'Pokemon Black and White' Mall Tour Gives Fans Hands-On Demo

Game Rant

By Anthony Taormina

Published Jan 12, 2011

As part of a nationwide mall tour, Nintendo will be offering demos of 'PokÃ©mon Black and White' as well as other fun PokÃ©mon-inspired events.

The wait for PokÃ©mon Black and White is about to get a little bit more bearable as Nintendo has revealed dates and details regarding a mall tour that would allow players to get their first hands-on experience with the games a month before release. Starting February 5 and going all the way until March 19, these mall events will not only include hands-on demos of Black and White, but tons more PokÃ©mon related activities.

PokÃ©mon Black and White fans will no doubt be rejoicing the world over, since even the smallest taste of the DS titles should be enough to satisfy them a mere month before release. Not only will gamers get a chance to check out Black and White in action, they will also have the chance to participate in other PokÃ©mon related events. Screening in theaters nearby each mall will be the most recently produced film, PokÃ©mon Zoroark: Master of Illusions, starring Zoroark, the Pokemon fans are working so diligently to obtain.

On top of the Zoroark screening, there will be a meet and greet with the three starter PokÃ©mon of Black and White. That’s right -- Snivy, Tepig, and Oshawott will be on hand to snap photos with any Poke-fan as they wait to give the game a try.

Along with these main events will be several contests, prize giveaways, and GameStop collaborations that should make the Black and White mall experience feel like its own little carnival. If this sounds like the perfect event for you or that Poke-fan in your life, check out the tour schedule below to see if it’s coming to a city near you:

Feb. 5 & 6

Seattle, WA (Westfield Southcenter, Seattle, WA)
Cleveland, OH (Westfield SouthPark, Strongsville, OH)

Feb. 12 & 13

San Jose, CA (Westfield Oakridge, San Jose, CA)
Memphis, TN (Wolfchase Galleria, Memphis, TN)

Feb. 19 & 20

Los Angeles, CA (Westfield Santa Anita, Arcadia, CA)
Indianapolis, IN (Castleton Square, Indianapolis, IN)

Feb. 26 & 27

Denver, CO (Town Center at Aurora, Aurora, CO)
Philadelphia, PA (Franklin Mills, Philadelphia, PA)

March 4 & 5

New York, NY (Westfield Garden State Plaza, Paramus, NJ)

March 5 & 6

Minneapolis, MN (Mall of America®, Bloomington, MN)

March 12 & 13

Dallas, TX (Grapevine Mills, Grapevine, TX)
Atlanta, GA (Discover Mills, Lawrenceville, GA)

March 19 & 20

Phoenix, AZ (Arizona Mills, Tempe, AZ)
Jacksonville, FL (Orange Park Mall, Orange Park, FL)

For past PokÃ©mon games, this type of mall tour might have been a little less exciting, but for Black and White it provides the perfect opportunity for gamers to become acquainted with a revamped series. Choosing to include new PokÃ©mon, a new story, and new characters might have a few fans worried, thus making this mall tour the perfect opportunity to calm their fears.

PokÃ©mon has become such a huge phenomenon across the world, delivering countless movies, breaking tons of records, and invading the general popular culture, that it is surprising events like this don’t happen year round. It might seem at first that by setting up these mall events, Nintendo is asking for mayhem. Putting so many fans — diehard PokÃ©mon fans at that — into a confined space like a mall could potentially lead to some undesirable results. Here’s hoping that fans stay calm and wait their turn to give Black or White a spin.

Will you be heading to one of the various stops on the PokÃ©mon Black and White mall tour? Is PokÃ©mon Black and White the type of game that needs a demo, or is it such an established commodity that it needs no introduction?

Source: Joystiq