So, today has been a pretty filled Nintendo day. I’ll start with talking about Splatoon as there was a special Nintendo Direct for it today. As most of you know, I’m still undecided on if I want to get Splatoon or not so I figured the Direct would be a good way to make up my mind. While it still hasn’t completely, it was a pretty good Nintendo Direct so if you haven’t seen it yet, I’d recommend checking it out below:
It was a pretty fun Nintendo Direct. Jelonzo is pretty adorable and probably my favorite NPC. I’m still pretty worried on customization stuff, but was incredibly happy to see we can add slots to lower ranked items to keep using them. Unfortunately, it seems the abilities can’t be selected if you do re-roll for new ones, but I’m happy there is at least a way to change them… even if it may be a long time before you manage to get the one you want.
Splattershot is probably my favorite weapon, but I think many were pretty neat. I really like the Seeker support and the Bubbler special though.
Solo play looks pretty fun. And I think the scrolls sound really nice as well.
Also, the Squid NPCs seem pretty neat. I really want Callie’s hair and earrings:
Something tells me that won’t be possible though. :(
I’m also pretty excited by the polls:
I always loved voting in the Polls on the Wii (that and Check Mii Out were things that got me to check the Wii everyday) and these look pretty fun. That said, I’m a little sad by how short the events are. I would’ve expected a few days at least over just one 24 hour period. If I do get the game though, I’m so voting for dogs. That dog is so cute. I hope we can vote differently per user account though as my fiancé really wants to vote for cats.
Which brings me to my big issue… How is local play working on it? I know there’s the training fields for local play, but what if we want to go online and play with friends? Can we both play together like in Mario Kart and Smash Brothers? Considering you also get switched around in teams I feel like this may not work unless they have it so you are always with your friend. I really hope they do have local play. As it is, I don’t really care for ranked play or playing online much so even full local matches would be nice too.
Speaking of Ranked Play, my biggest issue is that there’s SO many neat modes for Ranked Play only… it’d be nice if we could play those modes more casually too :/ As I don’t need a terrible ranking in my face all the time. I know I won’t be very good.
Regardless, I think trying out the Splatoon Global Testfire will be our final go at figuring out if we’ll get the game or not. I just hope I can catch one of the openings. I think the final one will be my best shot. But yes, here are all the openings for those curious:
● Friday, May 8, 8-9 p.m. PT (11PM-12AM EST)
● Saturday, May 9, 4-5 a.m. PT (7AM-8AM EST)
● Saturday, May 9, Noon-1 p.m. PT (3PM-4PM EST)
At the very least, the direct has definitely pushed me more to “yes” when it comes to getting the game.
There will also be plenty more events and even new stages and things through free DLC once the game comes out which is really nice. I’m also really excited about what the Rainmaker may be. And you can even get a Splatoon costume for your Mii in Smash Brothers if you preorder through Gamestop.
Finally, I want to talk about the Amiibo. While I knew they would come with a challenge, I didn’t expect it to be 20 challenges each which is really nice. I think any Splatoon Amiibo, besides the fact that they look incredibly well made, will be pretty popular just due to how much they bring to the game. The game itself has tons of little minigames and stuff right in the main hub so it definitely feels like a game that offers you plenty to do and will continue to do so.
Of course, the Splatoon Nintendo Direct wasn’t the only big Nintendo news today…
Nintendo has partnered with Universal Studios for a Nintendo Theme Park. Universal has always been pretty good with their themed parks and despite not going to Universal in ages (mostly due to lack of time and not renting a car while in Florida), I feel like this is something that will definitely make me go back.
There isn’t much news as to when to expect this or specifics, but that doesn’t make this news any less exciting:
“Together, these two storytelling giants will create spectacular, dedicated experiences based on Nintendo’s wildly popular games, characters and worlds.
The agreement brings two icons of entertainment together and represents a significant partnership for Nintendo as it expands the reach and popularity of its characters and intellectual property.
Universal theme parks offer incredibly popular, innovative themed family entertainment experiences based on compelling stories and characters – using powerful storytelling and innovative technology. Nintendo has created remarkable and imaginative worlds filled with captivating stories and beloved characters.
Now, for the first time, those stories and characters will be brought to life in entirely new ways—only at Universal theme parks.
The immersive experiences will include major attractions at Universal’s theme parks and will feature Nintendo’s most famous characters and games.”
I’m hoping more news will come soon. I don’t think we’ll see any at E3, but it’d be neat if we did. I’m not sure what I’d be most excited to see, but just the fact that it’s happening is really exciting to me. It probably won’t be just like Nintendo Land, but the fact that we’re now getting a real life one is great.
I hope something is worked out with Pokemon/Game Freak though as usually they aren’t featured in big group Nintendo stuff (Smash is really the only example I can think of where they are, but like there wasn’t anything Pokemon-y in Nintendo Land and other than a hacked item in Animal Crossing, we’ve still received no Pokemon-themed DLC).
Regardless, I know I want to book a trip as soon as the grand opening is announced. That’s something I don’t want to miss.