There’s nothing wrong with a company going in and “touching up” something about a game they don’t like or feel “doesn’t match” their intention with what’s happening. That’s a natural part of game development in many respects. However, in the case of the upcoming Princess Peach Showtime, some fans are having a bit of a debate over something Nintendo did in an attempt to “update” things without trying to “make it noticeable.” Specifically, after the game was fully unveiled at the latest Nintendo Direct, the official box art for the title was dropped. Fast forward to now, and it’s been updated, and gamers…have thoughts.
You can see the full “changes” in the tweet below, and the picture above is the “updated” version the Nintendo has on the game’s official page. When you look at the main Princess Peach in the picture, her face has been altered compared to what it was before. Many fans have fairly noted that this version looks like the version of Peach from the movie that was released earlier this year, where Anya Taylor-Joy voiced her. While the differences are subtle, you can absolutely tell that they are there and that they were done intentionally. But that’s not the only difference that fans noted.
If you look at the “Kung Fu version” of Princess Peach in the new art, you’ll see that her expression is very intense as she’s dealing damage to a foe. That’s a stark contrast to the more “joyous” version in the original art, where she’s acting more like she’s just happy to be doing the moves versus damaging the opponent.
So, what are fans saying about this? Well, the results of this “update” have been mixed, as you could guess. Some of them are fine with the changes because they liked the movie version of Peach, and they correctly stated that Peach, in the games, is known for having a “similar expression” throughout her actions and animations. So with this “update,” she is a more expressive character.
However, many others noted that the movie shouldn’t affect the games because they are two different versions of Peach. The movie version is intentionally a more “driven” and “proactive” character, and so seeing the more “laid back” game version of Peach getting “transformed” into something she wasn’t before is affecting fans in various ways.
Whether this art sticks might depend on how loud fans get. We won’t know for sure what happens until Princess Peach Showtime arrives next year.
