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Nintendo has always been known to march to the beat of its own drum, and its marketing presence in the past few months in Canada is no exception.

Take for instance Friday, dubbed Nintendo Day, with the simultaneous launch of Super Smash Bros. for Wii U,Pokémon Alpha Sapphire and Omega Ruby, and its new line of Amiibo figures.

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In order to build anticipation and hype, Nintendo held a promotional event in downtown Toronto. But it wasn’t the kind of marketing event you might be familiar with.

Video game companies often hold events for both the press and the public on the eve of a big game’s launch, especially during the holiday season. Last month, for example, Ubisoft took over the Liberty Grand hall to celebrate the launch of Assassin’s Creed: Unity and decked it out with actors in Napoleonic military uniforms, live music and luxurious catering.

Instead of a similarly lavish setting, Nintendo plonked itself on the Skywalk adjacent to Union Station, right in the middle of thousands of Torontonians’ commute.