Wii-U thoughts so far

[Opa Opa]

Splatoon previews are coming out now in droves.

Several reviewers likened it to Outtrigger shoved through a Nintendo filter. I was on the fence until I read that. Day one buy now.

I really want to be excited for Splatoon but a Nintendolife article kind of left me scratching my head. You apparently cannot have split screen online play and you cannot customize your loadouts... two things that are pretty much standard for most shooters.

I'm still interested in it but I would like to know what the local co-op is going to be like (if it has any).

[alienjesus]

Splatoon previews are coming out now in droves.

Several reviewers likened it to Outtrigger shoved through a Nintendo filter. I was on the fence until I read that. Day one buy now.

I really want to be excited for Splatoon but a Nintendolife article kind of left me scratching my head. You apparently cannot have split screen online play and you cannot customize your loadouts... two things that are pretty much standard for most shooters.

I'm still interested in it but I would like to know what the local co-op is going to be like (if it has any).

Wait, what? They've made a pretty big deal over the fact that you can customize your character - the clothes they wear and the weapons they use give different abilities. They've also shown multiple weapon types.

The split screen thing is a real bummer though.

[BogusMeatFactory]

Yeah there are some pros and cons for splatoon, but I do not feel the cons outweight the pros and tip the scale to make it a bad game or even an average game.

Cons:

1. No Split Screen On-line Multiplayer
2. No team chat.

That really seems to be it. The no team chat is a real shame, but you can circumvent that if you have friends.

[Opa Opa]

No chat bothers me a lot less than no split-screen online (I usually permanently mute everyone in the settings menu for games that allow it). I flat out don't understand the no online split screen. I saw some sites citing the game "uses the gamepad" but outside of a map and touchscreen... do you really need it? I don't recall any gamepad features in the original Direct videos. edit: so I looked at the NLife article again and it references using the touchscreen for placing one of the special abilities. Another gamepad 'innovation'.

Irregardless, I'm going to play with a regular controller if it will allow.

Wait, what? They've made a pretty big deal over the fact that you can customize your character - the clothes they wear and the weapons they use give different abilities. They've also shown multiple weapon types.

Please correct me if I'm wrong but from what I understand customizing your character only changes base stats like speed.

Customizing weapon load outs is not possible. You're able to purchase 'kits' in the game's weapon store. Here's an excerpt from the article I was referencing:

You also have access to a significantly more varied arsenal of weaponry than in single player, all themed around real-life firearms but with an inky twist. There is of course the standard, rapid fire, assault rifle-esque weapon found in the single player and previous builds of the game, a roller which covers a huge amount of ground but has extremely limited range ...

...There are also numerous variations of these weapons available to try that vary in range, power, speed, and many other factors that change up how the gun works. These small changes in stats allow you to find a weapon that truly suits your playing style and get the jump on your opponents, and understanding them is vital in order to achieve success.

[now the important part]

Though you may not be able to change and customize the loadout, each weapon is accompanied by a secondary weapon and a special ability. The secondary weapons include various grenades, ink shields that block your enemies' shots, and more we're sure we weren't privy to.

So while you're able to select kits that appeal to you and have differences in weapon selection and stats, you're unable to create your own load out as of now. This is something I hope they change as finding the weapon and item combinations that work for me adds another layer of complexity to multiplayer games and will be missed by many that are more familiar with modern shooters. (Plus I secretly want to find out Splatoon's equivalent of one-man-army noobtube )

[BogusMeatFactory]

In response to the gamepad features, I think using the game pad to launch yourself to areas of need is important, but could easily be replicated with the wii-mote pointing on the screen.

I think the major issue may have to deal with framerate. We know that the fullscreen multi-player (putting a screen on the pad for player 1 and player 2 using the TV) causes some real framerate drops like in Hyrule Warriors. It isn't game breaking by any means, but my guess is that if it isn't perfect they won't use it. It is a shame, absolutely and is a big detriment, but for me, isn't a deal breaker.

[fastbilly1]

Yeah there are some pros and cons for splatoon, but I do not feel the cons outweight the pros and tip the scale to make it a bad game or even an average game.

Cons:

1. No Split Screen On-line Multiplayer
2. No team chat.

That really seems to be it. The no team chat is a real shame, but you can circumvent that if you have friends.

I may be a bit out of touch with modern shooters, but do many have splitscreen online multiplayer? I know on the 360 that answer was very low.

[BogusMeatFactory]

Yeah there are some pros and cons for splatoon, but I do not feel the cons outweight the pros and tip the scale to make it a bad game or even an average game.

Cons:

1. No Split Screen On-line Multiplayer
2. No team chat.

That really seems to be it. The no team chat is a real shame, but you can circumvent that if you have friends.

I may be a bit out of touch with modern shooters, but do many have splitscreen online multiplayer? I know on the 360 that answer was very low.

Split-Screen multiplayer is almost non-existent on any system period, but some of the earlier PS3 and X360 games did have split screen online multiplayer.

[fastbilly1]

Yeah there are some pros and cons for splatoon, but I do not feel the cons outweight the pros and tip the scale to make it a bad game or even an average game.

Cons:

1. No Split Screen On-line Multiplayer
2. No team chat.

That really seems to be it. The no team chat is a real shame, but you can circumvent that if you have friends.

I may be a bit out of touch with modern shooters, but do many have splitscreen online multiplayer? I know on the 360 that answer was very low.

Split-Screen multiplayer is almost non-existent on any system period, but some of the earlier PS3 and X360 games did have split screen online multiplayer.

So it is a con, but a con that most games share?

I am not trying to be belligerent, just trying to understand.

[alienjesus]

Split-Screen multiplayer is almost non-existent on any system period, but some of the earlier PS3 and X360 games did have split screen online multiplayer.

So it is a con, but a con that most games share?

I am not trying to be belligerent, just trying to understand.[/quote]

It's a fairly common con in it's genre, but not on it's platform. Most Nintendo games are all about the split screen shenanigans. Plus, there are some series which still have split screen - it's a big thing in most Halo games from my understanding.

[BogusMeatFactory]

It's a fairly common con in it's genre, but not on it's platform. Most Nintendo games are all about the split screen shenanigans. Plus, there are some series which still have split screen - it's a big thing in most Halo games from my understanding.

Oh I agree that it is a con that most games share. Even in Halo it is becoming an issue. The framerate drop in Master Chief collection in the local co-op actually makes it difficult to play and that is coming from someone who does not make the frame rate argument very often. With the extreme focus on visual fidelity, split screen is just not a viable option for a lot of games. That is why you still see it in Nintendo games as, even though their visuals are pretty, they are not dense with visuals like other titles.