Somebody really wanted to get ahold of Nintendo’s Splatoon game for Wii U.
Ars Technica reports that a truck full of copies of the shooter game was stolen while on its way from Nintendo’s European warehouse to deliver the games to video game chain Game.
The haul included Game’s allocation of the special-edition “Splatoon Amiibo,” the retailer said, which comes with a rare Squid Inkling Amiibo figure.
Who could steal this little guy?
Now Nintendo fans in the UK who ordered their special-edition Splatoon from Game will not get it in time for the Friday launch, and Game will not be replenishing its stock. Instead, customers can get the ordinary edition of the game and a $10 refund, or bite the bullet and cancel their preorder.
Whether or not the thieves targeted the truck intentionally, they came away with a pretty good haul. According to Ars Technica, at last count Nintendo had sold over 10 million Amiibo figures, and a gold Mario version available only in limited edition from Wal-Mart in the US sold for $100 (£65) on eBay.
Nintendo’s Splatoon (sort of) comes to PC – Get your squid on in Splat Fortress mod
Successful Wii U shooter Splatoon is about to get two manga adaptations
Chinese knockoff of Splatoon to be released with “original” content, no one takes it seriously
Girlfriend creates Splatoon-themed surprise meal for fanboy boyfriend that is too cute to eat
Splatoon’s squid vs octopus Splatfest asks deep questions, ruins marriages
East Japan Railway announces plans to abolish magnetic-strip tickets
New Square Enix Cafe reveals Final Fantasy, Dragon Quest, Nier, and Fullmetal Alchemist menu items
Shakey’s Japan creates matcha mochi, Kyoto fish, and Kansai Chili Con Carne pizzas
Anne Hathaway creates PR frenzy in Japan after mentioning Tottori in Devil Wears Prada interview
Japan’s cheap beef bowl chain goes upscale with Matsuya Premium, but is it worth the higher price?
7-Eleven Japan reinvents convenience store fruit sandwiches with new salty pink sakura peach variety
Trigun Legacy Cafe coming to two Japanese cities this summer to salute series’ original form
Family Mart commits “reverse fraud” in new Giant All-Star Festival, and we couldn’t be happier
Starbucks adds new Fruit Gummy sweets to stores in Japan
Bears appear at one of Kyoto Prefecture’s most popular tourist spots[Video]
Even at twice regular Daiso price, this handy item is still great for summer travel in Japan
Ghibli’s No Face continues to demonstrate his generous character growth by dispensing soy sauce
Japanese rice cooker recipe gives us a tasty new way to enjoy vegetables and wieners
New Tokyo sweets shop offers 648 different mochi ice cream dumpling combinations
Colour Hunting: The hot new street photography trend changing how we see Japan
Japanese convenience store shows us how to dress for the rainy season
Body of missing American college student found in Kyoto mountains
Tokyo’s life-size Gundam anime mecha statue will be removed this summer
Ichiraku Ramen-inspired ramen sets from Naruto anime pay homage to Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura
Kanji ice cream becomes a sell-out hit in Japan
Uniqlo reveals third round of massive 100-year-anniversary manga T-shirts for Jump’s Shueisha
New official Ghibli anime food cookbook will teach you how to make Ponyo’s ramen and more
Japanese convenience store Lawson launches new “mini supermarket” chain, L Minimart
Japan’s real-world Pokémon hot spring’s first photos are here![Photos]
Kyoto public junior high school becomes first in Japan with a hoodie school uniform
Japan’s human washing machines will go on sale to general public, demos to be held in Tokyo
Starbucks Japan releases new drinkware and goods for Valentine’s Day
We deeply regret going into this tunnel on our walk in the mountains of Japan
Starbucks Japan releases new sakura goods and drinkware for cherry blossom season 2026
Japan’s newest Shinkansen has no seats…or passengers [Video]
Major Japanese hotel chain says reservations via overseas booking sites may not be valid
Put sesame oil in your coffee? Japanese maker says it’s the best way to start your day【Taste test】
Japan reportedly adding Japanese language skill requirement to most common foreigner work visa
Japan’s 5.3 million beautiful Hitachi Nemophila flowers are now in full bloom[Photos]
Pokémon and Ikea Japan cross over into each other’s worlds with collaboration events
Nintendo’s Yarn Yoshi Amiibo is back, now bigger (and cuter) than ever!
Nintendo announces moratorium on Wii U repairs, which ends hardware support for two gens of games
Super Mario Maker gets an official release date, will be playable at Best Buy soon【E3 2015】
Is Disney ripping off Nintendo’s Splatoon with its new Squid Wars minigame? Fans say “It sure is”
Nintendo accidentally reveals Zelda-themed Wii U hardware bundle
Uniqlo’s awesome new line of Nintendo T-shirts features stylish Super Mario, Splatoon designs
Zelda isn’t the Nintendo anime adaptation Japanese fans want to see most, survey says
Nintendo unveils new line of official amiibo diorama kits 【Photos】
Nintendo announces end of online service for 3DS, Wii U
Nintendo: Wii U production to continue in next fiscal term or later
Nintendo Switch has hidden NES emulator, accessed with two tributes to the late President Iwata
9 things we know about Nintendo’s plans for the near future following today’s conference
Squid-themed ice cream comes to Baskin-Robbins Japan, but it’s OK because it’s a Nintendo tie-in
Nintendo announces last day of online service for 3DS and Wii U, coming this spring
Nintendo announces new “2DS” portable, Wii U deluxe gets a price cut