Whatever your expectations for Nintendo's Digital Event at E3 this year, it's safe to say that they probably didn't include squid-girls flinging ink at each other across a cityscape in team-based battles. A surprise in every sense of the word, Splatoon came out of nowhere to significant fanfare as one of Nintendo’s flagship titles on the show floor this year. Naturally, our curiosity was piqued, and after going hands-on with Nintendo's newest four-on-four multiplayer cephalopod sim, we swam away thoroughly charmed by its slimy brand of good clean fun.
The objective in Splatoon is simple: as part of a team of four, you’ll try paint the town red, blue, orange, purple — or whatever the gloriously garish colour of your team's ink might be — in a bid to have the most territory marked with your team's tint when the clock runs out. Your character can switch between humanoid ('Inkling') and squid forms at any time, and each has its purpose; you can run and shoot ink in human form, while being a squid lets you swim gracefully through any inked-up areas – including up walls and under grates – which grants a massive speed boost while also recharging your ink reserves. Coming into contact with an opponent's ink, however – whether by swimming, walking through it, or having it squirted directly in your face – will drain your health, or even see you get 'splattered' back to the re-spawn point back at base. A further wrinkle lies in the fact that only ink that can be seen from a bird's-eye view counts for scoring purposes, so while wall art will let your team get around quicker, it doesn't directly affect the percentage of the playing field under your control.
Splatoon controls a bit like a third-person (ink-)shooter, with the GamePad's gyroscope used to aim, the left stick to move, and the 'ZR' trigger to fire. Everything worked extremely well in our experience, and when paired with the right stick for smaller camera adjustments, the gyroscopic aiming became second nature very quickly, feeling as quick and as accurate as any dual-stick set-up. It's also significantly more intuitive, and set up in a way that should let everyone get in on the action fairly quickly, giving Nintendo’s brand of team-based shooter the unique asset of being something you could genuinely play with friends and family who don’t normally game.
Upon diving into a game, the action itself is fluid, frenzied, and fun, thanks especially to the fact that being an Inkling is incredibly enjoyable. While it seems almost silly to say about a game starring squid, there's really nothing else like it; hopping into the fight, spraying neon sunshine everywhere, painting a path up a wall and then turning into a mollusc to slide smoothly and speedily through your viscous vertical vandalism – it all feels wonderful.
You aren't glued to the ground by gravity either; as you play, the GamePad displays a real-time map of the entire playing field, and tapping any of your team-mates will send you flying – literally, in a charmingly animated arc – to their side. Not only does this eliminate the uneventful trek from base to the front lines every time you get sent back to respawn, it also enables quick retreats and facilitates teamwork by letting players teleport each other around. It’s also a nice use of the GamePad, with the touch-to-teleport feature a perfect example of something that’s both well-suited for and easy to pull off with the touchscreen.
The arena available in the demo was a focused and relatively compact maze of city features, which kept the competition in close quarters and made for a lot of back-and-forth in inking territory. On subsequent plays, we discovered some hidden paths and verticality, including a few ledges that were tailor-made for raining down dye from above. The demo also showcased two weapons in addition to the standard-issue super-soaker: a paintbomb which you can lob anytime your ink is over 70% full, and a big-blast bazooka that fires colossal columns of colour continuously, for a brief time – this special attack becomes available after you've covered a certain amount of the landscape with your team’s ink.
We played quite a few rounds of Splatoon on the show-floor, as did plenty of other people at Nintendo's booth — the line to play seemed second only to the venerable Super Smash Bros. for Wii U, and it’s been a hit for a reason: Splatoon embodies the same sort of 'digital playground' mentality that's made Nintendo Land's chase games party-staples of the Wii U-owning world. It’s easy to pick up, has a focus on teamwork and it's very viscerally satisfying – covering a townscape with technicolour goop is exactly the kind of surreal, silly thrill that video games were made for. And just as in Nintendo Land's Mario Chase, after the round ends, you're treated to an overhead view of the results; in our playtests these post-match Pollocks were the source of both congratulatory cheers and utter surprise among team-members – in the heat of battle it can be easy to feel like you're doing pretty well while forgetting about an entire section of the map.
Another part of Splatoon’s appeal comes from how delightfully, anarchically analogue territory control is. In similar games of the sort, teams might control a certain number of ‘rooms’, ‘tiles’, or ‘objects’. In Splatoon, every drop matters; your ink blasts don’t cover a blocked-out ‘section’ of the floor, they land exactly where and how you’d expect a slightly soupy fluid to, and cover or get covered by the other team’s ink on a drop-by-drop basis. By the end of a game you’ll often see multicoloured swaths of floor that tell stories of epic squid struggles through their intertwined swirls, dots and drops of ink.
It’s also worth noting that this is a very good looking game. The textures and fluid motion of the ink stand out, as do the detailed character models (especially adorable in squid form), sunny environment, and the nearly explosive use of colour — while the differences between Splatoon and the grittier team-based shooters on show elsewhere in the hall were many, the smile-inducing colour palette may be the most prominent of all. Lots of little touches round out the presentation, like ink ringing the edges of your view when you take damage or try to swim through the opposing team’s ink.
So far, Splatoon is shaping up to be something really special. We’re still waiting on plenty of details – including the specifics of online play, how it will be retailed (could this be another free-to-play effort, like fellow online shooter Steel Diver: Sub Wars?), if it will contain a chat feature for team-mates and the number and nature of different arenas, among much else – but even in this early state, it sports bucketfuls of Nintendo charm (along with bucketfuls of ink) and a dynamic ‘one more game’ quality that could see it lighting up Friends Lists on Wii Us for a very long time.
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I think that this game sounds awesome!
I cant wait to play this game, will be so awsome
Genuine surprise this. Would love it to be eShop only as it seems there will be no single player campaign.
In all the reports I've read on Splatoon, nobody seems to be asking the obvious question - given the focus on the gamepad as control method, what about the possibility of local split-screen multiplayer? As a lone online shooter, it's far less appealing to me. Will they hobble or modify the controls to allow 2-4 players on a Wiimote and nunchuck/classic controller/Pro controller?
When does it come out? I wanna play it now!
I'd also love for this game to have 4 player splitscreen. Would be amazing having my flatmates/friends and I play as a team versus another 4 people online.
@benptooey I guess you could have one player do all the teleporting on the gamepad (assuming you're on the same team)
Splatoon confirms character customization, weapon customization, solo modes, offline and online gameplay, harder map modes in development (ctf, fort?), full sized retail game is their goal, basic chat features though voice chat unlikely.
SOURCE:
It might be possible this could be one of the first games to use 2 gamepads. Also perhaps it might support wii-mote+nunchuck instead of the game pad for other players (can use the motion sensor in the wii-remote). I suspect it will also support normal dual analog controls.
If playing local co-op, I can easily see the guy with the gamepad being the "commander" and teleporting people and giving out status reports of the map.
This looks great. I'm still thinking it would suit more gamepads than one ......wonder if that dual gamepad functionality is incoming?? Also, were there any vc announcements at all at e3?
This is a day one buy for me. I love the mechanics. I really really hope you can play with wiimote + nunchuk as well.
Edit
I also hope Miis will be playable on this one in their Squid costumes!
@JamesCoote I'm thinking the teleport feature could be fudged with a quick popup menu on one of the shoulder buttons, overlaid on a map. Takes that player out of the action very briefly, but not at the expense of the others. Could work. Making do without gyroscopic aim doesn't seem like it'd be a big deal.
@benptooey @JamesCoote The devs said that they're not sure yet if there will be split screen but for sure there will some sort of local multiplayer play. See my source link above and skip to 4:01
@Mqblank I believe there will be.
And let's take note it's still too early in development and they can add more modes if they want. I'm wishing for some voice chat.
@penubag Cool, thanks for the link.
Everything about this game so far is simply epic! Pumped-up (and delightfully silly) music, good maps (at least the ones shown in the trailer), adorable characters WITH soon-to-come customization options, a super-smart twist on shooter standards - this game is the very best part of the entire E3!
No matter what happens, this game will be my second-most-wanted WiiU game of all that are to come (top spot still reserved for Xenoblade X)!
SPLATOOOOOOOOOON!!!
seems very promising. I hope it adds new (very much needed) life to the shooter genre.
When I saw the reveal for Splatoon I thought "WOW! Nintendo has made the perfect online MP team shooter!"
It looks great, like a ton of fun, and I can't wait to play it.
@penubag Thanks for the info. I'm glad that local play is being considered.
It was a refreshing surprise to see this at E3 I think the ideas are spot on and I think this will appeal to both children and adults. Nintendo could have a winner on their hands here.
