The core gameplay of Princess Peach: Showtime revolves around the different transformation abilities Peach gains when entering a new stage. Each of the stages in Princess Peach: Showtime is designed around the unique mechanics afforded by the stage's specific transformation, which coincides with one of the 10 Sparklas whom Grape has imprisoned in the theater's basement. While most of these stages involve some combination of battling the Sour Bunch, solving puzzles, and navigating each stage's layout, there are a couple of transformations that subvert the game's standard level design with mixed results.