Gallery: Splatoon Development Updates Bring Fashion, amiibo, Game Modes and More Paper

It's been over a month since we collated updates from Splatoon Tumblr page, which brings translated snippets of information and colourful screens from the development team in Japan. They always bring us fashion, often include looks at modes and gameplay, while also providing lowdowns on various ink-splatting weapons.

With a special Splatoon Direct just a day away we thought it was high time for another round-up. This time around we're leaving out a few posts that we've covered previously or, for example, reference release date announcements that were reported at the time.

There are plenty of nice screens to gawk at, so check them out below - we'll have a pre-Direct feature with you later today, too.

Call the fashion police! Because this Inkling is killing it in this down vest and these hiking boots by outdoor clothing label Inkline. While this brand specializes in high-quality all-weather gear, their look is also highly sought after by even the most fashionable squids, shrimp, and jellyfish.

Octarian alert! One of our mail guys (he does some recon on the side) just confirmed that these bad dudes are called Twintacle Octotroopers. Sounds like they're advanced Octarian troops who pack more of a punch than standard Octotroopers. If you look closely, you'll notice (like Fred did) that these suckers use one tentacle to work their little steering joystick thingy and the other to mash their ink-shooting button. Wonder how many button presses these guys can fire off per second? Probably not as many as me! (I'm an old-school button-masher the likes of which you've probably never seen. Don't step!)

So…this whole time I thought "Splatoon" was going to be the name of the game, but it's not. Splatoon is actually a hot new snack that's coming out in May! You gotta be squiddin' me! Now you can have your squid and eat it too! Unless you're a squid, then…maybe don't because that's weird and kinda creepy. Maybe just eat a quesadilla. Yeah… Now you can have your squid and eat it too unless you're a squid then just eat a freakin' quesadilla! (April Fools!)

Mail guy Fred is on a serious roll now, as he's identified yet another new Octarian baddie. This here is a Shielded Twintacle Octotrooper! Now that's an enemy name. Try saying it five times fast. I dare you! (Seriously, try it.) Tryyy iiit. Impossible, right? Yup.

This here is the Splattershot Jr. It's the first weapon new arrivals to Inkopolis get their hands on when getting their feet wet in Turf War. While not the greatest in terms of range or power, this bad boy has excellent rate of fire and solid ink efficiency. As the "Jr." indicates, it's a well-rounded weapon that's just perfect for noobs.

Ranked battle report! Sounds like "ranked battle" is an intense multiplayer mode for Inklings who are super serious about tracking wins and losses and trying to improve their rank. We've also gotten word that the Turf War matches we've been talking a lot about will be officially classified as "regular battles." Ranked or regular, both sound really rawesome to this researcher! Roo hoo!

Splat Zones report! We've gotten some new intel about the ranked battle mode called Splat Zones. Apparently the goal is to splatter set areas, or "zones," with enough ink to gain control (unlike Turf War, in which you're fighting to ink everything in sight!). As the two teams fight for control of a stage's Splat Zones, it sounds like things can get pretty intense! Sounds kinda like us here in lab fighting over the good stapler!

Splatoon amiibo box report! So…check this out. This is kinda crazy. One of our interns discovered this amiibo box off in the corner of Inkopolis plaza! From what we're hearing, using an Inkling amiibo in front of this thing will bring it to life in the game! Apparently each amiibo will offer 20 challenges that will really put your Octo Valley skills to the test! Oh, it's on, amiibo. It. Is. ON!

Splatoon amiibo challenge report! We've just confirmed that completing enough challenges will unlock a special challenge, and if you beat it, the amiibo will reward you with some exclusive in-game gear! Sounds like you can earn different weapons, headgear, and clothing from each Inkling amiibo. Brb gotta go take some deep breaths, this is way too exciting!

Splat Zones exposed! Our IT guy's daughter recently "hacked" into the Inkopolis mainframe and "illegally downloaded" a bunch of new intel about Splat Zones. In this ranked battle mode, players compete to ink specific zones, rather than splattering every last bit of ground with ink like in Turf War. These Splat Zones tend to be in the middle of the multiplayer stages, and teams need to ink the majority of a zone's surface area to gain control!

Each team starts a Splat Zones battle with a 100-second counter. Once a team takes control of all of a stage's zones (each stage can have one or two), its timer will start to count down, and the first team to tick their timer down to zero will claim victory! However, if neither team's counter gets down to zero at the end of five minutes, the team with the lower counter will win.

Once a team has taken control of a zone, they'll need to do everything in their power to defend it! Meanwhile, the other team will need to throw everything they've got at trying to neutralize the zone and seize control for themselves. Focusing the action into these hotly contested areas means there's never a dull moment when you're…IN THE ZONE!

Ranked battle rank report! One of our interns recently dug through the trash cans behind Inkopolis Tower and found some interesting nuggets of info about how ranked battles work (he also found some actual nuggets of chicken!). It sounds like there are nine ranks you can earn, from C- to A+, and this rank will go up or down depending on your wins and losses. So basically, the higher a player's rank, the more of a boss they are (either that, or they're terrible but have their older brother play online for them a lot). Not to worry, though, it sounds like players of a similar rank will be grouped together on the battlefield! I don't know about you guys, but I'm gonna shoot for a solid B minus.

