Wasn’t that a short and sweet direct… well maybe not so sweet, those Inkling’s look very mischievous! Though the majority of the Direct was basically recapping information which we have heard before, there were still some very interesting information announced too.

Check out what they were after the break!

The Direct started off talking about the different maps and weapon types as well as the different gear. It was said that there will be three types of main weapons which are Shooters, Rollers and Chargers. The shooters are your run of the mill ink guns which are well balanced for everything, though some shooters will allow you to make more powerful shots or longer ones. Rollers are a painter’s best friend, and hopefully they’ll be an Inkling’s one too. These are perfect for spreading wide areas of ink and for short range combat, and if you have been practicing your kettle bells, you can also shake the roller to splatter some ink right in front of you. Finally, you can also equip your Chargers. If you are the seclusive type, then this weapon type is for you. Chargers are perfect for long range shots, you you could be hiding at a vantage point in your base and any enemies who foolishly enter won’t know what hit them.

The different gear you can purchase with the in-game currency may enhance your Inkling for battle. Some gear may make your Inkling run faster or even jump with stealth while in squid form. If you don’t want to put so much effort into unlocking these abilities, then you’ll want to talk to the suspicious looking Spyke. He has a thing for Super Sea Snails… let’s just hope they’re for bragging rights and not for anything too devious! If you give him some Snails, which are earned through special events in the games, then he’ll happily upgrade your gear, giving you more slots for special abilities.

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Inklings will spend most of their time battling it out with strangers online in Turf Wars. Every four hours, two different stages will be available to battle on, allowing you some time to get used to the environment to really give unexperienced clans the what-for! However, be warned, someone who was a strong ally in the first round can easily become your worst enemy as players will be shuffled between teams after the end of every round. If you become a pro in Turf War, you’ll be one of the first to try out Ranked Battles. At the moment there is only one mode for Ranked Battles, and that is called Splat Zones. In this mode, you have to spend the most time with a specific area inked up, so expect there to be an ink bath of war! Coming soon after release as a free update is Tower Control. Once an Inkling has boarded the tower in the map, it will slowly move on a special rail towards the enemy base. Their teammates will have to cooperate to make sure to defend the Inkling on the tower. The team that has had the longest control of the tower wins! There will also be another update which introduce another Ranked Battle mode. This mode will be called Rainmaker. More information will be shared about this mode at another date.

Every so often, the Inklings will have a festival of sorts called Splatfest. This will be hosted by the Inkling pop duo, Cali and Mari. Everyone will choose a team based of interests, such as Cats vs. Dogs or Rock vs. Pop, and for a limited amount of time, anyone who is in that team will contribute to the final score and earn themselves some major swag (I vowed to never use that word and failed) including Super Sea Snails. The first Splatfest will take place on June 27th for one day!

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There will also be a few arcade mini games to play during your free time or when you are waiting for players to join your match. These include a jumping mini-game, a racing mini-game and more. More can be unlocked via the Amiibo challenges.

There will be several updates post-launch which will add several new modes, stages, gear and weapons. These will usually take place every few weeks. This will include a new matchmaking mode in August. This allows you to make you team friends only or the entire match friends only.

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Finally, if you are avid to try out the game first hand, Nintendo just published a demo on the eShop. However, this is an ordinary demo. You will only be able to try out online matches at certain times this coming Saturday (you can also play during a certain time on Friday if you live in North America). Plus, if you purchase the Demo, you will also receive 10% off of the eShop version of the game for a limited time in Europe. (I am currently unsure if this applies for the US)

Did this Direct make you ink yourself with excitement? What did you like? What didn’t you like? Tell us in the comments below!

Splatoon will be released on the Nintendo Wii U on the 29th May 2015 in Europe and North America!

Leon Fletcher

I am a huge Nintendo fan, hence why NintyBuzz exists. I especially love all things Zelda and Metroid. NintyBuzz was started by me back in the Summer of 2014, it started out mainly as a hobby, though the site has gradually grown, and I hope it grows for many years to come!