Super Princess Peach is perhaps one of the best platformers to date. Its simplistic approach which should have really earned the title ‘My First Platformer’ is a great way to introduce people to the platforming genre. Much like how my generation had Mario and Sonic (although it can be said that these guys are still here). As well as being a super fun game, its also a great introduction to the art form known as gaming to the young (albeit in a sexist way, more about that later).The story starts with the kidnapping of Mario, Luigi and Toad in Peach’s Castle by Bowser’s henchmen on ‘Vibe Island’, which is located “adjacent to the Mushroom Kingdom” according to the manual. Later, Peach and Toadsworth return to the castle finding a note informing them of the kidnappings. Sensing Peach’s fury, Toadsworth hands Peach the magical umbrella ‘Perry’ with which she sets out to save the three.

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The game is very similar to your average run-of-the-mill platforming game. It takes place over 8 different locations which are based on very typical platforming conventions, a la the volcano, ice and grass worlds. Each world has 6 different ‘levels’ which are extremely familiar if you’ve ever played a Platformer before. There are coins to collect, enemies to jump on and an added addition of saving 3 boxed up toads per level (although unlike other platformers, there is actually no point to doing this).However, unlike Mario’s obsession with eating mushrooms which allows him to grow in size, Peach uses her ‘vibes’ to emphasise her Goomba killing badness. She can either become angry and surrounded by fire, upset and drown the level in tears, excited and float to the skies or extremely happy and recover health. I don’t think even the creators of this game can deny the incredible sexist undercurrent to this feature, which is so obvious it’s not even an undercurrent. The fact this system is so evidently sexist leads me to believe that this games power up system was sort of rushed due to its terribly obvious nature, either as a way of incorporating the touch screen or adding to the game at the last moment to add an extra depth to the game play.

Putting the sexism and lack of originality aside, I still think this is a brilliant game, the shop system which allows you to actually use the coins you collect to unlock mini games and power ups (which you don’t actually need to complete the game) adds an extra dimension to the game as well as doing something interesting I’ve not seen in a Platformer before. As well as this it is an incredibly more-ish game, whenever I get a free five minutes I’ll boot this game up and have a blast at collecting some more coins or finishing the levels. The way you can save the game at any time makes it truly portable, unlike more recent portable platformers such as New Super Mario Brothers, which only allows you to save once you complete a castle or outpost.

The game does not actually have ‘lives’. If you fail a level you can just start from the beginning of it, not even loosing the coins or toads you managed to collect on your previous play through. It could be argued then that these points make the game way too easy to complete, but this games simple nature actually makes it a very pleasant and rewarding game. A lot of people say that it is bad if a game is too easy, however in this instance I would have to disagree. Not every game has to be challenging to be exciting and fun. I also imagine that some of the later levels of this game could be hard for a younger audience (who this game is primarily aimed at I assume).

I would truly recommend this for children or to fans of the platform genre as it is a perfect collection of the features of platforming games which came before it as well as being a very fun experience. Alas, some hardcore gamers may be put off by the games simplistic and ‘cartoony’ nature.

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