Splatoon 2 <コ:彡

Arriving today on Nintendo Switch. I won’t get to play til tomorrow, but let’s have a thread!

Hellish lines in Japan today…

For those of you who can’t stand 'em…

Again, notable for those who aren’t into multiplayer, there’s a large single player mode in this one. It’s bigger than what was offered in the first game. There’s also the Salmon Run co-op horde-style mode which will rotate with the maps in the multiplayer online. You can also play with friends locally if you each have a Switch. Online multiplayer is awesome and easy to enjoy by anyone IMO. I suggest starting with a roller and then moving on to the paint guns. The roller gets you focused on the most important part of the game… covering the map!

To be fair, I think even without Splattoon 2, there would be lines for the Switch in Japan. There was a contest a couple of weeks ago at a neighbouring big electronic shop. The reward for the winners? The possibility to buy a Switch (fully priced, I might add).

Yeah, that’s true, but this was already a phenomenon there. They had Squid Sisters concerts there last summer! It’s kinda nuts.

This should have been the quote on Japan National Tourism Organization brochures, instead of that silly “Yokoso!” campaign of years past.

Motion aiming (with a pad) for life!

Edit: Seriously, without them I don’t think I’d have been able to stomach it. I can’t stand aiming with thumbsticks.

I’m a motion control aimer in this game too. It just kinda stuck when I played on Wii U. Man, I’m excited to get back in. I played the Testfire briefly and it sucked me right back in. :)

What does the single player look like? Is it mostly just normal matches against bots? I’m traveling this weekend and trying to decide if Splatoon is something I can play on the plane or if I should just wait until I get back.

If I want to buy this digitally, do I need a memory card? If so, what type?

If it’s anything like the first game, it’s a series of levels with a variety of encounters, puzzles, and boss fights. Definitely a lot more than matches against bots.

In fact, I don’t recall any levels in the first game which were just bot matches.

You just need 5.5GB of free space. That can be either internal storage or a MicroSD card.

It’s a real single player “campaign” where you have to save one of the Squid Sisters. Here’s the relevant passage from the Polygon review…

The Nintendo tradition of iterative design is present as well, though. Splatoon 2’s 30-ish levels — including boss battles — are each built around a particular game mechanic, from grindable ink rails to bounce-house-style pads that let you leap into the air. Each experience feels like a fully developed concept, distinctive from the last. The mechanics then follow you back to the hub worlds, where you’ll have to use what you’ve learned to uncover the next level’s entrance. While levels can be completed in any order before accessing any of the five hub world bosses — which is freeing! — sometimes I needed the weapon or practical knowledge from a previous level to reach the next one.

Splatoon 2’s levels are short and to the point, making them pleasantly digestible, especially on the go, but the game often leans too heavily on platforming elements. Your Inkling isn’t dexterous in their human form, and that only gets worse when they’re stumbling through the enemy’s paint. There were a couple of sections where enemy fire, the camera angle or a tricky jump across moving surfaces led to frustrating platforming and a lot of unnecessary deaths.

Full review here…

Eurogamer…

Single player is definitely a selling point if that’s what you’re looking for.

Played a couple hours this afternoon and it’s every bit as cool as the first game but with even more stuff added on. The tutorial is quick and to the point so if you played before there isn’t much to get through before you’re splatting.

Online is as seamless as before and the Splattershot Jr. is an excellent introductory weapon because it covers a ton of ground while also giving you a good shot in any one on one situation. Once you hit Level 4 you can buy new gear and weapons. I have pretty much all the staples at Level 5 so I can switch to whatever I feel like using already. Lots of newbs but also ran into some players who were super competent too. I played the original a lot so I was quickly leading teams to victory. Ranked unlocks at Level 10.

Just did the tutorial for Salmon Run but it looks really cool. Love the different boss designs. It’s not always available as an online game mode but there’s a large window each day it seems. I’m sure that’s to get people playing all the modes without having one take precedence and leaving all others a ghost town.

Haven’t cracked open single player yet. Probably tomorrow. Again, it’s everything the original was and a lot more. Well worth your time and money.

Do any of you know the purpose of collecting power eggs in Salmon Run? Google, Twitter, and the Grizzco manual aren’t clear, and if the tutorial mentions it, I’ve forgotten.

Power Eggs increase your score at the end of the round. You’re competing for them with other employees just like the Golden Eggs, etc. That’s my understanding anyway. In the original game they were used as a form of currency in the single player IIRC.

Friday was a rough day for me. I had been looking forward to Splatoon 2 for so long (it is, in fact, the main reason I have a Switch right now), but I couldn’t get used to the DAMN NEW CONTROLS. The Joy Con Grip was nowhere near as comfy as some had said, the new right joystick position was crimping (and cramping) my style, and the X button…

Ah, the X button.

Years of being used to X being the jump button upended in a single day. Now when I tried to do a daring jump out of the ink into firing position, I would bring up the map instead, obscuring the whole screen and making myself easy target practice for the other team.

Let’s just say that I was not happy.

Fortunately, the last few days have seen me starting to relearn my muscle memory. The grip is a bit more comfortable now, and I only hit the map button 50% of the time instead of 100% of the time. I’m starting to figure out the new subs and specials, and I unlocked my beloved Aerospray (but I don’t get the variant until Level 28?!). The map design is excellent and exciting to learn (or re-learn based on the tweaks to Port Mackerel).

I’m a bit underwhelmed by the music, which seems uniformly restrained and “cool” compared to the boisterous chaos of the first game. Even the remixes make me pine for the originals (I suspect it’s unlikely, but it would be great if they became available later, even if paid DLC). And I’m still mad that even the lame same-system local multiplayer option was removed instead of expanded. I know everyone loves to sit around with their multiple systems in Japan, but that leaves me and my kids out in the cold. Our love of playing Splatoon together just isn’t worth another $720.

But much of the charm is still there, which is a big part of the appeal to me. I’ve played a few rounds of Salmon Run, and that looks like it will be a great alternative to the campaign. And the Turf Wars are as addictive as ever.

But, really, Nintendo, the X button? I know the B button is now closer to the right stick, but the B button did NOTHING in the first game. It could EASILY have been the map button, and then no one would have to relearn anything! C’MON!

I think I’m going to really miss the second screen for quick squid jumping and inkstrikes. How does that handle now?

Jumping is still in. You hit X to bring up the map and there’s a cursor you use to pick your jump location. It’s easy with motion controls. Inkstrike is not in though. Tenta Missiles are somewhat similar but targeted to players and not a space on the map.

Ah, good to hear. I used to like the area denial possibilities of inkstrike but also felt it was a bit cheesy so I’m not averse to it being removed!

I think my biggest confusion in the game are the inscrutable menus and status screens after completing a round. So many different numbers and tiny icons everywhere and only shown for a few seconds. Even the Nintendo Online app has the same tiny icons with few explanations.

Does anyone have a simple screenshot key which explains all this stuff?

Does any of it actually matter, though? I never really paid any attention to it in the first Splatoon.

Are you talking about the gear level ups at the end of a match? You’re probably aware of the level up of your player avatar. That earns you more available gear and weapons to buy in the shops.

The little icons on the gear are perks of that gear. Those level up as you play essentially leveling up your gear. They can give you swim speed boost, more ink in the tank, quicker squid jumps, etc. When you’re in the shop, just hit the X button (I think…) while looking at the gear and it will flip the gear display over and explain what the icon is and what it will do for you. This is why there’s a dude hanging out in the town that will order gear for you or replace gear slots with the perks you want. It’s also why you can examine other players while roaming the town square. You can order their awesome gear for yourself! That’s provided you have a high enough level…

I like things that give me more ink in the tank so I have to go squid less often (and by that same token cover more ground with ink) as well as movement speed perks when swimming. There are lots of options to kit yourself out.