There's been a bit of buzz around Splatoon since our last gallery summary earlier in March, and we were fortunate enough to attend some press events to play more of the upcoming Wii U shooter. We previewed the multiplayer and single player modes and also shared a belief that Splatoon is to shooters what Mario Kart is to racers. Due in May, we're hopeful that this will deliver on its potential and be a big hit for Wii U.

The development team continues to share quirky updates via Twitter, of course, which are then localised onto an official Splatoon Tumblr page; it's the official page we're using, though it's normally a post or two behind the Japanese originals. Our last summary ended with some video snippets, while guns and fashion were the focus. Those trends largely continue this time, though there are undoubtedly some downright bizarre posts this time around - there are also more videos, which is nice.

The latest batch is below. Enjoy!

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We've learned that a number of different fashion brands compete for the hearts and wallets of Inkopolis's youth. Zekko brand streetwear is but one of those brands. Zekko's clothes are known for a rough-around-the-edges look that's popular with the skate-punk crowd. A lot of up-and-coming Turf War players wear this brand into battle!

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This weapon here is the Splat Roller. Its ability to ink the ground while on the move sometimes classifies it as a melee weapon, but you can also swing it to fling ink, making it effective at medium range too! It's all about knowing when to roll and when to fling!

This just in! One of our undercover interns captured some video footage of a Splat Roller being used in battle! Watching this should give you a pretty good idea of how these bad boys can be used in a Turf War. Check it out!

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This just in! These guys are called Octotroopers. Word on the street is that they're the foot soldiers of the Octarian army. They seem to come in a variety of types, from hovercraft-riding attackers to sentries who guard specific spots!

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Our design intern just finished up this sweet card, which is apparently the other half of the one we posted on Valentine's Day. Sorry it's a bit late (he's pretty lazy), but any day is a good day to spread the love, right? Happy Tuesday!

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We've just confirmed that this weapon is called a Blaster. It shoots special ink rounds that burst like fireworks once they've traveled a certain distance! Apparently these bursts can deal damage in a pretty wide area, so this weapon is great for exposing hidden foes.

One of our interns just uploaded this video of a Blaster in action! This footage shows just how its special exploding rounds work. It looks like direct hits will also take out enemies in a single shot. Check it out!

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This here is a Shielded Octotrooper! The name's a bit of a mouthful, but you guessed it: it's an Octotrooper with a shield! These suckers will block any attacks from the front, so stay focused and do your best to outwit them. Hide out for a bit and then attack from behind, or maybe try and distract them with something

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This big boy is none other than an Octobomber! These pesky pelters flutter through the air tossing bombs at anyone and anything they don't like. Hide out and wait for a chance to strike, and then take 'em out right quick!

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Special report! We mentioned in a previous report that stuff written in squid ink tends to change color over time, but we failed to provide solid proof. Well, we tested it out ourselves, and here's the results! This picture was taken right after we wrote these characters…

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And here's a picture of the same characters a month later! Viewing it here in the lab, I can definitely see some fading. But in the picture it hardly looks different at all… Let's check back in on this after some more time has passed before drawing any conclusions.

Super slow day here in the lab, but I didn't wanna leave you guys hanging, so I've got a special treat: a squid joke! Why did the squid cancel its camping trip? It couldn't find its tentacle!

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News flash! We've just confirmed that this weapon is called a Splat Charger. Apparently ink is pressurized in the tank and then fired off in powerful blasts that are super effective at hitting long-range targets. Sooo sweet!

Ohhh, baby! We've just acquired some undercover footage of the Splat Charger in action. You gotta check this out! It looks like getting a feel for the timing of firing off maxed-out charges is the key to using this bad boy effectively.

There you have it - the official translations are a good 3-4 posts behind, so there'll be plenty to catch up on soon. Are you still getting hyped for Splatoon?