"Yeah, Peachy's got it."

It came as a shock to many that the first 2-D Mario side-scroller for the Nintendo DS not only a brand new game (not a port), but even more surprising is that the game did not even star the famous plumber! After decades of getting rescued from the evils of the Mushroom Kingdom, Princess Peach finally gets her time to shine.

Graphics: The game is beautiful. The sprites are near perfect, the backgrounds and enemies look great, and everything is extremely bright, colorful, and cheerful (and by cheerful, I mean girly). The art style overall girly, but do not let you deter you from playing. Despite the presentation, the game is enjoyable for everyone; even the most masculine of men.

Story: The story, like most Mario platformers, is simple. Mario gets kidnapped and Peach makes it her mission to save him. The story is bland, but it is enough for this type of game. If the Mario rescue mission is not enough, there is a sub-story throughout the game dealing with the past of Peach's magical parasol.

Gameplay: This, like all Mario games, is where the game really shines. It is a typical platformer, with some added game-play bonuses. A major portion of this game focuses on the emotion system. There are four different emotions that can be triggered, and each one temporarily grants Peach special powers. These emotions are located on the touch screen, and can be activated easily by the touch of the stylus or finger. The emotion powers help make the game easier and also are required to solve simple puzzles. The first emotion causes peach to turn into a flying twister, which helps greatly if you accidentally fall off an edge. Peach's crying ability shoots streams of water and allows you to run extremely fast. Anger creates a flame aura, surrounding you as you pummel through the enemies of the game. Finally, as if the other powers didn't make the game easy enough, Peach also has the ability to heal herself.

Abilities make the game extremely simple, but they do require energy. The main weapon Peach has at her disposal is her parasol. The parasol can also devour enemies, increasing your energy bar. There are many edible enemies throughout each level, so your energy should realistically never run out. The parasol also helps to make the game extremely unique. This weapon is upgradeable with many different powers and moves that you can purchase. The parasol also allows you to float on the water, fly through the air, and engage in several fun mini-games. Imagine holding an umbrella (closed) upside down, and using the hook to travel down a wire. It is a fun bonus to break up the game and keep it feeling fresh.

Replay Value: If there is one aspect of this game that is nearly perfect, it is the amount of replay value that the developers have included. Each level is large with many areas to explore and find secrets in. Each level also houses three hidden Toads to find. Some are easier to find than others, but collecting all of them is not a simple task. Even after the game is over, there is still more. There are additional levels in each world that can be unlocked to increase the game's length.

Super Princess Peach is a very simple, fun, and addicting game that breathes a different type of fresh air into the Mario series. I imported the Japanese version (which is why I don't know the technical names for the emotions and techniques), and it is extremely import friendly for someone with no Japanese language knowledge. Overall, this game is very simple, but definitely worth the money. If you are new to gaming, new to platformers, or just enjoy gaming… I suggest you play this fun, easy adventure.

I give this game a solid 8/10.

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 08/01/06