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"So... I went to Oxfor Street to see Mr. Mario..."

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Sat 24/11/07 at 20:12
Regular
Posts: 18,185
It has been a busy year for the world’s most famous plumber. After missing the Wii Launch (Virtual Console aside), Mario has appeared in the critical and/or commercial successes of Mario Party 8, Mario Strikers and Super Paper Mario. Yet for the Nintendo fans there was only one game that really mattered, and that game was greeted with rapturous cheers at the launch event on London Oxford Street, 12 hours before the game was due for release.


I’d like to say that I went there with my best press hat on, complete with a good pen and an empty note pad, ready to interview anyone who would be interviewed. But I didn’t. I found an old red beret in a charity shop, a terrible fake mustache in a joke shop and grabbed my old red t-shirt. Today I wasn’t a journalist for Nintendojo, I was a Mario fan, and I couldn’t wait!

We joined the 30 man strong queue (it soon grew to over 400), behind a rather attractive Australian Princess Peach and her band of merry plumbers. My photographer, who was dressed all in black, cowered by the door, fearful of the army of Mario geeks that were jumping with glee for the chance to meet Charles Martinet, the voice of Mario himself. I would tell anyone that listened that my friend was Mario’s Hitman, in the upcoming Mushroom Kingdom edition of GTA. The Australian Princess Peach didn’t laugh, perhaps she didn’t understand, or maybe it just wasn’t funny. Probably the latter.


There was street entertainment, in the form of a talented magician, an over-excited Nintendo employee who mocked my moustache for not staying on, plus a host of photographers and camera crews. I was even interviewed by Tom at Nintendo Official Magazine: the poor chap didn’t seem happy, wondering why he agreed to stand in the cold in the heart of London’s busiest street no doubt. There were giant beams of light casting shapes in the sky, huge versions of Mario and Luigi, plus a host of inventive costumes, including men dressed as Princess Peach, Doctor Mario and even a Chain Chomp (well done that man)

The pair of us were even given a goodie bag, complete with a Galaxy beanie hat, light, key ring, note pad, rain coat, poster and drawstring bag. But the real deal was the opportunity to buy the game 12 hours before general release and have it signed by Charles himself. Charles doesn’t look much like Mario, but was friendly and happy to every fan that passed his way. "Woo hoo!" and "Mama Mia" erupted from his lips at every conceivable opportunity, it was slightly disconcerting hearing such a familiar sound emerge from such a softly spoken American, but it was Mario alright. When I finally had my chance to shake the man’s hand I was eager to ask him what it was like working with Mario? What he thought of Galaxy? And what was it like working with Nintendo? But I didn’t. I’ll leave that to Tom from Nintendo Official Magazine. Maybe that’ll cheer him up.

I, on the other hand, left the store with a goodie bag under one arm and a new Mario game under the other, looking out for that Australian Princess Peach.

Now where did she go?
Sun 25/11/07 at 11:48
Regular
Posts: 18,185
It's true, I was a commie Mario from the village people. It had to be seen to be believed.

Oxfor street... oh dear.
Sat 24/11/07 at 22:36
Regular
Posts: 9,995
And I was playing it a whole day before that. In my warm room. With
pop tarts and vodka. Ah, life.
Sat 24/11/07 at 20:56
Regular
"Monochromatic"
Posts: 18,487
Dringo wrote:
> I found an old red beret in a charity shop, a terrible fake
> mustache in a joke shop and grabbed my old red t-shirt.

Dirty communist!
I was near Oxford Street yesterday
Sat 24/11/07 at 20:12
Regular
Posts: 18,185
It has been a busy year for the world’s most famous plumber. After missing the Wii Launch (Virtual Console aside), Mario has appeared in the critical and/or commercial successes of Mario Party 8, Mario Strikers and Super Paper Mario. Yet for the Nintendo fans there was only one game that really mattered, and that game was greeted with rapturous cheers at the launch event on London Oxford Street, 12 hours before the game was due for release.


I’d like to say that I went there with my best press hat on, complete with a good pen and an empty note pad, ready to interview anyone who would be interviewed. But I didn’t. I found an old red beret in a charity shop, a terrible fake mustache in a joke shop and grabbed my old red t-shirt. Today I wasn’t a journalist for Nintendojo, I was a Mario fan, and I couldn’t wait!

We joined the 30 man strong queue (it soon grew to over 400), behind a rather attractive Australian Princess Peach and her band of merry plumbers. My photographer, who was dressed all in black, cowered by the door, fearful of the army of Mario geeks that were jumping with glee for the chance to meet Charles Martinet, the voice of Mario himself. I would tell anyone that listened that my friend was Mario’s Hitman, in the upcoming Mushroom Kingdom edition of GTA. The Australian Princess Peach didn’t laugh, perhaps she didn’t understand, or maybe it just wasn’t funny. Probably the latter.


There was street entertainment, in the form of a talented magician, an over-excited Nintendo employee who mocked my moustache for not staying on, plus a host of photographers and camera crews. I was even interviewed by Tom at Nintendo Official Magazine: the poor chap didn’t seem happy, wondering why he agreed to stand in the cold in the heart of London’s busiest street no doubt. There were giant beams of light casting shapes in the sky, huge versions of Mario and Luigi, plus a host of inventive costumes, including men dressed as Princess Peach, Doctor Mario and even a Chain Chomp (well done that man)

The pair of us were even given a goodie bag, complete with a Galaxy beanie hat, light, key ring, note pad, rain coat, poster and drawstring bag. But the real deal was the opportunity to buy the game 12 hours before general release and have it signed by Charles himself. Charles doesn’t look much like Mario, but was friendly and happy to every fan that passed his way. "Woo hoo!" and "Mama Mia" erupted from his lips at every conceivable opportunity, it was slightly disconcerting hearing such a familiar sound emerge from such a softly spoken American, but it was Mario alright. When I finally had my chance to shake the man’s hand I was eager to ask him what it was like working with Mario? What he thought of Galaxy? And what was it like working with Nintendo? But I didn’t. I’ll leave that to Tom from Nintendo Official Magazine. Maybe that’ll cheer him up.

I, on the other hand, left the store with a goodie bag under one arm and a new Mario game under the other, looking out for that Australian Princess Peach.

Now where did she go?

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