As gaming becomes increasingly common, so too are retailers hosting their own midnight launch events to get gamers their...well, games, as soon as possible.
Riding high on the theme, Nintendo is set to do the same thing for two upcoming games of its acclaimed and popular Pokémon franchise, but in a much bigger way. The company is playing host to a launch event at the Nintendo World Store in New York City this weekend, to celebrate the release of both Pokémon X and Pokémon Y for the 3DS, and the to-be-released-the-next-day 2DS.
At launch, the 2DS will sell for $129.99. It has all the means of playing the original DS and 3DS's library, dual screens, but not the former's capability to display 3D graphics, or either's fold-up-ability. Physically, it resembles the tablet style gamepad for the Wii U. Announced in late August, it was meant for "the entry-level consumer looking for lower-priced access to a fantastic library," according to Nintendo of America's COO, Reggie Fils-Aime. You can see how the new handheld compares to the 3DS here.
The event kicks off tomorrow, beginning officially at 8pm. But remember, it's an event not a party, don't hang around for hours on end to make sure that everyone can get in and get their Poké-fix. Besides selling the game, there will also be "a Pokémon costume showcase, photo opportunities, activities, giveaways and much more," so sayeth the events description from the Nintendo World Store website.
The games represent a radical change for the franchise, the top down perspective having been replaced with more of a three quarter perspective, and battles look radically different. As per usual, players will see several new pokémon, 5 of which were teased in the game's trailer at the time of the announcement. There's the usual array of new starter Pokémon, and each game will play host its own type of new, legendary Pokémon. And what's more, a number of classic Pokémon have earned mega-evolutions they can transform into during battle.
To cater to as many fans as possible, the store will stay open non-stop for the following 21 hours, until 9pm that Saturday, October 12. The store will be distributing wristbands to keep things organized, letting players can grab their choice game(s) at an allotted time.
