splatoon2
Latest
CBS will air the Nintendo World Championships starting August 25th
CBS is set to air the Nintendo World Championships later this month. The trio of esports tournaments -- in which Super Mario Maker 2, Splatoon 2 and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate players duked it out -- will debut on August 25th at 1 PM ET. The network will broadcast two more episodes on September 7th at 2 PM and September 14th at 1:30 PM.
New 'Splatoon 2' gear adds exploding spray paint to your arsenal
Splatoon 2 hit the Switch last summer and we're still seeing a steady stream of updates like fancy toilet-based weaponry. During today's Nintendo Direct we found out version 4 is ready to roll — and by ready, I mean today.
Frustration over 'Splatoon 2' cheating leads to leaderboard hack
Splatoon 2 has had a cheating problem for a while, with unscrupulous players quickly wiping out entire teams in what's supposed to be an accessible, kid-friendly shooter. And now, frustration over the cheating is reaching a fever pitch. Nintendo has banned a player's accounts after he orchestrated a leaderboard hack to draw attention to the cheating problem. The gamer used a combination of power editing and a little luck to make the leaderboards for different game modes spell out "please add anti cheat," drawing more than a little attention to the issue.
Splatoon 2's new weapon looks like a toilet
Splatoon and its Switch-based sequel, Splatoon 2, are known for their imaginative and bombastic weapons. You can tackle the series' ink-based warfare with dual pistols, shotguns and sniper rifles, but also paint brushes, buckets and even a modified NES Zapper. The latest addition to the game's armoury, though, might be the best yet. Nintendo of Europe teased the 'Bloblobber' today, which looks remarkably similar to a toilet or electronic bidet at first glance. (Seriously, so many people think it's a toilet on Twitter.) Upon closer inspection, though, it's probably a tiny bathtub. (Do bidets have inward-facing handles? I'm totally overthinking this...)
Nintendo’s E3 plans are all about ‘Super Smash Bros.’ for Switch
Nintendo released its plans for the upcoming E3 video game trade show and they're all about the recently announced Super Smash Bros. game for Switch. Attendees will be able to view a Super Smash Bros. invitational tournament, have a chance to take part in an exhibition play and get a crack at the game itself at Nintendo's booth.
The best Nintendo Switch games
The Nintendo Switch is an excellent game console. If you don't want to quit collecting Power Moons in Super Mario Odyssey but need a change of scenery from your living room, that's entirely doable. Simply take the tablet out of its dock, slide your Joy-cons back on and you can pick up right where you left off, regardless of venue. But there's so much more to play on Switch. The problem is, aside from the games you can buy at retail, they can be hard to find, because Nintendo's digital storefront isn't very well organized. Which is what our list of the best Switch games is for. Simply search for these games by name in the eShop and you're guaranteed to have some fun.
An appreciation of 2017's in-game shopkeepers
In-game shops are more than handy outlets to transform random metal scraps and tired old gear into new and useful items. Shops offer a reprieve from the action of whichever digital world you've entered, allowing you to take a moment, breathe and consider the situation from afar. Do you want to play as a gun-toting tank or a sneaky spy? Is your bow powerful enough for the battles ahead? Do you have enough health potions? Does your character look better in green or purple? Only the shop can provide the answers. Overseeing all of these calculations -- and guarding stores' impossibly large piles of loot -- are the shopkeepers. The past year has been incredible for video games, as we've discussed at length, and this infusion of creativity extends to the stingy store servants selling wares and wiles along our adventures. From Cuphead to The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, 2017 has offered up a buffet of adorable, wacky and nostalgia-ridden shopkeepers for us to enjoy -- so we might as well get to it.
'Splatoon 2' Switch bundle is a $380 Walmart exclusive
In case you've been holding off on picking up a Nintendo Switch until it had a pack-in game, you're in luck. Nintendo has announced that it's releasing a special Splatoon 2 version of the console replete with neon green and pink Joy-Cons, a carrying case and a download code for the seafood-starring shooter. If there's a downside, it's that the bundle will only be available from Walmart. Assuming that doesn't deter you, it'll cost $379.99 starting September 8th. So, for an extra $80, you'll get a much-needed carrying case and a solid game -- it's a veritable circus of value.
Nintendo's solution for online voice chat feels half-baked
From the moment you pick up a Nintendo Switch, it feels like a magical device. The company nailed the hybrid TV / portable concept and created a genuinely fun console that seemed to shed the awkwardness of the Wii U. Indeed, Nintendo has a habit for making fun consoles -- but for the last three generations, it's failed to build online communication options on par with Xbox Live or PlayStation Network. Rather than baking voice chat into the Switch itself, Nintendo's new console relegates the feature to a companion smartphone app. We just tried it out and it works, but it's messy, confusing and completely unintuitive.