Ranked battle report redux! We've just intercepted a flurry of Jelonzo's text messages (fyi he uses A LOT of emoji) that confirm, without a doubt, that Inklings must earn the right to fight in ranked battles by reaching Level 10. It sounds like the points required to raise one's level are earned in both regular and ranked battles by one's accomplishments and results on the battlefield. So new splatters with their sights set on ranked battles will need to hone their skills first in regular battles and get that level up! (As for me, it's time to level up my sandwich with some of this spicy mayo I found in the office fridge.)

Inkling fashion report! Check out this Inkling girl's outfit. Cool, right? I told you fashion was paramount in Inkopolis! See how her hair color matches both her skirt and gun? That is some serious attention to detail! And look at how blinged-out her weapon is. Sooo cool! I'm suddenly questioning all of my own fashion choices. Maybe it's time to move on from my usual sweatpants and Hawaiian shirt look…

Octodiver report! Look at this doofus. As the name suggests, these suckers can dive into Octarian ink. So when you come across enemy ink in Octo Valley, be careful. One of these dudes could be waiting to pounce! Also, octopi can breathe underwater as far as I know, so…why the snorkel? Man these guys are dorks.

Splatoon Hat StreetPass report! Hey—it's our favorite squid buddy, and he's making an appearance in StreetPass Mii Plaza! I can't wait to get my head on this hat! I mean…this hat on my head! (My Mii's head, that is.) Man, I would definitely buy one of these in real life if I could. Might have to talk to my gramma about knitting me something like this, actually…

Classic Squiffer report! We've got some hot new info on a cool new weapon! This charger-class gun comes equipped with a miniaturized ink compression tank. Apparently the charge time is short, but it still packs a serious punch! Sounds like the range leaves a little to be desired, though. Also, despite the fact that the ink tank looks like a recycled cleaning-spray bottle, we haven't been able to confirm whether or not this weapon is good for attacking household surfaces. I'm guessing not, but who knows… Maybe it can cut grease and shine your kitchen counters in addition to blasting Turf War opponents!

Octosniper report! These suckers are apparently notorious for posting up and blasting powerful ink shots at enemies from long distance. If you find yourself under heavy Octosniper fire, find some cover and then try to advance your position by swimming in your own ink. I'm not sure if I'm a bad enough dude to take these guys down, but I bet some of you folks out there will master the art!

Squid ink report! Remember our little experiment? Well, after a month or so, the color has faded a bit, but there's still not much of a change. It looks like this is gonna take a while… I'd better order another pizza.

Squid ink report redux! I started thinking, hey…squid ink is an oil-based liquid, so does that mean it's also waterproof? Well, I couldn't sleep last night thinking about it. So check it out: I tried spilling a little water on my squid-ink writing, and…nothing happened! These colors don't run! It smelled pretty funky until it dried up, though…

Splatoon ART CONTEST report! So…turns out our senior squid artist quit like two months ago and didn't tell anyone. And now we need a bunch of sketches ASAP for our quarterly report, but when I checked his old desk drawers, all I found was a snorkel and a bunch of those little red sticks that come with the cheese-and-cracker packs that you use to spread the cheese. Remember those things? Anyway, I was in a full-blown panic until I thought of you guys! I bet some of you can draw some cool Splatoon art. Squid Research Lab needs your help!Here's what I'm thinking: Post your awesomest, most squidtastic Splatoon-themed artwork on Tumblr and tag it with #Splatoon, #GetInked and #NintendoContestEntry so we can find it. We'll even give out some cool prizes for the ones we like best! The report is due on May 29, so you've got until then to show us what you've got. Y'all are the best! Oh, and the contest starts…RIGHT NOW!NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. Void where prohibited. Must be a legal resident of US (incl. DC) or Canada (excl. Quebec) 18+. Deadline: 5/29/15. 1 Grand Prize winner will receive one (1) Wii U system and one (1) Splatoon video game (ARV $359.98). 5 First Prize winners each receive one (1) Splatoon video game (ARV $59.99 each). Additional terms and conditions apply.

Those Octarians look all emo with their swooping head tentacles. But darn if they don't make fascinating artistic subjects. I mean, we're still gonna splatter their octo-hides with ink.
What part of Splatoon do you think makes for a compelling piece of artwork? Create something, post it to Tumblr with #Splatoon, #GetInked and #NintendoContestEntry and you might win some prizes.NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. Void where prohibited. Must be a legal resident of US (incl. DC) or Canada (excl. Quebec) 18+. Deadline: 5/29/15. 1 Grand Prize winner will receive one (1) Wii U system and one (1) Splatoon video game (ARV $359.98). 5 First Prize winners each receive one (1) Splatoon video game (ARV $59.99 each). Additional terms and conditions apply.