Splatoon
Respondents pick two casts of Nintendo characters they want to see get the anime treatment above Link and Zelda.
A massive photo safari of the treasure trove of amazing stuff waiting at Nintendo’s brand-new Shibuya destination store!
Hello Kitty’s home company is running its yearly poll to decide which out-of-company character will get their own event at the Puroland theme park.
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This girlfriend went all out to give her Splatoon-loving-boyfriend the birthday meal of a lifetime!
After getting shut down once, you’d have thought the developers might have learned a lesson or two.
If you haven’t gotten enough Splatoon yet, you’ll soon be able to start reading the story of your favorite transforming squid/human characters.
Halloween may be over, but that hasn’t put a stop to the internet being flooded with pictures of all the amazing and not-really-amazing-but-still-popular costumes that people wore.
One costume that was especially popular this year was the Inklings from the Wii U game Splatoon, but the ones who pulled it off the best have to be this pair of Japanese kids. Not only are their costumes homemade, but they look absolutely adorable while running around covering everything in pretend ink.
Video games have the power to change people’s lives, inspiring creativity and bringing friends and couples together.
But they can also destroy relationships. And it turns out that even Splatoon, the cute, brightly colored squid-themed shooter from Nintendo, is a culprit—although not quite in the way you might be thinking…
Super Mario Maker, which was released exclusively for Nintendo’s Wii U console on September 10, has been a hit, giving hours of creative fun to Nintendo fans all over the world. There are tons of secrets and extras to be unlocked, and we wanted to show off a really cool one that takes Nintendo’s newest IP back in time into the retro Mario world. Read on to see Mario transformed into an Inkling from Splatoon!
I’m pretty sure that by this point Nintendo is used to being one of the giants on whose shoulders many other video game developers stand. After all, just about every platformer or action RPG owes a debt to the company’s Mario and Zelda franchises, and its Metroid series was so influential in the design of similar exploration-heavy titles that gamers just threw their hands up and decided to call the genre “Metroidvania” (somewhat unfairly giving half the credit to Konami’s Castlevania, which wasn’t nearly as groundbreaking in establishing the category).
Still, it’s one thing when some third-tier software publisher or homebrew video game outfit toes the line between being inspired by your creation and outright copying it, and another when it’s world-famous Disney.
Online console gaming has been thriving for over a decade now, and ostensibly it should have brought gamers from all over the world into contact with one another as competitors and co-op teammates. In practice, though, regional differences in preferred genres, aesthetics, and overall play styles have meant that Japanese and Western gamers haven’t crossed paths all that terribly often.
At least until Nintendo released Splatoon this year for the Wii U, that is. Combining the team-based shooter Western gamers have so embraced with the colorful quirkiness that their Japanese counterparts have always been fond of, Splatoon’s popularity is bridging the oceans. This is giving overseas Inklings a chance to play with gamers in Japan…or to complain about them online and devise strategies to avoid them.
Nintendo’s Splatoon, a new IP for Wii U, was released in May to wide critical and user acclaim. Apparently the combo of squid and kid is a winner; who’d have thought it?
However, while the title being exclusive to the Wii U has been helping to boost hardware sales for Nintendo, PC gamers who are unwilling or unable to shell out for a new console have been left out of the loop. But for those desperate for some inky multiplayer action, there’s a free option coming to PC soon: Splat Fortress.
While the Wii U hasn’t exactly been the biggest success in Nintendo’s history, we can’t help wondering if newly released game Splatoon is going to help turn things around. The game currently has a score of 81 on Metacritic (and an 8.3 out of 10 from users), so it’s certainly getting some appreciation from gamers and game critics alike overseas. Someone in Europe even stole a truck full of copies of the game and Amiibo!