Really seems like this game is doing everything right Best part is that it seems like it could be quite deep strategically, and so hopefully also appeal to a more hardcore crowd
Damn! after seeing this game i have soo many different ideas for this.
Different characters like heavy weight has more health dash ability to stun enemies but visible when a squid and creates waves as he moves to spread the colour.
Stealth character makes no ripple or traces and can blend into walls and technician with quirky gadgets.
Skill trees for each character to unlock with skill points as you level up, customisable clothes and unlock clothes, weapons, move sets with currency you get as you play and win. and maybe introduce quirky vehicles to a large map. and the map can be like parts of a city.
Multiplayer modes like capture the machine by dominating this area around it in a set time and the machine goes off and colours that part of the map in your team's colour and you have to move to the next machine and dominate that and who ever colour the most of the map wins.
Story mode with open world and in a world which is black and white and different shades of grey a crazy scientist discovers colour accidentally and want to spread it around the city but the mayor of the city is against the idea and blah, blah and the scientist assemble a team to help and they could be the ones affected in the accident and they are friends and they get permanently coloured (the people are black and white(no racism intended)). they get cool vehicles which are upgradable and get cool gadgets as the story progresses. their mission: to spread colour to the city. Online co op would be awesome.
"So far, Splatoon is shaping up to be something really special."
Where are you guys coming from with this kind of comment...
Do you guys REALLY believe this is going to be anything more than another title that some of the more loyal FANS pick up and enjoy and beyond that, NOTHING?
Seriously?
Or is it just "special" in the sense that you and some other current Wii U owners are going to really enjoy it and beyond that, NOTHING.
To me it looks like just another game that because you either have a Nintendo system or indeed cover Nintendo games and systems that you'll maybe try it and probably even really enjoy but beyond that...I see it meaning absolutely nothing.
In my opinion this is not the next big IP or next genuine world class franchise from Nintendo and THAT's what Nintendo REALLY needs right now if it's going to do anything other than once again appease those already loyal FANS.
What Nintendo doesn't really need is a bunch "brand new IPs", that are really just a bunch of pretty simple and basic gamplay experiments quickly turned into full release games (the kind of thing you see at some indie Game Jams or whatever all the time), but just a couple of proper BIG brand new IPs that are actually destined to become the next soon to be beloved classic and long running franchises in Nintendo's stable of genuine greats.
This is where Nintendo keeps getting it totally and utterly wrong with most of it's "brand new IPs" imo.
It could basically release one new PROPER game from all of it's big franchises along with a couple of genuinely BIG new IPs within one console generation, like imagine on the Wii U for example..., and that would be enough to basically say it's done it's job about as good as it could have done it imo but what we get instead is SOME new PROPER games for SOME of it's big franchises, a couple of basically throwaway new games from some of it's other big franchises (I'm looking at this "all new" Star Fox game as a perfect example of this), with some of it's long established franchise getting overlooked entirely, so far anyway (F-Zero, Mother, Wave Race, Puch-Out!!, Metoroid...), and a bunch of "new IPs" that basically no one but those most loyal of FANS are really going to give one sh*t about and probably half of which won't even be seen again after this unless it's just once again another throwaway effort quickly chucked together to make a quick buck and fill in the holes in Nintendo's actual main lineup of titles most people actually give one hoot about.
In my opinion, to do it right in terms of games, Nintendo needs appease all it's most loyal fans with new games from ALL it's great established franchise AND attract all those other gamers that are either sitting on the fence or just not looking in Nintendo's direction at all at present with a couple of games that are basically the next Zeldas, Metroids, Marios, Pokemons.
Just a couple. Not a million. A couple; of genuine brand new world class AAA first party games that create entirely new soon to be classic, beloved and long running Nintendo franchises.
We all know if Nintendo released a proper brand new AAA world class IP, that right off the bat you could see it was basically the next BIG new Nintendo IP in the same way you could immediately tell games like The Last of Us or the Witcher etc where going to be new BIG IPs for those companies, that even those people who weren't currently interested in playing on a Nintendo system would suddenly stand up and take notice. More so than revealing a whole bunch of "brand new IPs" that really no one outside of loyal FANS is going to give one sh*t about.
That's what Nintendo REALLY needs to do here imo, rather than give us Splatoon.
@Kirk While Splatoon was streaming yesterday on Treehouse, the Nintendo stream had well over 36,000 viewers watching.
Sony had almost 2000.
You do the math.
@Prof_Clayton
Nintendo fans are ALWAYS very engaged in whatever Nintendo is doing. Nintendo has some of the most loyal and dedicated fans in the world and everyone knows that. Also, right now, they're desperate for any good news on Nintendo's front, so of course they're going to be watching every little thing it does and says in the HOPE that something is going to actually matter and make a difference in the grand scheme of things.
Christ, for the last two generations I've basically been totally disappointed and frustrated with Nintendo and yet even I've been watching that stupid frikin streaming event over the last couple of days and it's purely because I too am desperate to hear something new that's just going to blow me away and maybe finally turn the tide for Nintendo again.
Also; Nintendo specifically set up this whole Treehouse Live thing as part of it's main E3 "event", even going so far as to list it as a main component of it's show and telling everyone in it's "Digital Event" video that they should tune in etc, whereas, as far as I'm aware, Sony is probably just streaming stuff for the heck of it and certainly didn't make a big deal about it or release a press releases about it that all the major gaming sites have listed for the fans to track and follow etc.
That figure means absolutely nothing.
Superb write-up, @zipmon — especially after what must have been an exhausting day on the showfloor. I'm arguably more amazed by your talents than I am the game, which is saying something when you consider that Splatoon is my game of the show.
Lovely to learn more about it and really hope Nintendo nails the additional features to make this one people will want to keep coming back to.
@Kirk I agree but I don't think you can just think up a new Metroid/Zelda/Pokémon, it would take years and years. The easier way is to just get more studios on Nintendo's side, studios which can bring AAA games to Nintendo platforms that are missing right now, like those games you mentioned (Last of Us & Witcher). Nintendo needs more Western studios to take some pressure off of themselves, which can give them the time to make such a big new IP.
@JtotheY
Yeah, I know it's not easy but this is Nintendo.
If a bunch of third party companies can manage this feat every single generation on the competitions platforms then Nintendo really needs to step up to the plate and deliver.
The other problem is that Nintendo simply isn't getting those other developers on board it's own systems so it basically has no choice but to do it itself and that's also why I give it such a hard time when it fails to do this year after year after year.
As long as Nintendo doesn't deliver big time and do what it basically has to do off it's own back now, a problem created entirely by itself as far as I'm concerned, it's just making this an uphill battle imo.
@Kirk Not every Nintendo fan likes everything Nintendo does, everyone has preferences. I could care less about 70% of games announced for the wii u at this years E3 but the other 30% I am genuinely excited for because of what they're doing with those games.
Also, how could you possibly even know that Splatoon will or will not be Nintendo's next biggest franchise? It's not even out yet...for all you know you'll love it yourself and end up purchasing it along side millions of others.
@Jeremyx7
I'm speculating, putting two and two together, based on what I can see with my own eyes and have read so far etc.
Just like I'm doing/did similarly with titles like The Witched 3, the Batman game, the new Battlefield, Titanfall, The Last of Us, the new Zelda etc when I see/saw those titles etc.
Those titles looked like they were/are basically going to be massive system sellers and Splatoon looks like something some current Wii U owners will pick up and very little more IMO.
@Kirk Agreed, I think they shouldn't rely on third party anymore. They should create/buy/convince (mostly Western, seeing as they can increase their market share there) studios to make (exclusive) games for them. If they would make a 5-10 year plan for that, they would be unstoppable after those 5-10 years. Looking for new Rares, Retros, Naughty Dogs etc. is what they should be doing right now.
@JtotheY I thought buying developers were part of Nintendo's plan. Did they not say this was something they were looking to do at the start of the year after they delivered their financial reports?
Even though Splatoon is a genre that the Wii U has been lacking, the art style already keeps most gamers away.
Nintendo just doesn't seem capable of producing games for those gamers, so others should do it for them.
Look at Platinum Games, already brought out Wonderful 101, but sold bad (I think because the art style just doesn't attract the gamers it is meant for). Bayonetta 2? Major hype, looking forward to those sales numbers. If they were to bring a Scalebound/Bayonetta exclusively to Wii U every year, it would help Nintendo so much.
@Zyph Nice, would prefer it with a single player campaign. Marketed well, Nintendo should have a winner on their hands. Only problem they will have is the COD crowd saying that games like this should have real guns and shooting people in ... they can have them sort of gamers though.
