Splatoon News
December2015
News Nintendo Shows Off Splatoon's New Upcoming Stages Through the Art of Dance
Piranha Pit and Ancho-V Games on the way
With Splatoon's free DLC set to largely wrap up in January, beyond balancing tweaks and fixes, its no surprise that it'll try to close with a bit of a bang. Since its May launch the game has expanded a great deal with new modes and maps, and it'll be the latter which gets a boost soon. Piranha Pit and...
News Splatoon Update Improves Matchmaking, Tinkers With Rainmaker And Generally Tightens Things Up
Full list of changes in 2.4.0 update included within
A new update for Splatoon goes live today, and we've got the full list of changes for you to gaze at in wonderment. These include improvements to the matchmaking service, the addition of prohibited areas in the Rainmaker mode and the closing of certain level shortcuts in all game modes. You can...
News Splatoon Developers on the Future of Splatoon and DLC
No future plans for paid DLC, free DLC is done in January
Splatoon has really come a long way since its initial launch. The Splatoon that we were introduced to back in May was still an excellent game, but a strong argument could be made that the game was uncharacteristically light on content for a Nintendo game. Since then, new maps, game modes,...
Video The Zink Mini Splatling Comes to Life on the Battlefield
Zink-capable of failure
Splatoon is the gift that keeps on giving, and this week the arsenal has been expanded to include the Zink Mini Splatling! This little beastie is strikingly similar to its non-Zink counterpart as you might expect, but this thing comes bundled with disruptors for keeping your prey still as well as a bubbler to save you from...
News Splatoon's Next North American Splatfest is Basically a Survey for Santa
Are you naughty or nice?
The next Splatoon Splatfest has been announced for North America and, to be fair, it's a fairly witty and festive head-to-head this time around. It'll also provide some handy data for Santa (or Nintendo's number-crunchers, in reality) on a key topic - are you naughty or nice? It's one of the funnier contests that we've...
News Zink Mini Splatling Weapon Coming To Splatoon Later Today
Or early tomorrow, if you're in Europe
The Splatoon weapon drop continues with the launch of the Zink Mini Splatling. This compact yet deadly firearm will be available later today in North America, with the European launch coming tomorrow morning. Are you keen to get your hands on this new weapon? Is the drip-feed maintaining your interest in...
News Nintendo's Next European Splatfest is the Most Random Yet
Pizza preferences
Splatoon is a game that seems to always have something fresh for us to enjoy. Whether it's the weekly additions of new weapons or, occasionally, a new stage, those that fire it up regularly normally have a something new to check out. Splatfests are another part of that, with topics that range from being rather neat to others that...
News Splatoon And Super Mario Maker Honoured At The Game Awards 2015
Satoru Iwata gets a special tribute, too
The Game Awards 2015 took place in Los Angeles last night, and while Nintendo didn't choose to show off any new games or make any groundbreaking announcements, the company did come away with three (and not two, as we previously reported) awards. Super Mario Maker was awarded Best Family Game, while Splatoon...
News Mahi Mahi Resort Map Arrives in Splatoon on 3rd December
Or early hours 4th December in Europe
As is the norm, the Nintendo Treehouse has used one of its live events to make a neat announcement, in this case related to Splatoon. During the Splatournament it was confirmed that the Mahi Mahi Resort map will arrive in the game at 6pm Pacific / 9pm Eastern in North American on 3rd December, which is 2am UK /...
Live Catch All The Splatoon Action From the Nintendo Treehouse Splatournament
Kids and squids back in the limelight
In the November Nintendo Direct it was confirmed that Treehouse team members will be going head-to-head in Splatoon's various modes - there'll be Turf War, Tower Control, Splatzones and Rainmaker rounds to decide the winners. Join us as we ink in the details and see Bill Trinen and company battle it out...
November2015
News Splatoon's Next Splatfest in North America is All About Junk Food
You are what you eat
It's getting to be that time yet again for North America, when it's time for another Splatfest. Arguably the biggest event to happen within Splatoon, these day long battles provide the easiest way to acquire those expensive Super Sea Snails in bulk. This month's Splatfest is something of a dilemma, as the debate is between two...
News Get Sloshed With Splatoon's Sloshing Machine This Weekend
Might help you clean up your act
These are happy times for Splatoon addicts, as some weeks are actually bringing two new weapons. The second new weapon to arrive this week looks set to arrive at the normal time of 7pm Pacific / 10pm Eastern / 3am UK / 4am CET on Friday / Saturday, and looks a bit like a portable washing machine. It's the Sloshing...
