We've almost all landed here in Tokyo in preparations for covering the big show that kicks off on in a couple of days. Last night a group of us swung by Mother to make arrangements for tonight's party. The place is funky, like home-made salsa and records of The Velvet Underground funky. We hung out for a bit arguing about Game of the Year and what we would do to Mark if he shaved his weak-sister mustache (remove one of his eyebrows) and then strolled the block or two to the other Mother bar, Mother's Ruin. The owner said that we could make use of both bars if the first one filled up. So that's a goal now.

I tried to get Ash to ask the owner why it was her ruin and who mother was, but he wouldn't. Hmmm, maybe I should shave his eyebrows.

Remember, tonight's our party. It gets started at 8 p.m. Tuesday and we'll have an open tab for a bit. Swing by to say hi and have a few drinks on us. Everyone's welcome, but remember we're in a town where the roll up the sidewalks at midnight, so get there before then.

Hit the jump for directions and to comment about how we should really be having a party in your neck of the woods and not Japan.

Mother Directions
Take the Odakyu line from Shinjuku or the Inokashira line from Shibuya and get off at Shimokitazawa. Take the south exit from the station, and go straight down the main street keeping McDonalds on your left. Walk for about 2 minutes (Mr Donuts is halfway there) until the road opens out wider. About 20 meters after that (and just before you get to Osho chinese restaurant's red sign) there is a very small intersection. Turn right and Mother is the first building on the right with the mosaic wall outside.

Kotakuite and Dallas local Isaiah writes to point out that a local bar in Addison (a north Dallas suburb) is now hosting weekly Wii nights on Tuesdays. Not only does the Blackfinn bar like to get their Wii on, they advertise the night with a bit of cheek: Real Men Wii Standing Up.

Wii Night [Blackfinn]

Remember the bar Ashcraft posted about yesterday morning? The one that invited patrons to "COME IN & PLAY Wii w/ Mii on our 82" BIG SCREEN"? Unfortunately, all we knew about it at the time was that it was in Hoboken, New Jersey, which while interesting, doesn't really get our readers through the doors madly swinging Remotes in a drunken rage.

Fortunately, Nintendo was on top of things and was able to track down the bar. It's called McSwiggans Pub and despite the vague Irish motif sells hot wings and features a plethora of specials including Karaoke and Martini nights. Nothing on their site hints on the Wii night, so perhaps that was a one off. Someone in the area really should swing by and report back to us.

McSwiggans Pub

We Will Destroy is an art meets video games installation that toured bars as part of the Art in the Bar program. Chris Evens rigged up a Space Invaders arcade cabinet with a video camera that taped the reactions of the gamers. The video was then streamed onto a wall of the bar so drunk patrons could see the glaring faces of the people really bent on destruction.

We will destroy you [via Pixel Sumo]

On Saturday, I finally got a chance to walk around in the Nintendo World Store. Man, it's tiny. Well, not tiny, but certainly not as big as you'd expect or like it to be. The bottom floor was dominated by Pokemon and DS stuff, though there's also a cool GBA Bar were you can sit down and play games on the house portables. A guy behind the bar is on hand to swap out titles for you. Neat concept, though I prefer my bars to be stocked with Gin and Tonic, not Mario and Luigi.

Upstairs there's a mini museum of sorts, with some old school Ninty relics under glass. There's also a lot of cool buyable schwag on hand. I picked up two remote control Mario Kart cars (for my son and I), some miniatures, candy, clothes and a surprisingly cool Role Model baseball hat. How cool that they have a hat for the father of the chip music movement. I wonder if he knows?

I ran into a native New Yorker and Kotaku reader on the bottom floor. It was his first trip to the store, for shame.

Tonight's the night.

Dave Thomas of Buzzcut and I will be guest bartending at the Denver Press Club from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Wednesday night. We will be serving the "Tomb Raider" and (hopefully) "Kotaku Blue" as well as whatever else we can whip up at the bar.

I've also arranged to have a PS2 hooked up to the television there and am bringing copies of Guitar Hero and Karaoke Revolution. I'll try to remember to bring a camera as well.

If you're 21 or older and live in the Denver area make sure you come and join us tonight. Tips go to a charity of some sort.