As a young Nintendo fan in the 90s, I always dreamed of meeting the characters who inspired my love for gaming. When Nintendo Live was announced for Sydney, I knew this was my chance. Fast forward a few months — to a warm Spring morning — I finally climbed the stairs to the International Convention and Exhibition Centre, ready to turn that dream into reality.
Here we go!
In typical Nintendo style, getting a ticket to the event was a game within itself. They used a lottery system to choose the attendees. Of course, I threw my hat into the ring and I was lucky enough to be chosen to come along. Quickly, I booked my flights and an Airbnb ready for an action-packed weekend; I was ready to let my inner Nintendo nerd out.
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On Saturday, dressed in my best Zelda tee, I lined up with hundreds of other Nintendo fans, excitedly waiting to enter the exhibition hall. After scanning my QR code, in true PAX style, we were all shepherded into a holding pen where we got some free loot and a cool lanyard.
With a huge, red Nintendo wall blocking any sight of the showroom floor I waited patiently to be let inside.
Then, at long last, the moment arrived.
My block was given the nod and we got to move forward into the main hall. As I walked through the huge entrance, I was greeted with a gigantic picture of Link from Tears of the Kingdom, a main stage and the sights of many of my favourite games.
Heading In: Onwards and Upwards!
Inside there was so much to do! It was an awe-inspiring world of Nintendo with all the games and characters coming to life. There were stations set up for a variety of Nintendo favourites from Mario and Kirby, to Animal Crossing and even Splatoon. There were lots of games to play, areas to explore and characters to meet. Young (and old) Dan was screaming with excitement inside.
So much Nintendo to see and do!
Each area had a meet and greet area where you could get a happy snap with your favourite characters. I felt so lucky to be able to get my photo with Kirby, Isabelle and even Princess Peach (a lucky last-minute snap on my way out). Inside each area were stations set up with the latest games and some impressive statues.
I loved the detail in the statues for each game. Finally, I was able to see the Tears of the Kingdom Link statue in the flesh and it made this fanboys heart race. Also, I got up close with some of my favourite Kirby transformations, sword fighter Kirby and the gigantic Carby statue.
As well as this, they had a massive Live Stage area that hosted Mario Kart, Splatoon and Smash Brothers tournaments. They also held a Q&A with Charles Martinet! I am still in shock that I actually got to meet the voice of Mario and hear that iconic “wahoo”. Not going to lie, there were a few tears shed. He has been the voice of Mario throughout my whole gaming life.
The Mario Dojo area was setup as a unique, short, Mario based tournament for all ages. You played two rounds of Mario Kart and if you won you moved on in the tournament. Round two was a Super Mario Maker 2 challenge and winning this meant you went onto the final four. Here you played a random Mario challenge on the stage to become the overall winner. This was such a fun idea, sadly, I didn’t make it past the first round.
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It’s-a Good Time!
Nintendo Live lived up to my expectations and more. I spent the whole day immersed in the world of Nintendo. I honestly cannot think of another time I had such an amazing Nintendo experience. The day wasn’t without its organisational hitches, but it was all very “Nintendo”.
I want to thank Nintendo Australia and Sydney for hosting this amazing event. I left a happy fan with a huge bag of merch to carry back to Melbourne.
To catch up on all the live events from Nintendo Live 2024, check out Nintendo Australia’s Youtube channel. I am hoping to see more local Nintendo events like this in the future. Lets-a-go!
