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JXE Streams: 'Splatoon' seduces us with squids and squirt guns
I couldn't resist Nintendo's Splatoon when I saw it for the first time at E3 2014. Squids with squirt guns locked in a summery battle to cover skate parks in neon ink? With a premise so weird and wonderful all on its own, I probably would have loved it even if those early demoes weren't fun as hell. Splatoon will finally be available to purchase this week but JXE Streams is going to give you one last early look at its single and multiplayer modes as well as its wee amiibo on today's show at 3:30PM ET.
Wii U 'Splatoon' bundle lands at Best Buy on May 29th
Nintendo must be really, really confident that you'll want Splatoon. It's launching a Best Buy-exclusive Wii U bundle that includes the ink-drenched, kid-friendly shooter, Nintendoland and a 32GB Deluxe console for $300. That's a good deal, but a bit of a gamble for a brand new game series -- normally, Nintendo thrives on bundling familiar titles that lure you in based on the name alone. If you're new to the Wii U and don't mind trying something genuinely new, though, you can snag this bundle on May 29th.
The magic of Nintendo's new shooter 'Splatoon' is in its multiplayer
My Nintendo 64 memories have nothing to do with GoldenEye 007, the famed first-person James Bond shooter that helped define the genre. Unlike seemingly every other N64 owner, I never played that game because, quite frankly, shooters aren't my thing. With Splatoon, Nintendo's quirky, new third-person action shooter for the Wii U, ready for release on May 29th, however, it may be time I change my tune.
Splatoon makes a mess of the Wii U in May
Fulfilling a claim made in November's Nintendo Direct, Nintendo has revealed that its third-person ink shooter Splatoon will reach the Wii U at some point in May. Alongside the release window confirmation, Nintendo also mentioned that the game features a central "plaza" that links Splatoon's various game modes and allows players to customize their weapons and gear. Below you'll also find a gallery of new screenshots pulled from the vibrant action game. [Image: Nintendo]
Splatoon could have been a Mario game
When we got our hands on Nintendo's new IP, Splatoon, during E3 this year, we compared its charm to Super Mario 3D World or Mario Kart 8 – and according to Mario creator Shigeru Miyamoto, that was more on the nose than even we knew. Splatoon was nearly a Mario game, Miyamoto told Edge (via MCV). "There were heated debates over who the main character should be," Miyamoto said. "Whether it should be Mario, or the squid. When we talked about the possibility of it being Mario, of course we could think of the advantages: Anybody would be willing to touch it as soon as we announced that we had a new Mario game. But at the same time, we had some worries. If it were Mario, we wouldn't be able to create a new IP." Splatoon stars a series of squid kids with ink guns, battling in contained areas to not only hit other players, but to paint the map in their team's color. The kids turn into squids to swim through their team's paint and fill up their ink supply, or to out-maneuver rival players.
Gamescom Awards evolve, favor 2K's monstrous game
The votes are in, and the winner of the Gamescom 2014 Awards is ... *drumroll* Oh, you saw the headline and figured out the pun already? Well, you're right; it's Evolve, the 4v1 monster-on-human huntfest from Left 4 Dead developer Turtle Rock Studios. The game took home not only the award for "Best of Gamescom," but also the awards for "Best Console Game Microsoft Xbox," "Best PC Game," "Best Action Game" and "Best Online Multiplayer Game." Other highlights include Super Smash Bros. taking home the "Best Mobile Game" award for its 3DS iteration, while its console counterpart took home the "Most Wanted Consumer Award," a title that premiered at this year's ceremony. LittleBigPlanet 3 also won multiple awards, specifically the "Best Social / Casual / Online Game" award and the "Best Family Game" award. We're relatively sure that Theatrhythm Final Fantasy: Curtain Call won the award for "Best Simulation Game" due to its simulation of music, but we can pretend it won because it simulates being an adorable JRPG character singing along to catchy tunes, too. Check out the full list of winners after the break.
Splatoon to offer two-squid local multiplayer
Nintendo's colorful third-cephalo-person shooter Splatoon will include a local multiplayer mode for two players, the developer recently clarified. The game's producer, Hisashi Nogami explained to GameRant at E3 that Splatoon will include both a single-player mode and also a "one-on-one multiplayer mode that can be played without connecting to the Internet." Our time with the game at E3 centered on its eight-person online multiplayer action (divided into teams of four), in which players morph into squids and swim around any surface that's splattered with paint. The game was first announced during Nintendo's special E3 2014 livestream earlier this month. Nogami clarified that Splatoon will launch as a full retail game for Wii U, and is expected to swim ashore in the "first half" of 2015. To fit in with the transformative nature of Splatoon, we will morph into squids for the remainder of this article. Splat. Splash Splatoon E3 selection SPLAT. Swoooosh. Tentacle noise! Swoosh. [Image: Nintendo]
Joystiq's E3 2014 Selections
With E3 2014 in the books, Joystiq's writers look back at their favorites from the show. With the only stipulation being that the game must have been playable to qualify, the team presents its selections for favorite games of E3 2014. From independent gems to major releases from powerhouse publishers, Joystiq's list represents the variety of experiences available to video game fans worldwide. Here are Joystiq's first annual "E3 Selections."
The curious case of Splatoon, Wii U's dollop of squidly joy
Splatoon is a game out of time. Steering its funky kid combatants around brightly lit arenas, spraying down thick smears of hot pink and olive green paint out of what looks like Super Soaker 50s, recalls the neon cartoon style of early-'90s cartoons. "Up next on Snick we've got the kids from Splatoon!" yell Keenan and Kel between commercial breaks. That each pony-tailed gunner turns into a squid that can sink into paint smeared on any surface, refilling their ink stockpile for more shooting and speedily sneaking around the grounds avoiding fire, gives Splatoon a surrealistic Nintendo flair but even its cephalopodic nature has a whiff of the Double Dare about it. Even if it feels a bit like a cultural relic, it's a vibrant and vivacious entry in the Wii U library, bright and pleasing to hand and eye in the same charismatic way as Mario Kart 8 and Super Mario 3D World. My time with the game was encouraging, but I sincerely worry about Splatoon finding its audience on Wii U.
Splatoon is an ink-filled shooter from Miyamoto's junior team
Nintendo has announced Splatoon, an 8-player third-person shooter with weaponized ink is coming to Wii U. The title is in development by the young developers at EAD, working directly under Shigeru Miyamoto. As players compete in 4-on-4 battles, the environment is coated in colorful ink. Players can also transform into squids, allowing them to swim through the rivers of ink left behind by combatants. Splatoon is coming to the Wii U in 2015.