The Pikmin have arrived—in more ways than one! Teams of colorful costumed ant-like plant creatures have been spotted in a handful of public appearances.
Corey Olcsvary may have been the first “human Pikmin,” but you had better believe that he isn’t the last! Now that Pikmin is available, Nintendo has dispatched its own squad of costumed Pikmin people, and the critters are popping outta the ground at events all across the country! Here’s the info:
After invading Chicago Field's Jingle Elf Parade and the Nintendo GameCube launch in Los Angeles, Pikmin hit retail stores for shopping sprees in Denver and Cleveland.
More than 30,000 shoppers encountered Pikmin on Saturday, December 1, as the colorful costumed characters escorted two lucky contest winners in each city on a $500 shopping spree.
Beginning November 12, a two-week Radio Disney promotion invited listeners in Denver and Cleveland to submit entries for the Pikmin Shopping Adventure. In Denver, the Colorado Kids page invited its readers to submit entries. Contestants were asked to write in three reasons why a friend or sibling deserved a special treat for the holidays. Hundreds of entries were received in both markets.
With the Kay-Bee store as home base at the Great Northern Mall in Cleveland, at least 15,000 consumers at the mall looked on as Leslie Brown, 3, and her brother Matthew, 7, led Pikmin from store to store, purchasing items such as remote control cars, stuffed animals and clothes. Human Nintendo GameCube interactives were also on hand to let consumers sample the Pikmin game.
Meanwhile, in front of the Sam Goody store at the Southwest Plaza Mall in Denver, Amy Watson, 10, and her sister Emma, 13, split up to do their shopping, each with six Pikmin in tow. While Emma bought lots of clothes and shoes, Amy bought a few items, like a Game Boy Advance for herself, but also purchased a pogo stick for her twin brother and some boxer shorts for her dad.
The winners were delighted with their shopping sprees, and both of the malls and retail locations were pleased to participate in such a fun, visual event. As part of the Shopping Adventure, donations were made on behalf of Nintendo to local charities. In Cleveland, a $1000 check to the Toys for Tots program was presented to a local Marine representative; while in Denver, a spokesperson for the mall accepted Nintendo's gift of $1000 worth of Nintendo products to the Mountain of Love from the Heart of Colorado charity benefiting families of victims of the terrorist attacks.
