Mark your calendars! Kicking off this June, Nintendo is set to travel the U.S. on the 2017 Summer of Play tour. The tour is scheduled to last through early September and will showcase a variety of games for both Switch and 3DS for attendees to get to try hands-on. The tour claims it will accommodate families and that they will be able to take pictures with some iconic Nintendo-themed visuals as well as play Nintendo games together.
Additionally, people who purchase or pre-order select Nintendo games at participating GameStop locations near the Summer of Play venues will receive a Nintendo-branded PopSocket (one of these things?) while supplies last.
Here’s what Doug Bowser, Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing at Nintendo, had to say of the tour:
“For families looking to purchase Nintendo Switch or a new handheld in the Nintendo 3DS family of systems, the Summer of Play tour is the perfect opportunity to give these popular systems a try. And since each stop is filled with familiar Nintendo characters and camera-ready visuals, the tour is a great place to spend a summer afternoon, take photos and create long-lasting memories with everyone in the family.”
Nintendo Switch games on display will include:
- The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
- Mario Kart 8 Deluxe
- 1-2-Switch
- Snipperclips – Cut it out, together!
- ARMS
- Splatoon 2
- Super Bomberman R
- Ultra Street Fighter II: The Final Challengers
- Minecraft: Nintendo Switch Edition
Nintendo 3DS games on display will include:
- Pokémon Sun
- Pokémon Moon
- Super Mario Maker for Nintendo 3DS
- Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS
- Hey! PIKMIN
- Miitopia
Finally, here’s a list of the planned tour dates and locations:
| Date | City | Venue |
| June 9-11 | Irvine, California | Irvine Spectrum Center |
| June 16-18 | Pleasanton, California | Alameda County Fair |
| June 23-25 | Bloomington, Minnesota | Mall of America® |
| June 30-July 2 | Milwaukee, Wisconsin | Henry Maier Festival Park (Summerfest Grounds) |
| July 7-9 | Chicago | Navy Pier |
| July 14-16 | Glendale, Arizona | Arrowhead Towne Center |
| July 20-23 | San Diego | Marriott Marquis San Diego Marina (San Diego Comic-Con) |
| July 28-30 | Arlington, Texas | The Parks Mall at Arlington |
| Aug. 4-6 | Miami, Florida | Aventura Mall |
| Aug. 11-13 | Bethlehem, Pennsylvania | Musikfest |
| Aug. 18-20 | New York | DUMBO Waterfront |
| Aug. 25-27 | King of Prussia, Pennsylvania | King of Prussia Mall |
| Sept. 2-4 | Baltimore | Harborplace |
I think it’s great to see Nintendo bringing its games to the players—quite literally—in an attempt to show off its latest devices and some of its newest and greatest games. I’ll definitely try to get to at least one of these events, and if so, you can expect full coverage on what’s in store. Be sure to let us know if you plan on attending one of the tour stops!
Also, you can check out the floor plan for the tour below.
