Feature Article: Special Events   The Super Mario Galaxy Release Party By Frank L. Ocasio               So it's official--Mario has returned to the raucous applause and acclaim of gamers everywhere. We've all felt--or heard about--the waves of good times that Mario's landing has sent across the gaming community. There's probably no place where that impact was stronger, however, than it was at the Super Mario Galaxy Release Party in New York's Rockefeller Center.              You're probably saying, "What? A party for Mario at Rockefeller Center!?" But actually, it makes sense--the Nintendo World Store (NWS) is located in Rockefeller Center and it's not a stranger to such events. Regularly host to game tournaments and special events, NWS is actually a great place for Nintendo fans to head for a little added action in their gaming lives and all of the Nintendo dork gear they could ever need. And because nerds and dorks like me do flock there, it's also a good place to meet others in New York's gaming community.             If you've never been, the haven that is NWS is two floors. Ground level has three large televisions running demos of the newest hard-hitting title for the Wii along with a bunch of new DS games playable at the "DS Circle." The ground floor is also partially dedicated to Pokemon memorabilia, which makes sense, considering this location used to be the Pokemon Store. The second floor has more of Wii's running new titles, Virtual Console games, or Smash Bros. Melee all day long. This floor also has everything Nintendo that your heart could desire (from Wii accessories to Zelda T-shirts) and what I, at least, call the Nintendo Gallery--a stand of cases that show off various consoles with added information. Possibly the coolest thing on display there is the original Gameboy that was pulled out of the rubble of a burned building; the casing has been burned black, but the device is sitting there, running Tetris for all to see. Meanwhile, I had to go through three PSone's before I got one that actually worked.             The Super Mario Galaxy Release Party took place outside, however, in front of the store, and although it wasn't as amazing as the game is, it was a pretty good time. A dance floor was set up (with hired dancers who were doing a bad job of making us gamers want to prove how few moves we knew). There was also a Velcro wall and a bungee run for those interested. However, not many were because a booth was set up with several screens on which everyone could try out the game they were only hours from buying, and naturally, no one could really pass up that opportunity. There were also what I called "Wii People," who where almost exactly what they sound like. No, they were not people dressed in giant, foam Wii suits--and yeah, I'm sorry to disappoint you--but they were people with Wii's somehow strapped into a vest they were wearing. Also from this suit rose a monitor and speakers, both blasting you-know-what at gamers desperate enough to bear getting stared at constantly by a Wii Person (because, really, what else can they look at?) for the sake of collecting a few Power Stars.             A bit of trivia, a dance contest, and a bunch of sweet giveaways (like Mario Galaxy T-Shirts, pins, and patches) rounded out the night, however. An added bonus for everyone present (none of whom had reserved or even needed to reserve Galaxy), the game came with a Galaxy T-shirt and the infamous Mario/Luma coin that was only supposed to be sold with reserved copies. Not a bad haul at all. Especially considering that this Release Party was also on November 11th, about three days before the game was supposed to be released. Sure, I didn't dance at the party, but it was pretty damn hard not to the whole way home. One more thing before I quit: I found out about this party through Nintendo; I beleive it's my membership to Nintendo.com (which is free) that put me on one mailing list or another. You could always check out the Nintendo World Store's website (www.nintendoworldstore.com), however, for event updates, schedules, and inventory questions. Considering the time of year though, when it comes to inventory questions, many of you are probably going to want to call (and call often) instead: 646 459 0800.   For feedback, visit our message board or e-mail the author at flocasio@g-pop-net.