Nintendo Fans Line up to Demo Wii U Games at Deptford Best Buy

Mostly everyone was there to try out the latest Mario Kart.

But for the 120-plus who turned up at the Deptford Best Buy Wednesday afternoon for a playable demo of four new Nintendo Wii U titles, it was the closest they would come to the E3 video game convention in Las Vegas.

In a line that curled around the considerable DVD/Blu-Ray section of the store, gaming fans waited hours to play Super Mario 3D World, Mario Kart 8, The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker HD and Donkey Kong Country Returns: Tropical Freeze for just a few minutes—although none of them would be taking a copy home.

Zelda, the earliest of the four to hit store shelves, won't be released until October. Mario Kart 8 isn't due until spring 2014. 

That didn't matter to Wesley Reed, of Monroeville, NJ, who said he'd only just heard of the new games yesterday, when they were announced at E3.

Behind him in line, Dean Bloomingdale and Jon Davis of Philadelphia were there with their friend, Dane Darnell of Woodbury, who'd come for a glimpse of Zelda.

Nearby, brothers Sonny and William Gonzalez of West Deptford talked about how the Wii U would allow them to try out the new takes on their old favorite characters.

The Wii U debuted in November 2012 as the first Nintendo console to take advantage of HD graphics. But with fewer than 40 games available, it has struggled to make an impact in the competitive platform gaming market.

As Microsoft launches its Xbox One console and Sony pushes out the Playstation 4, there will be even more competition for the new device.

If you missed a chance to try out the games Wednesday, don't worry: Best Buy Deptford is offering another kick at the can from 1 to 5 p.m. Saturday.