You hear those sleigh bells jingling, ring ting tingling too? Before the “It’s only November!” rage hits me square in the jaw, you should know that Nintendo of America whipped out a big bag of goodies way before Santa. Their holiday promotional tour hits malls across the U.S. from November 23rd to December 20th. These visits come packed with a line-up of free-to-play games and consoles, exciting giveaways, elves in the form of gift gurus, and Toys R Us coupons.
Nintendo’s amped up mall arcade
Sixteen malls hosting Nintendo of America will feature an interactive space where shoppers can drop in to try out games, free of charge. The recently released YO-KAI WATCH for the Nintendo 3DS made it on the list, though the family and kid-centered event doesn’t feature Xenoblade Chronicles X. The new and improved Nintendo 3DS XL system will also be available for test drives.
Get pumped.
The complete 3DS options are:
- The Legend of Zelda: Tri Force Heroes
- Pokémon Super Mystery Dungeon
- Animal Crossing: Happy Home Designer
- Chibi-Robo! Zip Lash
- Super Smash Bros.
- Mario Kart 7
If handheld devices don’t suit your fancy, the event sports six additional Wii U games:
- Super Mario Maker
- Splatoon
- Mario Tennis: Ultra Smash
- Yoshi’s Woolly World
- Skylanders SuperChargers from Activision
- Super Smash Bros.
Games won’t hog all the attention. The latest amiibo figures will guest star at these interactive hot-spots for those looking to add to their collections.
Elves gotta work, too
Nintendo of America will station gift gurus on-site to answer any and all questions. Naturally, they won’t mind pointing you in the direction of the perfect gift either, so long as that gift comes from Nintendo. The Nintendo Holiday Gift Guide can leave with you, should you need to scamper off before the elves get a chance to aide you in your shopping venture.
Visitors get the chance to save on holidays needs with Toys R Us coupons for Nintendo products (while supplies last). You may not need a discount, however, if you manage to win one of the many free giveaways. Nintendo hasn’t mentioned the scope of prizes, but hey, they did mention “free” and “giveaway.” That’s still exciting stuff right there.
I bet you’d like to know those locations now.
Nintendo’s 2015 holiday experience only reaches sixteen locations in fourteen states. If you’d like to plan a visit, here’s where you’ll need to go:
- South Shore Plaza in Braintree, Massachusetts
- Woodfield Mall in Schaumburg, Illinois
- Stonebriar Centre in Frisco, Texas
- Cherry Creek Shopping Center in Denver, Colorado
- Memorial City Mall in Houston, Texas
- The Oaks in Thousand Oaks, California
- Dolphin Mall in Miami, Florida
- Mall of America in Bloomington, Minnesota
- Perimeter Mall in Atlanta, Georgia
- Queens Center Mall in Elmhurst, New York
- King of Prussia Mall in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania
- Scottsdale Fashion Square in Scottsdale, Arizona
- Washington Square in Portland, Oregon
- Westfield Valley Fair in Santa Clara, California
- Westfield Southcenter in Seattle, Washington
- Tysons Corner Center in McLean, Virginia
Here’s a picture of 2014’s play tour to get you even more excited.
Can’t make it to the event?
Nintendo offers a small comfort to those unable to reach any of the malls listed above. The company’s “Happy Holidays” site allows fans to customize a Nintendo holiday wishlist. These lists can then be printed or e-mailed to share with family or friends. You don’t want them guessing wrong about your gifts, do you?
Anyone planning to visit Nintendo of America? Disappointed to see any games missing from the promotion? Cynically suspicious of the gift gurus? Let us know in the comments! (Really, type away. I care and I want to know your thoughts, but just the Nintendo-themed ones.)
Published: Nov 10, 2015 02:51 pm