Splatoon

[Cube]

There is another big difference, there's also no pre installed copy of NintendoLand, you instead get the P.O.S that is Wii Karaoke U and only a trial of it. Yippee!

 

That's what the bundles have been like for years.

[Wii]

Splatoon - Story Mode: Level 6 Propeller-Life Playground (1080p60fps - Single-Player)

 

 

 

Splatoon - Battle Dojo on Arowana Mall Gameplay (60fps - GamePad View)

 

 

 

Splatoon - amiibo Gusher Gauntlet Challenge w/ Roller (1080p60fps - Wii U Gameplay)

 

 

 

Splatoon Fun! - Battle Dojo, amiibo, & NEW Single-Player Level - Preview

 

 

 

Wii U - Splatoon: Claim Your Turf

 

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lyzyAS74H3A

 

Test Chamber - Splatoon's Single Player

 

 

 

Test Chamber - Splatoon's Online Multiplayer

 

 

 

SPLATOON: HANDS-ON WITH 1V1 BATTLE DOJO, AMIIBO, AND MORE

 

As Nintendo builds up to Splatoon’s May 29 release, it’s only a matter of time before we spray and splatter ink in single and multiplayer matches. We’ve had a lot to say about Splatoon at the IGN office. It’s a ton of fun to make a mess with ink. But it’s even more satisfying to examine the aftermath, since the stages look like two-tone Kandinsky paintings. Recently, IGN went hands-on with a few new modes and features. Here’s what we learned.

 

Training Grounds

 

Battle Dojo, a 1v1 offline multiplayer versus mode, changes the focus from spraying up territory to popping balloons. These skirmishes unfold in the same arenas as multiplayer Turf Wars. Here, a column of colored rings indicates where a set of inflated targets will spawn. The player with the highest score at the end of five minutes wins. As a way to push for a potential comeback, the point value doubles in the later moments of a match.

 

Rather than simply divide your attention between stationary targets and a mobile opponent, Battle Dojo tosses in special moves as a potential X factor. Unassuming wooden crates contain surprise abilities to dominate your rival, but you have to use them immediately. A representative for Nintendo told us that not all of the special moves seen in multiplayer show up in this mode. In the end, the developers focused on keeping the action balanced between two players. That said, if you zoom out in front of your opponent there is a mercy rule: The first player to score 30 points wins.

 

As far as 1v1 modes go, Battle Dojo feels like a fun alternative, but Turf War and Ranked mode (especially Splat Zones) still offer the best Splatoon multiplayer experience.

 

But What About Amiibo?

 

Nintendo announced Splatoon would support amiibo a few weeks ago, so it wasn’t a huge surprise to find the three new figures present at our demo. One thing to note with the next set of dedicated toys-to-life is the high quality of the figures themselves. That’s right, the Splatoon amiibo might be the best plastic amiibo Nintendo has yet made. Inkling Boy and Girl each boast lots of neat little details, from the smooth, slippery feel of girl’s pigtail tentacles to the tiny plastic canister (with matching ink) mounted on each character’s back. Inkling Squid’s stand is also remarkable, and it’s a far cry from the monstrous yellow brick that kept Smash Series Link standing.

 

In terms of actual in-game application, Splatoon’s amiibo have a charming introduction: An empty amiibo box sits in a corner of Inkopolis, the hub world where players jump between single and multiplayer. Approaching the container and scanning the figures summons one of the three characters onto the pedestal. And each one has a challenge in tow. “What’s kraken, playa?” Inkling Boy says with a smile, before he unveils a list of trials and potential rewards. Certain missions reward you with gold, other hand out exclusive amiibo-only equipment. The special outfits are a cool extra, the trials that reward just money feel like an afterthought.

 

The Divide

 

Splatoon’s world has a ton of personality. The Inkling characters each look mischievous, as they cover the arenas with oozing colors and wicked smiles. But Nintendo has gone certain lengths to divide the single/multiplayer modes. And this split comes bundled with a few interesting decisions.

 

The shopkeepers (and their gear) are a big part of the online multiplayer package, for example. But if you’re not connected to the Internet, you cannot buy anything to customize your character. Nintendo appears dedicated to roll out gear over time that provides both a unique look and useful utility. Meanwhile, single player has its own sets of gear, and a separate form of currency called Power Eggs beefs up each one.

 

This isn’t necessarily a terrible sign, but a fully customized character that travels between both single and multiplayer could dial down any potential fatigue. If you’re playing offline, you’re missing out on some cool-looking gear. It’s a bit unfortunate to see Splatoon divide its vibrant outfits and perk mechanics into two separate pools.

 

Producer Hisashi Nogami assures us you’ll still have fun. And the skills you build in campaign still matter. “There isn’t a gear or equipment link between single-player and multiplayer. So, it’s not that you earn money in single player to then spend in multiplayer,” he said. “Instead, the link is more focused on skill. You practice your controls and develop skills in single player and then you can take those with you into multiplayer."

 

The last thing that stood out to us was user customization. Splatoon doesn’t offer custom match types with friends like Smash Bros. Specific user settings for look sensitivity controls can only be adjusted before (or after) a match. So if you’ve set one too high (or too low) you’ll have to jump out in order to make adjustments. It feels slightly backwards for an action shooter released in 2015.

 

These still feel like small issues for a game capable of much grander ambition. Splatoon is fun to play. And it’s rewarding. Whether splattering foes with a roller brush or using it to claim a swath of territory, both actions come bundled with a thorough feeling of accomplishment. This inky new game could be a big win for Wii U, and one that makes the typically harsh world of shooting games approachable.

 

http://ie.ign.com/articles/2015/04/21/splatoon-hands-on-impressions-of-1v1-battle-dojo-amiibo-and-more

Edited April 21, 2015 by Wii
Automerged Doublepost

[Ronnie]

So the amiibo challenges are the single player levels with a different weapon. Not exactly the earth-shattering day 1 locked content people expected it to be. Just another nice little bonus that's far from necessary.

[Wii]

5 Reasons We're Excited for Splatoon (and 2 Reasons We're Not)

 

 

 

 

 

As stated in the video, they definitely look so much better than some of the Smash Bros. range of amiibo.

Edited April 22, 2015 by Wii
Automerged Doublepost

[Serebii]

5 Reasons We're Excited for Splatoon (and 2 Reasons We're Not)

 

 

 

 

 

As stated in the video, they definitely look so much better some of the Smash Bros. range of amiibo.

lol, Zach was saying it was "Treehouse being Treehouse", as if they're the developers

[Wii]

[TWEET]590696446745247745[/TWEET]

 

[TWEET]590519052361146368[/TWEET]

[Ronnie]

6 month in amiibo looking better than the very first batch? Who would have thought.

[Wii]

Panoramic view of 2 of the battlegrounds.

 

 

 

https://mobile.twitter.com/SplatoonJP/media/grid?idx=0

 

https://mobile.twitter.com/SplatoonJP/media/grid?idx=1

Edited April 22, 2015 by Wii

[Retro_Link]

lol, Zach was saying it was "Treehouse being Treehouse", as if they're the developers

 

6 month in amiibo looking better than the very first batch? Who would have thought.

Lighten up guys.

[Serebii]

Lighten up guys.

I like pointing out errors. So sue me :p

[Wii]

Splatoon dev teases possible post-launch DLC plans

 

It sounds like Splatoon will have at least a splash of post-launch DLC. According to producer Hisashi Nogami, Nintendo plans to keep players interested in the multiplayer ink-blasting shooterlong past its May release date - up to and including another game, if all goes well.

 

"We can't go into a lot of detail on that today, but we do have some plans to follow up with content to keep interest in the game post-launch," Nogami said.

 

"We on the development team are thinking of the launch as a first step of sorts. We hope to add to that in terms of content, and even to the degree that we're hoping that this will become a franchise that Nintendo can be proud of."

 

http://www.gamesradar.com/splatoon-dlc/

Edited April 22, 2015 by Wii

[Ronnie]

Great news!

 

(though I'm sure someone will find fault with it)

[Wii]

Talk of DLC a month before it's out. I wonder if it's locked away with the day 1 amiibo content. Let's see what happens.

[dazzybee]

It is great news. DLC Pack 1 - Voice Chat Edition

 

I kid I kid. New levels, weapons, clothes, more amiibo use (I want character themed clothing dammit) all sounds brilliant to me. Throw in new modes as well and I'm all over it.

[Ronnie]

This game needs voice chat!!

 

[/joke]

[Wii]

Splatoon Gameplay Compilation - Ink Brush, Single Player, & Multiplayer

 

 

The official Splatoon website just updated with a bunch of new gameplay videos showing off the weapons, Single Player, and the Multiplayer modes! Check them all out! And see all the updates to the website itself: http://splatoon.nintendo.com/overview/

 

[Retro_Link]

So the amiibo challenges are the single player levels with a different weapon. Not exactly the earth-shattering day 1 locked content people expected it to be. Just another nice little bonus that's far from necessary.

6 month in amiibo looking better than the very first batch? Who would have thought.

Great news!

 

(though I'm sure someone will find fault with it)

This game needs voice chat!!

 

[/joke]

The constant snarky snide comments throughout threads are really off putting.

[Wii]

Hisashi Nogami Interview: "Splatoon allows for adaptive playstyles"

 

Splatoon's producer talks about the origins of the game, player communications, and offers some advice to Splatoon beginners.

 

____________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

At a recent Nintendo event, I got the chance to sit down with Hisashi Nogami, producer of Splatoon and talk to him about the upcoming Wii U shooter."

 

What are the origins of Splatoon, and how was it conceptualized?

 

"It started from the concept of not wanting to make a game was too wrapped up in franchises that Nintendo has dealt with before. It's something that could be on its own. After making that initial decision, we started experimenting with a variety of prototypes and a variety of ideas."

 

"The first prototype that got off the ground was made by Mr Sato, a member of the team who's worked on prior games as a graphics programmer. That prototype included the basic features of Splatoon in that it was a game that players were on teams, competing against one another, and you shot ink and covered the ground. The team that covered the most territory would win. When you sprayed ink on the ground, it was viewable on a map in realtime. But in this prototype, when you viewed the map from above because your character was initially the same color as the ink you're shooting, you couldn't see them. This was a bonus feature – when you're in your own ink the enemy can't see you."

 

"That initial prototype started with characters that weren't actually characters, they were just blocks. You'd have a white block on one team and a black block on the other, and there wasn't even that much of a detailed 3D element to the game. But from that point onwards, a variety of different features were added to the game to make it more of a polished Nintendo-style experience, and the characters were built out. That has led to the game that Splatoon is today."

 

"Another way of saying this is that the game didn't really begin from a particular visual look, but instead started from function. What kind of features and functionality do we want to give players? That was the starting off point for Splatoon."

 

Was Splatoon influenced by any particular games?

 

"As members of the Splatoon team, we are actually also gamers and we play a variety of games and feel like we have a good understanding of the types of elements that are popular in games, or trends that are happening because we play a lot of games ourselves."

 

"We are also game designers so we can't help that when we do play games we're going to think "this element is particularly fun" or "this element isn't that great". We can't help but bring that perspective to the games we play. So while it is definitely true that the experiences we have playing other games are going to have some degree of entering into our thoughts about the game we're making, we can't go so far as to say that, "Oh, let's bring this particular thing we enjoy from this other game, and make sure that's in Splatoon." Or, "We didn't like this, let's make sure that's not in Splatoon." There's not that direct a connection."

 

Splatoon features a plaza that is the main focus of the game. What was the thinking behind its design?

 

"The plaza is a hub area of sorts – a jumping off point for all the features and modes in the game. Players start out by being dropped into this Plaza, and from there they can choose to jump into online play or explore the single-player mode, or do a bit of shopping to outfit themselves for online play."

 

"You're not alone in the plaza. The other squids you see in the plaza are not just simply NPCs, but actually represent other players that are participating in Splatoon and you can view a bit of their information as well."

 

"The goal with populating the plaza in this way is to allow you to bump into players that you either maybe haven't met before, or someone you just faced off against in battle. But because you can check out their gear they are wearing you can get that kind of information and say "maybe I'm going to emulate his or her style of play". That was the thought behind the way we populate the plaza."

 

"It's not that we're trying to force that on every player to say "okay, to get all your information you really have to check each player carefully," but just more we wanted it to be a natural element of the game. Another way you could see that there is a bunch of different playstyles in this game by looking at what they're using, and looking at what they're wearing."

 

On the face of it, Splatoon looks like a typically cute Nintendo game, but underneath it's a quite sophisticated tactical shooter. What kind of player is the game aimed at?

 

"One of the main aims the team had in making Splatoon was to make it a game that appealed and was fun to play to a really wide variety of players. That includes players that were familiar with the shooter genre, and to also widen the scope of players who haven't had as much experience with shooters and make sure they can also pick up the game and enjoy it."

 

"That said, it wasn't that we set out to make a game for people who haven't played shooters before. That wasn't the aim. But to have that wide scope while also making a game that would be satisfying for players who are used to ranking up and rising up levels and unlocking new types of things."

