1
Credit: Universal PicturesThe current state of Nintendo is going through a bit of flux, as long-time Super Mario voice actor Charles Martinet has officially stepped down as the voice of the famed plumber. With Martinet stepping away, the company might be placing Princess Peach as the centerpiece hero moving forward.
Related: Nintendo Officially Retires Super Mario
Nintendo has made itself a world-renowned company based on the exploits of Super Mario. The original NES game was released in 1985 and became a massive hit. Though released in 1985, it still holds #7 on the all-time highest-selling games with 58 million units. Mario initially did not have a voice, but that all changed in the 1990s.
Charles Martinet first offered the voice of Mario in the CD version of Mario Teaches Typing, which was released in 1994. He followed that up by speaking complete lines of dialogue in 1995’s Mario’s Game Gallery. This would lead to the landmark Super Mario 64, arguably the most iconic Mario game ever.
Through 30 years of voicing the character, it was announced that Martinet would be stepping down as the voice of Mario, instead taking on the role of ambassador for Nintendo. Some people were initially confused when Martinet was not cast as Mario in the hugely successful Super Mario Bros. Movie. Still, with his retirement, it made sense why Chris Pratt was chosen.
Joining Pratt in the film was beloved actress Anya Taylor-Joy, who voiced Princess Peach and all but stole the show. Apart from the idea that she could lead her own film, Nintendo has now pivoted to giving Peach her solo game.
Nintendo Announces Princess Peach Game
Nintendo had already announced that Princess Peach would get her own game, though no information was readily available during the first announcement. Nintendo then offered a trailer, release date, and first look at the Princess Peach Showtime! game. The Nintendo Direct event streamed live on September 14 offered a look at what fans and players can expect from the upcoming title.
The game honestly looks fantastic. Apart from the same type of animation prevalent in most Super Mario games, Peach is thrust into her own adventure, taking on different outfits like her plumber counterpart. The game announced that players can transform into Kung-Fu Peach to fight off enemies, Detective Peach to solve crimes, and Swordfighter Peach to eliminate obstacles.
The game looks packed with 2D action, puzzles, and everything that makes games within the Super Mario universe unique. Fans immediately began to praise the trailer, and we have to agree. It is to be released on March 22 for the Nintendo Switch.
The game does come at an odd time when it seems that Nintendo is transitioning away from Mario. That is not to say that Mario will be abandoned, but the most recent retirement video did state that another voice actor will be taking over. While Nintendo figures out who this person is, or rather, starts cultivating a new game with the person—they are making Princess Peach the new main character.
This makes perfect sense, as she is the most important Mario character apart from the titular hero himself. The Super Mario Bros. Movie also boasted a performance that we could see turning into its own spinoff.
The ‘Super Mario Bros. Movie’ Paved the Way for Princess Peach
As stated, Anya Taylor-Joy was magnificent in the role of Princess Peach. Illumination and Nintendo did a great service by allowing the character to emerge in a special way. Instead of appearing as the damsel in distress for Mario to save, she was the powerful and active leader of the Mushroom Kingdom.
The Super Mario Bros. Movie also made a staggering $1.36 billion worldwide, securing the #2 highest-grossing animated film in cinema history. It nearly took the top spot away from Frozen 2 (2019) but fell short. Illumination has a big winner on its hands, which means sequels and spinoffs could happen.
Because Princess Peach is now all the talk of the Nintendo world, it would make perfect sense if Illumination was set to release a spinoff showcasing her prequel story from when she arrived at the Mushroom Kingdom to when she became its ruler. That moment was briefly touched on in the film, and it was revealed that she was from the human world initially. There is plenty of lore to justify her getting her own adventure, which would pair well with her new game.
The hope would be that Anya Taylor-Joy would be willing to sign on to do multiple movies. The world was also confused and let down when Chris Pratt was cast as the voice of Mario, but he did a stellar job. He also matched up well with Taylor-Joy; they could theoretically appear in each other’s films moving forward.
Related: After Smashing the Box Office, ‘Super Mario Bros.’ Celebrates Streaming Release
Mario will always be the leading man for Nintendo, but it appears that it’s time to showcase just how beloved Princess Peach is.
What do you think about the Super Mario franchise potentially turning to Princess Peach to lead? Let Inside the Magic know in the comments down below!