I had the pleasure of playing Ninjatown, the upcoming DS title featuring the art and characters you know so well from the adorable Shawnimals line, at this year's E3. Shawn is every bit as cool as you might imagine a man to be who creates ninjas for a living, and the game has all the potential to be addictive as all hell.

If you live in NYC, San Francisco or Chicago, you can actually get a peek at the game before it's release thanks to the Ninjatown Sneak Peak Tour. You can preorder a copy of the game at the events, and in addition get your hands on the special limited edition handmade, signed and numbered Ol’ Master Ninja pocket plush (but they are limited to 25 pieces per event, so arrive early!).

The first event will be at Double Punch in San Francisco on Friday, September 19th and Saturday, September 20th, the second at myplasticheart in New York on Friday, October 3rd, and the third at Rotofugi in Chicago on Saturday, October 11th. For details on address and time, please check after the jump for all the details.

If none of these are near you, you can still preorder the game and get a special goodie. Gamestop is now accepting preorders, each of which ship with a blind box microplush. There are only 200 of these, so once they're gone, they're gone. If you want one, better hop to it now before they vanish into thin air, as anything adorable and limited edition is likely to do!

DESIGNER TOY STORES TO GIVE EARLY ACCESS TO NINJATOWN  

 

SouthPeak’s Upcoming Nintendo DS™ Action Strategy Game To Hold Limited Engagements In San Francisco, New York & Chicago

 

MIDLOTHIAN, VA – September 10, 2008 - SouthPeak Games and Shawnimals announced today a special open-to-the-public three city tour for their upcoming action strategy title, Ninjatown, for Nintendo DS™. Slated to ship at the end of October, fans can get an early look at the game in San Francisco, New York City and Chicago weeks before it becomes available at special events taking place at designer toy shops. They’ll be plenty of Ninjatown gaming to be had, as well as exclusive Ninjatown items and discussions with some of the folks put the game together.

 

All of the venues will feature Nintendo DS’s with playable Ninjatown games and Shawnimals designer toys, including special limited edition handmade, signed and numbered Ol’ Master Ninja pocket plush*. Players will also be able to pre-order the game right then and there so they can be assured a copy when it ships. The details of the events are as follows:

 

Double Punch, 1821 Powell Street, San Francisco, CA

Friday, September 19, 7pm-9pm

Saturday, September 20, 1pm-5pm

Ninjatown creator, Shawn Smith, alongside Jen Brody will be on hand to personally talk about their plush creations and how they’ve made the transition to the virtual world. Shawn will be bringing along exclusive one-of-a-kind Ninjatown merchandise, and Double Punch has a special illustration gallery show going on that features amazing works of art.  www.doublepunch.com

 

myplasticheart, 210 Forsyth St, New York City, NY

Friday, October 3, 5pm-8pm

Ninjatown game Producer Jeremy Pope (GTA3, GTA: Vice City, Max Payne 2) will be on hand in New York along with several of the development team members from Venan Entertainment. If anyone is on the lookout for inside info on the best way to defeat Wee Devils, this will be the event to attend. www.myplasticheart.com

 

Rotofugi, 1953-55 W. Chicago Ave., Chicago, IL

Saturday, October 11, 5pm-8pm

This is Shawnimals’ backyard and promises to have lots of local flavor. Shawn Smith and his Shawnimals team, all based in Chicago, will be demoing Ninjatown and talking Wee Ninjas and Hot Dog Friends with everyone who will listen. www.rotofugi.com

 

For more information about any of the events or to find out more about Ninjatown visit www.ninjatown.com or www.southpeakgames.com.

* Limited to 25 pieces at each event

 

About SouthPeak Games 

SouthPeak Interactive Corporation develops and publishes interactive entertainment software for all current hardware platforms including: PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system, PSP® (PlayStation®Portable) system, PlayStation®2 computer entertainment system, Xbox 360® videogame and entertainment system, Wii™, Nintendo DS™ and PC. SouthPeak's games cover all major genres including action/adventure, role playing, racing, puzzle strategy, fighting and combat. SouthPeak's products are sold in retail outlets in North America, Europe, Australia and Asia. SouthPeak is headquartered in Midlothian, Virginia, and has offices in Grapevine, Texas and London, England. www.southpeakgames.com

 

About Shawnimals

Shawnimals is a character design studio started in 2002 and is currently focused on developing designer toys with a strong emphasis on imaginative and often humorous narratives. They produce plush toys, collectible vinyl sculptures, apparel and a variety of other types of merchandise, all branded with an off-the-wall, yet lovable, cast of creatures. For more information on Shawnimals, please visit www.shawnimals.com