It was 2005. Mario was busy doing... whatever Mario does. Getting kidnapped? No, that’s usually Peach’s job. But for the Super Princess Peach NDS game, Nintendo flipped the script entirely. Honestly, if you were around for the DS era, you remember how experimental things got. We had dual screens, a stylus that we always lost, and a microphone we had to blow into like we were trying to start a campfire. In the middle of all that hardware chaos, Nintendo gave us a platformer where emotions weren't just a plot point—they were the literal power source. It sounds kinda bizarre when you say it out loud. A game where a woman wins by having a mood swing? Yeah, it’s a bit "of its time," but if you look past the questionable gender tropes, there’s a genuinely tight, vibrant, and surprisingly deep platformer underneath.
Super Princess Peach wasn't just another Mario clone with a pink coat of paint. It was developed by TOSE, a "ghost developer" known for working on hundreds of titles without taking much credit. They brought a specific kind of polish to the DS that felt different from the main-line New Super Mario Bros. entries. The sprites were huge. The colors popped. Most importantly, the Vibe Scepter—the magical rod Peach uses—wasn't just a gimmick. It changed how you moved through levels.
The Vibe Scepter and Why It Actually Works
So, let's talk about the emotions. Basically, Bowser finds this thing called the Vibe Scepter on Vibe Island. He uses it to go absolutely nuts, capturing Mario and Luigi and throwing the entire Mushroom Kingdom into emotional turmoil. Peach, being apparently the only person with emotional intelligence in the kingdom, sets out to rescue the boys.
You’ve got four main powers on the bottom screen: Joy, Rage, Gloom, and Calm.
- Joy makes Peach spin like a cyclone, allowing her to fly.
- Rage sets her on fire, making her heavy and invincible to certain hazards.
- Gloom makes her cry—and I mean waterfall cry—which helps grow plants or power waterwheels.
- Calm restores her health.
Critics at the time, and plenty of people now, point out that "Peach fighting with her feelings" is a pretty heavy-handed stereotype. They're not wrong. It’s definitely a product of 2005 Nintendo's "let's market to girls" strategy. However, from a pure mechanical standpoint? It’s brilliant. You aren't just jumping on heads. You’re managing an "Emotion Meter." You have to find yellow gems or absorb enemies using your umbrella friend, Perry, to keep your meter full. It adds a layer of resource management that you just don't see in most 2D Mario games.
Perry the Parasol: More Than Just an Accessory
Perry is arguably the best part of the Super Princess Peach NDS game. He’s a sentient umbrella with a tragic backstory—told through dream sequences between worlds—that is surprisingly dark for a game this bright. Perry allows Peach to whack enemies, slide down zip lines, and even navigate underwater like a little submarine.
Unlike Mario, who dies if he touches a stray Goomba without a mushroom, Peach feels powerful. She’s tanky. She has a melee attack. She has a literal fire aura. It shifted the "damsel" dynamic not just in the story, but in the gameplay feel. You weren't fragile. You were a walking elemental force.
Level Design and the Completionist Trap
The game is divided into eight worlds, ranging from Ladida Plains to Bowser's Villa. Each world has six stages, a boss, and some mini-games. It’s not a hard game to finish. If you’re a veteran platformer fan, you’ll breeze through the main story in about five or six hours. But here is where it gets tricky: Nintendo decided that to actually fight the final boss, you must find every single captured Toad hidden in the levels.
Three Toads per level.
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Every. Single. One.
This is where the Super Princess Peach NDS game goes from a casual stroll to a dedicated hunt. Some of these Toads are hidden behind puzzles that require specific vibes. You might need to use the "Gloom" power to grow a beanstalk, then "Joy" to fly up to a hidden ledge. It forces you to actually engage with the environment rather than just running to the right. While the "forced collection" trope is annoying to some, it’s the only way the game challenges you to master the mechanics.
