After being MIA for the past couple of years, Nintendo has made a wonderful return to Australia with many exciting games, events, and more. Every gamer could find a game for them, from upcoming releases to newly released games and everything in between. A My Nintendo store was also at the event, allowing attendees to get their hands on Nintendo merch and games. Even some exciting events took place over the weekend for everyone’s viewing pleasure. It was a little hard to keep track of all of this. Luckily, Kirsty Twohill, Media and PR Specialist for Nintendo Australia was able to give us a breakdown of everything Nintendo had to offer at PAX Aus 2023.
Before the pandemic, Nintendo was a constant at PAX Aus. Every year, they would bring various games that anyone could enjoy. But Nintendo couldn’t make it to Down Under in the past few years. With 2020 and 2021 being unique experiences and 2022 having fewer exhibitors overall, I was ready for their triumphant return. So I was excited when Nintendo was the first exhibitor announced for this year after so many missed PAXs. Kirsty told us how special it was for Nintendo to return this year.
“It’s really exciting to be back, and we’ve got such a really exciting showcase as well. So, it’s great to be able to bring Super Mario Bros. Wonder to PAX and give everyone a chance to play it before release. This is the only time actually that the game is going to be accessible to the public before the game’s release on the 20th of October. And the feedback so far has been really exciting. People have walked away with big smiles on their faces. They’re so glad to see how fun it was to play and to experience Wonder, I suppose. To use the title in such a fashion, if I may.” added Twohill.
Nintendo is one of the biggest players in the video game space. They make quality games consistently and had a wide selection at PAX Aus 2023. Upcoming games like Super Mario Bros. Wonder and Star Ocean: The Second Story R was playable for the first time at the event. Newly released games such as Detective Pikachu Returns and The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom were also at the Nintendo booth for people to experience all Nintendo has to offer. Kirsty Twohill gave us the rundown of all the games Nintendo brought this year.
“We’ve got a variety of titles.” said Twohill. “We do have Pokemon Scarlet and Pokemon Violet, The Hidden Treasure of Area Zero Part 1 The Teal Mask playable. So, for people who may have played Pokemon Scarlet or Pokemon Violet and are curious to see what the DLC adds, that’s been a great way to get hands-on with that. We’ve also got the just-released today Detective Pikachu Returns, which is very exciting. We’ve also just got a variety of recently released titles like Pikmin 4, The Legend of Zelda, Tears of the Kingdom, and some Mario titles that are available right now on Nintendo Switch. Including Super Mario Odyssey and New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe, so if people want to get into that frame of mind to see how the Mario adventure continues, we’ve got that.” Twohill continued, “We’ve also got some third-party titles available to play, including the Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown. We also have Star Ocean: The Second Story R. There’s just so much to do here at Nintendo Booth at PAX Australia.”
Who doesn’t like exclusive merch? That was a rhetorical question because everyone does, especially Nintendo merch. Nintendo is aware of this and, at PAX Aus 2023, had the first ever My Nintendo Store in Australia. They had everything from shirts to blankets and even games. If you’re a Nintendo fan, there was something you’d want at the My Nintendo Store. We got some insider info from Kirsty about this exclusive store.
“For the first time in a very long time, if not ever, we have the My Nintendo Store at PAX Australia.” said Twohill. “We do actually have a My Nintendo Store in Australia where consumers have been able to purchase online and have the products delivered or pick them up from our parts and repair store at our headquarters. But now we’re bringing it to PAX Australia, so we’re selling a variety of consoles, including the Nintendo Switch OLED Model Mario Red Edition, which only launched today. We’re also selling software like Detective Pikachu Returns. We’ve got accessories like merchandise, apparel, there’s a whole bunch of stuff.”
Everyone enjoys a little competition, and Nintendo even had that covered at PAX Aus. It was announced before the show, but Nintendo held tournaments for Mario Kart 8 Deluxe and Splatoon 3. These championship matches were to decide which teams from Australia and New Zealand would go on to compete at the world championships in Tokyo next year. We learned more about this when Kirsty told us about these exciting matchups.
“We are hosting the AUNZ Championships on Sunday. So this is our final 12 competitors for Mario Kart 8 Deluxe. We are also holding the AUNZ Championships for Splatoon 3. So we’ve got two teams competing: Greasy Goblins and Solstice, who won in our earlier rounds. The winners of that tournament will go to represent Australia and New Zealand at the World Championships, which are being hosted in Tokyo in January 2024. So there’s a lot on the line for these players.” added Twohill.
Nintendo had a wonderful return to PAX Aus. They had games for everyone, a shop with exclusive merch, and even some exciting competitions. They may have had the best booth at the show (not biased). I had a blast playing and experiencing everything that Nintendo had to offer at PAX Aus 2023, and I can’t wait to see what they bring next year. Thanks again to Kirsty Twohill for taking the time to chat with us and for giving us the inside scoop on everything Nintendo at PAX Aus 2023.
Keep it locked to Couch Soup for more recaps and previews from PAX Aus 2023.
Did you check out Nintendo at PAX Aus 2023? What was your favourite game? How much money did you spend? Let us know in the comments where we can talk about all things Nintendo.
