Nintendo Party

Starting at 10 a.m. Nintendo took over Times Square's Military Island with a public promotion to launch its latest game, Super Mario 3D Land. Appropriately, the Japanese video game company built a life-size version of the title for kids and adults to play in for the day.

Before the doors opened, hundreds of consumers swarmed the pedestrian plaza adjacent to the setup. Event staffers stood out in white track suits and red hats and gave away fake mustaches and sets of Tanooki ears and tail (the raccoon-like suit Mario can wear in the game).

Built to look as though the environment was inside a Nintendo 3DS console, the entrance to the event was framed by over-size controller buttons and a screen-shaped doorway.

The open-air setting, which was designed with Military Island's narrow footprint in mind, took on a linear shape, guiding visitors through large-scale sculptures of the game's imagery and interactive elements like trampolines and slides.

To open the obstacle course-style area, Nintendo brought in a Parkour group dressed as Super Mario to do acrobatics around the set.

Allowing visitors to Times Square to feel like they were inside Super Mario 3D Land, the environment included colorful trampolines that emitted noises from the video game when bounced upon.

Mimicking some of the floating elements from the game, Nintendo strung lightweight pieces in the shape of oversize coins and bricks stamped with question marks overhead for kids to jump and touch.

A green tubular slide was designed to imitate the game's "warp pipes" and included sound effects and music.

Much like the game, the last stop inside the Super Mario 3D Land three-dimensional setting was a flag pole where visitors could pose for photos.

To broadcast information and videos above the gathered crowds, Nintendo took over the JumboTron outside Times Square Studios.

Parked on 44th Street, the "Mushroom Kingdom" pizza truck gave out free slices of mushroom pizza to those who tweeted using the #SuperMario3D hashtag.

At the south end of Military Island, Nintendo offered more activities, including a tent that allowed attendees to test out the new game and a photo op area from L.A. Photo Party.