Mixed Reality Treasure Hunt, Nintendo DS Required

Nintendo is giving their players a does of real life adventure on Enoshima, a little island near Tokyo, where Nintendo DS-toting players are participating in an island-wide mixed-reality treasure hunt. In “Treasure Quest: Enoshima – Treasure of the Dragon” competitors use their portable consoles to find clues around the island which eventually lead them to a hidden treasure. Anyone who is able to find a way to Enoshima (which sits 50 km south of Tokyo) can participate in the game for free, so long as they’re already a Nintendo DS owner. The game depends on the DS’s wireless capabilities, which players use to find clues and match their on-screen location with their real-life one. The winner must obtain all the missing clues and put them together to “solve the mystery” – which the game developers, Rush Japan, claim is hardly easy.

The game is a pretty ingenuous way to encourage real-life interaction between players, recruit new Nintendo DS gamers of all ages, and support tourism. Every day until February 19, all are invited to play from 10 AM to 4 PM, though you’ll have to reserve your spot on the Treasure Quest website to play.

[via PinkTentacle]