@FragRed I don't remember that, I do know they said they are willing to work more with other studios, let them use Nintendo characters and such, from which Hyrule Warriors seems to be the first big game.
I hope so though.
@zipmon Did they say anything about local multiplayer? Like with the Wiimote and Nunchuck, or the Pro Controller? 'Cause if it doesn't have it, I don't think I'll get it.
@JtotheY Heres a link http://www.computerandvideogames.com/447762/nintendo-is-open-to-mergers-or-acquisitions-says-iwata/
Is it too late to include a character from Splatoon in Smash Bros? Something about these characters begs for a spot in the roster...
This really needs voice chat functionality between teammates.
There is great potential for this new I.P.
Leave it to Nintendo to make me interested in a genre that has always failed to impress me. This is precisely why they're my favorite company.
Wonderfully written preview, incredibly excited for this game. I'm going to be greedy though and say I'd like to see more than 4 v 4, a battle with three teams, for example, would be great. I also want to see/hear [about] some voice chat and extremely robust online modes. I hope this is a full retail game with an abundance of content basically; everything I've seen so far suggests it deserves to be.
@JtotheY Problem is: there are two companies catering to those players already. I (and most Nintendo fans, it seems to me) have no interest in über-realistic stuff like, say, Call of Duty or Rainbow Six, and I'm glad there's a console manufacturer that focus less on those gritty brown-and-grey games, and more in light-hearted, colorful experiences. I hope to goodness that Nintendo doesnt start catering to that demographic all of a sudden, especially because I highly doubt that would solve any problems for them.
A game like Mario Kart 8 and the overall good sales of the 3DS pretty much proves that yes, there still is a sizeable audience for games done the Nintendo way. What they need is better communication and marketing efforts, which have been lacking for a while.
Splatoon is taking the teamshooter genre to the next generation, sprinkling it up with much-needed logical mechanics, perfect graphics, fluid controls, and Nintendo's trademark innovation.
Good move. There are enough 'realistic' shooters on Wii U and other consoles already. Let the paint splash havoc begin!
This looks fun. I KNOW THAT IS HORRIBLE! For ***** sake.
I love this. It takes the elements that are fun in most shooters (gunning, action, competition, teamplay, etc) and gives it a proper upgrade.
I can't imagine me not buying this one.
I am so excited for this game I love the color and action of it.
To be fair; I think this game's main problem isn't the general idea or the gameplay or even the scope/vision the developers have for the game but it's the overall look and style of everything. That whole "Nickelodeon" and kinda "kiddie/casual" look (also kind of a De Blob look), on both the world and the characters, is just going to put off so many people. It makes the game look/seem far more niche than maybe the gameplay and design actually is. I KNOW Nintendo can do a better job of picking a far more appealing look and style here but I also doubt they'll change it up before the game releases and that's why I ultimately don't think it's going to matter much in the grand scheme of things.
@Kirk @Jeremyx7 - Question for Kirk - what was your reaction to the Skylanders announcement 4 years ago? Were you like the rest of us who hated the new Spyro design and the idea of having to spend $200 to buy toys to play a game, or did you know it would make over $2b (Billion w/ a B dollars) and still be going strong 4 years later?
Not saying this will be anywhere near as big, but I think it has potential to be a yearly series and the "Squid kids" become popular. Like tv show on Nick and toys popular. Won't sell Wii U on it's own, that's what MK8, Mario, SSB and Zelda are for, but this could be an additional reason for people to want one besides the standard bearers. If, big IF, it's done right.
Edit - looks like we wer eon the same page w/ the Nick thinking anyway, our comments posted simultaneously on my PC.
@rjejr
I hated the new look of Spyro specifically, I still do, but I thought the visual presentation and art style for the game was generally pretty-very nice, it was broadly appealing in terms of art style and character designs etc, and the overall idea was very interesting, even if it clearly wasn't for me. There's no way I'd buy a single one of those figures but that's just because I'd rather buy multiple games than a few figures to open up a few extra characters, modes or levels in a single game. Just like I will never subscribe to any MMO because I'd rather buy multiple new games than pay for the same one over and over and over.
I think most people knew it was going to make a bunch of money; just that whole concept of kids having to collect a bunch of figures and the fact that the figures were of a generally high quality, were genuinely appealing designs for the most part, and actually did bring something more to the table than anything that had come before it, but obviously I couldn't say how long that success would last.
The fact it was a very solid title ultimately, that the figures are well made, that they keep coming out with cool new figures and even expanding on that core concept with things like the Swap Force idea, that the overall idea is actually compelling and well executed...
Well, it's absolutely no shock to me that it's a huge and continued success.
Splatoon is not going to be the same thing at all imo...UNLESS they go back and change all the artwork and the character designs entirely. The game concept looks pretty interesting but the style is immediately relegating it to just another random current Nintendo Wii U owning FAN only purchase imo. Casuals certainly ain't gonna go out and buy a Wii U for a shooter like this and anyone outside of current Wii U owners really isn't going to give it a second look imo. If it looked like the Witcher 3 or whatever, totally random example but obviously a visually stunning one, the mass core audience might think twice however and if it looked like Smash Bros then a lot of ex Nintendo fans still on the fence might do similarly...but not as it currently stands.
@benptooey - That's all I've wanted to know since my initial viewing during the NDE - as soon as that guy touched the screen to teleport I thought - if Nintendo doesn't start selling extra Gamepads to give this game dual Gamepad support it's just not going to work right. Online is great for a game like this, but it NEEDS couch multplayer w/ dual Gamepads.
Other games that could use dual Gamepads to justify the purchase - anything w/ NFC since it ONLY works w/ the Gamepad, so MK8, SSB, MP10. MK8 should have it anyway, not fair to my kids that I have a map and they don't. And Starfox should really really really have it for proper couch dogfights or co-op. And having spent 140 hours playing Advanced Wars on VC, if there is a Wii U sequel it will need 2 Gamepads as well for the fog levels. And Pikmin 3 w/ the new touchscreen patch for all the multiplayer challenges.
Nintendo tried promoting Wii U w/ "Asynchronous gameplay" and failed miserably. Is anybody clamoring for a Nintendo Land sequel? Time to try dual Gamepad for co-op and vs gameplay. People understand vs and co-op. Considering the cheap screen in the Gamepad it shouldn't be more than $69.99.
Water Warfare wishes it was this game!!!
@rjejr
In an ideal world Nintendo would have actually allowed Wii U gamers to use four GamePads at once for local play (and designed everything in the system with this in mind, including the pricing of extra GamePads etc).
Just stop for a second and imagine/visualize just how truly big of a deal that could have been and all the genuinely amazing possibilities it could have brought to console gaming in this generation...
The Wii U and this whole full touchscreen GamePad concept, if realized to it's full potential, really could have been something truly special imo (which also probably could have made it a far more likely winner in the current-gen battle too). Instead; we have a lot of people questioning why it's even there in the first place and suggesting Nintendo actually remove it from the console entirely.
Just shows the difference between doing things kind of half-ssed, not realizing and executing ideas to their full potential, and doing them right imo.
@rjejr I don't know how many people would invest in a second gamepad just for the very few games that would support it at this point, though I'd certainly like the option of being able to replace my main one if something ever happens to it. It worries me that if it breaks, I'm going to have to buy an entire second console.
But as I said above, I think it's possible with Pro controllers or Wiimote/nunchuck to emulate something of the teleport functionality by having a popup map tied to a button. So long as the dual-stick aiming is tight enough to stand alone without gyro help, and I see no reason why it shouldn't be. Haven't played it though of course.
Somewhere F.L.U.D.D. is spinning in his grave with all this ink chaos!
I really hope they look at this game and build upon it, different game modes would appreciated for online and single player missions. Also a Sniper weapon sounds cool, as it would be a bad weapon for splattering but a good one for eliminating others players.
@Haywired
Bonus DLC idea...
You can download Mario wearing F.L.U.D.D. into the game, maybe even bring him in via NFC and one of those Amiibo figurines (that would be a great way to use that idea here), and you have to clean up the whole level after the fight is finished.
If I were Nintendo I would right now be telling the team to simply re-skin or add an alternative skin to the game using Mario Sunshine textures; both as a way just to make it a little more visually appealing imo (although maybe it's more the specific character designs and the specific plasticky look of that paint I just don't like) and as a great way to have a little bit of an in joke and nod to that game (imagine playing this game in the Mario Sunshine world), without making it specifically a Mario Sunshine game though (it's just a little in-joke/nod that we could all appreciate), and also so I could specifically tie it into the whole Amiibo DLC idea I just mentioned above.
