Nintendo hits the road with Summer of Play Tour

Nintendo is about to hit the road for another nationwide tour, this time it’s just in time to cool fans off during the year’s hottest months.

Summertime, and the gaming’s easy

We’re pretty sure that Nintendo has done summer mall-tours before, but overall the company is probably better known for Holiday-time events. But forget what you know about any of the above, because what Nintendo has planned for this summer is pretty unique.

We’re not just talking games here, but also some awesome-sounding places to play them. The Summer of Play won’t just be benches in front of monitors, but will actually bring some of Nintendo’s best-loved properties to life, giving fans a chance to hang out in snack-sized portions of their worlds.

Here’s some highlights:

• Get behind the wheel with Mario and friends to speed down Rainbow Road in an exciting race found in the Mario Kart 8 Deluxe – Booster Course Pass DLC for the Mario Kart 8 Deluxe game.
• Sit by a serene campfire with Tom Nook and Isabelle in front of a cozy photo-op from the Animal Crossing: New Horizons game.
• Pose with curious plant-like creatures in an oversized garden scene from the upcoming Pikmin 4 game (launching July 21).
• Take a snapshot with Pikachu and other Pokémon featured in the Pokémon Scarlet and Pokémon Violetgames.
• Explore the great outdoors with Link in the evolved Kingdom of Hyrule while playing the critically acclaimed action-adventure game The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom.

Along with the chance to see some cool real-world renditions of Nintendo’s greatest hits and the games to play, visitors will get some bonuses. First, those who engage in “various activities at the event” will get something called a Nintendo Summer of Play Passport. That will get stamped in relation to exactly what what you participate in at the booth, and can nab you “free Nintendo goodies (while supplies last)”.

Additionally, there’ll be a Play Nintendo Mushroom Kingdom Yourself Photobooth, where you can take a digital keepsake from the events. And finally, fans will get the chance to get a little money off of select Nintendo video games and accessories. Just for visiting, you’d can take home a GameStop coupon*, that’ll be good for $10 off of a $75 Nintendo purchase.

So there’s quite a bit to both see and do at the Tour, though it’ll be landing in a pretty select group of US cities. They include:

Market	Location	Address	Dates
Minneapolis, MN	Mall of America®	60 E Broadway  Bloomington, MN 55425	June 15 – June 18
Detroit, MI	Great Lakes Crossing Outlets	4000 Baldwin Road  Auburn Hills, MI 48326	June 22 – June 25
New York, NY	Meatpacking District Pop Up	60 Tenth Ave  New York, NY 10014	June 29 – July 2
Knoxville, TN	West Town Mall	7600 Kingston Pike  Knoxville, TN 37919	July 7 – July 10
Orlando, FL	The Florida Mall	8001 S Orange Blossom Trail  Orlando, FL 32809	July 20 – July 23
Austin, TX	Barton Creek Square	2901 S Capital of Texas Hwy  Austin, TX 78746	July 28 – July 31
Denver, CO	FlatIron Crossing	1 W Flatiron Crossing Drive  Broomfield, CO 80021	Aug. 17 – Aug. 20
Los Angeles, CA	Santa Monica Place®	315 Colorado Ave  Santa Monica, CA 90401	Aug. 25 – Aug. 28

* Valid in-store only. Excludes consoles & digital software. Limit one redemption per customer. Valid 6.15.23 – 9.30.23.