You know something big is happening when a company pours out the massive dollars required to decorate Times Square for an entire day.
For Nintendo, that day will be November 12. The iconic New York City landmark will be transformed into a veritable Mario playhouse, in honor of the November 13 launch of Super Mario 3D Land, arguably the most important title to launch for the 3DS to date.
“Nintendo is giving fans in New York City a rare opportunity to experience how 3D significantly enhances and reinvents the beloved Mario gaming experience. Anyone who visits Times Square on Nov. 12 will be invited to play inside Mario’s 3D world with life size warp pipes, trampoline coin jumps and a flag pole finale,” wrote Nintendo in a press release.
In addition, fans will receive exclusive Tanooki ears and tails so they can look just like Mario does when he gets that classic brown leaf power-up.
It should be quite a sight, so if you’re in the New York area this weekend, why not check it out?
The 3DS has struggled since its awkward launch earlier this year. At the official launch event in New York City, unseasonably cold temperatures kept crowds to a minimum, but around the world there was a muddled reaction due to an extraordinary lack of strong release-day games.
Nintendo is now in the unfavorable position of climbing out of a hole and trying to prove to even its most loyal fans that the new handheld system is worth buying. Mario is always capable of spurring hardware sales, and Nintendo hoped Super Mario 3D Land will do just that for the 3DS.