It's just about taking simple ideas and really pushing them beyond prototype level and having fun with them.
The exact gameplay conditions around that would take a few more mins of thought...
@Kirk from a development perspective, I doubt four gamepads would be possible or practical without significant enhancements in both CPU/GPU hardware performance and the necessary bandwidth to send four simultaneous live screens over the air along with displaying a 1080p/60fps main screen.
I think it's more a limitation of practicality than ambition on Nintendo's part.
I really want a Wii U thanks to this. Is something wrong with me? ;_;
This game looks like so much fun, but I want to know about potential campaign modes and if and how the game will support local co-op. I don't play online due to not having very good broadband, and I could see a large amount of fun to be had with this game in a local split screen and bot settings. I hope it doesn't disappoint in this area, even if the meat and potatoes of this game is meant to be enjoyed online.
@benptooey
And people wonder why I say things like the Wii U should have been as powerful as the likes of Xbox One and PS4 for example. "Why does the Wii U need any more power?". "Isn't it powerful enough to do everything anything you could want anyway?". "It's not under-powered"...
That one change certainly would have helped with this general idea and vision that I saw for Wii U the second the GamePad was first shown and SURELY Nintendo couldn't have missed it but for it's own reasons decided to forgo stuff like this in favor of a less powerful system that can basically only handle one GamePad at a time; possibly two if we are really lucky.
A few other changes and considerations with this basic vision in mind and...
Industry dominating console imo.
@Kirk At which point you're talking about a console that's going to cost significantly more and be far less profitable, particularly if you start factoring in the multiple gamepads you're after. They're competing with two behemoths that don't seem to care about unit profit.
@Kirk
Mario could be wildly Splatooning it up, then a disapproving F.L.U.D.D. appears in the sky like Mufasa in The Lion King; "Mario, you have forgotten me..."
@benptooey
A console that would cost no more than an Xbox One with Kinect* and that system has sold two thirds the number of Wii U's in a fraction of the time.
*Or a PS4 with a camera and we know the PS4 is making Sony a profit on each unit sold so surely a smart company like Nintendo, who has historically always figured out a way to make it's hardware much more cost effective than it's competition and that's even when it was making consoles that were just as powerful as it's competition (oh so many years ago), could manage the same feat. - http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2014/05/23/sony-ps4-profit_n_5378499.html
@Kirk Didn't every IP start of as an idea? Every great franchise has a beginning. What Nintendo is doing here is clear: they're covering new ground - quite literally. Who's to say a TV show is not to follow? Or whatever they want, because that's what they recently reminded us of: Nintendo can do just that. The first CoD wasn't exactly known for multiplayer now, was it? And later down the line, single player got next to ignored, when it turned into a billion dollar franchise. I applaud them for their indie style creativity, and having the guts to put it out. It shows that to their fans, they still are the only company in this industry that understands gaming, and has actual fun as a main focus and even has it for themselves in making their products. To me, that core of gaming and fun, that remained where the heart of gaming should've remained, is the REAL 'hardcore', kiddy looking or gory, casual or challenging, it's all but coloruring of the lines that outline the core.
As it was stated so nicely in one of my favourite games ever: "Like it or not, believe it or not, as you wish. Your perceptions will not change reality, but simply colour it."
@Kirk The Xbox One with Kinect which reportedly makes little to no profit per unit, yeah. Not a great long-term business plan.
@benptooey
"Or a PS4 with a camera and we know the PS4 is already making Sony a profit on each unit sold so surely a smart company like Nintendo, who has historically always figured out a way to make it's hardware much more cost effective than it's competition and that's even when it was making consoles that were just as powerful as it's competition (oh so many years ago), could manage the same feat. - http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2014/05/23/sony-ps4-profit_n_5378499.html"
You can keep making excuses all day and I'll keep coming back with answers...
@Kirk Again, you're talking about something that needs to be more powerful than a PS4 to pull off what you want. But I think we've taken this about as far as it's going to go.
@Shambo
Yes, except in most cases you, or at least I, could basically tell the second you saw the vast majority of these now beloved long running franchises that they were going to be huge.
Zelda, Mario, Metroid, Pokemon, Smash Bros, Mario Kart, Call of Duty 4, GTA III, Titanfall, The Witcher...and only a few games that become huge hits GENUINELY catch you off guard. I can't think of any off the top of my head that caught me off guard in this way at this precise second.
Not here though imo.
How about a "Run Your Own Game Company" game: a simulator in a virtual world where you can design your own hardware and software, manufacture it, promote it, talk to investors and stockholders, make quarterly reports, deal with fans, set up your eShop infrastructure, etc, etc. Personally, I just enjoy playing available games.
@benptooey
Both you and I know that's just you making a massive assumption here.
Nothing said so far has made an actual convincing argument that you couldn't have a Wii U that's as powerful as the likes of PS4 running four GamePads with four player local games on it; that no one here has even suggested all have to be running at Witcher 3 quality or whatever for every game that might even have a four player local mode in the first place.
@Shambo Agree wholeheartedly. I'm reminded of that Steve Jobs quote: "We have to let go of this notion that for Apple to win, Microsoft has to lose”.
I think you can apply this to Nintendo and the other guys. So long as they're all making great products at a sustainable price, we, the consumers, win. Nintendo doesn't have to be number one.
@jariw
https://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/game-dev-story/id396085661?mt=8
@benptooey
Assuming we are actually satisfied with those "great" products. Otherwise I really wouldn't say that "we" were "winning". Maybe you might feel like you are winning with the Wii U, for example, but I know I don't.
@Kirk Seems to me you're factoring just the processing requirements on the main unit itself and not the bandwidth and power required to also send four compressed h264 streams to four dumb devices, smoothly, with no lag, but I've now decided you're no longer worth debating.
@benptooey
Dude.
I'm not actually making the machine.
I'm simply debating you trying to come up with excuses for why it couldn't possibly happen even though you too are not actually making this machine so you too have no clue what you are talking about in that particular regard.
Are you one of those same people who said that a cloud streaming gaming service like OnLive was basically impossible, even after it was officially announced as being a real thing that was in fact getting made...
...and then it happened.
How was that possible?
It was impossible!!!
Yet, it is in fact real, despite apparently being impossible as far as whole bunch of people, some of whom even claimed to be so called experts, were concerned.
I'm simply saying a console that's roughly the power of a PS4 could run four GamePads, with some internal tweaks here and there to take into account it's going be running four GamePads in the first place, and so far you have said nothing to even remotely convince me I'm wrong in that assertion.
So Splatoon huh? Cool!
@benptooey Indeed, that's what I don't get about this childish console wars stuff: what does the gamer win if a company solely about gaming loses to another company? Why do so many want to see the 'enemies' of (company of their choice) fail?
@Kirk Wario Ware didn't seem to be worthy of a 'franchise' at first, but it became so damn addictive, I can't wait for the next game if they make one. Bayonetta wasn't even going to get that sequel, but I'm absolutely hyped about it. Portal is perhaps the most fitting example: did it look set to become one of the greater games for last generation? Nope, it was just an idea realized, and then the second installment came and added so much with so little, it's one of my favourite games still.
@benptooey and @Kirk
No matter how hard you try, if you play against a Rooster in Chess, its always going to parade around knocking over the pieces like its won. That my friend, is not an argument worth pursuing. People like Kirk plague every website, just gotta ignore 'em...
@therealmario101
You mean people who point out real issues when they exist, often come up with great and totally feasible ideas and always defend their various opinions and assertions?
Nintendo should really make sure there is a limited time open beta test of this game just before the Holiday season 2014. It would be a great extra enticement for those getting in on the Wii U at the Super Smash Bros. release.
This game is definitely making waves (of ink) beyond the Nintendo faithful and Nintendo needs to seize the moment.
Didn't read the whole thread so apologies if this has already been suggested.
@Kirk
No, I mean people who constantly feel the need to prove themselves, on the internet.
This game looks pretty interesting from all I have seen so far I would definitely get it and hey its a new take on shooters im always up for new experiences.
@aaronsullivan
Yeah I'd love to see something like that happen, would be great! It makes me sad when I see people and popular youtube channels talking about the biggest game reveals and whatnot, and none of them even mention a single Nintendo title.
Not interested in this myself, don't like online shooters etc, but this is a fantastic new IP from Nintendo that apparently got so many people excited already. I think they really hit the ball out of the park here. There is no need for any Mario here - this is a brand new IP. They can make new amiibo based on these wonderful new characters etc. Could be a great hit. Good job Nintendo.
