Over the holidays we’re reposting some select features from the past 12 months. A mix of talking points, interviews, opinions and more from NL staff and contributors, you’ll find our usual mix of thoughtfulness, expertise, frivolity, retro nostalgia and – of course – enthusiasm for all things Nintendo. Happy Holidays!
Ah, the venerable midnight launches. The once-anticipated tradition of camping out for midnight game shows — timed to technically adhere to the official street game dates while still capitalizing on player obsession and enthusiasm — is, at least in New York, on the brink of extinction thanks to a number of factors such as public safety , liability concerns, pandemic precautions and overall consumer welfare.
But on this date, September 9th, 2022, the spirit at least lives on, thanks to Nintendo NY’s fantastic RSVP system, which requires hopeful customers – in this case – Splatoon 3, to log into their I Nintendo account and reserve a time slot in a virtual queue to buy the game.
I, for one, was late to the party and just checked Nintendo NY Twitter account to see if any launch event would happen, and they did. However, by the time I checked the details, they only had 1am and more than the slots left, so I answered the call and arrived just before midnight to take a look at the queue.
Last time I covered the launch, for Pokémon Arceus, things were pretty calm. Maybe because it took place in the heart of a New York winter, or maybe because it was a Pokémon spin-off. Whatever the reason, it didn’t take much effort to get in line and buy the game. The Mario Strikers: Battle League the launch was similarly drama-free, which is to be expected. Nintendo or not, sports games don’t inspire the fervor usually reserved for new ones Zelda or correct Mario game.
But for Splatoon 3, it was refreshing to see the line go all the way down the block from the Nintendo gate, almost all the way to 6th Avenue, which is a long block in NYC terms. There was a significant gap between the 12am line and the 1am overtime, which I was in. After a short wait, the line would occasionally move forward in significant amounts, so all in all it wasn’t too bad.
Whatever Nintendo NY is doing today, they’re doing it right, at least from the perspective of a father of two who would rather sleep at 2am than buy games. However, it was my son’s ninth birthday, and instead of simply ordering the game online and waiting for it to arrive in the mail, this gives me a good reason to go see the launch of a good old-fashioned game and bring home a shiny new copy of the game for my kids, along with any which gift that Nintendo NY gave on the day of the launch.
In this case, my reward for purchasing the game at Nintendo’s main North American store was a promotional new Splatoon 3-exclusive Tri-Stringer (bow) keychain and a nice, horizontal poster exclusive to the event. I kids and I have a long history of appreciating Splatoon, as you can see in the picture below.
When the original game first launched for the Wii U in 2015, my kids were five and two, respectively, and I was such a fan of the character designs that I dressed my own kids up as Inklings and had them chase each other down South Seaport Street in New York, with the help of a homemade costume and an official hat sent to me by Nintendo. Since then, they have been hooked on the series.
So, since it was my son’s birthday, I promised him that I would attend the midnight launch and buy him a copy of the game. I grabbed three, actually, because I knew he, his sister, and I would all enjoy playing triquel’s new local co-op modes. What better way to learn everything before you get involved in the online community?
Anyway, when we walked into the store, there was literally no one in line to buy the game. Everyone inside had either already bought the game and were looking around the rest of the store (which, to my surprise, was open for business other than just selling Splatoon 3) or taking pictures with the large Splatoon 3 backdrop on the first floor.
Anyway, I was happy to see everyone having a good time, as well as a clear line to the counter where I bought not only the game, but the elusive amiibo set featuring Callie and Marie, the game’s commentators, at normal prices. I also picked up the new Steve & Alex Minecraft amiibo, which they had behind the counter at Nintendo NY.
Overall, this was as pleasant a launch experience as I’ve ever had. I’m too old, tired, and busy to deal with camping out three days in advance, living in a tent on the sidewalk, just to be the first person to buy a game, so I’m really glad that technological advances have made midnight launches like this as convenient as possible, smooth and effortless. This way we all play the game a little earlier and no one has to suffer for the pleasure.
We welcome the new midnight launch. May he live long.
