Americans who pre-loaded the game digitally playing the new Paper Mario two weeks early, US eShop "accident" to blame.
Paper Mario: Colour Splash, one of the final major releases for the Wii U, leaked overnight for US players who had pre-loaded the game ready for its 7th October release.
NeoGAF users spread the word of an exploit where Colour Splash was rendered fully playable for those who had pre-ordered and downloaded the game via the American eShop. Nintendo moved swiftly to shut down any further people taking advantage of the chance to play the game early. Those lucky enough to play the game on Twitter took to the social media airwaves to upload photos of their gameplay and surprise at the ability to play it so early.
In reference to the frosty pre-release reception from fans, one Twitter user commented on the amount of people impressed by their time with the game so far:
In a statement provided to Kotaku, Nintendo clarified that an accident was behind the leak:
For a brief period of time, Paper Mario: Color Splash was inadvertently made available to the public via Nintendo eShop on Wii U, and a small number of consumers were able to purchase and download the game. Access to the digital version of the game is no longer available. The digital version of the game will be available for download in Nintendo eShop on Wii U, and consumers can purchase the physical version at retailers nationwide, when Paper Mario: Color Splash launches on Oct. 7
Advertisement
If you are wanting to see footage of the Colour Splash, a number of let’s plays are currently on YouTube and Twitch, but are unlikely to hang around for long due to Nintendo’s strict copyright policing.
What are your thoughts on Nintendo’s slip-up? Have your views of Colour Splash changed after seeing the surge of gameplay overnight?
See how much you did, or didn't play things.