DIDN'T READ

I imported this game. It just arrived, and I've just beaten the 1st world.

Let's get two things out of the way before we get started:

1.) Yes, I am an idiot for importing the game. I should have waited. But when I imported it, a release date was not yet announced, and besides that it only cost me about 10 bucks extra. 10 bucks to get the game 3 months early, not too shabby.

2.) Yeah, I know the entire concept is "gay". A game with Peach? Using emotions to fight enemies? How homosexual! Yeah it's gonna be embarassing if you're a guy to buy this game from the store, and if you're not comfortable with your masculinity you might not want to be seen playing a game in which the entirity of the second screen is taken up by a huge image of Peach surrounded by hearts. But the game is good enough so that I don't care.


Now that those two things are out of the way, let me just say this right off the bat: if you're a Mario fan, you absolutely have to buy this game. This is the Mario platformer I've been wanting: a good old fashioned, sidescrolling sprite based Mario adventure with a huge cast of returning enemies.

The game opens with a (rather lengthy) cutscene in MLSS style, showing Bowser with some kinda magical rod called a Vibe Rod (snicker) that can control emotions. He sends a Goomba carrying this rod into Peach's castle and causes all the Toads to go crazy with random emotions.

In a rather amusing moment, you get to launch the attack on Peach's castle yourself by using the DS's microphone to speak into a Hammer Brother's walkie talkie.

The Hammer Bros. capture Mario and Luigi, then the Goomba accidentally sets off the Vibe Rod in Bowser's Castle, causing all the Hammer Bros. and Koopas to run around yelling with rage/crying their eyes out; it's amusing.

Peach isn't there during the attack, so it's up to her to save the Mario bros.

The first world alone has gotten me really nostalgia filled. So far these are the enemies I've encountered:

1.) Brown Goomba
2.) Red Goomba
3.) Brown Para-goomba
4.) Red Para-goomba
5.) Goomba nanny w/ Microgoombas (those Goombas from SMB3 who drop tiny Goombas on you)
6.) Green Koopa
7.) Red Koopa
8.) Green Parakoopa
9.) Red Parakoopa
10.) ANGRY Koopa (has an angry face, rushes at you incredibly fast)
11.) Super-happy Koopa (has an adorable ^_^ face, frolicks around and jumps when you do)
12.) Angry Red Goomba - Charges you, stomps the ground making it shake
13.) Sad Crying Blue Goomba - Runs back and forth, bawling
14.) Nipper plants - Those hopping white plants from SMB3 who jump when you do
15.) Sad Nipper Plant - same as above except it cries
16.) Piranha plant - like in YI, it's small when you first see it but enlarges
17.) Bullet Bill
18.) Red Cheep Cheep
19.) Petey Piranha

Almost 20 classic enemies, and I'm only on world 2-1.

As you can also see from that list, there appear to be happy/sad/angry versions of at least some enemies. If they've got CRYING NIPPER PLANTS I almost wonder if EVERY enemy has different versions (although I really can't see a superhappy or crying Bullet Bill...then again I couldn't see a crying Nipper either)

Each world seems to have 6 stages, with the 6th stage being a boss stage. At least, that's the way the first world was set up. It's possible that other stages will have more levels, but I assume they're gonna go with a 6 stages per world pattern.

The sixth stage is a boss stage. I'm unsure if EVERY boss stage will be like this, but Petey's had a little bonus area before you fight it. In the bonus area, Peach was standing on these little rubber-bandish platforms, and you had to use the touch screen to pull down on the platforms, then let go; snapping the band and launching her up to the second screen while avoiding enemies.

You power Peach's emotions (Normal, Super happy, sad, RAGE) by collecting blue gems. There doesn't appear to be a visible gauge, so you just have to be quick about utilizing her powers.

Normal - The default
Superhappy - Peach is surrounded by a whirlwind, yells "WHEE!" and gains the ability to fly
Angry - Peach sets herself on fire and crashes heavily into the ground
Sad - Peach cries

You access the powers by tapping one of the hearts on the touch screen; one heart for each power.

The crying power is used to make bean sprouts grow, superhappy is used to fly around and collect hard to reach items etc. I haven't had to make use of the others yet.


At the end of each level there's a little roulette you have to jump through similar to the goals in YI. They even have the little checkered ground pattern used in YI. Different items cycle through the roulette...SMB2 turnip, a star, etc. and they give you varying amounts of coins depending on which one you get.

This brings me to the next item, the coins. No longer do you get a 1-up for every 100 coins you collect. Now you can use the coins to buy items and moves at the shop. Yes, moves - so far I've seen a power enabling Peach's umbrella to let you float when you hold down the b button and another power that lets you slam into the ground.

