By Jon Scarr
Toronto Zelda fans gathered at EB Games Canada's flagship store Wednesday night for the midnight launch of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time on Nintendo Switch 2. Nintendo of Canada shared photos from the November 4th celebration. Fans wore costumes and took part in trivia before the midnight countdown.
Nintendo of Canada says hundreds of fans attended the celebration at the retailer's recently opened Nintendo store-within-a-store. The remake of the Nintendo 64 adventure arrived exclusively on Nintendo Switch 2 on November 5th.
Costumes, Trivia and a Midnight Countdown
It was a rainy Wednesday night in Toronto, but that didn't stop Zelda fans from showing up in droves. Fans lined up outside EB Games Canada's flagship store along Yonge Street, beneath the huge Ocarina of Time display, waiting for the midnight launch.
Inside, there was plenty going on before midnight. Fans came dressed as characters from Hyrule, with Zelda-themed trivia and a costume contest adding to the celebrations. Nintendo's photos show some great costumes, including fans dressed as Link and other familiar characters, posing around the Master Sword display.
When midnight finally arrived, the crowd was ready. Fans raised their hands and cheered as Ocarina of Time officially launched on Nintendo Switch 2. It's great seeing that kind of turnout for a Zelda game right here in Toronto.
Nintendo of Canada Celebrates With the First Fan
Susan Pennefather, Vice President and General Manager of Nintendo of Canada, joined the celebration too. She posed for a photo with the first person in line. He held up his Nintendo Switch 2 copy of Ocarina of Time and pointed to the cover.
Toronto's Nintendo Space Hosts Another Major Event
The launch took place less than three weeks after the Nintendo store-within-a-store opened at 267 Yonge Street on October 17th. It's Nintendo's first store-within-a-store in North America, housed inside EB Games Canada's Toronto flagship.
Toronto wasn't the only place celebrating. In our Canadian midnight launch guide, we covered events at EB Games Canada stores across the country, along with PNP Games, Microplay and Best Buy Canada. But the photos from the Toronto event are a little more personal for me. My son and I were there when that Nintendo space first opened.
One of my favourite parts of our visit was the huge Ocarina of Time wall display, with Link beside the Zelda 40th-anniversary logo. I also got to see the game's special packaging up close. Now, just a few weeks later, it's cool seeing that same space filled with fans celebrating the game's release.
When I wrote about our visit, I said I wanted Nintendo to give fans more reasons to come back. Game launch celebrations, rotating character displays and Nintendo Direct viewing parties were all on my wish list. The midnight launch is exactly the kind of thing I had in mind, and I hope EB Games Canada and Nintendo keep giving fans reasons to return.
Jon Scarr
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