Roller 4 life. Any mode, any map.

@kriswright

If neither team has run out the clock after 5 minutes then both teams do get some "P" points and coins, with the winning team earning more.

@anon_mastermind

Fellow Roller Brother! We are the unseen supports. The shadows on the battlefield that paint the enemy's base before they realize it...

(just get your stinkin' snipers away from us. Annoying!)

I just did a ranked battle where we both timed out with 4 seconds left each. Our team won by 1p!

@anon_mastermind

I was (and still am) a roller man but I enjoy the Aerospray MG too.

Just played my first 7 Ranked Battles. First few were Saltspray Rig levels. Knockouts on each one. Easy. No chargers here which helps us, but rollers aren't so effective. Played both levels now, the warehouse and the rig, and it's fun and super intense. Love the strategy change needed.

In my 8th battle though... I lost. A great initial run though!

In my fourth battle (in the Warehouse) I had 2 deaths but 20 kills! WHOA!

After 10 ranked battles though, only lost two. 80% is NOT shabby. But it's too intense to go on. I'm taking a break. Whoa!

@TriforceBun
Squidball is pretty fun. Once you get the hang of the angles in which you can spike you'll be taking out jellyfish like a pro.

Next up is Squid Racer. At first I wasn't impressed but once I learned that squidging is sort of like power sliding (no need to slow down in order to take sharp turns), I found myself enjoying it quite a bit. Plus, the birds boost your speed. Hoorah!

Squid Beatz is basically a sound mode where you can listen to the game's music. You can also play a very simple rhythm-type game in two of the modes. Basic button pressing to the beat stuff.

When you play Squid Beatz in the waiting room, you can play other music from the game instead of the usual WAH WAH WE WAH WAH. Pretty nifty.

As standalone games they aren't amazing, but as something to do while waiting around they work quite well.

Now I must jump online!

@ploot

Thanks for the writeups! It'd be nice if a friend of mine or something got the other amiibos someday, but for now I'm good with Inkling Girl and her sets of stuff.

When I did ranked battle last night my team was always doing terribly. I think we only won a couple times, and just barely at that. Tonight, however, everything seemed to click and we were generally kicking ass...and it felt great! I even managed to move my rank from C- to C.

It'll be really fun when we can do friend battles in all the different modes with the big August update. (August seems so far away...)

@canonj

I had the same tonight. Several matches we won without their timer even moving which was pretty fun. I think it's just that early on, some people didn't exactly know how to play. You have to think this game is targeted towards kids too... the goals may not be entirely clear to them maybe. Strategies must change a lot to be able to win in this mode compared to ranked battles.

I haven't finished Splatoon yet but is the game a commentary of sorts on Japan/Games and technology/Nintendo or something???

I really get that feeling playing. The game feels very much like it's trying to represent Japan or Nintendo.

Young and old. Growth. Technology. No??

This dumb, stupid, idiotic game! Freaking Nintendo and their moronic servers! I'm sick of getting losses because of random people disconnecting, or starting a match with one less squid (how does this even happen?? Replace him with an AI or something at least), or winning a match and GETTING A COMMUNICATION ERROR AT THE RESULTS SCREEN!? WHAT!?

It's so frustrating having other people's connection issues mess up your game, and it's happened several times tonight. That combined with a brutal losing streak makes me one testy Bun. Stupid Splatoon.

I'm loving Splat Zones. I just wish the ranking wasn't so dependent on luck of the draw teammates. Ah wellity.

@carlosrox
I don't think so. The single player "sunken scrolls" show that mankind was stupid and died while the sea level rose. I think that's it really.
There's only one old character in the whole game!
From where are you getting this feeling?

@TriforceBun
I had a couple of those issues a few days ago but none tonight. I understand the frustration, mannn.

EDIT - For some reason my spoiler tag turns into a ref tag to Carlos. What the heck??? Fixed it.

My mind is blown by this fuckin game as we speak.

Holy shit.

@ploot

Are we the only two who enjoy Splat Zones? I'm rocking a light C right now.

And I figured out why I was sucking so horribly in Battle: I WAS PLAYING AGAINST YOU GUYS, UGH

So now I'm not playing any of you guys, and actually doing well. Doesn't that kinda stink? Bummer City.

I LOVE the using seekers. It's just like ripping along behind Speed 2: Cruise Control except everyone is having a good time, not just Willem Dafoe.

@Mr_Mustache
Lol - I was on such a winning streak last night until Fink & Octo joined.
That's not a complaint guys, that's a compliment (and a sort of complaint.)

Trying to dodge Octo's beam of death makes for a stressful 3 minutes. Leaping and floundering and getting stuck in ink - I'm glad he can't hear my shrieks.

@carlosrox
I definitely think there are certain parallells to Japanese society in there, with the consumerist youth culture as portrayed by the Inklings hanging out on Octopolis Plaza, shopping and listening to Idol performers, and possibly the diminished older generation that remembers the effects of the war and so on, but I'm not sure what the message is there, if any. I think the more obvious commentary is the one about the risks of global warming and the lack of political action against it.

@Mr_Mustache
Splat Zones is great, but the ranking system is not, IMO.

Mr_Mustache said:

@ploot

Are we the only two who enjoy Splat Zones?

DrFinkelstein said:

Just played my first 7 Ranked Battles. First few were Saltspray Rig levels. Knockouts on each one. Easy. No chargers here which helps us, but rollers aren't so effective. Played both levels now, the warehouse and the rig, and it's fun and super intense. Love the strategy change needed.

In my 8th battle though... I lost. A great initial run though!

In my fourth battle (in the Warehouse) I had 2 deaths but 20 kills! WHOA!

After 10 ranked battles though, only lost two. 80% is NOT shabby. But it's too intense to go on. I'm taking a break. Whoa!

In other words, I'm having a ton of fun in Splat Zones!

@Super_Conzo

I love jumping over seekers! But when they sneak up on you, that's a bummer, lol.

I've seen the charger weapons show up online a lot more too. In Splat Zones last night, their epic sniper was always on the other team, Max. A few well placed Ink Nuke things helped but he was still formidable.

I did terrible last night. No friends were on, so I got placed in random battles with people ranked in the high teens. I was only level 7. I was overmatched, and didn't feel particularly helpful to my team.

Then Rob (don't worry, I haven't forgotten to call you back!) came in and swamped me.

Part of the problem, I think, was trying a new weapon (the dreadful Zapper) and new clothes. Ah well. Tonight's another chance for glory!

@TheOldManFromZelda

Ploot, mrbiggsly, and I were having trouble seeing each other online despite being on for sure. Maybe there was an issue. When were you playing?

Also, THE INK BRUSH RELEASED TOMORROW MORNING! WOO! NEW WEAPON!

@DrFinkelstein

I was playing between 9-10:30. I'll be on tonight for sure.