
With Splatoon out in the wild we can get a first proper impression of how the game is going down with families. With this in mind I checked in with the Huo family to see how they'd taken to the local and online components of Nintendo's new shooter.
They took a while to get used to the controls - and to agree how best to share the GamePad - but seemed to take to things quite quickly:
One player uses the GamePad and its-built in screen, and the other player uses a controller and plays on the TV. It's a natural solution to local multiplayer, but it raises a minor issue: since everyone in the family prefers the motion control, we have to swap after each game to make it fair.
This surprised me actually, that after some practice, I prefer the motion control over traditional right stick control. I almost felt like I should give it a try the way the designers created the game, and there's a certain logic to it, almost like using a mouse and keyboard. Using the right stick for Left and Right, I found the most success by minimizing the motion control to mainly up and down.
The Huo's highlighted how different a shooter this was, even compared to something like Plants vs Zombies Garden Warfare:
The emphasis is taken off eliminating other players and instead you compete to cover the most area. Because moving around is much quicker in your own ink, even when playing to pop balloons you still have to cover the ground with ink. Even a kid friendly shooter like EA's Plants vs Zombies Garden Warfare is still about mowing down your enemies. Splatoon's Single Player Story Mode has some aspects of that, but it also features some puzzle aspects, as well as finding hidden items through each level.
That's not to say that you can't benefit from inking other players, of course. Sending them back to their spawn point means that they're off the field, while you're still out there, laying down ink. Speaking of laying it down, Splatoon offers a wide variety of ways to spread ink around the stage, from rapid fire small weapons, long range charging weapons, and ground covering paint rollers.
The kids took to it pretty quickly, after using the Story Mode and Battle Dojo to get comfortable with the controls. After a few days, they were willing to try the online Turf Battle, and they had fun, even though they didn't always end up winning. As a parent, I'm happy about the decision to leave voice chat out, as it provides a game experience that is free from negativity.
A nice tip that they highlighted was how to get online to play against friends already playing a Turf Battle.
Choose Join Friends in Regular Battle to see who on your friend list is playing at the moment, and jump to their lobby, or wait in line until they are done their match. Nintendo have announced a future mode where you can pick a team of four friends, but the ability to join friends is in the game, from the start.
Provided word gets out about Splatoon to a wide range of families, it is already looking like a unique and welcome experience. Time will tell how effective the advertising is, but my experience that playing the game once is all it takes for my friends to ask about not only getting the game but also a Wii U — something that hasn't happened since the days of Wii Sports.
Comments 27
This is probably the most family friendly shooting game out there, and I'm okay with that.
Watch this become the one game that we've all been looking for that becomes a massive system-seller, like what happened with the 3DS w/ Mario Kart 7 and Mario 3D Land, and what we thought would happen with Smash Wii U and Mario Kart 8
Won't happen, but who knows. Splatoon seems to be selling really well, from what I hear.
I thought I'd enjoy the single player more but its really just a distraction between PvP matches. The Amiibo challenges are especially taxing since they're just replays of the single player campaign with added achievements.
I've got no complaints about online though and really appreciate not having to listen to someone barking orders or obscenities.
Andy, you can play 2 player vs w/ motion now, I'm sure you must have a few of these about your house.
https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2015/05/weirdness_the_second_player_can_have_motion_controls_in_splatoons_battle_dojo_mode
It's pretty much already devolved into paint roller/machine gun + kraken ability, then get all the clothing that increases special rate. High level players get lumped with everyone else, so some teams will have a few level 15+ players while the opposing team only has low level players.
It's definitely kid-friendly for online play. The balancing is off though, so I'm sure there are a ton of kids just losing over and over until they get tired of fighting lvl30 players with japanese names and ridiculous special attacks.
System seller. It will be right there second to MK8 in sales. Nope, Smash will be on distant 3rd.
@mjc0961: It's actually an excellent game, but you are entitled to your opinion (and to miss out).
My kids, 4 and 5, have been hyped for months and have not been disappointed. In fact, they can't stop playing. Makes me really appreciate the Battle Dojo to let them goof around together or play against one of us adults. Though when playing online my son is call about the roller. (Seriously, he's been hatching roller strategies for weeks, such as talking about all the ways he's going to sneak up and splat people all the way back from the granparents' cabin...)
@mjc0961 you realise its a wii u game not a wii game so they don't have to use that besides there are to many buttons to use a wii remote and nunchuck.
