Editing Princess Peach (section)

===Critical reception===
Sam Loveridge of ''[[Digital Spy]]'' described Peach as one of the most iconic female game characters of all time, naming her an icon that transcends gaming and commenting that she "acts as one of Nintendo's main mascots on a worldwide scale."<ref>{{Cite web |last=Loveridge |first=Sam |date=August 8, 2016 |title=Most iconic female game characters of all time, ranked |url=https://www.digitalspy.com/videogames/a803948/most-iconic-female-game-characters-of-all-time-ranked/ |access-date=December 10, 2023 |website=Digital Spy |language=en-GB |archive-date=April 8, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230408210049/https://www.digitalspy.com/videogames/a803948/most-iconic-female-game-characters-of-all-time-ranked/ |url-status=live }}</ref> ''[[Syfy|SyFy]]'' also described Peach as one of the "greatest video game heroines of all time" for being a tough female character that "embraces the power of being a high femme."<ref>{{Cite web|author=Fangrrls Staff|date=January 30, 2019|title=The greatest video game heroines of all time|url=https://www.syfy.com/syfywire/the-greatest-video-game-heroines-of-all-time|access-date=December 12, 2020|website=SYFY WIRE|language=en|archive-date=March 10, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210310131356/https://www.syfy.com/syfywire/the-greatest-video-game-heroines-of-all-time|url-status=dead}}</ref> Alyse Knorr, writer for ''[[Kotaku]]'', noted that Peach is one of many examples of the [[damsel in distress]] trope that recurs throughout history, commenting that she is such a damsel cliché that she mainly existed as a plot device rather than as an individual character and that her role was to provide Mario with a reason to exist.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Knorr |first=Alyse |date=November 14, 2018 |title=How Princess Peach's Story Draws On 2000 Years Of Women In Peril |url=https://kotaku.com/how-princess-peachs-story-draws-on-2000-years-of-women-1830342699 |access-date=December 10, 2023 |website=Kotaku |language=en |archive-date=December 25, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231225094309/https://kotaku.com/how-princess-peachs-story-draws-on-2000-years-of-women-1830342699 |url-status=live }}</ref> Feminist organization [[Sister Namibia]] was critical of the fact that Peach always needed to be rescued, reasoning that "it propagates that women are helpless and in constant need of saving" and "[she] serves quite literally as a trophy for the completion of Mario's quest. She is ultimately just another object or reward for Mario to use."<ref>{{cite book |last1=Junge |first1=Inger |title=Women not allowed in tech-no-geek & gaming culture |publisher=Sister Namibia |access-date=May 12, 2022 |url=https://go.gale.com/ps/i.do?id=GALE%7CA335923718&sid=googleScholar&v=2.1&it=r&linkaccess=abs&issn=10269126&p=AONE&sw=w&userGroupName=anon%7Eec8a3533 |archive-date=May 12, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220512140958/https://go.gale.com/ps/i.do?id=GALE%7CA335923718&sid=googleScholar&v=2.1&it=r&linkaccess=abs&issn=10269126&p=AONE&sw=w&userGroupName=anon~ec8a3533 |url-status=live }}</ref> Mike Fahey of ''Kotaku'' created a "victimization record" for Princess Peach that detailed her many kidnappings within the series, commenting, "There are few women with more kidnappings under their belt than her royal mushroom highness".<ref>{{Cite web |last=Fahey |first=Mike |date=November 13, 2009 |title=Thank You Mario, But Our Princess Is In Another Game, Getting Kidnapped Again |url=https://kotaku.com/thank-you-mario-but-our-princess-is-in-another-game-g-5403956 |access-date=December 21, 2023 |website=Kotaku |language=en |archive-date=December 18, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231218204936/https://kotaku.com/thank-you-mario-but-our-princess-is-in-another-game-g-5403956 |url-status=live }}</ref> In an article about the impact of princesses on girls, Peggy Orenstein of ''[[The New York Times]]'' said that she loved Peach but noted that "her peachiness did nothing to upset the apple cart of expectation". She considered Peach to be an ideal [[Postfeminism|postfeminist]] solution by "the melding of old and new standards."<ref>{{cite news|title=What's Wrong with Cinderella|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2006/12/24/magazine/24princess.t.html?pagewanted=5&ei=5088&en=8e5a1ac1332a802c&ex=1324616400&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss|work=The New York Times|access-date=August 20, 2009|date=December 24, 2006|first=Peggy|last=Orenstein|archive-date=April 23, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090423190301/http://www.nytimes.com/2006/12/24/magazine/24princess.t.html?pagewanted=5&ei=5088&en=8e5a1ac1332a802c&ex=1324616400&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss|url-status=live}}</ref>

