Super Princess Peach: Better Value Than I First Imagined

Super Princess Peach has certainly surprised me, and is doing its very best to prove it’s worth every penny of the rather hefty price tag (in my opinion) it carried, even after I beat it earlier today.

For starters, it is pretty much fanservice central when it comes to enemies. Foes from every game, at least the 2D ones, make appearances here. The Koopalings were originally going to be a part, and it’s too bad they weren’t. Just the same, I’ve seen numerous foes I never thought I’d see again. And there are yet more to find, too. How do I know? Another feature: A glossary of enemies encountered, accompanied by a short description.

Upon beating the game, it turns out that there’s a throwback of sorts to early NES game “second quests,” such as those found upon beating Super Mario Bros. or The Legend of Zelda. The first time through, your goal is to find three Toads tucked away in each stage, plus one from each world’s boss fight.

The second time through, you’re still searching for items, but instead of the Macguffins of the first run through, of which all are needed to enter the final lair (with a bitch of a final boss), you’re finding various items for your own amusement: Puzzle pieces, songs, and minigames, some of which you found on the first trip, only now they’re the point of running through the stages a second time. There may even be some minute changes to the stages themselves, not sure.

But since the goal of the stages isn’t simply about getting from Point A to Point B, but finding things throughout them, having new stuff to find of a more tangible value to the player is a pretty good way to add replay value to the already-existing stages.

Or, you can forego the little bonuses and go on to new stages. Beating the game opens up three new stages in the first world, whose boss you need to beat to unlock new stages in the second world, and so on.

Seriously, if I’d known there was this much going on, I’d have played the game less sparingly in an effort to get the most for my gaming dollar.

–LBD “Nytetrayn”

David Oxford

David Oxford, or “LBD ‘Nytetrayn’,” as he is sometimes also known, is a freelance writer of many varied interests who resides in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. If you’re interested in hiring him, please drop him a line at david.oxford (at) nyteworks.net.

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