By Paul Hunter
The celebrate the launch of Nintendo's highly anticipated shooter Splatoon 3, the fine folks at Nintendo of Canada invited my family to a very special Switch Fall + Holiday Showcase in Toronto, Canada. While I was unfortunately unable to attend myself (as I was in Japan for Tokyo Game Show 2022), Nintendo extended the invite to my family and they had a ink-credible time!
In addition to Splatoon 3, the event featured other amazing Nintendo Switch games that are sure to be on many wishlists this holiday. This includes Nintendo Switch Sports, Kirby and the Forgotten Land, Mario Strikers Battle League and Mario Kart 8 Deluxe. The casual afternoon of gaming included multiple game stations, a huge Splatoon 3 photo op and a casual lounge area complete with a Nintendo-themed TV with a vibrant red border. Decorations were on point with ink splat on the floor, walls, windows and lockers. Check out some of the photos my family took below!
The event spanned two days and on the second day Nintendo brought out Canadian influencer and Nintendo superfan The Birds Papaya who boasts a huge 2.2 million followers on Instagram. During a meet and greet, she said Nintendo gaming has been a part of her life since she was little when her family would gather at her aunt's place to play on Nintendo consoles.
A major highlight of the event, of course, was being among the first in Canada to get hands-on with Splatoon 3. The latest entry in Nintendo's hit franchise takes players to the new location of Splatsville for more splatting mayhem. New gameplay mechanics include the Squid Surge, which lets you quickly charge swim up vertical inked walls, and the Squid Roll, where your squid will jump out of the ink and change direction. The game also brings an all-new story, new weapons, new stages and the next iteration of Salmon Run. Curious to know more? Check out the official launch trailer of the game:
A big thank you to Nintendo of Canada for inviting my family to this wonderful gaming event. They had a wonderful time and told me all about the fun they had. Speaking of fun, here are a couple more photos at the event!