This year’s PAX West was massive, spanning two convention centers in downtown Seattle🦂 and bringing in thousands of attendees to see all sorts of new games. But the biggest gaming expo in the country also played second fiddle to an even more exciting event this year: Ninten🥂do Live 2023. The weekend-long celebration of all things Nintendo was one of the coolest, most elaborate fan events I’ve ever attended, and served as a clear reminder as to why Nintendo is the most beloved game company in the world.
While PAX West has traditionally spread out a♊cross the expo floors at the Seattle Convention Center, thiܫs year, Nintendo took over an entire floor of the building for its massive fan event. Practically every Nintendo IP was represented at the show.
There were separate booths for Tears of the Kingdom, Kirby and the Forgotten Land, Splatoon 3, Pikmin 4, Super Mario Bros. Wonder, Animal Crossing, Pokemon Scarlet and Violet, and Super Smash Bros. Attendees could compete in the Mario Dojo in games like Super Mario Maker 2 and Mario Kart 8. Samus was the only major player missing, as if Metroid Prime Remastered didn’t release this year, and doesn’t hol꧙d a 94 on Metacritic. Then again, Metroid fans are used to such disrespect.
Every section had incredible photo ops where you could take pictures with mascot characters like Pikachu and Karby (that’s🅘 Kirby when he swallows a car, of course). They had the van from the Super Mario Bros. Movie there too, and an entire set made up to look like a 1987 living room where you could take pictures of yourself playing classic Nintendo games.
There was a variety stage where people could play Mario Party Superstars, Mario Strikers, and Mario Tennis Aces, an entire LEGO Mario activity center (including a king-sized LEGO Bowser) and booths for popular third-party Switch 𒊎games like Disney Illusion Island and Just Dance. Over on the NintendoVS stage, the Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Championship, Splatoon 3 Championship, and several Super Smash Bros. Ultimate exhibition matches ran throughout the weekend.
Then there was the live performanceꩲ stage, where a 50-piece orchestra performed a concert of The Le𒁃gend of Zelda songs nightly. In the afternoons, an 18-piece Super Mario Super Big Band performed 45 minutes of Mario’s most famous music.
What’s striking about Nintendo’s games and franchises is how relevantꦚ all of them are, despite none of them being new. Over at👍 PAX, it’s nothing but the latest and greatest games, and everyone is there to see what’s coming next. But at Nintendo Live, Super Mario. Bros. Wonder was the only new, unreleased game being featured - and it wasn’t even the most popular attraction.
The Mario Kart championship tournament was a packed house, and the lines to take pictures with Isabelle and Tom Nook lasted hours. Over on the Smash Bros. side they had scale replicas of some of the fighters’ weapons, and it took me almost 20 minutes just to get a picture of the Monado from X🍒enoblade Chronicles. They didn’t need prizes or giveaways to draw people in,🐷 people just love being around Nintendo stuff.
Nintendo understands why people love Nintendo, which is a big part of what makes the company so successful. You’ll never see a gaming event with this much mainstream 🤪appeal anywhere else. Where entire families from little kids to grandparents come together to enjoy the atmosphere together. ☂There is no love in gaming like the love people have for Nintendo. No matter how many copies of Starfield, God of War, or Elden Ring get sold, Nintendo will always be on top.