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Comic-Con 2013 Attendees Have Exclusive First Look At Upcoming Nintendo Titles

by Liz Lanier on Jul 16, 2013 at 11:55 AM

The advantages are many for the lucky, relatively few who get to attend San Diego Comic-Con. This year, attendees of Nerd Nirvana will even be able to play upcoming Nintendo titles well before release dates.

Pikmin 3, The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker HD, Bayonetta 2, and Sonic Lost World are among the many titles that can be sampled.

For those who can't attend Comic-Con, the Nintendo Gaming Lounge at the San Diego Marriott Marquis & Marina hotel alongside the convention center will also offer visitors a chance to play upcoming games.

Other titles available to try are listed below.

Wii U titles:

  • Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze
  • Super Mario 3D World
  • New Super Luigi U
  • Mario & Sonic at the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games
  • Rayman Legends
  • Skylanders SWAP Force
  • Disney Infinity
  • The Wonderful 101
  • Just Dance 2014

3DS titles:

  • Yoshi’s New Island
  • The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds
  • Mario & Luigi: Dream Team
  • Donkey Kong Country Returns 3D
  • Shin Megami Tensei IV
  • Batman: Arkham Origins Blackgate

Our Take
Giving gamers a chance to play new titles before release  is a smart business idea for Nintendo. After a relatively unremarkable E3 presentation, word-of-mouth coverage from Comic-Con attendees could definitely help bring focus back to Nintendo and its franchises.

For the full press release, please see page two.

REDMOND, Wash.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Walking into Comic-Con, it’s not uncommon to be surrounded by people dressed as Mario, Link and other Nintendo video game legends. These iconic characters, and the games they star in, are beloved by generations of video game fans. This year, Nintendo is giving Comic-Con visitors and Southern California residents the chance to play a giant assortment of upcoming games starring these celebrated characters. People will be able to enjoy hands-on time with games like Super Mario 3D World, Pikmin 3 and Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze for Wii U, as well as Mario & Luigi: Dream Team and The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds for Nintendo 3DS. In addition, Nintendo is hosting a variety of fun activities, including giveaways for The Wonderful 101 and one-of-a-kind experiences celebrating the Year of Luigi (available while supplies last).

“Comic-Con gives us a chance to interact with thousands of current and future Nintendo fans,” said Scott Moffitt, Nintendo of America’s executive vice president of Sales & Marketing. “We have fun games and activities for everyone, and Comic-Con will be the first time for many people to see how these games play in person.”

Nintendo will have a presence in two locations during Comic-Con. The first is on the show floor in the San Diego Convention Center, where the focus will be on Pikmin 3 for Wii U, with game-play kiosks and unique photo opportunities.

Visitors who do not have a Comic-Con badge can still join in the Nintendo fun by visiting the huge Nintendo Gaming Lounge at the adjacent San Diego Marriott Marquis & Marina hotel. The list of playable games scheduled to appear includes:

Wii U

The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker HD from Nintendo

Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze from Nintendo

Super Mario 3D World from Nintendo

Pikmin 3 from Nintendo

New Super Luigi U from Nintendo

Mario & Sonic at the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games from Nintendo

Rayman Legends from Ubisoft

Skylanders SWAP Force from Activision

Disney Infinity from Disney Interactive

Sonic Lost World from SEGA

The Wonderful 101 from Platinum Games

Bayonetta 2 from Platinum Games

Just Dance 2014 from Ubisoft

Nintendo 3DS

Yoshi’s New Island from Nintendo

The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds from Nintendo

Mario & Luigi: Dream Team from Nintendo

Donkey Kong Country Returns 3D from Nintendo

Sonic Lost World from SEGA

Shin Megami Tensei IV from ATLUS (Index Digital Media, Inc.)

Batman: Arkham Origins Blackgate from Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment

In addition to all of these games, visitors to the Nintendo booth and Gaming Lounge will encounter a host of fun activities. Attendees that stop by both the Nintendo booth at the convention center and the Nintendo Gaming Lounge at the Marriott Marquis & Marina hotel will receive a mask (while supplies last) designed to resemble the masks worn by the heroes of The Wonderful 101. Fans who dress up like the characters from The Wonderful 101 will be have a chance to win a Wii U system and copy of the game when it launches on Sept. 15. And at 2 p.m. on Sunday, July 21, Nintendo invites everyone who is dressed up or wearing a mask to gather for a group photo.

To get all those Pokémon trainers-in-the-making ready for the upcoming releases of Pokémon X and Pokémon Y for Nintendo 3DS, a Pokémon-themed area will be set up in the Nintendo Gaming Lounge to allow visitors to relax, take photos with the Pikachu costumed character and participate in giveaways.

The yearlong celebration of the Year of Luigi will also continue at the show. Not only will visitors be able to play New Super Luigi U for Wii U and Mario & Luigi: Dream Team for Nintendo 3DS, but the Luigi costumed character also will be available to take memorable photos with visitors. Visitors will also be able to collect fun items such asMario & Luigi: Dream Team pillow cases, Luigi hats and Year of Luigi coins (while supplies last), as well as sign the giant Luigi yearbook, a memento chronicling Luigi’s 30 years in video games.

The Nintendo booth (No. 235) is located at the San Diego Convention Center at 111 W. Harbor Drive, San Diego, CA, 92101. The Nintendo Gaming Lounge is located on the first floor of the Marriott Marquis & Marina hotel at 333 W. Harbor Drive, San Diego, CA, 92101.

Mario & Sonic at the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games TM IOC/SOCHI2014/USOC 36USC220506. Copyright © 2013 International Olympic Committee ("IOC"). All rights reserved. This video game is the property of the IOC and may not be copied, republished, stored in a retrieval system or otherwise reproduced or transmitted, in whole or in part, in any form or by any means whatsoever without the prior written consent of the IOC.

All other trademarks and copyrights are properties of their respective owners.