Highlights
- Princess Peach is an independent and capable character, proven by her appearances as a playable character in various Super Mario games.
- Fortune Street, Minecraft, mobile games, Mario Party, Mario Kart, Super Mario RPG, and Super Mario Sports Games are just a few examples of games where Princess Peach can be played.
- Super Princess Peach is a notable game where Peach finally becomes the main protagonist, going on an adventure to save Mario and showcasing her heroism.
The Super Mario series is one of the most famous and recognizable video game series of all time and has introduced a plethora of iconic characters that have only become more popular over time. Many of the games star the titular Mario as he collects coins and saves the Mushroom Kingdom, but there are plenty of other titles that allow his companions to also have their time in the spotlight.
Princess Peach was the original damsel in distress in Super Mario Bros. for the NES, but would eventually become one of four playable characters in its 1988 sequel Super Mario Bros. 2. Princess Peach often needs rescuing, but these games prove that she is incredibly independent and capable of being one of the toughest contenders in her kingdom.
Updated October 28, 2023 by David Michael Kinder: Princess Peach is undoubtedly a fan favorite and icon in her own right. It seems Nintendo is embracing Peach by giving her more attention. From side games to the occasional mainline games, it’s always fun to play as Princess Peach. Her charming character is hard not to love. While we wait for Princess Peach: Showtime, let’s take a look at all the games where Peach is a playable character.
15 Fortune Street
Fortune Street — more commonly known as Itadaki Street — has been around since 1991 but wouldn’t be published outside of Japan until the Wii version launched in 2011. The main reason it finally saw an international launch was because Nintendo co-published the game that features characters from both the Dragon Quest and Super Mario IPs.
Fortune Street is fairly similar to Monopoly as you roll a die to navigate a board and try to purchase properties. One of the biggest differences between the two games is Fortune Street uses a stock market system to affect the cost and the revenue from the properties you own. Princess Peach is one of the unlockable characters, but like Monopoly pieces, is only used as an avatar and doesn’t change the gameplay whatsoever.
14 Minecraft
It felt like a pretty big deal in 2015 when Nintendo announced that the hit series Minecraft would finally be landing on its platforms. Not only could you play with your friends on the Wii U, but a version of Minecraft compatible with ‘New’ Nintendo 3DS systems also launched, which created one of the best ways to play the game on the go at the time.
Shortly after Minecraft launched across Nintendo consoles, the company announced an official Super Mario Mash-Up Pack that would allow you to create your own worlds and adventures using new textures and skins. Of course, Princess Peach is playable, and her castle looks absolutely stunning and is a blast to explore in the pack’s pre-made world.
13 Mobile Games
Nintendo has been dabbling in the mobile market since 2016 when it dropped both Miitomo and Super Mario Run. Over the next few years, it would continue to release mobile versions of some of its hit series like Animal Crossing, Pikmin, and Fire Emblem.
Three Super Mario games — Super Mario Run, Mario Kart Tour, and Dr. Mario World — were launched on mobile devices and each one features Princess Peach as a playable character. It’s great seeing her with some snazzy new outfits, but these smaller titles don’t offer enough depth for her to really stand out from the other available characters.
12 Mario Party
Mario Party has been tearing apart friendships since the late 1990s and Princess Peach is one of the few characters who has appeared in every entry since the beginning. If you’re planning on stealing coins or stars from a competitor, why not do it with the grace of a princess?
While the character you chose in Mario Party doesn’t affect the gameplay at all, playing as Princess Peach is always a blast. She takes away her opponent’s chances of winning with a smile and celebrates her victories elegantly. Mario Party allows Peach to show a bit of her mean side, but her optimism remains unscathed, whether she wins or loses.
11 Mario Kart
If you would rather compete against your friends on the racetrack instead of on a game board, Mario Kart has you covered. Like Mario Party, Peach has been playable in every entry in the series alongside characters like Luigi, Yoshi, and Toad.
Not only does Peach make an expected appearance in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, but she also has three other versions — Pink Gold Peach, Cat Peach, and Baby Peach — to choose from. Her chosen outfit, a modern racing suit with her hair up in a ponytail, shows that she means business.
10 Super Mario RPG
In 1996, Nintendo decided to take the Mario series in a different direction by collaborating with Square Enix to develop a riveting RPG set in the Mushroom Kingdom. Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars became an instant classic with its compelling story, fun combat system, and incredibly catchy soundtrack.
Like many classic RPGs, Mario begins his journey alone but is eventually joined by a group of companions that help him save the day. After starting the game in peril, Princess Peach eventually joins Mario as the last member of his party. She uses iconic weapons such as her parasol and a frying pan to defeat enemies and can also heal the team with some of her special moves.
9 New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe
New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe is a port of a Wii U game with some new bells and whistles attached to it. Aside from a couple of new game modes, one of the most intriguing new features was the ability to play as Peachette, a form of Toadette that looks a lot like Princess Peach.