This game has me really interested, I really do want to play it..but I didn't like online that much from what they were saying yesterday I really didn't like it...But overall I really liked it..
@Kirk TL/DR, can I get the cliff notes?
People are excited because of the new mechanics... Nobody has seen a shooter that is even close to this...... Turning into a squid to swim through the entire map is certainly new.. Its going to open up a lot of new gameplay ideas and strategy to the worn out/boring genre.... plus with that Nintendo charm, its adorable beyond words.
Splatoon is love, Splatoon is life.
But seriously, the last time I was genuinely interested in a shooter title was when Goldeneye, Perfect Dark, Halo 1, and Medal of Honor: Frontline were new. This is the first game since those times in the shooter genre (besides The Conduit and Red Steel, to a lesser extent) that I am paying attention to a shooter. Not an easy task.
@benptooey - "just for the very few games that would support it at this point,"
Yeah, right now isn't good. I've been talking about this for days so keep leaving out the part where this would be a holiday thing, only even mention it in Oct, alongside SSB and the amiibo. And I think they could sell extra Gamepads for a price - $69.99 would be my ideal, even if ti's a money loser - and they all need to be specially branded so collectors want them even if they don't use them, like people who own 6 $40 Wiimotes b/c of Mario, Luigi and Peach. And better battery life.
@Kirk "These new IP's suck, focus on the main franchises!"
Nintendo prepares new games in their first party franchises for next year, then shows them off
"Nintendo has gone stale, they need something new to reinvigorate them!"
There is just no reasoning with some people. Many people are complaining about Nintendo's efforts, but if the showings were reskinned into something else, especially for the other systems of Microsoft and Sony, these same people would be heralding them. If Splatoon were some kind of zombie territory game that involved Splatoon's concepts, it would be considered "hardcore". Splatoon is only considered "kiddie" or "unworthy" based upon superficial perceptions.
You can claim to be a paragon of artistry who knows what is right and what is wrong for humanity, but have you ever even taken the time to try to come up with a project like this for yourself? It's not as easy as you think.
@therealmario101
I think 90% of the people on the Internet are doing that.
Have you seen Facebook...
Didn't The Witcher start off as a rather mediocre, buggy title before it got an enhanced edition, a sequel, and the backing of GOG.com? CD Projekt RED wasn't always such a high profile developer. Everyone and everything begins from nothingness.
In true Nintendo fashion, they've taken a genre that I normally have no interest in and made a game that I'm genuinely excited to play. With one small mechanic they've added layers of strategy and depth that change the whole experience.
@PlywoodStick
It's not complicated:
Basically; Nintendo needs to release BOTH new IPs and new games across ALL it's most classic, beloved and well established franchises on Wii U.
It doesn't need 20 brand new IPS every generation. Just a couple of genuine new IPs THIS generation; AS LONG AS they are the kind of IPs that ACTUALLY set the gaming community as a whole alight; like so many of new IPs that released on the other systems have done for the last two generations.
Nintendo can't just chuck out a few random games that could have come from some indie Game Jam and claim that's the new IPs we've all been moaning for. That's missing the whole point entirely. We want new IPs that actually matter, that blow people away (not just the most loyal Nintendo FANS), and that are destined to become the new Zeldas, Marios, Star Foxes, Metroids, Mario Karts, Smash Bros, Pokemons etc. Not the next Captain Rainbow.
Also; when it FINALLY releases new games in it's established franchises that people have been asking for for years now, like a new Star Fox game for example, it can't be some lame concept prototype that's masquerading as a PROPER new game in the series. It needs to be the next proper BIG AAA type game in the franchise, like people have actually been asking for.
Nintendo really just needs to do a few things when you break it down BUT it ACTUALLY needs to do them RIGHT.
In the case of this E3 Nintendo did not deliver the new Star Fox game we were asking for imo (based on what we know to this point). It did not deliver the new kinds of IPs we were asking for either imo (based on Splatoon and S.T.E.A.M). It made half-*ssed baby steps designed to appease the easily pleased and easily tricked into thinking they've gotten what they wanted, as it has being doing this over and over in so many ways for the last couple of generations imo.
That's why I keep reiterating that the most loyal FANS are going to pleased but basically no one else.
You're laying on the condescension awful thick. Tone it back, please — TBD
I think the success or failure and the critical acceptance and acclaim for Splatoon will relay on one very important thing: OPTIONS.
Games like Call of Duty work well because the basic principle is shooting each other with military weapons in a real-world looking arena.
Splatoon is more of a sport concept, but adds fantastical elements, there is an abstract here and just claiming colored territory will never be as satisfying on a visceral competitive level as "wargames" with real world style guns and areas.
So what can Splatoon do to change and improve that?
@Kirk translated:
Nintendo needs to make new games that copy what is on Playstation and Xbox while rehashing the exact games that @Kirk deems acceptable from Nintendo's main franchises, and only the ones that @Kirk deems acceptable based on his entitled attitude and personal nostalgia.
HOW HARD IS THAT FOR YOU PEOPLE TO GRASP?
All of gaming history's big franchises began from silly little ideas. No one knows what "the next big thing" will be. No one knows what they want to aspire towards until it is within their grasp. Lots of grasping, that's life.
As for why Nintendo has dfficulty multitasking, you'd have to ask them that question. I don't think anyone other than their more involved workers can answer that question adequately. Granted, it has become well known that their top managerial heads are deeply rooted in their own ways, refusing to bend with the winds of change. That might have something to do with it.
Now THIS is a shooter I can wrap my head around! Loving it so far!
@Action51 haha, true.
Nintendo is not of the "me-too" crowd: if they take on a genre, they sure as hell put their spin on it. Splatoon is the most recent proof of that.
I really don't think that this game is my cup of tea, but I love that Nintendo has got a new IP on its hands. That it's an online shooter (as cute as it is) proves that they are branching out and trying new things. I hope this game is successful for them.
@Kirk I think it's shaping up to be special because I had a lot of fun playing it and am really looking forward to playing it more with my friends
@MegaWatts Thanks heaps mate!! =) From here it seems like Ninty's really putting their full weight behind it, and that can only mean good things!
@FalconPunch I asked a rep about local play and was told that we'd find out about the specifics of on/offline multiplayer options later. It seems like some people might've gotten more concrete answers, so we might be hearing something sooner than they intended!
@Action51
Nope.
Those games could "copy" the best of it's own world class beloved franchises in terms of creating games that defined genres, utterly blew basically everyone away at the time there were first revealed and often still do when a proper big new game in the franchise is released, where cutting edge for their time and were basically all-round genuine masterpieces that you could see from the second they were revealed were destined to become classics.
If you think that the likes of Splatoon and S.T.E.A.M, which were Nintendo's two apparently major reveals this E3 (one so important that Nintendo even had a special event/reveal organized just for it), then you live in cloud cuckoo land.
Also; as I said, it needs to release sequels to basically ALL it's big long running and beloved franchises. Not that it needs to release sequels to only the games I specifically like from it's back catalog. It's not some untangle subjective thing. These games/franchises are the ones that have often been around for 20/30 years, have seen multiple sequels across multiple console generations, have all seen universal critical acclaim with each of their main releases, are beloved by fans across the world and have all been continued commercial success for Nintendo. You do understand that's pretty easy to define and that's it's pretty easy to pick out those games from it's vast library, right?
I mean, for example, it shouldn't waste it's breath on a new Captain Rainbow game but it should absolutely been at least working on PROPER sequels to the likes of Punch-Out!!, Earthbound and F-Zero for examples.
Is this really so incomprehensible for you?
@Kirk
You have an opinion, good. But that is all it is. You have no claim on objectivity or anything, you are just full of yourself.
When the 2DS got announced, you made your own and when people where criticizing it, you insisted that yours was better.
You think you are some sort of guru, but you are not. And you probably never will be. You are just full of yourself.
@Rin-go
If you don't get that really isn't about my personal subjective opinion then you are not worth the time trying to explain it to.
Mine was better and the fact you STILL don't get that sums you up.
@Kirk - You are right...I have no right to be excited for things that didn't live up to the wise and powerful @Kirk's extremely narrow vision for what Nintendo must be.
Reality check!...Project S.T.E.A.M is exactly the sort of game I miss and I couldn't be happier to see it. It's a turn based tactical strategy with imaginative elements and new characters and scenarios to explore and grow. - I LOVE tactical strategy games, and where else am I gonna get those? Thanks Nintendo!
So while un-pleasable @Kirk didn't see anything he liked, am I allowed to be excited for something I think I will enjoy? Can I please have your permission?
