On one hand, it's pretty cool to have her embody a "she can do anything" vibe as filtered through stage performances. I'm kind of conflicted on how Peach is presented in this game. This doesn't feel that off from Good-Feel's pedigree, where the challenge really lies in finding all of the collectibles, but this one is hitting more Yoshi platformer vibes over Luigi's Mansion or WarioWare vibes, if that makes sense.
Heck, Patissiere Peach actually gets a worse jump than the base form! So I'm curious to see how the level of engagement and challenge goes for the rest of the game. The patissiere minigame ended up being the more engaging one because it actually had some strict timing to achieve its goals, but it was also a completely different kinda gameplay loop that deemphasized the platforming/exploration stuff. The counter felt a bit too simple - I found it weird that pressing the jump button to leap over a shockwave attack turned into leaping towards an enemy and instantly stunning it - but maybe the second swordfighter level or other transformations could provide deeper mechanics.
Not to mention that cool as heck outfit! You can do quick combos, cancel the combo to attack behind her with a really slick animation, do this aerial sweep attack which I didn't even know existed until I watched more footage, or press the attack/jump button at the right time to counter or dodge out of the way. Swordfighter Peach gets a higher jump and much swifter attacks, which felt a lot better than using the ribbon. The real stars of the show were the two transformations. I would have preferred if the attack would continue to let me hit multiple things, which would make the spin more useful. If there's one thing I don't like about it, it's how, once you hit an enemy or certain interactive object, the attack stops to "take out" the enemy or use the object, which gave it a kinda sluggish feeling. While not moving Peach spins the ribbon around, but holding the stick on the ground turns it into more of a directional attack while the aerial version is a wider spin that extends air time. There are some nuances to using the move. We have some simple platforming and combat/environmental interaction using Stella as a ribbon attack. Without any transformations, Peach's gameplay is pretty simple. I'm leaning towards feeling positive, but with some caveats.