Summary
From the entire cast of theSuper Mario Bros.franchise, the two most recognizable characters (other than Mario, of course) are Luigi and Princess Peach. These two have aided the red plumber in countless adventures, and nowadays, they even go on adventures of their own.
Their biggest titles to date arePrincess Peach: Showtime!andLuigi’s Mansion 3, but which one is better between the two? They come with a lot of differences, since they are meant to represent two vastly different characters, but they are still within the Mario umbrella, so who takes the cake?
Graphics - Tie
Being among the most recent titles of the Super Mario Bros. universe, both games are gorgeous and in line with the cartoonish style that has set the series apart for so long. Princess Peach even makes an appearance in Luigi’s Mansion 3, and she looks just as good as she does in her own game.
Thestyles of each game, however, differ greatly, so one game might come above the other for you depending on your preferences. Luigi’s Mansion 3 is darker with plenty of spooky ghosts, while Princess Peach: Showtime has a vibrant color palette that makes each scene pop.
Story - Luigi’s Mansion 3
While both stories are fairly simplistic,Luigi’s Mansion 3 has a lot more to tell than Princess Peach: Showtime. Not only is Luigi interacting with a lot more characters,even showing some of Mario’s faults, but he also has an encounter with an established villain of his, King Boo.
Meanwhile, Princess Peach has a story that is eerily similar to that of Luigi’s, from getting a mysterious invitation to the building she’s at transforming into a nightmarish version of it. What she lacks is meaningful characters to interact with, since all she’s got to work with are Stella and the Sparklass, mostly bland characters that are a far cry from the antics of Professor E. Gadd.
Originality - Princess Peach: Showtime!
There’s no denying that both games are fun, but as far as what you do in the game,the most original one has to be Princess Peach: Showtime.With ten main transformations to go through, each level feels fresh while adding something new to the game, from combat to cooking puzzles.
Luigi’s Mansion 3 has a good formula, one honed down after several games, but it is also something we’ve seen before. It is certainly going to feel fresh if this is your first game in the franchise, but after a while we’d like to see Luigi battle something other than Ghosts.
Gameplay - Luigi’s Mansion 3
While, as we mentioned before, we’d like to see Luigi do something else, there’s no denying thatthe vacuum-focused gameplay of Luigi’s Mansion 3 is great fun. Yet the reason why it wins here is due to its multiplayer options, since Nintendo is at its best when it lets you share its experiences.
The main campaign of Luigi’s Mansion 3 can be done by two players, but only once Gooigi has been unlocked.
Princess Peach: Showtime gives us plenty of gameplay mechanics to play around with, but none of them get fleshed out too much. Some of the combat ensembles, like Swordfighter or Kung Fu Peach, could’ve been a single combat focused outfit, while things like Detective Peach don’t offer much interaction at all.
Post-Game Content - Princess Peach: Showtime!
While Luigi’s Mansion 3 has some side game content, something you can enjoy with up to eight players, there isn’t much to do once you beat the game. In fact, you need to get all the collectables before the final boss, otherwise you’ll be locked out of The Last Resort hotel, and you’ll need to start a new game to enter.
Princess Peach: Showtime lets you finish the game and then go back to the Sparkle Theater to finish any collectibles you missed, andit even adds some more to collect on top of that. This not only removes the frustration of having to postpone the final fight arbitrarily, it also gives you plenty of reasons to go back to the game and check all levels once more.
Level Structure - Luigi’s Mansion 3
The way you advance through both games is very different, partly due to the themes of each game. Even then,it’s hard not to notice how fluid the experience feels in Luigi’s Mansion 3, and how many loading screens there are in Princess Peach: Showtime, especially when replaying levels.
In Luigi’s Mansion 3, each floor of the hotel feels unique while also being part of the whole, and going back to find things you missed is a simple affair. You can also upgrade your character with different gadgets at E. Gadd’s shop, making all that gold worth collecting.
Princess Peach: Showtime needs the levels to be split, since that’s the nature of the game, but replaying them can feel like a chore, particularly when you’re missing only one thing at the beginning of the level, since you still need to finish it for it to count. Add to that a meaningless shop that adds skins you never see, and the whole progression feels tacked on.
Conclusion - Luigi’s Mansion 3
Both games have their place in anyone’s library, butthere’s no denying that Luigi’s Mansion 3 is a more complete package. The game as a whole is more cohesive, and the multiplayer options can make it a blast to play with friends, either on the ScareScraper or as a duo experience in the main story.
Princess Peach: Showtime is still worth your while, bringing plenty of novelty to the 3D platformer experience. It may not break any boundaries, but the game feels fresh enough with its transformations and main character, making it at least worth your time.
Colorful visuals
Focused gameplay
Original concept
Great story
Post-game content
Multiplayer options