@Action51
Be as excited as you want.
Also; I've already said in previous articles; I LOVED the new Zelda, I loved the new Yoshi game, I like the look of the new Kirby game, I'm still enjoying what I've seen of Smash Bros (although they REALLY need to get around to revealing Captain Falcon soon and especially when that franchise is getting basically no real love whatsoever anywhere else), I thought the first 30 mins of the Nintendo "Digital Event" was E3 winning (just not the last part)...
You're simply only getting caught up on the stuff I've said that you don't want to hear, which is of course typical.
Oh, and just to add this:
Splatoon doesn't look like my kind of game exactly, but lots of people loved games like Jet Grind Radio and Team Fortress...So let's wait and see how it shapes up before we damn Nintendo to the depths of hell for gasp trying something slightly fresh!
@Kirk LOL I love reading ur comments about what Nintendo should do. Keep them coming
@Action51
I have no issue whatsoever with Nintendo trying something fresh. In fact, I'm all for that. Being new and fresh is not the issue I have here in the slightest.
Yeah, Jet Grind Radio...and where exactly is Jet Grind Radio now?
Ok; let me put it like this...
Splatoon, IMO, is the new "Jet Grind Radio" of Nintendo's vast catalog of beloved mostly long running enduring system selling franchises.
I'm sure there will be plenty of current Wii U owners and Nintendo FANS who will absolutely love it.
@Kirk Uhm...errr....okay?
You realize it's not the same game, but it has elements of Jet Grind Radio and Team Fortress and a little bit of the MOBA scene.
But you are right, it's not a copycat of a popular game on PS4 or XBox that @Kirk deems acceptable so let's trash it now and never give it a chance.
@Action51
I didn't claim it was the same game.
Read what I said again and try and get what I'm actually saying and/or alluding to from it:
"Yeah, Jet Grind Radio...and where exactly is Jet Grind Radio now?
Ok; let me put it like this...
Splatoon, IMO, is the new "Jet Grind Radio" of Nintendo's vast catalog of beloved mostly long running enduring system selling franchises."
Did you get it?
@Kirk - You win, I give up.
I can't argue with people who are narrow minded and irrational.
Just one final random thought: I wonder what you would have said if this was Minecraft back when it was first revealed...just a thought.
@Kirk JSF is a "cult status" game. Just like Earthbound (which you mentioned earlier).
Thing is, Splatoon is rather shaping well as a breath of fresh air among shooters. People are digging it.
@AJ_Lethal
Except one went on to sell multiple successful sequels and is still being sold in great numbers today, not just the game but collectibles and figurines and so on (and get's mentioned in more than just the top 100 games on this particular console lists), and the other one...
Also, one is a "cult classic" and the other one is an ACTUAL classic. There's a subtle but very real difference between those two games in that respect and their impact etc imo.
So which one would you think should absolutely be seeing a new release on NINTENDO's new home console in this day and age?
Splatoon is a breath of fresh air and people are digging in the same way De Blob was a breath of fresh air and people were digging it imo.
Do you see what I'm getting at here?
Like most, I am hoping for some local split-screen mode and Wii Remote + Nunchuck, Pro controller support. A single player campaign would be the icing on the cake but that I could do without. I get that this is a multiplayer focused game, but I don't want it to be online only.
It's funny because traditionally Nintendo skips the online modes in favour of local multiplayer, here they did the exact opposite and we're asking for local.
It's not easy to create a new entry in a beloved franchise that isn't just a rehash treading upon the same trodden ground. That's one of the big reasons games like F-Zero hardly get any entries. There's a fine line between game design in practice and game design in theory.
Also, the developers are human, too. We haven't seen an FF7 remake, even though millions want it, just because the director doesn't feel like making it. Creative spark rarely matches up well with marketing logistics. That's what makes the games industry interesting: it's an epitomy of two conflicting elements somehow managing to bring ideas to life.
For many of the new titles that are considered rehashes, they are mainly created by new bloods. A new generation of people are being mentored, for the inevitable time when the original Nintendo crew kicks the bucket. No one takes giant steps before they take lilliput baby steps.
@Kirk Which are you talking about? JSF only got a sequel and recently a HD remake (because cult status) and Earthbound bombed at release, but it took 20 YEARS to resurface in the VC (because cult status).
Thing is: you can't say "X will/won't catch on" as a certainity, because you're (and me) are f-n human beings and we can be wrong. If you don't believe me read this list of examples: http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/ItWillNeverCatchOn
@AJ_Lethal
X will likely be as much of "success" and the previous one imo.
Earthbound has had three major sequels that have all been critical and commercial success (eventually in the case of the original), is now considered one of the best role playing games of all time, has held up exceptionally well over time, has seen various releases across various consoles, has continued to be sought after for the last 20 years, was a massive success on the VC upon it's re-release, and a brand new game in the series is still being asked for by millions of fans to this day (and they'd surely be asking for another new game after this new one came out too because it's a frikin masterpiece of a series).
Who's talking about the JSF HD remake that came out recently again?
How long ago did it come out and how quickly did basically everyone stop talking about it again?
One is a "cult classic" and one is an actual classic imo and there is a difference.
It's like The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension! is a "cult classic" and Star Wars is an actual classic.
@PlywoodStick - smart post, good insight!
@PlywoodStick
I know.
I never said Nintendo's job of getting this right, as I see it, would be an easy one.
I just think it needs to start getting it right (as I see it).
Of course, someone's going to now they say that they see "it" [getting it right] differently...
Although, if their idea of "getting it right" is what Nintendo is currently doing, well...
@Kirk Nah-ah, Earthbound is a cult classic, since the definition of cult classic is "work with a small yet devote fanbase". Earthbound falls squarely into that definition (especially in the West).
Just take a look: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cult_video_game#1990s
@AJ_Lethal
Well that's why I put it [cult classic] in air quotes.
I'm not going by the exact dictionary definition but rather the way I believe most people tend to think of a "cult classic" as opposed to an actual classic.
JSF is a "cult classic" and Earthbound is a bonafide classic imo.
I'm sure the large majority of people would actually agree, if we weren't arguing about it
^well, the difference between a "regular" classic and a "cult classic" is mainly scale.
For example: the Honda Civic fans and the Nissan Sentra SE-R fans.
@Shambo
Well I dunno about you but I personally thought Wario Ware was an instant masterpiece.
It's the kind of game you basically release on every new Nintendo system as a way to show off loads of quick go examples of all the cool new gameplay experiences you can have on that system.
Genius bit of game design imo and I've even come up with a few game ideas based on the basic design myself from time to time.
You've got me on Portal, if I recall my first impressions of that game correctly, but then this is a Valve product we're talking about here.
@AJ_Lethal
I know absolutely nothing about cars in general (except what I think looks sexy, mostly the super cars, and I'm impressed when I learn they go really fast*).
You have me stumped.
LOL
*Oh, and that I personally think all cars should eliminate the need for gears and gear sticks entirely in the future.
Well, I think @Kirk likes the game, personally. Look how much emotion it's inspiring! The definition of a successful game at E3 is one you're talking about and people are certainly talking about Splatoon. It's mostly positive too. That and memetic.
@Kirk remember that there is no such thing as bad publicity. Your talking about Splatoon in your little ragey way is helping it to eventually be a hit.
@Lobster
Well you never know...
Looks good fun this going to be a physical release or e-shop title? Seems more fit as a e-shop title same with the new Toad, Mario Marker & Kirby game.
IGN confirmed it will be a physical release. It will also have 1v1 play with one player on pro and one on pad.
@turnmebackwards
Ah perfect...
"Looks good fun this going to be a physical release or e-shop title? Seems more fit as a e-shop title same with the new Toad, Mario Marker & Kirby game."
That entire comment, question and assertion kinda sums up how I feel about this game (as well as those other games actually) and what I think about the impact it's going to have in the grand scheme of things.
This game will no doubt be a lot of fun but it's pretty hard to tell this apart from your average eShop like title imo and what I think Nintendo's big new game for E3 2014, that it chose to end it's flagship "Digital Event" with, should have been is the kind of game that the instant you saw it you screamed "Mind f'n blown! Game of E3! System Seller! This is the next big Nintendo IP/franchise we've all been waiting on!".
Remember when you saw playable footage of Mario 64 for the first time...the Ocarina of Time or Twilight Princess trailers for the first time...Or when the Wiimote was fist revealed in that video showing off all the stuff you could do with it...?
Nintendo needs to create games and moments that do that again. Actually; I felt that for a second when the new Zelda game first popped up onto the screen and I was like "Holly sh*t! Wow! That is visually stunning". But it needs to do that with a new game IP.