It’s pretty confusing overall, because the real Princess Peach is captured by Bowser throughout the entire game. Toadette is one of the playable characters and if she grabs a Super Crown item she becomes this lookalike that allows her to double jump and float through the air. While it’s technically Toadette, Peachette plays just like Peach in other platformers and earns a spot here.
8 Super Mario 3D World
Since the launch of New Super Mario Bros. Wii, fans of the Super Mario series have received a fair amount of multiplayer games like Super Mario 3D World. In each, you and a few friends can choose the character of your choice before jumping over each other to reach the goal pole the fastest. 3D World also introduced the Cat Suit which allows you to climb up walls and strike foes with your sharp claws.
In Super Mario 3D World, Peach is one of the four characters you can choose at the beginning of the game. Many of her classic abilities, like the power to float for short periods make her one of the best choices for clearing the infamously difficult final levels of one of the best modern Mario titles.
7 Super Mario Sports Games
Mario and his friends have been playing sports together for a long time, and it can be hard to keep track of them all sometimes. To make things easier, each game is sharing a spot on this list to showcase the Princess’ range of athletic abilities and skills.
Princess Peach has been a viable option for nearly every sport that Mario decides to play, and each game usually gives her unique abilities and specials that allow her to stand out from the competition. While her portrayal is not always great, Peach proves that she not only rules a kingdom, but also any tennis court, golf course, or Olympic event that anyone dares to challenge her in.
6 Mario + Rabbids: Kingdom Battle
It’s still hard to believe that a game featuring Super Mario characters and Ubisoft’s Rabbids not only exists but is also an incredibly engaging turn-based action adventure. Mario and Rabbids Kingdom Battle features Mario, Luigi, Yoshi, and Peach as they partner up with their Rabbid doppelgangers to restore peace to both of their universes.
You begin the game with Mario, Rabbid Luigi, and Rabbid Peach in your party before others eventually join. Rabbid Peach is an essential member of the group with her amazing healing abilities and stellar weapons, but the original Princess Peach holds her own in battles as well. She can also heal allies by using the Team Jump skill while taking out enemies with her lethal grenades and shotgun.
5 Super Mario Bros. 2
Only three years after her debut in Super Mario Bros., Princess Peach would quickly become a playable character in its sequel. That’s a quick turnaround from damsel-in-distress to hero, but Princess Peach makes the transition seem easy.
Super Mario Bros.2 introduced many of the powers associated with Peach to this day such as the ability to float in the air. Her speed and jump height have remained consistent throughout the years, and it all began back in 1988. She stands out from the other playable characters — Mario, Luigi, and Toad — by making the game’s platforming sections seem like a breeze.
4 Paper Mario
It was a ton of fun to play as Princess Peach in Super Mario Kart and Super Mario Bros. 2, but we didn’t start to see her personality and wit until she had written dialogue in Super Mario RPG. While that game helped set the foundation for who Peach really is as a character, it wouldn’t be until the Paper Mario series that we got to see a fully-realized version of the Princess.
Specifically, the first three Paper Mario games show her interacting with other characters, and you also get to play as her throughout various scenarios. The first two games allow you to play as Peach between chapters as she navigates being held captive (again) while Super Paper Mario actually makes her one of the playable characters alongside Bowser and Luigi. Not only is she incredibly brave throughout, but her great sense of humor finally shines in the writing.
3 Super Smash Bros.
A majority of games that feature Princess Peach as a playable character usually have her paired up with a squad of other companions that she needs to work together with to save the day. Super Smash Bros. is one of the few titles that let you play as Princess Peach without relying on others to help you. She made her debut in Super Smash Bros. Melee and has been a staple of the series since.
Not only has Peach appeared in every Super Smash Bros. since the GameCube version, but she is often considered to be one of the best fighters in each one. Her floating ability re-emerges in Smash and makes her a lethal fighter in the air. Her special attacks are great as well, as she uses a Toad to reflect damage and can pull turnips from the ground to throw at opponents whenever she pleases.
2 Super Mario Bros. Wonder
Super Mario Bros Wonder polishes up the original formula and allows Peach to fight alongside the cast and stop Bowser’s latest antics. Aside from a handful of favorites and a surprising new arrival, Wonder did everyone justice and reinterpreted the series into another wonderful experience that’ll last for years.
It’s a refreshing adventure where everyone gets to shine. Peach’s revamped looks with the power-ups are awesome! While each character plays the same, it’s nice that Nintendo didn’t compromise with any details. If you want to know more, see what our reviewers had to say about Wonder!
1 Super Princess Peach
After swapping between the roles of damsel-in-distress and hero for nearly two decades, Princess Peach finally became the main protagonist of her own game, Super Princess Peach for the DS. It took a long time for it to happen, but it was finally up to Peach to go on an adventure to save Mario after he is kidnapped by Bowser.
Like other entries in the Super Mario series, Super Princess Peach is a colorful platformer that contains eight worlds full of exciting levels. The game has been criticized because Peach uses a mechanic called the emotion meter to defeat enemies, but, the game made history for finally letting Princess Peach become the hero we always knew she could be.