Josh Straub of ''[[Game Informer]]'' cited the repeated failure to find the princess in the first ''Super Mario Bros.'' game as one of the most memorable moments in gaming history, stating that reaching the end of a world and being told by a Toad, "But our princess is in another castle!" was a "method of torture" that forced the player to face another round of platforming.<ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Straub |first=Josh |title=Moments: Failing To Find Peach |url=https://www.gameinformer.com/b/features/archive/2012/08/22/moments-failing-to-find-peach.aspx |access-date=December 18, 2023 |magazine=Game Informer |language=en |archive-date=December 18, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231218171013/https://www.gameinformer.com/b/features/archive/2012/08/22/moments-failing-to-find-peach.aspx |url-status=live }}</ref> Peter Tieryas, writer of ''[[Kotaku]]'', considered Peach to be the best character in ''Super Mario Bros. 2'' and emphasized that her floating ability was the first of Nintendo's solutions for fine-tuning jumping in platform games.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Tieryas|first=Peter|title=Princess Peach Was The Best Character In Super Mario Bros. 2|url=https://kotaku.com/princess-peach-was-the-best-character-in-super-mario-br-1837423671|access-date=December 12, 2020|website=Kotaku|date=August 24, 2019|archive-date=February 24, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210224174241/https://kotaku.com/princess-peach-was-the-best-character-in-super-mario-br-1837423671|url-status=live}}</ref> Matt Kamen of ''[[Wired (magazine)|Wired]]'' appreciated the plot of ''Super Mario Sunshine'' for having "a bit more impetus to a game than 'rescue Peach (again){{'"}} and felt that this offered more depth and personality to the characters.<ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Kamen |first=Matt |date=October 15, 2017 |title=15 years on, Super Mario Sunshine still shines bright |language=en-GB |magazine=Wired UK |url=https://www.wired.co.uk/article/super-mario-sunshine-anniversary |access-date=December 21, 2023 |issn=1357-0978 |archive-date=May 15, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230515131055/https://www.wired.co.uk/article/super-mario-sunshine-anniversary |url-status=live }}</ref> ''[[Video Games Chronicle]]''{{'}}s Chris Scullion said that Peach's starring role in ''Super Princess Peach'' should have been a turning point for the character but ended up as "an average platformer with a questionable central mechanic" by focusing on her "getting emotional".<ref>{{Cite web |last=Scullion |first=Chris |date=December 26, 2023 |title=2024 Preview: Princess Peach Showtime could be Mario's most important transformation |url=https://www.videogameschronicle.com/features/2024-preview-princess-peach-showtime-could-be-marios-most-important-transformation/ |access-date=January 7, 2024 |website=VGC |language=en-GB |archive-date=January 7, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240107082327/https://www.videogameschronicle.com/features/2024-preview-princess-peach-showtime-could-be-marios-most-important-transformation/ |url-status=live }}</ref> In his review of ''Super Princess Peach'', Mark Bozon of ''[[IGN]]'' thought that Peach's emotion powers and use of coins to shop were "borderline insulting" and seemed like "a girls game made by guys."<ref>{{Cite web |last=Bozon |first=Mark |date=February 1, 2006 |title=Hands-On: Super Princess Peach |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2006/02/01/hands-on-super-princess-peach |access-date=December 10, 2023 |website=IGN |language=en |archive-date=October 7, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081007025852/http://ds.ign.com/articles/685/685051p1.html |url-status=live }}</ref> Mike Sholars of ''Kotaku'' felt that the introduction of [[Rosalina (Mario)|Rosalina]] in ''Super Mario Galaxy'' impacted the ''Super Mario'' series so that it no longer needed to rely on the concept of saving the princess and enabled Peach to be more than a plot device.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Sholars |first=Mike |date=January 1, 2021 |title=Princess Peach Floated So Rosalina Could Fly |url=https://kotaku.com/princess-peach-floated-so-rosalina-could-fly-1845970718 |access-date=December 20, 2023 |website=Kotaku |language=en |archive-date=July 22, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230722183232/https://kotaku.com/princess-peach-floated-so-rosalina-could-fly-1845970718 |url-status=live }}</ref>

Bryan Vore of ''Game Informer'' praised ''Super Mario 3D World'' for being the first game in 25 years of the mainline series since ''Super Mario Bros. 2'' to include Peach as a playable character, saying that it demonstrated Nintendo's willingness to change the formula.<ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Vore |first=Bryan |date=November 22, 2013 |title=Super Mario 3D World Review - Multiplayer Mania Enters The Third Dimension |url=https://www.gameinformer.com/games/super_mario_3d_world/b/wii_u/archive/2013/11/19/super-mario-3d-world-review-game-informer.aspx |access-date=December 21, 2023 |magazine=Game Informer |language=en |archive-date=December 21, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231221122815/https://www.gameinformer.com/games/super_mario_3d_world/b/wii_u/archive/2013/11/19/super-mario-3d-world-review-game-informer.aspx |url-status=live }}</ref> Chris Suellentrop, writer for ''The New York Times'', opined that ''Super Mario Run'' was not a family-friendly game due to its "stale, retrograde gender stereotypes" and said that Nintendo had failed to update ''Super Mario'' for a contemporary audience by beginning the game with Princess Peach being a hostage.