News The Slosher Deco is Splashing Into Splatoon on 25th November
If in doubt, just add 'deco' to the name
Nintendo seems to like adding new weapons to Splatoon on Wednesdays now, with the Slosher Deco arriving on 25th November. Amusingly Nintendo of Europe accidentally tweeted images of the original Slosher originally, but we couldn't really see the difference between that and the 'deco' weapon on the way. Well,...
News Splatoon Picks up BAFTA Children's Award
Hip with the squid-kids
Awards season is approaching, and colourful shooter Splatoon has already drawn ink by picking up the 2015 British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) Children's Award for Best Game. The Inklings beat out a second Nintendo nominee, Yoshi's Woolly World, for the honour, as well as the console edition of Minecraft and...
Video Splatoon Gets the Did You Know Gaming? Treatment
Splatofu would have been interesting...
Splatoon is one of the most popular Wii U games around at the moment, still going strong since its May release. With weekly additions, Splatfests and occasional major updates it keeps giving us reasons to play, not that plenty of fans need any excuse. Now the Did You Know Gaming? channel has kept up its...
News Check Out This Unused Stage Found in the Splatoon Art Book
Maybe material for a future update?
At launch, it could certainly be argued that Splatoon had just enough stages to get by, but this was assuaged over the coming months as Nintendo introduced new stages to the rotation; in addition to new gear and other goodies. While the post release DLC for Splatoon has been exceedingly generous, one must wonder...
Video See Splatoon's New Fearsome Hydra Splatling in all its Over-encumbering Glory
It costs 400,000 Super Sea Snails to fire this gun for 12 seconds
If Splatoon's Heavy Splatling and Heavy Splatling Deco aren't quite heavy enough for you, the latest addition to the arsenal could well be right up your street. This new Splatling boasts incredible range & firepower at the cost of gulping away at your ink reserves in the blink of...
News The Hydra Splatling is the Next Freebie For Splatoon
More style with the power
Splatoon keeps on adding content, sometimes through major updates but often with new weapons, with the additions becoming part of many Wii U owner's weekly routines. The next new gun has now been confirmed, and it looks pretty cool. Arriving late evening on 20th November in North America and in the early hours of the...
News Splatoon Bundle Boosts Wii U Sales in Japan as Project X Zone 2 Struggles
3DS 'family' sneaks top in hardware
It's Media Create chart results day, once again, and the Japanese market has had a few key releases to shake things up. Starting off with software we have Project X Zone 2 making its debut on 3DS, though it's unable to overthrow Call of Duty: Black Ops III having only shifted 40,935 units; that's well down on the...
Video These Charming Japanese Commercials Highlight Festive Wii U Bundles
Splatoon and Mario Maker get a big push
Christmas is an important time of year when it comes to selling video game hardware and software, and over in Japan Nintendo is giving the Wii U a festive push with special bundles. The company has given recent hits Splatoon and Super Mario Maker their own hardware bundles, and has rolled out some TV...
News The Bamboozler 14 Mk II Arrives in Sheldon's Shop Tomorrow Morning
Here comes the Bamboom
Sniping is something of an interesting playstyle in Splatoon. When playing a game where the point is to cover as much turf as possible, it seems counterintuitive to be posting up in places and covering what you can from a vantage point. Moving around isn't much of an option either, as the Rollers will make short work of you...
Version 2.3.0 gets detailed
The latest Splatoon update has been explained in detail on Nintendo's official site, and brings with it some new gear for players to purchase. The patch launched yesterday and also includes changes to the way in which data is displayed on ranked battle result pages, as well as some alterations to weapons and basic...
News New Stages and Gear Are Soon to be Added to Splatoon
Also, an official tournament is on the way
In today's Nintendo Direct, it was confirmed that Splatoon will soon be receiving a massive influx of content. In terms of what's being added, two new maps are set to enter the rotation, called Mahi Mahi Resort and Museum d'Alfonsino. Museum d'Alfonsino will go live in an update on 14th November and Mahi...
News New Splatoon Map, Museum d'Alfonsino, Revealed on SplatNet
We're going to guess that was an accident
Nintendo Direct hasn't happened yet, but it looks like a relatively small reveal may have tumbled out courtesy of the Splatoon Splatnet website. We suspect the automated process of the site's schedule page has caught Nintendo out as it shows an all-new stage that's on the way very soon. It's called Museum...
Video Watch Splatoon's Surprisingly Early Neo Sploosh-o-matic Giving its all
We've forgotten the Kraken
Splatoon continues to be updated, and strangely this week we've been gifted with a new weapon half a week earlier than usual. This time around it's the Neo Sploosh-o-matic and its devastating close-quarters capabilities. Coupled with the 'Neo' in its name, this variant comes bundled with Point Sensors and the Kraken, a...
