Nintendo has quietly updated the key art and cover art for Princess Peach: Showtime! and she does not seem happy about it. There’s less of a focus now on the usual doe-eyed take on the character, with two of the Princess Peaches on the cover now sporting sharper, angrier looks. Maybe it’s a response to Bowser propositioning her?
The change was first spotted by X user @SuperMarioOOC85, with the new art live on the Nintendo eShop while some other retailers are yet to make the switch as at the time of writing. The updated cover art for Princess Peach: Showtime! shows the central Peach with her face tilted down slightly, with less rounded eyes and mouth. The changes are small, but they bring her more in line with her appearance from this year’s blockbuster The Super Mario Bros. Movie.
The other change is to the Peach on the right performing martial arts, who now clearly looks angrier, sporting a deep frown and a wider mouth, complete with teeth. Check out the comparison for yourself:
Whatever the reasons for the changes, they certainly diversify the looks of Princess Peach, giving her more emotional range. It goes without saying that’s probably important for a game where she’s in the central role.
Princess Peach: Showtime! features the eponymous character working to save the day after a theater performance is taken over by the Grape and the Sour Bunch. Her quest will see her donning a range of costumes — including martial artist, swordfighter, and detective — with each giving her unique abilities with which to battle the baddies. You can find out more in the September Nintendo Direct trailer for the game.
Princess Peach: Showtime! is scheduled to arrive on March 22, 2024, exclusively on the Nintendo Switch.