This game is fine but for how it was revealed and what it means in the bigger picture; it's a stone thrown into the ocean.
That's really all I'm saying here.
The more I hear and see of it, the more excited I become. Reggie said he wants it to be to online shooters what Mario Kart is to racing. Might be fun. I'm not sure how I'll feel about a full retail release though.
@Kirk And here we're talking Nintendo they know what they're doing, and aren't afraid to try new things with old IP's. If this game gets a sequel, it may very well be completely different. But it will probably be fun, and this one seems a ton of fun already. To each his own I guess, but I feel a masterpiece. Like the Rayman Legends Kung Foot 'afterthought' and the challenges, it was simple, but addictive on a daily basis.
@brandonbwii
PR/Marketing bull at it's very best.
If this were the next GoldenEye level fps revolution then yeah... It's basically a shooting version of De Blob. That's not bad but it's not going to make much of a difference or impact in the grand scheme of things imo. The characters alone lack even the universal aesthetic appeal of anything in Mario Kart.
Reggie is spinning his line and you just bit the hook.
@Tsurii897
I heard it will "have some form of communication" from one of the devs. They're still being lite on specifics in that area.
@LDXD
Well, the great thing about the Internet is that eventually someone else gets it.
Eventually, maybe that becomes a group of people who gets it and maybe that group starts letting themselves be heard and maybe, some way down the line, the company and developers at the other end hear it and gets it too...
What a day that will be I can tell you, for all of us.
I think this is a smart move by Nintendo. A new ip gives them the chance to attract a new crowd. I don't know why people are saying bring an established franchise like metroid, f zero, etc. People that are buying systems for a particular game and not willing to try something new are worse than people who aren't buying the system at all
@kirk
I did not bite, I just was mentioning what he said. Yes, I know it's PR spin. I do think this game has potential to be fun in it's own right. I just hope there's more to it than what they showed since it's a full retail game.
Hopefully, if it's fun, it's marketing campaign will at least be as strong as Mario Kart 8s. I want them to finally make genuinly fun new IPs instead of small scale ones like on eshop.
I think the only eshop game shown during the digital event was Mario Maker. So expect to pay big bucks for almost everything else.
@brandonbwii
Mario Kart 8 had basically one of the biggest marketing pushes from Nintendo ever.
I think this game is more likely to get the kind of "marketing push" the likes of The Wonderful 101, Pokemon Rumble U, Game & Wario, Wii Sports Club, NES Remix 1/2, Pushmo World... got to be brutally honest.
Splatoon is oozing with creativity and originality, this was by far the biggest surprise for me. Only Nintendo can make a non violent shooter look cool.
@Kirk
These four games Splatoon, Toad, Mario Marker & Kirby just come across as e-shop titles not £40.00 physical releases.
I'm happy with the E3 announcements we have Smash Bros, New Zelda, Hyrule Warriors, Devil's Third, Bayonetta, Watchdogs, Yoshi's Woolly World, Starfox & Xenoblade Chronicles X. All coming soon or 2015 & I can't wait.
@turnmebackwards
"These four games Splatoon, Toad, Mario Marker & Kirby just come across as e-shop titles not £40.00 physical releases."
Well that's how I feel about them anyway.
Overall it was a decent showing of titles for Nintendo but I was severely disappointed with the new "Star Fox" title in the series, based on what I read, and there wasn't really any new game that's basically going to sell systems to anyone but a few lagging Nintendo fans imo.
I think Nintendo needs a few more BIG proper full home console worthy titles (as opposed to digital eShop worthy); both from it's remaining established franchises and some totally new world class AAA, soon to be new classics/franchises, Nintendo IPs too.
Splatoon is fine and all but I'd drop it in a heartbeat if it meant getting any, or even just one, of the kinds of games I'm talking about.
@kirk amd @turnmebackwards
They all are retail though except for maybe Mario Maker. It's funny that a simple game like Captain Toad will be released around the same time as Smash Bros.
@Kirk
Miyamoto mentioned that Giant Robot and Guard may both end up as part of the entirety of Star Fox U.
&brandonbwii &Kirk
Just seems odd the Toad game is based on a side game of Mario World 3D. Which was fun for a change while playing Mario World 3D but a full game of them mini levels. I think personally would be boring & at £40.00 Pre-order where as seems more of a £10.00 e-shop title.
Same with Splatoon it's a online only game yeah it's in HD & it's inventive & looks fun but really a full retail priced game nah. It's like Nintendo making Mario Kart 8 with nothing but the online part of the game.
Then you have Kirby again it looks good not a big Kirby fan but just reminds me of a DS game which you heavily used the styles pen but of course this will be HD on Wii U. But again this is a £40.00 title.
I'm not moaning as I said above really happy Nintendo have a truck load of games coming to the Wii U Smash Bros, New Zelda, Hyrule Warriors, Devil's Third, Bayonetta, Watchdogs, Yoshi's Woolly World, Starfox & Xenoblade Chronicles X. All coming soon or 2015.
It's just these other titles Splatoon, Toad, Mario Marker & Kirby don't sit right with me.
@turnmebackwards
Well I think you basically get where I'm also coming from on this one.
No one is saying these are bad games, in fact I think most of them look like they'll be pretty decent fun actually, but I'm still left thinking that what we have here is a bunch of eShop worthy games (these would ALL be download titles on any of the other consoles) and that's clearly not going to be enough to dig the Wii U out of its hole.
Wii U owners have a few more fun games to look forward too but that really is about as much as I can give Nintendo at this point in time.
Now, the new Zelda on the other hand...
That's the kind of game that I think is going to make a lot of people who wouldn't normally look twice at the Wii U wish they actually owned one and I think at this point Nintendo needs a couple of BRAND NEW IPs like that along with a few more sequels to some of it's longest ignored classic franchises that are given so much love and attention and look so mind blowingly awesome that they achieve the same effect.
@Kirk
Oh I see EXACTLY where your coming from. That's why I'm a little concerned. I imagine there will be a huge amount of Toad levels so MAYBE it won't be a problem for me. However a game like Splatoon where the focus is on deathmatch basically is a little more worrying.
@Kirk
I'm curious since this was just the unveiling of these new ips and Nintendo isn't known for letting much information out to early what makes these games only worthy of eshop download only? If you base you sole decision on looks that's really sad
@jenjoint
You make a good point, but from the sound of things from an IGN interview it doesn't seem like there will be much of a single player campaign or story mode. So it brings back memories of Rage Wars unfortunately.
Kinda weird that this game is slated for release so far from now.
@jenjoint
Well, if you can't see it yourself, with all or any of these games, then it's going to pretty dang hard to try to explain it to you.
I'm not sure it's worth hitting my head of that particular brick wall.
@zipmon Thanks! I sure hope it is, because I have some competitive friends who would enjoy playing this...
@Kirk
"all been continued commercial success for Nintendo"....You do understand that's pretty easy to define and that's it's pretty easy to pick out those games from it's vast library, right?....Punch-Out!!, Earthbound and F-Zero for examples."
Doesn't compute. Apparently it isn't "easy to define" and "easy to pick out" commercial successes at all. Even through the thick veneer of unwarranted condescension your posts are covered in.
So glad to see this game get so much hype! That means that I won't have to worry about not having people to play this with. I'm sure I'll get and remain addicted to Splatoon for a very long time.
Splatoon'd all in my pants seeing this game
I'm so glad Nintendo exists. I like AAA games and all, but the gaming industry would be pretty friggin boring without Nintendo's games in the mix. Realistic serious games just don't excite me. They can be entertaining to play, and I do find enjoyment in them, but they're not FUN like Nintendo games. Games like Splatoon are exactly the reason I fell in love with Nintendo in the first place.
You just can't get games like this anywhere else.
I think some people commented on the article without reading it. NL is saying this game is huge popular and stunningly brilliant and beautiful. This is as big as new IP as Nintendo could dream of from what people who actually experienced the game are saying.
@electrolite77
Are you SERIOUSLY confusing the notion of picking out those games from its library that have already been both critically and commercially successful (then making a new game in the series) with whether you can tell in advance if a game is going to be critically and commercially successful or not?
REALLY?
@dumedum
Oh I'm pretty sure [100% sure] Nintendo could dream up MUCH "bigger" new IPs than this; even based on what people who experienced the game are saying.
I'm pretty sure almost everyone who played Pushmo when it was first shown thought it was great and gave it lots of positive press...