News Splatoon's Content Update is a Little Early This Week With the Neo Sploosh-o-matic
Soak it up
We're used to new content arriving in Splatoon every Friday / Saturday, depending on time zones, serving as a nice start to our weekends. Nintendo has different plans this week, however. Nintendo of Europe has tweeted confirmation that we'll receive a new weapon early this week, arriving Wednesday morning (11th November). Assuming it's...
Video See Splatoon's New Heavy Splatling Deco in all its Rhinestoned Glory
Fabulous freshness
Splatoon's latest free update in the continued support for the game gifted us all with a brand new variant on the Heavy Splatling, the Heavy Splatling Deco, and we've only gone and recorded some footage of it fresh from the servers. This thing not only looks flashy and unwieldily, but it has Point Sensors to keep track of your...
News Super Smash Bros. + Splatoon Wii U Hardware Bundle Emerges in GameStop Black Friday Advert
New Nintendo 3DS XL deals and more also confirmed
Black Friday is still a little while away, falling on 27th November in the US this year, but some deals are already starting to emerge. Intriguingly, the leaked GameStop Black Friday leaflet confirms an exciting new Wii U bundle, though it's unclear whether it'll be exclusive to the retailer. In...
News Splatoon's Next New Weapon is the Heavy Splatling Deco
Look good while dispensing inky justice
Splatoon continues to serve up new items on a weekly basis, with last week bringing two new weapons - the H-3 Nozzlenose D and the Luna Blaster Neo. We're down to one new weapon this week, but it's both glamorous and destructive, and therefore may be irresistible. Nintendo has confirmed that this week's new...
News Splatoon Art Book Reveals Early Concept for Warping via Urinals and Sinks
Eww
There's certainly no shortage of ways to travel around as a squid in Splatoon. You can choose to either just swim through your team's ink, tap on a teammate or Squid Beakon to super jump, or – in the single player mode – use a sort of powerline to quickly transport you from one side of the map to another. However, it appears that there was...
October2015
News Zombies Will Face Off Against Ghosts in the Next European Splatfest
Zombies 'ain't afraid of no ghosts
Due to Splatoon Splatfests now being on alternate weeks in North America and Europe, gamers in the latter region will need to wait until 7th November for their own spooky face-off. As confirmed by Nintendo of Europe it'll be a rather appropriate battle between Zombies and Ghosts on 7th November, with the usual 24...
Video See Splatoon's Shiny New H-3 Nozzlenose D & Luna Blaster Neo in Action
Or is that Chiko Blaster Neo?
Splatoon's the game that just keeps on giving, and this week we've been graced with two brand spanking new weapons: the H-3 Nozzlenose D and the Luna Blaster Neo! The H-3 Nozzlenose D is a heavy-duty, long-range weapon that fires a burst of rounds at your foe with tremendous damage, but at a pretty weedy rate of fire...
News Japan's Upcoming Splatfest is Between Love and Money
Money can't buy me love
Up to this point, Splatfests have generally been lighthearted affairs. Whether it be something like cats vs. dogs, Decepticons vs. Autobots, or pirates vs. ninjas; the competitions have been primarily set up to poll the masses for their favorites or opinions on popular subjects. Evidently, Japan has chosen that it's time to...
News It's Pirates vs. Ninjas in the Next North American Splatoon Splatfest
Wins multiplier gets a boost
North America's next Splatfest event in Splatoon has been outlined, and will provide a colourful bit of gaming in time for Halloween. Kicking off at 9pm Pacific on 30th October - midnight Eastern - it'll be Pirates vs. Ninjas; it's being pitched as a Halloween-themed event because of outfits choices. Whether you buy...
News The Latest Patch For Splatoon Is Now Available To Download
Plenty of improvements
Nintendo's squid-shooter, Splatoon, is the Wii U game that just keeps on giving. As previously reported, a massive patch was expected to drop this week, adjusting many of the finer competitive aspects of the title. The good news is, Version 2.2.0 is now available to download. Expect a number of changes to game modes, stages...
News Meet Our Splatoon EGX Champions - Team War and Quad Squad
Finding out the secret of their success
Regular visitors to Nintendo Life will know that we ran the Splatoon EGX Team Championships last month at EGX 2015 in Birmingham, UK. This was our first event using Splatoon and the first time we've ran a tournament that involved teams rather than single players. Running the tournaments we met loads of cool...
News Dutch Retailer Lists Standalone Splatoon Squid amiibo, Available 6th November
Seemingly Japanese imports
The three amiibo released specifically for Nintendo's squid-shooter, Splatoon, add a whole lot of content to the game. Unfortunately, as fans located in Europe and North America will know, the Inkling Squid has only been made available in the Splatoon game bundle and amiibo 3-pack. Meanwhile in Japan, the squid retails...
