The Nintendo World Store will be throwing a party for the pocket-sized monster of a DS game.
Pokémon Diamond and Pearl will be unleashed in a few weeks' time, and to celebrate Nintendo will hold a special launch event in the Big Apple.
About 5,000 people are expected to attend the festivities at the Nintendo World Store, which will be transformed into a Poké-nerd's dream. There will be playable Pokémon game stations, an area to play the trading card game, a lounge showing off the latest Pokémon movie, a Poké Ball scavenger hunt, photo ops with Pokémon characters, and a special kids zone for the young'uns who aren't old enough to realize how much of a nerd they are.
For those in the N.Y. area that do know how nerdy they are, chances are you pre-ordered the game from the store. In that case, you can pick it up there before most everyone else gets it. Everyone in attendance also has a chance to win some Poké-gear, including Pokémon-themed DS Lites and a bunch of other stuff.
The launch party will take place on Sunday, April 22 in New York City's Rockefeller Plaza, from 1 to 5 p.m. The official U.S. release date of Pokémon Diamond and Pearl is that very same day.