The gameplay. Jumping on enemies doesn't kill them. It knocks them out. Once knocked out, you can use Peach's umbrella to scoop them up and throw them, similar to SMB2. You can bypass this entirely by just whacking the enemy with an umbrella, which'll kill them.

Koopas pop out of their shells when jumped on, as in SMW and YI. The Koopas themselves look EXTREMELY similar to their YI incarnation, and that's a very good thing.

The entire game so far definitely has an atmosphere that's like a mix of SMB2 and YI. It looks quite pretty.

When Peach jumps in a body of water she floats in her parasol, so it doesn't look like there will be any water stages. Actually, scratch that, I just remembered someone on Gamefaqs saying there's a submarine so there are apparently some undersea levels.

I'm only on the second world so obviously the level designs have been relatively simple so far, but they're definitely getting a bit more complex. The stage I'm in now requires that you hit switches to create platforms, and the first level had a stage with a little memory test where you had to hit flowers in a certain order to progress, in a small maze-like area and with limited time to do so. Pretty simple stuff so far.

There are a number of hidden things in each world. So far I've seen jigsaw pieces (dunno what those do), music blocks (dunno what they do either) and Toads. There are three Toads in each world.

Finding these things seems to unlock secret levels (there's about 20 of them I think) but I've yet to unlock any.

Okay, so those are my impressions so far. Feel free to ask me any other questions you want, but remember I'm only on world 2-1 now so I can't tell you if the Koopalings are in it, or who the last boss is, or what.

In short, you absolutely should buy this game if you're a fan of the oldschool Mario platformers. It will give you a lot of nostalgia, it will make you remember all those classic enemies who have been MIA for so long outside of the Paper Mario games. The gameplay, while very easy so far, is also very fun, and the level designs are good. I would wait until February to get it, unless you're extremely impatient, because there's actually a good amount of text cutscenes in the game (in between levels there are cutscenes which seem to explain where Peach's umbrella came from).

I hate Peach, and I still like this game; for me the appeal of Mario games always came from the cute atmosphere, the ENEMIES, and the fun. I never cared much for Mario and it doesn't really bother me that Peach is starring in the game instead of him. It absolutely shouldn't keep you from playing this once it's released in February.

"Read it all"

Sound's good.

i'm gona buy it.
the only thing that bother's me is #2 in your list

This post has been edited by NO Body on Nov 21 2005, 10:51 AM

I'm getting this game, Classic enemies sounds soo good

Sweeeeeeet.

I knew this would be good.

*wishes he had a Romulan*

This post has been edited by Xander on Nov 21 2005, 11:58 AM

WHY DON'T YOU GO PLAY WITH SOME DOLLIES AND WEAR MAKE UP YOU LITTLE SISSIE

THEY'RE ACTION FIGURES!!

I have no problem with Peach's huge face on the top screen.
Mostly because I won't ever play the game in public (I don't play ANY games in public, the "handheld" in DS is more like "take it with you on your holidays and not play it whereever you are").
Can't wait for this!!

I really need to get a job. There are so many games I should be getting, like this one.

You really need Christmas!
Just put "MONEY" on your wish list.
Should work as well.

Was there any explaination on why Peach wasn't at the castle when it was attacked?

If there was, I wasn't able to get it since I can't read Japanese. All I know is the Koopas attacked the castle and kidnapped the bros, then in the next scene Peach appeared to be returning from some other place along with Toadsworth, and found the castle in a state of chaos.

I'm on the haunted level now. Boos, Fishin' Boos, and Dry Bones galore. There's even a morbidly depressed Dry Bones who runs around bawling his head off and throwing bones at you.

By this point the levels are getting a lot more complex. I just got to a room in this haunted house that's full of doors...I doubt there'll be anything as puzzling as the ghost houses from SMW but it's nice that things are getting a bit more complicated.

Enemies with different emotions? ASDFSDFDSFSDF I SO MUST GET THIS GAME.

You do know that people are going to make fun of this by making "Emo" Peach.



SJKDSSDADSAHJ I WANT THIS GAME

Holy crap this game sounds awesome. I don't care how girly it looks or sounds.

DEPRESSED DRY BONES?!?! HOLY CRAP I NEED. XD

usually she's playing in the garden when these games start... <:|
then bowser'd swoop in with his clown car and nab her...

It sounds pretty cool but I didn't read it all. I'm still not sure if I will get this game but I probally won't

needs more ragdoll: