Splatoon Research Lab

EUREKA! We have discovered the existence of Splatoon 2, a brand-new Splatoon game for Nintendo Switch! This may very well be the most important discovery in the history of squid science! Incidentally, Splatoon 2 was also announced at the ongoing Nintendo Switch Presentation 2017 in Japan, BUT WE DISCOVERED IT FIRST! Anyway, we’ll once again be firing up the ol’ research machine here at the Squid Research Lab, so watch this space for in-depth reporting of our Splatoon 2 research findings!

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!

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!

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!

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!

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!

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!

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!

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…

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!

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.

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!

So…bad info. Splatoon is not a hot new snack product. Splatoon is a video game. The interns thought it would be “funny” to send me some “breaking news” because it was “April Fool’s Day.” Lesson: never trust an intern. Seriously, don’t ever.

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.

Booyah! Our squid buddies were featured in the latest Nintendo Direct! Sounds like there was some exciting news about a variety of Inkling-related topics, from intense ranked battles to local 1-on-1 Battle Dojo matches to a bunch of other tasty squidbits! Be sure to check it out!

BREAKING NEWS! I know I’ve said it before, but seriously you guys. Seriously. SERIOUSLY! This is some BREAKING. FREAKING. NEWS. Splatoon will be released on May 29th! THIS IS NOT A JOKE. BOOYAH, BABY! That’s less than two months away!

Splatoon amiibo! Splatoooooooooon amiibooooooooooo! I can’t even. Looks like there’s gonna be three of these beauties, an Inkling boy, an Inkling girl, and an Inkling squid. I’m gonna need at least three of each. One to open, one to keep sealed, and one for…”research purposes.” I can not wait. Can’t wait!

I’ve just gotten word that there’s some new footage available on something called the “official website.” I feel pretty official here in the lab, but apparently we’re not the only squid-news game in town (I guarantee we have better dental insurance, though. Seriously, we have a free in-house dentist here in the lab. You wouldn’t believe how much gummy candy and energy drinks these interns put away!). Anyway, this new footage apparently reviews all of the Splatoon information that’s been announced so far, so be sure to check it out!

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.

New footage just in! Check it out if you wanna see the Splattershot Jr. in sweet, sweet action. Just because it’s great for beginners doesn’t mean it’s wimpy. In the right hands, it can go toe to toe with any weapon on the market. Don’t sleep on it! Maybe “Jr.” actually stands for “just right”…

Summary of Edge article on Splatoon
- Main article has quotes from Amano/Sakaguchi and Nogami and talks about Edge playing the same demo build of the game the media played a few weeks back.
- The prototype had basic block characters and the ink painting mechanic. You were invisible when you were in your own ink. Amano/Sakaguchi added in jumping, hiding in ink, and the ability to shoot up and down. After that, though, they were confused about what they wanted to do with the game. They thought they might put a squid character on the box art but they needed a humanoid character to hold the guns. They thought a "squid human" wouldn't sell.
- Amano/Sakaguchi were scolded by Miyamoto in 2013 when doing the prototype who said "I don't understand. What do you want to do? There's no appeal to this game".
- They had an epiphany on Jan 6, 2014 that they could have you switch between a squid and human form and they rapidly got a bunch of ideas about how you swim faster in your own ink, you slow down in enemy ink and take damage, you can swim up walls, etc.
- Amano is a fan of "shooting games", but when he would invite friends to play with him they would get frustrated. He wants to make a game that is different that people who aren't fans of traditional shooters can play.
- Edge magazine says "Splatoon has no voice chat and never will". Amano says: "This is coming from personal experience. When I played online games, I didn't like the negativity I got and people telling me 'You're crap. Go away'. So we wanted to focus on the positive aspects of online gaming". Amano says he's not saying that chat in an online game can't contribute to fun but they want to grab new players.
- Confirms that there are some Splat Zone maps with more than one boxed-off area to capture. If you claim all the territories your timer starts to count down, but if your opponent captures one the timer stops.
- The same primary weapon can come in a variation with the different sub/special weapon
- Can start firing after a super jump right before you land
- More online modes besides Turf War/Splat Zones
- One respawn point per team, but you're invulnerable while on it to discourage campers.
- A lot of the designers on the team are in their 30s, so the 90s style with street fashion and trainers is a big inspiration for the outfits
- Trick to balancing the weapons according to Sakaguchi is to make people want a little more ("if only it could shoot a little farther/shoot faster" ). They aren't going out trying to make the strongest weapon in the game.
- 15 singleplayer challenges and "5 rare pieces of gear" for each of the 3 Amiibos
- Q&A with Katsuya Eguchi. Thinks Splatoon IP has huge potential. Important to have things that will draw attention to the game after release (basically hints at content updates/DLC).

Here's a few other notes:
- A note mentions that one of the pairs of shoes available changes color to match the Inkling you've created
- The article mentions one of the challenges for the girl inlking Amiibo might be completing a stage in a certain time limit
- Nintendo is testing the game internally and there are frequent "quarrels" between team members discussing which weapon is stronger in certain situations
- They spent two hours talking about how long it should take the grenades to explode
- Amano and Sakaguchi have been been thinking about the game so much that they've been dreaming about it. Sakaguchi actually dreamed that he asked one of the programmers on the team to come up with something and the programmer in his dream implemented it and showed it to Sakaguchi. Sakaguchi loved the idea. He had that programmer (in real life) put it in the game the next day!

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!

Inkling girl amiibo report! This amiibo is just…so…beautiful… Look at her “hair” flowing in the breeze… Her mischievous eyes… Those sweet shoes… That stylish pose… The way she holds that Splattershot… Be still my heart!

Inkling boy amiibo report! This amiibo is just…so…cool… Look at his focused gaze… Those rad shoes… His dashing good looks… What detail, what poise. I can’t wait to bring this dude home!

Inkling squid amiibo report! This amiibo is just…so…exquisite… Look at those crazy eyes… The way it’s powering out of the ink… Those beautiful ink blobs… This thing is inkredible! Squid forever! Squid for president!

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!

Classic Squiffer exposed! One of our undercover pizza delivery guys recently used his “thumb drives” to “download” this video of the Classic Squiffer into his “pockets.” Compared to the Splat Charger, you’ll see a noticeable difference here in both charge time and splat range. And while this may not seem like much at first, it can make all the difference when things get crazy on the battlefield! Squiffers unite!

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…