Splatoon

[Serebii]

http://store.nintendo.co.uk/merch-accessories/splatoon-inkling-hat-orange/11117771.html

[Hero-of-Time]

http://store.nintendo.co.uk/merch-accessories/splatoon-inkling-hat-orange/11117771.html

 

Don't you get that free with GAME orders? Saying that, many got screwed over with the Mario 3D case, so it's probably best to just buy it from the store if you want it.

[markderoos]

What time are those? Preferably CET

[Wii]

What time are those? Preferably CET

 

The times are 4am to 5am, 12pm to 1pm, and 8pm to 9pm BST. So just add an hour for CET.

[markderoos]

The times are 4am to 5am, 12pm to 1pm, and 8pm to 9pm BST. So just add an hour for CET.

 

Thanks!

 

[Ronnie]

Timing the access also allows Nintendo to turn it into an 'event'. The Treehouse team in North America will be live streaming, and it's a chance for gamers to hook up online and share the experience - we'll be exploring options for coverage here on Nintendo Life, certainly. It'll create buzz among Wii U owners, while also - Nintendo hopes - turning some onto the charms of Splatoon that were potentially on the fence. Let's not forget, too, that the narrow windows of access should leave many wanting more, without giving them unfettered access up to launch in which the buzz could quite easily turn into over-familiarity.

 

Nintendo announced a number of neat Splatoon details in its latest Direct, which we'll summarise in the usual manner soon, but for now we want to tip our hat to Nintendo; it's trying something new that also happens to be useful.

 

http://www.nintendolife.com/news/2015/05/reaction_the_splatoon_global_testfire_demo_is_a_clever_nintendo_direct_highlight

[Wii]

Splatoon - Direct Analysis (Secrets & Hidden Details)

 

 

[Fused King]

Just saw the direct on my Wii-U and got me excited for the game

 

Whilst my backlog is vast and going through major changes in my life, it's nice to know I can still enjoy a game every once in a while.

I do wonder if I'll ever be able to play some great games I've missed over the years...

...I'm slowly but surely becoming a casual:blank:

[Wii]

Nintendo are sending out Spotpass adverts to our Wii U regarding the Splat Fest.

 

 

That's the American one but I can confirm I received it and ours looks much more colourful.

[nekunando]

I'm downloading the demo now so I'll hopefully be able to try it out tomorrow afternoon before heading off to work. Whether it'll be enough to convince me to buy it or not we'll have to see

[Wii]

Nintendo’s New Game Could Save the Wii U

 

Paint-shooter 'Splatoon' is at once fun and deeply complex

 

Splatoon, Nintendo’s new paintball-esque shooter for the Wii U, could be the breakout hit of the summer.

 

I spent about a half-hour with Splatoon at a Nintendo event Wednesday afternoon. In the best mode of the game, you team up with three other players for a 4v4 showdown, the objective of which is to cover as much of a map’s territory with your team’s color before the clock runs out.

 

To do that, you’re given a weapon that shoots paint, as well as a special attack, like paint bombs. You can also shoot or blow up opposing players, sending them back to their team’s respawn point.

 

Here’s where things get a little weird. Your cartoonish-looking character can also turn from a bipedal avatar into a squid, letting you swim quickly across ground already painted in your team’s color. While you’re in squid form, you’re much harder to see, and you reload your paint much more quickly—but you can’t attack anyone.

 

I’m bullish on Splatoon because it has a special balance shared by Nintendo’s best games, like Super Smash Bros. and Mario Kart.

 

On one hand, it’s very easy to learn Splatoon’s basics. You don’t even have to shoot other players, if that’s not your thing. You can just focus on laying down paint to help your team win. On the other, the combination of the game’s various weapons, the squid transformation effect and the multiplayer mode I described above combine to result in a complex strategy-driven shooter along the lines of Team Fortress 2.

 

If fans of more hardcore shooters like the Call of Duty series can put aside (or, better yet, embrace) Splatoon’s cartoonish look, they’ll find a deeply involved, fully entertaining game awaiting them. One piece of strategy I learned early on, for instance: Players wielding a sniper rifle can cover a lookout post in his or her team’s color, then take the high ground in squid form, hiding from enemy players. When they spot an unknowing target, blam, back to the respawn point they go.

 

While there are no “classes” here per se, it’s easy to see them evolving organically. In a 4v4 “turf war” bout, a wise team might pick two close-range gunners, one sniper and one painter, who carries the game’s massive paint roller. The roller’s job would be to grab as much territory as possible, while the others keep him or her alive.

 

In a rarity for Nintendo, Splatoon also boasts—indeed, focuses on—online multiplayer, a necessity if Nintendo is after the multiplayer shooter demo.

 

But don’t let me paint you too rosy a picture of Splatoon just yet. The local multiplayer is limited to a 1v1 mode, a bummer if you’re looking for a good party game. And the demo I played forced me to use the Wii U GamePad’s motion controls to aim, which I couldn’t get the hang of. A Nintendo rep told me more traditional aiming would be an option when the game drops May 28 for Wii U only.

 

That exclusivity could be a hangup for the game, too. While Splatoon is destined for many a Top Wii U Games list, Nintendo’s console hasn’t sold as well as Microsoft’s Xbox One or Sony’s PlayStation 4, so the number of people who might enjoy it is capped from the get go. If Splatoon really takes off, it could single-handedly bump Wii U sales—but that’s a tall order of any one game.

 

http://time.com/3849388/splatoon-wii-u-nintendo/

 

Splatoon Global Testfire event – details on weapons and maps

 

 

Sorry for the avalanche of information, but we’ve just learned so much about tonight’s Splatoon Global Testfire!! This just in! There’ll be four weapons available for use during the Splatoon Global Testfire:

 

Splattershot Jr.

Splattershot

Splat Roller

Splat Charger

 

That’s a good selection of well-rounded weapons right there. That Splattershot Jr. in particular is a good choice for first-timers.

 

The four weapons you’ll be able to use in the upcoming Testfire event are just the tip of the ink-gun iceberg. The full game will feature a dazzling array of inkredible armaments. The different speeds and strengths of these weapons make for a huge variety of play styles as well. Check out the Weapon Shop section of the Fresh Gear page on the official Splatoon website to see what I mean!

 

We’ve learned which locations will be available in the Splatoon Global Testfire. First, we’ve got Walleye Warehouse, which has been previously explored by our colleagues in an off-site lab called the Treehouse. The second stage is called Saltspray Rig. Our research indicates that the stage you play will be chosen at random.

 

Saltspray Rig features multiple levels of verticality and a network of tight corridors. The central high ground tends to be a hot spot for battles, but it also has a number of paths that lead to it, so keep an eye on where the action is when choosing your strategy. That said, our research also shows that ignoring the lower areas is a quick way to lose the lead to your opponents!

 

Source: Gonintendo

[Hero-of-Time]

Well, I'm up at half 3 in the morning, Nintendo. The things I do for this company.

 

Anyone else up and ready?

[Ronnie]

Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz I'm herezzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

[Hero-of-Time]

Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz I'm herezzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

 

Add me to your Wii U. I wanna see if you can join people while playing the demo.

[Ronnie]

Already added I think under the name 'Paddy'. Wouldn't surprise me if they just kept this barebones and random match-ups though.

[Londragon]

Well, I'm up at half 3 in the morning, Nintendo. The things I do for this company.

 

Anyone else up and ready?

 

I've been up for hours, but it is nearing 11:00am here. Get your splat on!

[Ronnie]

I've been humming the theme tune all night

[Hero-of-Time]

Already added I think under the name 'Paddy'. Wouldn't surprise me if they just kept this barebones and random match-ups though.

 

Nah, I ain't got you.

 

@londragon I've sent you a friend request.

[Ronnie]

Sent you one as well H-O-T

[Hero-of-Time]

Sent you one as well H-O-T

 

Nice one!

 

Dazzybee has also just come online.

 

We're nearly there!

[Wii]

I'm going online now. They still aren't active just yet.

[dazzybee]

After a few errors. I'm IN!!!

[Hero-of-Time]

It's active.

 

Just created my character and I'm in a match!

 

You can thankfully knock the motion controls off in the options!

[Wii]

It says servers cannot accept any more connections.

[dazzybee]

No friends play....