'Splatoon 2' is a cautious but excellent evolution of the original
The Wii U was far from the most popular console of its generation -- but fans who took a chance on Nintendo's first HD machine were rewarded with a tightly curated library of modern-day classics. Exclusives like Super Mario 3D World, Pikmin 3 and Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze showed that the value of the Wii U wasn't in its hardware but in Nintendo's creative library of games. Among them was Splatoon, the company's first online competitive shooter. The game's quirky squirt gun multiplayer battles were a genuine, delightful surprise -- and its Nintendo Switch sequel takes everything that was great about the original and makes it just a little bit better.
The 'Splatoon 2' multiplayer web portal heads to the Nintendo app
Splatoon for the Wii U made a strong argument for competitive multiplayer gaming on Nintendo consoles, but in a lot of ways, it was half baked. It had great characters, fun maps, ranked modes and tournaments -- but failed to integrate any kind of official voice chat. It also had a companion web portal, but it offered only the barest of functionality. The game's Nintendo Switch sequel is trying to fix both of those problems with SplatNet 2: a smartphone app that lets players view match and player stats, buy in-game gear and organize voice chat with teammates.
Nintendo’s solution for ‘Splatoon 2’ chat requires lots of wires
Saying Nintendo's solution to voice chat on the Switch is inelegant would be a gross understatement. At least for Splatoon 2, that is. This morning the game's Twitter account posted images of how you'll talk smack in the ink-fueled multiplayer shooter. The setup, dubbed "Empera Hook HDP," consists of a arrow/squid-shaped dongle, a set of swoop-style on-ear headphones with a boom mic and a trio of 3.5mm aux cables. One cable goes from the Switch's headphone port to the dongle, another runs from your cellphone to the dongle, and the last one connects the dongle to said headset. Phew.
Nintendo announces Joy-Con battery grips for Switch controllers
The Nintendo Switch's detachable Joy-Con controllers already have decent battery life, but if you're looking to game for even longer sessions, Nintendo has you covered. Today the company announced the Joy-Con AA battery pack, a pair of detachable grips for the wireless controllers that let users extend their longevity with off the shelf batteries. Oh, and you'll be able to buy the detachable controller in neon yellow soon, too.
'Splatoon 2' launches on July 21st with three new Amiibo figures
If you were hopeful that the Nintendo Switch's Splatoon 2 Global Testfire event was indicative of an early launch, have a seat: today Nintendo announced that the game's official release date as July 21st. That's smack dab in the middle of the Summer launch window Nintendo promised when it revealed the game back in January -- but at least you'll be getting plenty of new content for the sake of the wait. According to this afternoon's Nintendo Direct, Splatoon 2 will launch with a new PvE game mode and a ton of new Amiibo functionality.
Playing 'Splatoon 2' over LTE won't kill your data plan
When Nintendo first revealed its new game console back in October, it chose to end the device's teaser trailer with a shot of a packed arena cheering an esports team. Its game of choice was Splatoon 2 for Nintendo Switch. The scene represented two things: Nintendo staking a claim in the competitive gaming space and a promise that the new console's portability would allow gamers to take that competitive online experience on the road. I put the latter half of that pledge to the test during last week's Global Testfire preview, and it held up better than I ever imagined.
We're playing 'Splatoon 2's Global Testfire and you should too
You won't be able to buy the follow up to Nintendo's hit Wii U competitive shooter until Summer, but if you have a Switch you can play the game today. Over the course of the next three days, Nintendo will hosting the Splatoon 2 Global Testfire -- an online multiplayer demo that teases gamers with the sequel's levels, weapons and whimsical style in six, one hour chunks. The first two are today at 12pm PT (3pm ET) and 8PM PT (11PM ET).
'Splatoon 2' preview arrives on Nintendo Switch in March
The Nintendo Switch doesn't exactly have a massive catalog of launch titles, but that doesn't mean that you'll be waiting months to play all the biggest games. Nintendo is promising a free Splatoon 2 "Global Testfire" preview running from March 24th through the 26th. Each day will have one or more hour-long play windows where you'll get a peek at how the inky shooter has evolved for the Switch. That isn't exactly a lot of time to play (why not let us play the whole weekend?), but it beats waiting until full game's summer launch. Not that your patience won't be rewarded -- Nintendo is also teasing local play modes as part of the full game, both of which are practically tailor-made for eSports.
'Splatoon 2' brings new weapons, stages and fashion to Nintendo Switch
When Splatoon announced its late July Splatfest would be its last online multiplayer event, there was a collective sigh from the Miiverse. The multiplayer shooter dragged Nintendo into a competitive-gaming space it had never competed in before -- it was fun, frantic and had a lot of personality. Thankfully, the franchise lives on. Today Nintendo announced the Switch version of Splatoon isn't a remastered port, but a full sequel.
