The Legendary Starfy for the Nintendo DS might have been released in North America early last month, but it's never too late to raise brand awareness. From 1pm to 3pm this Saturday, July 11th, Starfy himself will be on hand at the Nintendo World Store in Rockefeller Plaza, posing for photos in a special underwater-themed area. There'll be prizes to be won, demos to be played, and yes - face painting.

We've been trying desperately to get Totilo to show up and get his face painted, and shall continue to do so long after this event has come and gone.

In an interview with IGN, Producer Hitoshi Yamagami said that despite the fact the series had been developed with a Japanese audience in mind, his team had always wanted to release the game overseas. But Nintendo of America said it was "too Japanese", and blocked the move.

Because, you know. He's a cute starfish. Clearly Japanese. Too Japanese.

Ah well, no point looking back in anger! The Legendary Starfy will be out in the US on June 7, and Yamagami also said that, if it sells well, they'll consider bringing other games in the series over as well.

Developers Talk Legendary Starfy Details [IGN]

The Nintendo DS game is planned to hit these shores on June 8th, giving us a chance to go on a "spectacular undersea adventure," Starfy style! Nintendo has released new screens for the English language version, screens which we've downloaded, uploaded, then gazed at and told them how adorable they are.