Wii U now on sale Australia, Full Midnight Launch Report

EB Games in Swanston Street, Melbourne, threw another crazy Nintendo party last night. This one was to bring in a new age – the age of the high definition Nintendo experience, via the all new Wii U.

I’ve been to my fair share of Nintendo launches at EB Games and it amazes me that they keep raising the bar higher each and every time.

I entered the party, which began at 10pm, fashionably late. I was proudly wearing my Samus t-shirt, as if by some luck it would magically begin a chain reaction that would culminate in a great Metroid game for the Wii U. Imagine what they could do with Metroid in high definition, guys!

Where was I?

I headed upstairs and immediately witnessed a large group of people waiting their turn to play Nintendo Land on one of the Wii U stands set up around the store. Scoping the room, it seemed there were about five main party points. In one corner, Nintendo and EB Games staff were serving delicious donuts and red and green slushies. It’s much deeper than just lime and raspberry flavouring, though; these were Mario and Luigi slushies. In the next corner, a highly-skilled artist was drawing caricatures of all the Nintendo fans, literally giving each and every person a souvenir of the evening that was special to them. Further across, a talented manipulator was handing out balloon animals. And all this to the beat of the groovy music being conducted by the DJ extraordinaire, from his perch at the top of the stairs.

The main floor area was where competitions were held and prizes were handed out. Prizes for winners. For losers. For cosplayers. For raffle winners. And that’s not even counting the random prizes thrown out by the EB Games manager, dressed appropriately in red jacket and Mario hat. I hear tanooki hats were popular amongst the crowd. Multiple copies of New Super Mario Bros U were handed out, and the raffle winner won a free Wii U Premium. Sweet, sweet loot indeed.

Nintendo 3DS fans were loving the Streetpass hits, myself included. I almost forgot to take photos because of how busy my 3DS was. Thanks to everyone for the puzzle pieces!

As midnight drew closer, everyone lined up in an orderly fashion to collect their highly sought after new console. A Wii U for everyone and to everyone a Wii U!

Thanks again to EB Games and Nintendo staff for holding the launch and being so accommodating with us!

Remember to leave a comment if you were there and tell us about your experience or leave some of your own photos for everyone to view!

Until next time, I’ll see you all online.