Princess Peach

Princess Peach Toadstool is a character in the critically acclaimed Super Mario series. In the series, she usually portrays the princess in distress, and has been kidnapped by Bowser in almost every game. In the original game, she possessed a special power that would allow her to reverse the black magic of the Koopa clan, thus giving Bowser a reasonable answer to why he would kidnap the princess, as he was at the time using it to cast a spell on all of the Mushroom Kingdom's residents. Another reason could be, that the Koopa king got, like many others, a crush on the mushroom-princess, like he expressed in his diary.

Mario and Luigi, the protagonists of the series, always seem to rescue the princess and save the Mushroom Kingdom when needed. Other characters also lend a helping hand, such as Yoshi, Toad, Wario and a cast of other characters in the Mario RPGs.

She is the sole ruler of the powerful Mushroom Kingdom. While it doesn't seem like she has a father, her trusty longtime steward Toadsworth seems to act as some kind of father figure toward her, and is always keen on keeping her safe (though because of his age, he is not able to stop the forces of Bowser's army). (Her father has been mentioned in the first Nintendo Adventure Book Double Trouble)

History
Princess Peach's first game appearance was in Super Mario Bros. for the NES, where she was kidnapped by Bowser and thrown into his fortress in World 8 (In that game she was known as Princess Toadstool). Mario would then go through all of the Mushroom Kingdom to go and save her. Once Mario or Luigi defeated Bowser at the end of the last castle, Peach thanked Mario. In this game, Peach seemed to have reddish hair, which was later changed in the North American version of Super Mario Bros. 2.

In the Japanese game Super Mario Bros 2, known in America as Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels, the same thing happened - she was kidnapped by Bowser once again. In the other game (later known as Super Mario USA in Japan), which was completely different, she was a playable character. In the game, she was able to float in the air for a few seconds.

In Super Mario Bros. 3, Princess Peach would send letters and items to Mario and Luigi once the duo went on a quest to retrieve the stolen wands that Bowser took. Later on in the game, Bowser would then kidnap Peach, leaving the brothers to once again go save her. In Super Mario World, Princess Peach, Mario, and Luigi went on vacation to dinosaur land. Upon there arrival, Bowser kidnaps the princess, as well as the inhabitants of the island - The Yoshies. The brothers will then, once again, traverse through the land to save all of the Yoshies and the Princess.

Princess Peach also appears in Super Mario Sunshine and is kidnapped by Bowser's son, Bowser Jr. Princess Peach also has her own platform game called Super Princess Peach which gives her the starring role in which she has to save Mario, Luigi and Toad.

Princess Peach also appears in Super Smash Bros. Melee and Brawl. She is a playable character and does play somewhat of a big role in the "Subspace Emissary"

In Super Mario Galaxy, Bowser has kidnapped Peach, and is making a giant empire galaxy in the center of the universe. It is unknown why he kidnapped Peach, although it could have been for a valuable Luma she had. Peach will send Mario/Luigi letters, Mario's having 5 1-ups attached, and Luigi's having a massive 20 1-ups, although this number will drop to 5 if you receive 2 letters in one playtime. Princess Peach also appeared in the two subsequent Wii Mario (New Super Mario Bros. Wii and Super Mario Galaxy 2) games where she was once again kidnapped by Bowser. Miyamoto became a source of controversy when asked why Princess Peach wasn't playable in New Super Mario Bros. Wii, when he replied that they made the decision not to include her because of "dress physics", implying that it would have been too hard to program the the movements of the princess' dress in the game.

Princess Peach has also appeared in many of the spin-off games in the Mario series. These would include the Mario Kart, Party and Sports installments where she is featured as a regular. Princess Peach has also appeared in the Super Smash Bros. series as well, starting from Super Smash Bros. Melee where she was a base character.

Characteristics
Being the royal princess of the Mushroom Kingdom, Peach is usually shown as a very kind person who cares for her people and the well being of others. She even shows pity to those who even try to cause trouble in her kingdom (most notably Bowser). Peach's favourite color is shown to be pink and she often wears pink clothing to prove it. She usually is seen in a pink dress however she does wear more athletic clothing in some of the Mario sports titles. Princess Peach is usually represented by her emblem in the games, which is usually her own crown. It is also rumored that Peach and Mario are in a secret love relationship, since Mario always rescues Peach. In Super Mario 64, Peach kissed Mario on the nose, and in Mario Tennis, it was the cheek Peach kissed.

Abilities
Throughout the series, Peach has been shown and said as a person with magical abilities. In the story of the game Super Mario Bros., she was said to have been the only one to break Bowser's spell over the Mushroom Kingdom (however she was kidnapped by him due to this). Starting from Super Mario Bros. 2, Peach had the unique ability to float short distances and often this is shown as by her graceful nature. Peach also had a variety of abilities from the game Super Princess Peach involving her emotions. Hearts are often used as a part of her moveset in games such as in the Smash bros. series and Mario Kart items.

Quotes
"Mario you're my knight in shining armor" - Princess Peach from Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars

Trivia

 * Peach Debuted on September 13 1985, and this coincides with her sapphire brooch
 * Peach has appeared in more games than any other female character in videogame history

Reception
Princess Peach has gained both praise and criticism. In 2009, 1up.com ranked Princess Peach as the tenth best political figure in video gaming.