Nintendo recently updated the box art for Princess Peach Showtime.

Upon first inspection, you might be hard-pressed to tell the difference, but when you do there’s no denying that the main character model has had a bit of a change of heart.

The original box-art we saw, revealed a few months ago, had the smiley Princess Peach we have known and loved for decades, but this recent alteration has her looking more like the Super Mario Bros. Movie version thanks to the lighting and expression.

It’s also worth noting that the fencing character model has had an expression change too.

Could this be an update to better fit the feel of the game, a result of the American Kirby curse, or to make her more recognisable to the millions of fans of the recent movie?

Check out the side by side comparison below:

Old (left)     New (right)

And for those wondering what we mean by the “American Kirby curse”, here’s a side by side comparison of some of his Japanese and US cover art changes.

He gets so angry when he enters America!