That doesn't equate to Nintendo's big new bonified console selling IP and franchise (which is what I believe the vast majority of people are ACTUALLY asking for when they say that Nintendo needs to make new IPs).
It just means it's a good, solid, fun game, which no one is denying and which Nintendo has been capable of making and indeed doing so since time immemorial.
@Kirk
I don't think anyone is saying that it will be a big franchise and it doesn't have to be. They just see something that looks fun and that they want to know more about.
But I guess some prefer to be business experts and rant.
@Rin-go
I sort of think the whole point I'm making is that it kinda does; if this is kinda supposed to be the big new Wii U IP this gen from Nintendo for example and if it's not then again the point I'm making is that this is what it needed to be, what Nintendo needs, at this point in time.
Nice to hear it plays as well as it looks.
And to everyone saying this game could be even more fun with some F.L.U.D.D.: i totally agree.
@Kirk
The thing is there is not enough information to determine any of that. From what we know, it doesn't seem like a big franchise, but that could change once we know more about it.
But it seems to be quite popular, so that is a good thing.
@Kirk no. Pushmo was clearly a small puzzle game and nobody was that excited about it in that way. You fail to understand that this game can be huge. Nintendo's audience is not looking for the same AAA experience you seem to want. Star Fox Adventures flopped. Metroid other M flopped. Super Mario Sunshine flopped. For some reason you also gave examples of flops like fzero etc. They are looking for fun games like Mario Kart and short Mario levels like NSMB and SM3DWorld more than some AAA cinematic games. This is a huge beautiful new IP by Nintendo period.
game looks terrific, hope it's early 2015.
Now why the hell didn't Zombi U use the Gamepad gyroscope for aiming? Great solution that nicely mirrors the intuitive nature of Wii Remote+Nunchuk FPS controls without having to cater for supporting completely different controllers.
@dumedum
Oh, they do want what I want. You are simply confused as to what I want.
Every single example you gave is not the game(s) I want. You picked the worst versions of all those games, that got much of the core components that the fans actually want totally wrong, and if you actually believe that's what I want, after everything I've been saying, then you are clueless as to what I have been talking about.
F-Zero as a franchise is also not a flop. It's nowhere near a flop. I don't know what planet you are living on. F-Zero on SNES sold 2.85 million copies. On N64 it sold 1.10 million copies. The lowest selling home console F-Zero game, F-Zero GX, sold 650,000 copies...on Nintendo's lowest selling home console to date. The biggest selling Kirby games of the last few generations are selling under 2 million units at best, and both of the latest ones were on the Wii (a console that sold over 100 million systems) and they still couldn't break the 2 million mark, and Nintendo continues to make Kirby game after Kirby game.
The market as a whole tells you that gamers are indeed looking for AAA games. If you just take two seconds to check you'd see the most of the best selling home consoles games in the last generation+ were absolutely AAA titles and most of the most anticipated games going forward are also big AAA titles too. That doesn't mean non-AAA titles can't be great games and big hits too but Nintendo absolutely needs more of those big AAA titles, it's already got the casual and family titles sorted, and only someone with their head in the sand would imagine otherwise.
The reason Nintendo is flopping right now, imo, is because it's thinking just like you...and the only people that is keeping happy is people just like you. You, who no doubt has bought a Wii U already, so you are hardly an objective party here because all you know is what people like you want and what's clear to me is that's enough of you to make the Wii U a flop.
Nintendo is keeping people like you happy almost without even trying imo. What it needs to do now is start making all those tens of millions who don't currently give a flying f**k about the Wii U happy too and then maybe it will actually start to see more meaningful sales beyond only it's most loyal FANS.
I predict this game, Splatoon, will do...decently.
@Rin-go
I'm speculating/predicting based on what we do know and what we have seen.
Hey; if it's good enough for business analysts it's good enough for me, and I'm right far more often than the likes of Michael Pachter.
this game looks awesome!
I really wish I had to money to buy a Wii U. I really think that Nintendo could really do some damage with the Wii U but put it out way too soon. They should've waited until 2015 when Smash Bros, Mario Kart, Zelda Wii U and all these other wonderful titles are coming out. I still want one though ESPECIALLY for Smash Bros because my 3ds' internet is broken.
@Kirk all you're doing is spewing out useless opinions about 'COULD BE' information that isn't even present to determine any real basis for it yet. What's more is that you're replying to allot of people's opinions just because they differ than yours. Why not just let them have their own viewpoint and move on? You've given no valid replies nor given any real answers as to why/how your opinion is over anyone else on this topic yet that is what you're trying to promote. Just stop while you're ahead.....
@Kirk no you are wrong. First of all, 600,000 is a flop. A million seller is not a flop that's the way it goes. Secondly, Wii titles sold much better than AAA titles much much much better. Like Mario kart ten times more than uncharted. Nsmb Wii. Just Dance a casual party title. Wii play. Wii fit and so on. Brawl sold coz its fun etc. Splatoon looks like that sort of fun. There is no hunger for aaa market at all. A lot are flops and non come close to ninty potential. Nsmb Wii u sold 4.5 million with a 6 million user base. Get that to your head. Metroid other m is the very definition of AAA production and it flopped. A fun 2d metroid non aaa could have succeeded etc. Splatoon doesn't need any mindless AAA stuff got suck in it. It is already generating great responses from everyone at e3 twitch etc. By definition and facts on the ground you are simply wrong. 100% wrong.
The only clueless person here is you. Seriously, time to take a break from your incomprehensible mindless rants.
@dumedum
Suuure; 650,000 copies of one of Nintendo's slightly lesser known franchises (it's not quite up there with the likes of Mario, Zelda and Pokemon for example) on a console that only sold 20 million units total in it's lifetime, so far Nintendo's least popular home console ever, is a "flop".
lol
A few Wii games did exceptionally well. No one is denying that. It doesn't change my point in the slightest; more AAA games sold big numbers in the last couple of gens that Nintendo's titles, irrespective a few Nintendo titles doing really really well, and overall the big AAA titles are what the broader console gaming audience are mainly getting excited about and ultimately going out and buying systems for these days. Hence why both the PS4 and Xbox One continue to outsell the Wii U on a worldwide basis and sooon both consoles with take over it's total sales numbers too imo (which Sony has already done).
From what I can see, Splatoon is generating basically all of it's interest among some media guys who attended E3 who got to play it and have to report on it and people like you. The vast majority of console owners out there probably didn't even give it a second look imo. That doesn't mean it's a bad game. It just means it's basically the kind of game that people like you might be going gaga over right now but not most of the other console owners out there.
Like I said before: If someone did a poll where all the gamers out there, across all platforms, got to vote on what games excited them the most at this years E3 then I think Splatoon would struggle to even get into the top 10.
You calling me clueless honestly doesn't change the facts to what you would like them to be and you can argue I can't really prove anything I'm saying and it's all just speculation or whatever but I think deep down inside most of us can at least admit the truth to ourselves.
@Kirk thanks for providing no proof and keep making no sense. Sure that's why Wii U is not selling. Because all the aaa ports on Wii U did so well. GC had lots of aaa and came last. Wii didn't and came first. Many Nintendo Wii titles and even Wii u titles sell better. Everything you say is baseless and not true. But you're not making any sense except to yourself so it doesn't matter.
PS. Your 2DS "design" was stupid too.
@dumedum
Tell you what; you explain exactly how my tweaked 2DS design was actually "stupid" and I'll explain to you some of those things you're not quite grasping about why one console failed and another was a success etc...
PS. Here's the link again to my tweaked 2DS design: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vhrJhyeVfis&list=UUPRNNGLAaYqhvf_xmif5RiQ
PPS. An examples of a single large touchscreen screen emulating the DS (would be the exact same for 3DS/2DS games) and it working brilliantly (so, proof of concept basically): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RaFRk3orwic
PPPS: An official example of how Nintendo has already done exactly what I'm saying on the Wii U GamePad basically exactly as I imagined it on my tweaked 2DS (except it would fit even better on my tweaked 2DS because the default vertical orientation of my screen would work with basically all DS/3DS/2DS games without any control complications): http://www.theverge.com/2014/6/3/5778014/first-ds-game-for-wii-u-virtual-console-is-brain-age-in-japan
@penubag DUDE!! Thank you!!!!
Seriously guys? I don't want to scroll through your crap for three hours! Get a life.
This looks like good old fashioned Ninty, multiplayer fun. I'm game! 2015 will be the year of no monies.
Well, this got pointlessly negative fast.
Anyway, game looks fun.
I can't wait to play this game. I was pretty impressed from the start.
I didnt read fully through the article. Did they say anything about supporting splitscreen and pro controller compatibility?
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