News Next Splatoon Patch Drops October 20th, Rapid Blaster Pro Arrives Tomorrow
No sign of any Octolings
Nintendo's squid shooter Splatoon will very soon be receiving even more content to help users stay fresh. Starting from tomorrow, a new weapon called the Rapid Blaster Pro will be available to purchase from Sheldon's Weapon Shop. This weapon will be released at the following times: 7 PM PT 10 PM ET 3 AM in the UK...
Random Check Out These Awesome Splatoon Plushies from Japan
So fresh
Gaming paraphernalia can be a wonderful way to casually introduce elements of your favorite franchises into an environment. Be it an amiibo to be kept on a desk, a Yoshi plush toy to sit on your kitchen counter, or a replica of the Master Sword to be mounted over a fireplace; a simple object can act as a nice reminder of the things that...
News It's Cats Against Dogs in the Next European Splatfest
Playing catch-up
While Splatoon gamers in North America and Japan have Splatfest battles to enjoy this weekend, the European equivalent was unexpectedly delayed. The good news is that Nintendo of Europe has confirmed the region's next contest for 17th October. It'll be catching up with one of the early Splatfests enjoyed in North America, as cats...
Video Check Out Splatoon's Custom E-litre 3K Scope & Custom Range Blaster in Action
Customised to your needs (maybe)
Splatoon's the game that just keeps on giving, and this week we get to feast our Inkling eyes on the Custom E-litre 3K Scope and the Custom Range Blaster! The Custom E-litre 3K Scope is a scoped variant on the Custom E-litre 3K, allowing more precise aiming at the price of reducing your field of view whilst aiming...
News Speculation of Playable Octolings in Splatoon Triggered by Splatfest and SplatNet Updates
The squid vs. octopus battle intensifies
For quite a while eager Splatoon fans have followed the exploits of data miners and a more mischievous modder causing save data problems - the subject? Playable Octolings. For some they're an inevitability and we're just waiting for their arrival. Are more clues afoot? Our very own Alex Olney - who's not shy...
News Custom Range Blaster And Custom E-litre 3K Scope Coming To Splatoon Today
Tomorrow if you're in Europe
Rejoice, shooter fans! Two new weapons are coming to Splatoon - well, when we say "new" we mean custom versions of pre-existing weapons. The items in questions are the Custom Range Blaster and Custom E-litre 3K Scope. Both will arrive in North America tonight and early tomorrow morning in Europe. Are you still...
News New Euro Wii U Premium Bundle Contains Mario Kart 8 And Splatoon
Launches this month, costs £239.99
Nintendo has confirmed today that it is releasing a new Wii U premium bundle which contains two of the console's most critically-acclaimed titles, Mario Kart 8 and Splatoon. The pack - which will be a limited-time offer - contains the standard black premium Wii U console with 32GB of storage and all the usual...
News English Version of SplatNet Website for Splatoon Goes Live
Keep track of gear, stages, rank, and friends with this handy site
Splatoon is a game that can get fiercely competitive for those who are willing to put in the time and effort. Once you start getting into the upper limits of the Ranked Battle mode, you'll find that competitors wear very particular gear with very particular stats. Surprisingly...
News The Next Splatfest in North America is About How You Like to Travel
Planes or Cars?
We're once again approaching that time in North America for the monthly Splatfest, the popular event that captures the hearts and minds of Splatoon players all over. While the Autobots vs. Decepticons Splatfest will never be topped, this Splatfest's theme is still decent. The battle will be between those who prefer to travel by car...
September2015
News Splatoon 'Octoling' Modder Could Cause Save Data Problems
Wrapping their tentacles around your game
Throughout the Summer there have been efforts in data mining and adding skins to Splatoon, notably with 'playable Octolings' based on messing around with in-game data and settings. It seems, though, that more players beyond the original hacker are starting to manipulate data in Splatoon to play as Octolings...
Video This Splatoon Glitch Makes Rainmaker Very One-Sided on Hammerhead Bridge
One fish, two fish, blowfish, blue fish
Every game comes with its fair share of glitches, and it seems even Splatoon isn't exempt from this fact regardless of all the updates it's received over its short life. This latest glitch discovered by YouTuber Ryanator allows you to get out of bounds on the most recently released map Hammerhead Bridge, and...
Event Splatoon EGX Team Championships 2015
This Thursday through Sunday at EGX 2015
The UK's biggest games event EGX kicks off tomorrow and as usual Nintendo Life will be on the Nintendo UK stand running special tournaments throughout the four days. Two years ago we hosted the StreetPass Zone and held 3DS-focused competitions, while last year it was the UK Mario Kart 8
News Splatoon's Hammerhead Bridge Map Opens For Business Tomorrow
A bridge over troubled ink
Nintendo has confirmed via its Japanese Twitter account that the Hammerhead Bridge map will go live tomorrow. Hammerhead Bridge appears to be a narrow but long stage with an upper path made up of several platforms connected by mesh bridges, and a lower path which seems to be wider than the upper path and lacking in mesh...
