"When Nintendo showed off a new paint-based Wii U action title entitled Splatoon on the Nintendo Digital Event livestream last week, I admittedly tuned out a little, nearly dismissing it as something I wouldn’t care for.
I judged that one incorrectly.
There are game journalists out there that would consider Splatoon their “Game of the Show,” and after getting my hands on a GamePad and engaging in four-on-four multiplayer battles with other E3 attendees at Nintendo’s booth, I was left feeling quite satisfied by it." - Patrick Kulikowski
Nintendo has recently restored Wii U Mario Kart 8 and Splatoon online after five months of being offline.
Game Rant Writes "Mar10 Day is a fun yearly celebration of the Super Mario series, and Splatoon may warrant a fan-designated day of celebration in its own right."
How, exactly, did Splatoon reach heights rivalled only by Pokémon in Japan? New IPs from the House of Mario appear as often as shiny Pocket Monsters, yet typically move comparatively mediocre numbers or fall into relative obscurity behind the premium marques of Mario, Animal Crossing, Zelda, and Pokémon. Take Pikmin and ARMS, for example, which we adore but struggle to compete with the tentpole franchises when it comes to sales numbers or mainstream mindshare.
So, again, how has Splatoon risen to become one of Nintendo's most important series in Japan?