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Suellentrop |first=Chris |date=December 22, 2016 |title=Opinion {{!}} Super Mario Run's Not-So-Super Gender Politics |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/12/22/opinion/super-mario-runs-not-so-super-gender-politics.html |access-date=December 14, 2023 |issn=0362-4331 |archive-date=January 20, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240120090629/https://www.nytimes.com/2016/12/22/opinion/super-mario-runs-not-so-super-gender-politics.html |url-status=live }}</ref> Sam Loveridge of ''[[GamesRadar+]]'' felt that in ''Super Mario Odyssey'', Nintendo "was playing him from the start" by beginning the game with Peach being abducted by Bowser and ending it with a scene in which she rejects the romantic advances of both Bowser and Mario. He commented that Peach "shrugs off all those years of being the damsel in distress to forge her own path in the world as a single woman" and that in doing so, Nintendo was clearly recognizing its female fanbase.<ref name="Loveridge"/> Rebekah Valentine of ''IGN'' said that ''Princess Peach: Showtime!'' was the opportunity to see Peach "defined only by herself" rather than by Mario.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Valentine |first=Rebekah |date=September 15, 2023 |title=I Hope Princess Peach: Showtime! Doesn't Have a Whiff of Mario in it |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/i-hope-princess-peach-showtime-doesnt-have-a-whiff-of-mario-in-it |access-date=December 16, 2023 |website=IGN |language=en |archive-date=December 16, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231216001329/https://www.ign.com/articles/i-hope-princess-peach-showtime-doesnt-have-a-whiff-of-mario-in-it |url-status=live }}</ref> Following the game's release, Tom Regan of ''[[The Guardian]]'' found the game to be disappointing and considered it to be "patronising" to its "capable heroine" and a wasted opportunity to celebrate the princess.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Regan |first=Tom |date=2024-03-22 |title=Princess Peach: Showtime review – a paper-thin performance |url=https://www.theguardian.com/games/2024/mar/22/princess-peach-showtime-review-nintendo-switch |access-date=2024-03-24 |work=The Guardian |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077 |archive-date=March 22, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240322144134/https://www.theguardian.com/games/2024/mar/22/princess-peach-showtime-review-nintendo-switch |url-status=live }}</ref> Conversely, ''[[Polygon (website)|Polygon]]'', ''IGN'', and ''[[Nintendo Life]]'' all responded positively and considered it to be the spotlight she deserved.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Carpenter |first=Nicole |date=2024-03-21 |title=Princess Peach: Showtime! is everything I wanted in a game as a little girl |url=https://www.polygon.com/reviews/24099786/princess-peach-showtime-nintendo-switch-review |access-date=2024-03-24 |website=Polygon |language=en-US |archive-date=March 21, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240321123601/https://www.polygon.com/reviews/24099786/princess-peach-showtime-nintendo-switch-review |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Plant |first=Logan |date=2024-03-21 |title=Princess Peach: Showtime! Review |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/princess-peach-showtime-review |access-date=2024-03-24 |website=IGN |language=en |archive-date=March 21, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240321120134/https://www.ign.com/articles/princess-peach-showtime-review |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=O'Reilly |first=PJ |date=2024-03-21 |title=Review: Princess Peach: Showtime! (Switch) - Peach Breaks A Leg In A High-Class Production |url=https://www.nintendolife.com/reviews/nintendo-switch/princess-peach-showtime |access-date=2024-03-24 |website=Nintendo Life |language=en-GB |archive-date=March 21, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240321112031/https://www.nintendolife.com/reviews/nintendo-switch/princess-peach-showtime |url-status=live }}</ref> Ashley Bardhan of ''[[Eurogamer]]'' said that, rather than casting Peach in her usual role of Bowser's victim, the game made her a "girl with some agency" and thought that her future was "no longer doomed with dead-end kidnapping" but now had limitless potential.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Bardhan |first=Ashley |date=2024-03-21 |title=Princess Peach: Showtime! review - the damsel in distress becomes an RPG queen |url=https://www.eurogamer.net/princess-peach-showtime-review |access-date=2024-03-24 |work=Eurogamer.net |language=en |archive-date=March 21, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240321115318/https://www.eurogamer.net/princess-peach-showtime-review |url-status=live }}</ref>