Video This Performance From the Splatoon Band and Squid Sisters is as Cool as You'd Expect
Laying down some ink
Splatoon has plenty of strengths, with the cool music undoubtedly adding a great deal to its charm; the soundtrack is even expanded on occasion with free updates. Now Nintendo, as it has done with terrific music for the likes of Mario Kart 8 and Super Mario 3D Land, has released a video showing the talented musicians that make...
News Disney Infinity 3.0's Toy Box Mode Offers Blatant Splatoon Clone
Squid Wars is "Inky fun"
One of the most appealing aspects of Disney Infinity 3.0 is the Toy Box mode, which allows you to create games of your own. To illustrate the power of this mode, the developers behind the game have created a workable version of Splatoon named Squid Wars - and is currently promoting this downloadable offering via Twitter...
News North America's Next Splatoon Splatfest is a Battle of Art and Science
But what if you're an artistic scientist?
Nintendo was always going to struggle to come up with something as cool as the Autobots vs. Decepticons in its next Splatoon Splatfest, and so it's proven. The next Splatfest in North America isn't all bad though - it's going to be Art vs. Science. We suspect Team Science will have very logical in its...
News Nintendo Confirms Seven Million amiibo Sales in the US
Splatoon also continues to sell well
The August NPD results have made their way into the world - these only cover physical retail sales in the US and are, therefore, only relatively representative. Nevertheless they do bring us some updated sales numbers and trends from a vital gaming market. From a Nintendo perspective the software top 10 brings...
News H-3 Nozzlenose Heading To Splatoon Tonight In North America, Tomorrow In Europe
Splat attack
Another new weapon has been confirmed for deployment in Splatoon. This time it's the H-3 Nozzlenose, and you can get your hands on this fresh shooter tonight if you happen to reside in North America. European players will have to wait until tomorrow morning. Are you keen to try out this new weapon, or have you found your preferred...
News Splatoon Art Book Making A Splat Landing In Japan This Year
300+ pages of kid/squid goodness
As if the Inklings among us didn't already have enough to celebrate, it looks like the 2-disc soundtrack we recently reported on isn't the only piece of Splatoon merchandise emerging from the watery depths this year. Freshly announced by Famitsu magazine and translated by
Video When Nintendo Life Met Shigeru Miyamoto And Takashi Tezuka
Our musical maestro Ryan gets the surprise of his life
Keen followers of Nintendo Life will recall that back in July we were fortunate enough to get the chance to interview one of Nintendo's rising stars, Splatoon co-director Tsubasa Sakaguchi, when he visited the UK. Grasping this fantastic opportunity with as many appendages as humanly possible,...
Video Unleash Ink-Based Carnage with Splatoon's Brand New Mini Splatling
It's splattering time
Splatoon's roster of weaponry continues to grow, and this time around we're treated to the stripped-down Mini Splatling. Not only is it faster at charging than its heavier counterpart but it also has greatly improved mobility as well as Suction Bombs, and the infamous Inkzooka. You can check it out in action in the video below...
News The Mini Splatling is Next Up in This Week's Splatoon Update
It suits you
Splatoon has a weekly update on the way, as per usual, and Nintendo of Europe has detailed what we can come to expect. It's good news for Splatling fans. The Mini Splatling in on the way in the update today / tomorrow - the new content typically arrives on a Friday night at 7pm Pacific / 10pm Eastern in North America, which is 3am UK /...
News Some Western Splatoon Players Would Prefer Not To Compete With Japan
Online technicalities causing tension?
Reports have recently surfaced via Japanese video game blogs that certain clusters of Western Wii U owners do not enjoy playing Nintendo's competitive online squid shooter Splatoon with players from Japan. Some have even taken to social media to demand that Nintendo enforce regional servers for the game. The...
Video Splatoon's Rainmaker Mode is Possibly the Game's Most Cultural Match Type
'Culture Shock' YouTube show explains why
Splatoon has a decent splattering (sorry) of modes nowadays, with frequent updates over the course about three months adding plenty of content. A recent addition was the Rainmaker mode in Ranked Battles, in which you try to take possession of the powerful relic and progress into the opposition's territory...
August2015
News Splatoon Version 2.1.0 Update to Fix Some Bugs, and Cut Off Some Handy Shortcuts
No more cheeky squid moves
Splatoon wrapped up another Splatfest this past weekend, and continues to evolve and add new content on a weekly basis. The development team remains active in tweaking the game and applying fixes, too, and update 2.1.0 will arrive soon - at 598MB in Japan - to do just that. The update is due to be preceded by some...
