Summary
- Peach has been a staple of the Mario franchise since 1985 and has appeared in numerous spin-offs and main titles, showcasing her versatility and popularity.
- Peach is a playable character in various Mario multiplayer games like Mario Golf, Mario and Sonic Olympic Games, Mario Party, and Super Smash Bros., adding to her iconic status.
- Super Princess Peach, the only Mario game with Peach as the protagonist, offers a refreshing twist and showcases Peach's toughness and resourcefulness as she rescues Mario and others from Bowser.
The Super Mario franchise is one of the most recognizable names in video game history. For over thirty years, Nintendo has been producing Super Mario games for a plethora of consoles and creating some of the most distinct and memorable characters in the world. Whether they're spinoffs, multiplayer free-for-alls, or canonical linear adventures, there is no shortage of Mario games.
Peach has been an absolute staple of the Mario franchise since she appeared in 1985's Super Mario Bros. Whether Mario is chasing her across the Mushroom Kingdom or racing her in a variety of tracks, it's safe to say that Mario wouldn't be what it is today without the presence of this pink princess. Throughout the years, her contributions have varied immensely. With the announcement of Princess Peach: Showtime - the first Peach-led console game in over ten years - it's important to remember the vast amount of games that really let players become acquainted with Princess Toadstool herself.
10 Mario Golf Series
Mario Golf has been a popular Mario multiplayer game for several decades, with seven main installments. All main titles in this franchise - aside from NES Open Tournament Gold and Mario Golf on the Game Boy Color - have had Peach as a playable character.
Mario Golf's continued production throughout the last twenty years is a testament to how fun and family-friendly these games are. Although some players may find them lacking in difference, any golf lovers will have a great time completing the vast catalog of Mario-themed courses and going up against familiar faces.
9 Mario and Sonic Olympic Games Series
The Mario and Sonic series has been a pillar of every Olympic Games since 2007. Each game includes a range of Olympic sports that various characters from the Mario and Sonic universes compete in. This was a massive crossover and the first ever one between these two recognizable franchises.
There are six main installments in this series, and every single one of them features Princess Peach as a playable character. Often seen wearing various sporting outfits in her signature pink color, Peach's stats are typically high for speed and skill, making her best for running or technical events.
8 Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope
Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope is another crossover game featuring Nintendo's Mario characters and Ubisoft's Rabbids. Sparks of Hope is the second game in the Mario + Rabbids series and was released on Nintendo Switch in 2022. The original game does a great job of setting up the crossover, but Sparks of Hope is the perfect silly, fun game for Mario fans.
Not only does it feature a playable Princess Peach, but it also has a Rabbid Peach dressed in a fabulous blonde wig and pink outfit. Both Mario + Rabbids games feature these lovable characters and are a great example of how Mario doesn't really feel like Mario without Peach.
7 Mario Party Series
The Mario Party series might be one of the most infamous titles in the franchise, mainly due to its hilarity and luck-based process. Mario Party is a fantastic multiplayer party game designed for several people in a casual environment. It is one of the most family-friendly titles in the franchise and is highly accessible to everyone for its unserious nature and easy mechanics.
Princess Peach has been available as a playable character since the very first Mario Party in 1998. There are twelve titles in the series, and although there's often no real advantage to choosing one character over another, in certain games, there are benefits to picking Peach. For example, in Super Mario Party, Peach's dice block features multiple 4's, which can be very useful for those times when players are aiming for a specific spot.
6 Super Smash Bros. Series
The Super Smash Bros. Series has become a massive title in the franchise. Each game has cultivated a huge following in its own right, and dozens of Smash tournaments are held all over the world every year. Super Smash Bros. Combines some of Nintendo's - and later, other developers' - best-known characters in a free-for-all fighting game.
Peach has been holding her own against a whole slew of characters since Super Smash Bros. Melee - one of many Mario games made for Nintendo GameCube. She's still featured in Smash games today, a classic name among newer faces like Isabelle from Animal Crossing and Steve from Minecraft. Peach's attacks vary depending on the game, but she is most well known for her aerial abilities and her moves that callback to classic Mario games.
5 Super Mario Bros. 2
Super Mario Bros 2 is the second ever Super Mario game and the first main Mario game to include Peach as a playable character. Peach is almost exclusively featured in spin-off Mario games after this but does find her way back to a few main titles. It was first released for the NES in 1988 and has been ported to several major Nintendo systems since the Wii.
Super Mario Bros. 2 features Peach as an important playable character, equipped with her signature floating jump. However, her other stats, like speed and power, are relatively low, apparently compensating for the benefits given via her aerial skills.
4 Mario Kart Series
Mario Kart is indisputably the most well-known name in the entire franchise. With its continued release on Nintendo consoles, its success on the Wii solidified it as a family-friendly, universally loved game. The very first Mario Kart was released in 1992 on the SNES, designed to have simple controls. There is no console version of Mario Kart that does not feature a multiplayer game mode, highlighting its emphasis on social gaming.
Peach has been playable in Mario Kart since the very first installment, where she could play alongside Yoshi. Peach has typically always had good acceleration stats and was usually classified as a lightweight. In later games, where the choice of kart began to have more emphasis on stats, Peach became well-known for her iconic biker suit.
3 Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars
Super Mario RPG was the first RPG-style installment in the Mario franchise and was widely acclaimed by critics both at the time and in the modern day. It features turn-based combat, reminiscent of other popular contemporary RPG games like Chrono Trigger and Final Fantasy. It stays loyal to the light-hearted nature of Mario games while branching into new mechanics.
Princess Peach does not join Mario's party until much later in the game, making her a less prominent playable character. Even though it's great to see Peach as a playable character, her skills are noticeably lacking offensive capabilities. Although Peach is often marketed as gentle and loving, her healing/defensive build can be a little disappointing to Peach fans.
2 Paper Mario Series
The Paper Mario games have gathered a large fan base throughout the years, and their RPG-style gameplay has made them very popular among Mario fans who aren't inclined toward the standard platformers. Its unique art style and detailed story offer a great opportunity to learn more about these beloved characters.
Peach can be played in the first three main Paper Mario games: Paper Mario, The Thousand-Year Door, and Super Paper Mario. Unfortunately, her gameplay is fairly limited in the first two games since players only control Peach during end-of-chapter interludes. She doesn't really do any fighting until Super Paper Mario, where she's equipped with her trusty parasol.
1 Super Princess Peach
As the only Mario console game to feature Princess Peach as its protagonist, Super Princess Peach is a much-needed, very fun game. Released on the Nintendo DS in 2005, Super Princess Peach flips the roles and has Peach rescuing Mario, Luigi, and Toad from Bowser.
This Princess Peach is tough and resourceful, and for 2005, isn't a terrible example of a female-led game. Although, in terms of difficulty, some players may find it on the easier end, it does use a new 'vibe' mechanic, which adds variety. The story is charming, and it's nice to play through the eyes of a new character. Paired up with Perry - a magical umbrella - Peach will take on familiar foes like Boos, Bob-ombs, and Piranha Plants on her quest to rescue Mario.