But how about in Japan? We already know that there seems to be a lot of younger people excited about it, but it’s not just kids who are loving the game…




















A look back on 40 years of Japanese schools banning stuff
Man arrested in Japan after leaving car in coin parking lot for six years, racking up three-million-yen bill
All Tokyo public high schools abolish rules forcing students to dye non-black hair, underwear color regs
New Family Mart cinema opens inside Japanese airport
Cup Noodle maker Nissin teams up with thick-broth ramen chain for instant ramen rice[Taste test]
Swapping seats on Japan’s bullet trains is not allowed, Shinkansen operator says
Take a trip to Japan’s Dododo Land, the most irritating place on Earth
Japan law lets you claim reward for finding lost property, man may have scammed it over 60 times
Shinjuku izakaya’s all-you-can-eat-and-drink plan is one of Tokyo’s best secret cheap eats
Nintendo and Lego team up for an awesomely accurate the Lego Game Boy kit【Photos】
Is China’s don’t-go-to-Japan warning affecting the lines at a popular Tokyo gyukatsu restaurant?
Three beautiful places to see Japan’s plum blossoms after starting your day in downtown Tokyo
Cherry blossom forecasts map shows Japan’s OTHER sakura season is starting right now
Downloads of 39-year-old Guns N’ Roses song increase 12,166 percent thanks to Gundam
Huge Evangelion Unit-01 head appearing in lights in Japan to celebrate anime’s 30th anniversary
New Studio Ghibli stamps leave an impression on your stationery…and your heart
Family Mart releases huge range of cute sweets for Cat Day in Japan
Japan’s first all-matcha ramen restaurant is now open in Kyoto【Photos】
Japan’s most famous Mt. Fuji view park cancels cherry blossom festival because of overtourism
Starbucks Japan releases new drinkware and goods for Valentine’s Day
Japan releases first official sakura cherry blossom forecast for 2026
Archfiend Hello Kitty appears as Sanrio launches new team-up with Yu-Gi-Oh【Pics】
China’s don’t-go-to-Japan warning looks to be affecting tourist crowds on Miyajima
Starbucks Japan releases new Frappuccino and latte for Valentine’s Day
Studio Ghibli releases new “komorebi” plush toys from Princess Mononoke and Spirited Away
Yokai are descending upon Tokyo this spring in the latest immersive art experience
Japan’s Naruto theme park now offering real-world version of Minato’s kunai ninja weapon
Our 52-year-old pole dancing reporter shares his tips for achieving your New Year’s exercise goal
Survey asks foreign tourists what bothered them in Japan, more than half gave same answer
Japan’s human washing machines will go on sale to general public, demos to be held in Tokyo
We deeply regret going into this tunnel on our walk in the mountains of Japan
Studio Ghibli releases Kodama forest spirits from Princess Mononoke to light up your home
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】
No more using real katana for tourism activities, Japan’s National Police Agency says
Starbucks Japan reveals new sakura drinkware collection, inspired by evening cherry blossoms
Updated cherry blossom forecast shows extra-long sakura season for Japan this year
Swapping seats on Japan’s bullet trains is not allowed, Shinkansen operator says
Take a trip to Japan’s Dododo Land, the most irritating place on Earth
Japan law lets you claim reward for finding lost property, man may have scammed it over 60 times
Shinjuku izakaya’s all-you-can-eat-and-drink plan is one of Tokyo’s best secret cheap eats
Nintendo and Lego team up for an awesomely accurate the Lego Game Boy kit【Photos】
Japan has omurice chocolate, and the weirdest thing isn’t how it tastes
7 hilarious/inexplicable Japan moments in South Park
Details of the Pokémon/Van Gogh art museum crossover are just as adorable as we’d hoped【Pics】
Beyond fruit sandwiches — Japan has cake sandwiches too!【Taste test】
A spotlight on Japanese singles figure skating: Jumping into the 2026 Olympics【Pt. II】
Japan has a new bar just for people thinking about quitting their jobs, and the drinks are free
We visit the world’s largest Starbucks: The Starbucks Reserve Roastery Shanghai【Pictures & Video】
Prepare to be outraged: Japan votes for its “100 Best World Class Songs” 【Videos】
Shocking video shows Japanese man’s car being stolen right outside his home. Let’s help him get it back