Video Ink Yourself Over Splatoon's Two New Weapons, the Bamboozler 14 Mk I & L-3 Nozzlenose D
Nozzle up your nose
Splatoon's ever expanding list of weaponry has just grown even bigger with the addition of two brand new weapons: The Bamboozler 14 Mk I and the modified L-3 Nozzlenose D. The new Bamboozler 14 Mk I comes equipped with a Splash Wall and a Killer Wail/Megaphone Laser, and whilst it's quick to charge and has decent range the...
News Two New Weapons Are Heading to Splatoon This Week
Don't forget it's Splatfest weekend, too
The next Splatoon Splatfest kicks off this weekend, which will be an awesome Transformers event in North America and a little more generic in Europe. There'll also be a couple of new w
News Splatoon Original Soundtrack Bringing 2 CDs of Noise to Your Pointy Squid Ears
Can you handle these spicy wasabi beats?
One of the pleasantly surprising aspects of Splatoon has been its approach to music. Not only do songs in the game possess a funky blend of styles with dashes of Japanese influence, but in-world groups have been introduced with unique sounds and different K.K. Slider-like vocalists to give a feeling that the...
News Next Euro Splatoon Splatfest Sadly Doesn't Feature Any Robots In Disguise
Til all aren't one
It has already been confirmed that the next North American Splatoon Splatfest event will ask players to pledge their allegiance to the heroic Autobots or Evil Decepticons, but sadly that offer isn't being extended to Europe. The Euro Splatfest occurring at the same time will instead ask Wii U owners if they prefer singing or...
News Nintendo Is Bringing Splatoon And More To The UK's Biggest Live Gaming Events
Insomnia and Legends of Gaming Live get some N-Love
Nintendo UK has confirmed that it will be attending Insomnia 55 and Legends of Gaming Live 2015 this year, bringing with it a host of games and multiplayer activities. First up is Insomnia 55, which takes place between 28th and 31st August at the Ricoh Arena, Coventry. The UK's biggest live gaming...
Video Get Dizzy on Splatoon's New Flounder Heights Map
Social tench-ion
A week without more free Splatoon content is a week we'd rather not have. Thankfully the big squid in the sky has been kind yet again and graced us with a new map: Flounder Heights. This new map employs a unique variety of different levels, but without the sheer scale or linear vertical space of Moray Towers. It's certainly one...
News There's Another New Map Coming To Splatoon
Welcome to Flounder Heights
Nintendo has revealed that yet another new map is coming to its online shooter Splatoon. Flounder Heights appears to be set in a compact network of apartment blocks, with plenty of vertical surfaces to make things nice and tactical. It will be added to the regular map rotation tonight in North America and tomorrow...
News Splatoon eSports Tournament Series To Be Launched In Japan
Over $1 million in prize money
It seems like only yesterday that we learnt that North America would be getting a Transformers themed Splatfest in the ever-popular Splatoon. The Splatoon hype train waits for no man however and it's been revealed today that a Splatoon eSports tournament series will be launched in Japan with over $1 million in prize...
News It's Autobots vs Decepticons in the Upcoming Transformers Splatfest
Transform and squid out!
Nintendo's regions have had their ups and downs with Splatfest themes, with some being much better than others. Nintendo of America has a doozy on the way, though, tying in with Hasbro for a Transformers event. The 24-hour face-off in North America will be Autobots vs Decepticons, with each player receiving a cool t-shirt...
News Nintendo Announces Another Run of the Splatoon Testfire Demo
Kicks off later this week
Splatoon has been on the market since late May and has proven to be a commercial and critical success on Wii U, yet Nintendo is naturally keen to push the title as an evergreen release. With the continual free content updates, that's not surprising. Intriguingly, it's now been confirmed that there'll be another run of...
Nintendo Life Weekly Super Mario Maker New Features
A handful of everything
It's that time of the week again, and as always we've thrown together what qualifies as being the biggest news of the week as well as all the releases and reviews. This week we're focusing on the new features in Super Mario Maker, Chris Prangar's unfortunate dismissal, and much more besides! Have you subscribed to Nintendo...
Video Drench Yourself in Splatoon's New Rainmaker Mode
Make it rain
Not content to rest on the wealth of free updates already, Nintendo has launched a new mode in Splatoon called Rainmaker. This mode tasks you and your team to carry a giant golden fish known as the Rainmaker into the enemy's base. You won't be defenceless though, charge this titular little number up and you'll unleash a flurry of ink...