''[[Los Angeles Times]]'' writer Tracy Brown said that Peach started out as an unappealing character due to being simply a princess waiting to be rescued but was given more personality in later games. She further remarked that ''The Super Mario Bros. Movie'' incarnation had subverted her characteristics by depicting an empowered ruler who is capable of engaging in battle and protecting her subjects without it being at the expense of her femininity.<ref name=Film1>{{Cite web |last=Brown |first=Tracy |date=April 6, 2023 |title=Princess Peach started out as a boring damsel in distress. Times have changed |url=https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/movies/story/2023-04-06/super-mario-bros-princess-peach-feminine-damsel-distress |access-date=December 10, 2023 |website=Los Angeles Times |language=en-US |archive-date=December 10, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231210181001/https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/movies/story/2023-04-06/super-mario-bros-princess-peach-feminine-damsel-distress |url-status=live }}</ref> Christian Holub of ''[[Entertainment Weekly]]'' responded positively to Peach's characterization in the film, calling her "a female protagonist for the [[Rey (Star Wars)|Rey]] generation" but also a relatable character for older players.<ref name=Film2>{{Cite web |last=Holub |first=Christian |date=April 4, 2023 |title='The Super Mario Bros Movie' is a faithful adaptation that often feels like a cutscene |url=https://ew.com/movies/movie-reviews/the-super-mario-bros-movie-review/ |access-date=December 19, 2023 |website=EW.com |language=en |archive-date=December 19, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231219232839/https://ew.com/movies/movie-reviews/the-super-mario-bros-movie-review/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Hope Bellingham, writer of ''[[GamesRadar+]]'', appreciated her active role in the story, describing her as "the brains behind the operation", even though Mario has the starring role.<ref name=Film3>{{Cite web |last=Bellingham |first=Hope |date=November 30, 2022 |title=The Super Mario Movie version of Peach is a badass |url=https://www.gamesradar.com/the-super-mario-movie-version-of-peach-is-a-badass/ |access-date=December 20, 2023 |website=GamesRadar+ |language=en |archive-date=January 28, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240128154051/https://www.gamesradar.com/the-super-mario-movie-version-of-peach-is-a-badass/ |url-status=live }}</ref> By contrast, Julia Glassman of ''The Mary Sue'' considered her film incarnation to be a common sexist trope where the badass female character must step aside for an average male by supporting and training him rather than taking the lead.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Glassman |first=Julia |date=April 14, 2023 |title=Peach's Character in 'The Super Mario Bros. Movie' Is an All-Too-Common Sexist Trope |url=https://www.themarysue.com/peachs-character-in-the-super-mario-bros-movie-is-an-all-too-common-sexist-trope/ |access-date=December 19, 2023 |website=The Mary Sue |language=en |archive-date=December 10, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231210182053/https://www.themarysue.com/peachs-character-in-the-super-mario-bros-movie-is-an-all-too-common-sexist-trope/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Gene Park, writer of ''[[The Washington Post]]'', felt that Peach had been empowered long before her movie incarnation due to being "the most visible woman in video games, having appeared in more titles than any fictional woman in the medium", and hoped that the movie would finally transform her image in the public consciousness.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Park |first=Gene |date=April 6, 2023 |title=Analysis {{!}} Princess Peach powers up from distressed damsel to wartime general |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/arts-entertainment/2023/04/07/super-mario-bros-princess-peach/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240716130000/https://www.washingtonpost.com/arts-entertainment/2023/04/07/super-mario-bros-princess-peach/ |archive-date=July 16, 2024 |access-date=January 30, 2024 |newspaper=Washington Post |language=en-US |issn=0190-8286}}</ref> Logan Plant of ''IGN'' described Peach as "one of Nintendo's most iconic characters" and felt that Nintendo was finally giving her the attention she deserved in film and video games.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Plant |first=Logan |date=March 10, 2024 |title=It May Be Mario Day But it's Finally Princess Peach's Year |url=https://sea.ign.com/princess-peach-switch/213167/opinion/it-may-be-mario-day-but-its-finally-princess-peachs-year |access-date=March 11, 2024 |website=IGN Southeast Asia |language=en-sg|archive-date=March 11, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240311023400/https://sea.ign.com/princess-peach-switch/213167/opinion/it-may-be-mario-day-but-its-finally-princess-peachs-year |url-status=live }}</ref>