Joystiq at the Pokemon launch party in NYC


Thousands of Pokemon fans stormed the Nintendo World Store for their incredible Pokemon Diamond & Pearl launch party. Getting into the event was no easy task, as the line stretched across a New York avenue. Once inside, fans were treated to equally long lines to purchase the game, and a myriad of activities to partake in. A scavenger hunt had Pokemaniacs survive the heat and go through all the stations set up for fans.

Junichi Masuda and Shigeru Ohmori from Game Freak stopped by to answer fan's questions and sign autographs. In spite of the surprising success of the Pokemon franchise, the two were incredibly humble and seemed jovial in the presence of their adoring fans. Children (of all ages) crowded the plaza for a chance to meet some of the people responsible for this global phenomenon.

To end the festivities, Nintendo made an incredible donation to Earth Day NY: a giant check (is there any other kind?) for $10,000 was presented to the eco-friendly charity. The event was a blast, and everyone appeared to be in high spirits. Considering the thousands of people in attendance, it's safe to say that the Pokemon phenomenon is still going strong.

Tags: donation, earth day, earth day ny, EarthDay, EarthDayNy, game freak, GameFreak, junichi masuda, JunichiMasuda, new york, new york city, NewYork, NewYorkCity, nintendo, nintendo world, nintendo world store, NintendoWorld, NintendoWorldStore, nyc, pokemon, pokemon diamond, pokemon pearl, PokemonDiamond, PokemonPearl, shigeru ohmori, ShigeruOhmori

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Joystiq Features





Featured Galleries

Dragon Age: Origins

Dragon Age: Origins "Return to Ostagar" DLC

Blood Bowl (360, PSP, PC)

Blood Bowl (360, PSP, PC)

Arkedo Series 003: Pixel!

Arkedo Series 003: Pixel!

Quake Live (Christmas 2009)

Quake Live (Christmas 2009)

Final Fantasy XIV (12.24.09)

Final Fantasy XIV (12.24.09)

Stop Stress: A Day of Fury (WiiWare)

Stop Stress: A Day of Fury (WiiWare)

A Christmas Santa (iPhone)

A Christmas Santa (iPhone)

Xbox Live Music Games stores

Xbox Live Music Games stores

Trauma Team (12/22)

Trauma Team (12/22)

 


Team Joystiq

 
Chris Grant
Editor-in-Chief, Email
James Ransom-Wiley
Managing Editor, Email
Ludwig Kietzmann
Senior Editor, Email
Andrew Yoon
East Coast Editor, Email
Randy Nelson
West Coast Editor, Email
Justin McElroy
Reviews Editor, Email
Justin Glow
Developer, Email

Joystiq Podcast

New episodes every Friday! Now playing: Joystiq Podcast 121, for Friday, Dec., 18.



Archive | RSS | iTunes