News Splatoon Passes Half a Million Copies Sold in the US as Wii U Game Sales Beat 2014 Figures
3DS hardware results are also up
It's NPD time again - though the figures only represent 'new' sales at physical retail and are therefore limited in scope, they give some insight into the state of the US gaming market. Overall, the market in the July sales is up compared to 2014's equivalent period. From Nintendo's perspective the software top 10 -...
News Splatoon's Rainmaker Mode Is Coming Tomorrow
Or Saturday morning, if you're in Europe
Splatoon's next ranked battle mode is coming to North America tomorrow night, with a European release arriving on Saturday morning. The new mode involves carrying the Rainmaker item to the enemy's base. The Rainmaker allows the carrier to hurl cyclones of ink, but they're slow moving and will naturally...
News Here Are Some Handy Tips for Viewing Splatoon Online Rankings, Statistics and Map Schedules
Inking in plans
Splatoon is a weekly - even daily - treat for plenty of Wii U owners, and with its glut of items, weapons and maps there's plenty on offer. It turns out there's also a neat resource for viewing online rankings alongside others on your Friend List, statistics on weapon usage and gear, and even the next few cycles of available maps in...
News This SquidKid Splatoon Game Boy Mod Aims to Make a Splash
Pre-order details due this week
Nintendo wasn't shy of releasing a whole load of Game Boy designs and variations in the '90s, and in the modern day enthusiasts and modders are more than happy to keep the trend going. There are a lot of cool mods out there - if you can think of a cool design you'd like to see, the odds are reasonable that someone,...
News Splatoon Data Mining Brings More Weapons, a New Stage and Even 'Playable Octolings'
Would ruin the Kid / Squid song
As often now happens with a major update to a Nintendo title, pre-prepared future DLC gets data-mined and shared with the world. It's happened, notoriously, with Super Smash Bros.;as a result die-hard fans knew most of the title's pre-E3 reveals before they actually happened. This means, of course, that if you don't...
Poll We Want Your Views on Splatoon Version 2.0
Splatfests, Private Matches, being both a kid and squid
Splatoon changes every week, but the most recent update was one of the biggest yet. It threw in much demanded private matches and the opportunity to team up with friends, while also adding a big batch of new gear, some extra music and boosted level caps. When you add the latest Splatfest round...
Nintendo Life Weekly Xenoblade Chronicles Arrives on Wii U eShop in Europe
Now it's Shulk time
Do you ever have one of those weeks where you seems to end up doing everything you don't want to do and end up missing out on all the latest Nintendo happenings? Well we at Nintendo Life have once again slavishly compiled all of the week's doings into one easy to handle video just for you. This week we take a look at a double...
Guide Get Competitive with 1v1 Online Matches in Splatoon
No items, Final Destination
Splatoon's big update to version 2.0.0 means that we can now play custom games online with friends, allowing us to dictate map, game mode, and even the number of players. This means that the much-sought after possibility of 1v1 matches online in Nintendo's ink-em-up is finally a reality, and they're a massive improvement...
Video Get Splatting with Splatoon's New Slosher and Heavy Splatling Weapons
I am heavy weapons squid
Splatoon's massive update to version 2.0 is live right now, and in this new plethora of content we're gifted with two brand new weapons in the form of the Heavy Splatling and the Slosher. The Slosher is a glorified bucket, but don't let its humble origins fool you, this beast can lob a huge amount of ink over a wide area...
News Splatoon's Massive New Update, to Version 2.0.0, is Now Live
Squad Battles! Private Battles! New Level Cap! Fashion! More!
It's finally arrived. One of the biggest updates - to version 2.0.0 - for Splatoon is now live, bringing with it a whole load of enhancements; it should automatically download when you next boot up the game. There are some balancing tweaks, of course, but it's the arrival of greater match...
Video Players React to Splatoon and Star Fox Zero at Hyper Japan in London
Kids talking about being a squid, now
Hyper Japan was nearly a month ago in London, a major expo that brings together various aspects of Japanese culture. Nintendo UK has been a big supporter of the event and had a booth on hand, also giving attendees what was - at the time - the first opportunity for the European public to go hands on with Star Fox...
News Splatoon And Nintendo Dominated Japanese Retail During June
Over 50 percent of the top 30 were 3DS titles
Japanese gaming publication Famitsu has published sales figures for the month of June, and Nintendo's online shooter Splatoon has come out on top. The Wii U release sold 368,538 copies between May 25th and June 21st - almost 20,000 of which were digital - making it one of the most impressive débuts for...
News Here's Exactly What's Changing In This Week's Massive Splatoon's Update
610MB of goodness
Splatoon is getting a major update this Wednesday (Thursday if you're in Europe) which brings with it squad battles, private battles, a level cap rise and more gear and weapons to use. However, beyond these big changes there are many minor alterations that will have a sizeable impact on how the game plays. These have kindly been...