 

"I feel personally that in their play experiences, the development team have observed that people will really put a lot of thought into how they are playing. So, maybe before I played on the offensive, and this time I'll play more thoughtfully and hang back and cover the place in ink. And in that way, that Splatoon allows for adaptive playstyles, the game has elements of a sport, and with all the thought we’ve put into the things we've mentioned so far, I think it will appeal to e-Sports players."

 

"That's one of the reasons why we've included all the variety of weapons and gear that you'll find in the game. To make a concrete element a more advanced player can sink their teeth into and enjoy."

 

"The combinations of weapons and gear supports lots of different playstyles – but it's accessible to the folks who just want to jump in and run around."

 

One element that seems to be important in team play is voice communication, but Splatoon doesn't have that feature. How does Mr Nogami think players will communicate in-game if they are serious about playing as a team.

 

"In terms of communication in games in general, there are two main types: communication about strategy, and communication about feelings you have while playing at that moment. When that point is applied to this game, one interesting aspect of Splatoon is that the actions you take shooting ink can immediately be seen in the stage you're playing by yourself and other players, and conversely when you see the actions other players are taking shooting ink, it's something you can interpret immediately and then base your next actions on that and judging what that means. That's an important part of the gameplay in Splatoon."

 

"In designing the game, we paid special attention to allowing the gameplay to cover a lot of ground for that kind of strategic communication. However we definitely understand the importance players put on that other type of communication that's more feelings-based."

 

"And so because we understand that desire for players to have that kind of emotional communication, we can imagine players using some way or another to achieve that extra layer of communication while playing the game."

 

The weapons in the game support a variety of different playstyles. Which one does Mr Nogami favor – and what is his personal playstyle?

 

"When it comes to the type of weapon I prefer, that's been changing a lot recently. There are a lot of people on the Splatoon development staff that are really good at shooting games, and my main goal in terms of playstyle is to avoid running into them. To sum up my playstyle – don't die. Don't get defeated."

 

"Recently the weapon I've been using is the .52 Gal. That's been my recent favorite, so I can cover the ground as much as possible."

 

What advice would Mr Nogami give to people playing online multiplayer Splatoon for the first time?

 

"There are a lot of players that are more skilled than I am, so I feel a bit sheepish about answering this myself, but my advice to players starting out is because the goal of turf wars is the team that covers the most ground with ink wins – so stay alive and continue to cover the ground effectively with ink. That should be your main goal in turf wars."

 

"But of course in going about your business you're going to run into other players and so you do need to develop enough skill that you can fight back against them and spray them down so that you don't just immediately get taken down whenever you run into someone."

 

"One good way to think about it would be "what can I do, how can I act in a way that would best contribute to my team," and to keep that in your mind constantly while you play. For example, if you notice someone is focused on taking out other players, you can sneak behind them and cover their territory with ink, and that'll be a more effective way to play."

 

http://www.usgamer.net/articles/hisashi-nogami-interview-

Edited April 23, 2015 by Wii
Automerged Doublepost

[Ashley]

The constant snarky snide comments throughout threads are really off putting.

 

And if it carries on you'll be banned from the thread.

 

(obviously aimed at Ronnie not Rlink)

Edited April 23, 2015 by Ashley

[BowserBasher]

Have to say, I know next to nothing about this game, not a great fan of these types of FPS shooters, yet I've already pre-ordered this game. From the few videos I have seen, it just looks like it will be a lot of fun.

[Wii]

Nintendo Direct: Splatoon Edition is announced for May 7

 

 

Nintendo Direct will be featuring a special Splatoon Edition on May 7th across North America, UK, Europe, Australia, New Zealand and Japan

 

Here are the zone specific times:

 

North America – 10am EST

UK – 3pm BST

Europe – 4pm CEST

Australia/New Zealand – Midnight AEST

Japan – 11pm

 

Stay tuned for more details!

 

http://nintendoeverything.com/nintendo-direct-splatoon-edition-is-announced-for-may-7/

 

@Serebii It doesn't need a new thread. We've been down this road before with previous games.

Edited April 30, 2015 by Wii
Automerged Doublepost

[Sheikah]

@ReZourceman

 

 

Preorder bonus at GAME.

[Wii]

I've said it before but I think there'll be a demo for Splatoon. Probably available after the Direct, it's timing would fall near enough in line with the weekly eShop update. It's suited for for a demo and the game needs exposure as a new ip.

[Wii]

Wii U - Splatoon: Get ready for Turf War!

 

 

[Wii]

Discussion - Splatoon Direct Predictions w/ RogersBase

 

 

 

A Scandinavian retailer has listed the Basic Wii U console with a copy of Splatoon.