As much as I would like Wiimote / nunchuck controls, I am glad I didn't let that stop me from getting this game. It's fantastic and very addictive, I've not even touched the single player campaign, upto level 18 on turf wars. I am so glad there is no Voice Chat, best decision they made IMO
This game is amazing! The turf war mode is so addicting. I tell myself one more round, but then thirty minutes later I finally get off.
@Ootfan98
No, the best decision they made was making this game.
@pherret022 agreed
@edgedino I absolutely love this game, had so much fun playing this and my girlfriend got used toco trolling it with wiimote for motion on it superquick, but I would love to be able to use the WiiMote + nunchuck and we thought about how it would be mapped and there are defintely enough buttons And for online play, having nuckuck+wiimote would work too, superjump could just be mapped to a button and bring you to the player who's the gurthest away of the respawn point, and we can have a map on the screen, would be fine I see no problem! Goooooo Wiimote!
I've been really enjoying this game this weekend. There seems to be no way for me to stop playing it.
Surely we should be able to use the wiimote+nunchuck in conjunction with the gamepad. Then use the gamepad for superjumps only during battles.
I'm fine with the gamepad for myself, but I don't see a problem for those who want other options.
@mjc0961 Pointer controls wouldn't work. The game is very fast, fast turns and fast movements actually take precedence over precision. Most weapons are also more suited to a run'n'gun type of gameplay. There are a couple of weapons that could be played with pointer controls though, it still wouldn't be optimal once someone get close ... but maybe it would be a trade-off some would be willing to take.
Anyways, the bigger issue in my book is the lack of any option to properly play with friends. Not only do you have to use external ways of communication (and yes, it is vital, esp. on non-mirrored maps like the oil rigg, where two half-way decent and coordinated players can hold the key top area no problem, basically winning the game), but that you and your friends get shuffled around between sides and that once you want to change any setting or gear, you have to leave entirely.
People always seem to confuse the option to talk to a teammate/friend, with the need to do so always with anyone. Maybe Splatoon shouldn't have voice chat, but I'll be damned if the WiiU shouldn't have a party chat system, like any other system out there. It is plain ridiculous that I have to play in front of laptop, just so a friend can drop me an invite for VC while playing online .... talk about being 10 years behind the curve Oo
@BLPs - Did you smile enough to put the bottle down?
My son is playing now so Im just smiling at all the purty colors. Whichever color it is I like it the best.
Good game. Made with families in mind. Will definitely appeal to the Nintendo crowd but really doubt it will bring many outsiders in.
We shall see.
Oh, glad not getting that network error thing that makes MK8 a waste of my money.
I've been rather down on Nintendo for not including voice chat, but after video, I can see how that benefits it's family-friendly nature. Sure Friend Chat should still be on the table, but it's quite fine without it.
For those that say "mute button," how do you know that your kid is going to use it? I guess you could disable it in the OS or something, but why should you have to password block your kid from playing a kids' game?
There is a weird trick to get motion controls on a 2nd control, you need to enable 2nd control then enable motion controls and attach a wii remote to it with rubber bands and press 2, lol.
I know it sounds like a joke or troll, but it's actually for real from what i've seen, try google it. ^^
@SneakyStyle
I know, crazy right? I haven't heard something so weird since I could use a handset as a pedal in the old Playstation port of the arcade game Time Crisis (You could use it to duck and reload).
Played this quite a bit yesterday online with my two boys, nine and six, and we all loved it just taking turns. Such a great "'let's just have one more go" game and just so much fun to play. Fantastic stuff.
Splatoon is brilliant... This is likely going to be one of my favorite Ninty franchises.
Great and very true article. Personally speaking, we now have 3 Wii U's and three copies of Splat👀n. All 5 of our family love it and LOVE the fact that there is 0 voice chat. The idiots giving this game a "0" because of that fact can certainly return to their cod and bf ways. Don't want or need them. Easily GOTY.
The weekend was a blast playing splatoon with my two sons. My oldest son got to level 10 and my youngest son got to level 7. I am also at level 7. Two Amiibos was scanned and my oldest son finished the single player mode and some amiibo modes. My two sons rates this game as the best from Nintendo ever. We are looking forward to future upgrades. Thank god there is no voice chat. Thanks Nintendo. You never let us down...
@jenkje Amen!
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