July2015
News Splatoon's Next North American Splatfest is Detailed
Let's be frank, we always want s'more
For whom does the Sacred Fax Machine dial-in, Splatoon fans? It dials in for thee, North Americans! The orders have descended for the next Splatfest, starting 7th August at 9 p.m. PST and running a full 24 hours. Squids are asked to take sides this time on what they prefer to roast over a campfire: the mystery...
News Range Blaster And Inkbrush Nouveau Coming To Splatoon Tomorrow
Or tonight, if you're in North America
Two more weapons are coming to Splatoon tomorrow (tonight in North America), giving players even more options when it comes to deciding on their perfect load-out. The Range Blaster and Inkbrush Nouveau are the weapons in question. They're not entirely new weapons but variations on already-available armaments...
Video Splatoon Co-Director Tsubasa Sakaguchi Gets Grilled By Kids
Kids say the funniest things
Splatoon game director Tsubasa Sakaguchi isn't often available for interviews, so Family Gamer TV was understandably excited when he invited the families and children it works with to share their pressing questions. While we might want to know how he came up with the design for the game, or what the business drivers...
News Splatoon's Big Update Will Also Include New Music, Have a Listen
Dat piano riff
Exciting times are ahead for Splatoon fans, with its next big update coming on 6th August. It'll include a whole load of new outfits, new 'Slosher' weapons, a new level cap (50), Squad Battles and also Private Battles. Plenty to come, then, though a new music track is also on the way. Posted on the
News Splatoon's Big Update is Coming on 6th August
Private lobbies, tag team matches and more
Update: Nintendo as issued a press release which gives a few more details. The following will all be included in this update: Squad Battle - Set up in your own teams with friends in Ranked Battles Private Battle - Set up your own custom rooms with any team combinations up to 8 players, with options for...
Nintendo Life Weekly Nintendo & Facebook Partner Up for Super Mario Maker
Make Mario With Us
If you've ever found yourself unable to keep up with all the hustle and bustle in the world of Nintendo you can find yourself in some pretty sticky situations; that's why we've once again compiled all the biggest and best news, reviews, and releases into one easy video. This week we look at the surprise partnership between...
Video Japanese Splatoon Advert Teases New Weapons, Gear, Map & Rainmaker Mode
Lock n' load with new paint bucket and mini-gun weapons
Since its release at the end of May, Nintendo’s third-person squid shooter, Splatoon, has received several updates enhancing the overall game experience – with new content arriving on a regular basis. It appears more free DLC is now on the way, with a new Japanese Splatoon trailer...
Video Camp Triggerfish is Splatoon's Newest Map, See It in the Flesh
But no one's serving up imitation gruel
We're treated yet again to a brand new map to try and out-splat our foes: this time it's the long-awaited Camp Triggerfish that's been teased for far longer than the game's been on shelves. Camp Triggerfish is a symmetrical but strangely portion map that allows you to easily infiltrate your enemy's spawn at...
Video Watch Splatoon Co-Director Tsubasa Sakaguchi Make Some Sushi
"Maybe in ten years I can start working here"
Our friends over at Eurogamer have posted an excellent in-depth interview with Splatoon co-director Tsubasa Sakaguchi, which we recommend you read right now. However, they've also posted a more light-hearted video in which Sakaguchi prepares some sushi. Because why not? He talk
"We worried that they're still sleeping and eating!"
Splatoon co-director Tsubasa Sakaguchi has revealed to Eurogamer that he and the rest of the team were surprised at how quickly players reached the game's level cap. As you'll be aware if you've already played Nintendo's excellent online shooter, Splatoon features an experience point system...
News Splatoon's Camp Triggerfish Map Opens For Business Tomorrow
Happy camper
Nintendo has confirmed via its Facebook page that the Camp Triggerfish map will go live tomorrow morning in the UK. This new map has a tribal feel which sets it apart from the levels we've seen so far - it's like a wooden assault course, complete with squid-like totem poles. The stage is unique in that it features floodgates which - in...
Daigasso! Band Brothers P has never been used in a better way
The Japanese Nintendo YouTube channel is pretty consistent with weekly updates, and the latest batch are all entertaining in their own ways. Our favourite is a musical rendition of the main Splatoon theme using Daigasso! Band Brothers P, a neat 3DS game / app that sadly hasn't made it to...
Video See Splatoon's New E-Litre 3K Scope & Neo Splash-o-matic at Work
3,000 litres under the sea
Nintendo has been gracious enough to grant us even more weaponry to splat our foes with in Splatoon, and the two most recent additions are the deadly long-range E-Litre 3K Scope and the re-imagined Neo Splash-o-matic. The E-Litre 3K Scope is what you'd expect: a standard E-Litre 3K but with a scope added for extra...
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