This past Saturday, we got a chance to head to the Nintendo World Store in Manhattan and check out the premiere event for the New Super Mario Bros Wii.
The line was down the block, despite the drizzling rain. Eager fans, some in costume, anxiously awaited the opening of the doors to the store.
In addition to having enough copies of the game on hand, Nintendo pulled out all the stops to celebrate the iconic star Mario and his cohorts, as they embark upon their latest adventure. There was a Mario Museum filled with memorabilia going back to the early 1980s, a Mushroom Kingdom-themed DJ booth, a retro room with systems set up for guests to play old Mario adventures (including the original SMB trilogy on NES and Super Mario World on SNES), and a life-sized Warp Pipe to walk through. In addition to being among the first people to be able to buy the game itself, guests got a free t-shirt with their purchase. There was also a gameplay competition, with fans lined up to see who could get the highest score.
Surprisingly, Nintendo seemed to have enough demo stations set up for everyone to get a chance to play. With two floors and dozens of stations set up, at no point was a long line to play observed.
We got to talk to fans, and all agreed that Mario is firmly cemented in the annals of gaming history. Mario is arguably the most famous character in the history of video gaming, and shows no signs of slowing down as thousands thronged the Nintendo World store to show their devotion.
After almost thirty years of gaming history, Mario can still draw massive crowds and generate fan love like no other. Bowser must be quaking with rage.
Images from the event:
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