Nintendo of America Kicks off Summer of Play Tour

Recently, with the success of the Nintendo Switch and the upcoming release of the “New” 2DS XL, Nintendo of America has decided to kick off their “Summer of Play Tour,” spanning six 12 cities and being active for 26 days in between June 9^th and September 4^th. This tour will showcase various Nintendo products such as the previously mentioned Switch and 2DS, as well as unveil gameplay to the public of both upcoming games and recent releases that have received critical acclaim. The exact purpose is to give families the opportunity to try some of the newest games on the market, but also to provide other popular games to create an enjoyable experience. Likewise, some of Nintendo’s characters are sure to make a brief appearance (a certain plumber in a red cap comes to mind).

Arguably the most famous game at the event will be The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild which released only a few months ago to critical acclaim as well as commercial success. Although already on store shelves, the downloadable content (DLC) for the newest installment in the franchise has already been announced, including an extra challenge dungeon and a raised difficulty mode. Another featured game, already available to the public, is Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, a re-release of the newest entry in the kart-racing franchise, including the DLC packs previously released for the Wii-U version as well as additional content. Other notable inclusions are 1-2-Switch, a new party game featuring the new system’s joy-cons, Pokémon Sun/Moon, recent installments for the turn based role-playing game about catching mythical Pokémon. Finally, Super Smash Bros. for 3DS, the mascot brawler, is set to make an appearance.

Some of Nintendo’s newer franchises are also set to make an appearance. These include Splatoon 2, the sequel to the paint ball shooter starring a group of squids who can also turn into kids; and Arms, Nintendo’s newest fighting game, featuring boxers with spring loaded arms meant to be able to get a KO from a distance. Finally, Minecraft, a game which warrants no introduction, is getting a release on the Switch along with many other games.

Official “Summer of Play” locations are restricted to the United States. However, Nintendo will be hosting other events across Canada over the summer months. Aside from events in Vancouver and in Montreal, Mississauga, Port Hope and Toronto will all be hosting events for Nintendo. These include events at Centreville Park in July, Port Hope and York in early August, and Mississauga in late August at the Port Credit Busker-fest. All of these events are catered to showcase the library of games available for Nintendo’s game systems.