The Boss Battles
The bosses are massive. Because the DS had two screens, TOSE made the bosses take up both. Fighting a giant owl or a massive Piranha Plant felt grand. Each boss required a specific sequence of emotional powers. It wasn't just "jump three times on the head." You had to use the environment. For example, during the Petey Piranha fight, you have to use Gloom to fill his mouth with water and then tip him over. It’s tactile. It feels like you’re actually solving a problem rather than just timing a jump.
Why Does Super Princess Peach Still Matter?
We’re living in a post-Princess Peach: Showtime! world now. But for nearly 20 years, the Super Princess Peach NDS game was the only solo outing she had. Looking back, it’s a fascinating relic. It’s a game that tried to be "for girls" by using pink and emotions, but accidentally ended up being one of the most inventive 2D platformers on the system.
It also showcased what the DS could do before everyone got bored of the touch screen. The mini-games—Toad Jump, Quiz, and Lead the Toad—used the stylus in ways that felt fresh back then. They weren't just tacked on; they were actually fun distractions that rewarded you with shop points to upgrade Peach’s health and vibe meter.
Technical Prowess on the DS
If you boot it up today on a DSi or a 3DS, the first thing you’ll notice is the animation. Peach’s walk cycle is incredibly fluid. The way her dress flutters, the way she reacts to the different vibes—it’s high-effort sprite work. Compared to the 2.5D look of New Super Mario Bros., which can look a bit "plastic" today, the hand-drawn style of Super Princess Peach has aged like fine wine.
Hidden Gems and Post-Game Content
Most people beat Bowser and put the game down. Don't do that. The post-game is actually where the "real" challenge lives. After the credits roll, you unlock new levels in every world that are significantly harder than the main game. You also get new abilities for Perry in the shop, like the "Dash" ability which turns the game into a speedrunner's dream.
There’s also the matter of the "Collection" menu. You can collect musical scores, enemy data, and glossary entries. It’s a completionist's nightmare (or dream, depending on how much you like finding hidden blocks).
Is It Worth Playing in 2026?
Honestly, yeah. Especially if you’re tired of the "standard" Mario formula. It’s a weird, colorful, slightly problematic, but immensely charming adventure. It’s easy to find used copies, though the price has been creeping up as people realize how unique it actually is.
If you’re going to dive back in, here’s how to get the most out of it:
- Don't ignore the shop. Buy the "Slide Umbrella" and "Pound Umbrella" upgrades as soon as possible. They make movement much more fluid.
- Farm for coins. The "Calm" vibe is great, but it drains fast. You want to upgrade your vibe meter early so you aren't constantly hunting for yellow gems.
- Watch the background. The Toads are often hidden behind things that look slightly "off." If a pipe looks a weird color or a wall has a strange crack, use your Rage or Joy powers.
- Check out the Perry dreams. They provide a weirdly emotional backstory for an umbrella and explain why he can transform. It’s the kind of lore you don't expect in a Peach game.
The Super Princess Peach NDS game is a reminder of a time when Nintendo wasn't afraid to be a little bit "too much." It’s loud, it’s pink, it’s emotional, and it’s a damn good time. It’s not just a "girl version" of Mario. It’s its own beast entirely.
If you’ve already cleared your backlog, track down a copy. It’s a piece of Nintendo history that deserves more than being a footnote in a Wikipedia entry about Mario spin-offs. Whether you're playing for the nostalgia or seeing it for the first time, the Vibe Island is worth the trip.
To get started with your own playthrough, your first step should be checking your local retro gaming shops or reputable online marketplaces for an authentic cartridge. The DS is region-free, so you can play a Japanese or European copy on a US console if you find a better deal, though you'll want the English text to follow the Perry dream sequences. Once you have the game, focus your first hour on mastering the "Joy" flight mechanics, as vertical movement is the key to uncovering the first set of hidden Toads that most players overlook. After that, prioritize the "Vibe Combo" upgrades in the shop to keep your meter from hitting zero during the more intense boss encounters.