Gallery: A Catch Up on the Splatoon 2 Official Tumblr Page

Back when Splatoon was making a splash prior to release in May 2015, Nintendo did various things to keep eager fans interested. One of the ideas it pursued was localised Tumblr pages posting as the 'Squid Research Lab', and this was also a handy way to get official translations of tweets from the Japanese Twitter account.

This Tumblr page has been busy since the unveiling of Splatoon 2, so we thought it'd be a decent time to collect a few weeks of posts in one place. Some of them have previously been covered in articles, and others are the small sorts of details better suited to, well, a Gallery like this.

We'll do regular Gallery collections from the official Tumblr, so to kick off let's catch up with what's been shared so far.

Hey, squid lovers. We here at the Squid Research Lab have unearthed new video footage of new Inkling specimens. They seem to be related to the Inkling species we've observed before, but they appear to have new abilities and visual styles, as seen at the Nintendo Switch Presentation 2017 in Japan. We'll continue to bring you our findings on this new phenomenon.

The Squid Research Lab can confirm that Inkopolis Plaza is no longer the central hub of Inkling culture. Apparently a new location within Inkopolis known as "Inkopolis Square" is now the most popular area for young Inklings. Many new businesses have opened shop in Inkopolis Square, and it is only two subway stations away from Inkopolis Plaza. We at the Squid Research Lab were surprised to learn that the center of Inkling culture has changed locations in such a short amount of time, but perhaps there is something to be learned about the Inkling way of life in all this. Or maybe we're just thinking about it too hard.

A Squid Research Lab special report:
As we suspected, Turf War is still the most popular sport among Inklings. The basic rules of this sport remain the same–two teams of four Inklings compete to cover the largest area of ground with their ink color within the allotted time. Inklings still eat, sleep, and breathe Turf War, and the sport still drives the direction of fashion, art, and language for Inkling culture.

We have found photographic evidence of one of the new battle stages in Splatoon 2. Inklings call this new area "The Reef", presumably because it's a popular area to hang out when it's not being used for Turf War. The Reef is located a few blocks from Inkopolis Square, and it's home to some of the most popular boutique shops in the city.

Our research indicates that the mid-battle stage map has changed a bit. Apparently Inklings can press the X Button to view the map at any time during a battle. Once the map is open, they can then press the directional buttons and the A Button to Super Jump to a teammate. Each teammate is assigned to a different directional button, as is the spawn point. The map also features a cursor that can be moved by tilting the controller.

This is the Splat Charger in Splatoon 2. Its design has changed a bit from the original game, as have the designs of the Splat Roller and the Splattershot. These classic weapons are still among the most popular with Inklings.

The tried-and-true Splattershot hasn't changed drastically, so veteran Inklings will feel right at home with this weapon. We can also report that all previously existing weapon types, including Splatling and Slosher weapons, will appear in Splatoon 2. Stay tuned for further developments.

Interestingly enough, all of the special weapons that appear in Splatoon 2 are brand new. We've been able to secure an image of one of the new special weapons, but we're unsure of its name. To use it, an Inkling targets as many opponents as he or she can before firing. Once the weapon is fired, four homing missiles are launched at each targeted opponent.

This special weapon is called the Sting Ray. It fires a ray of pressurized ink that can shoot through walls and travel long distances, splatting any enemy players it touches Once activated, it's very difficult to change the direction of the ray.

This special weapon is the Inkjet. It allows its user to hover in the air, and features a blob launcher that can be used to shoot ink blobs at enemies below. It seems to be a very powerful weapon, but it also leaves its user rather exposed. Once this special weapon runs out, the Inkjet explodes, sending its user to the exact point they activated the special from.

This special weapon is called Splashdown. An Inkling who activates it will jump into into the air and then strike the ground, sending an explosion of ink onto nearby players and surfaces. This special weapon can also be activated mid-Super Jump, creating an explosion of ink upon landing. This technique may be very useful when coming to the aid of a teammate who is under attack.

I nearly overlooked it, but I've noticed the existence or a new type of subweapon. This new subweapon is called the Curling Bomb. I was shocked to learn that the Inklings are familiar with the sport of curling, which may be the greatest discovery of all. Once deployed, the Curling Bomb slides across the ground, bouncing off walls.

We haven't discovered any other new subweapons, but we'll keep our eyes open.

We've received a report that Splatoon 2 will be compatible with an upcoming app for smart devices that enhances online play. This app will link with the game and allow you to set a play appointment with your friends and teammates invited through your social media accounts. It also lets you match up with them directly in the game and voice chat with them too.

For example, during a Private Battle, you can voice chat with all of the connected friends when you divide into teams, but once teams are set, voice chat is switched to communication only between teammates in the same team. Also, you cannot communicate with random Inklings you don't know.

That's all so far - are you starting to get hyped for the summer release on Switch?