What are you most excited about from the trailer?
New levels. The ones shown looked dynamic. I'm expecting there to be at least some returning stages from the first game, but I'm hoping that there are still 16 new stages as well, which I guess is similar to how Mario Kart handles tracks now.

What are you most hopeful for?
Well, I already know some of what I hoped for didn't happen, so I won't get into that. At the moment, I'm now hopeful that gear abilities won't be random anymore, but I'm likely out of luck on that.

Are you buying at launch?
Nah, not until Mario comes out at the earliest, and the idea of a sub fee to play this also makes me pause.

When do you think launch will be?
Well, probably won't be May 30th again since that isn't summer. Maybe in July? I also expect it to do what the original did and launch with a light amount of content, then gradually add more over a year's time (or more, since this is releasing earlier in the system's life).

I'll take a moment to answer my own questions.

What are you most excited about from the trailer?
The inclusion of 'story-mode' features like the zip-lines, in the multiplayer stages. I have no idea why that wasn't done before (probably to hold out for now).

What are you most hopeful for?
That this game not only is a success but that it is better than it's incredible original.

Are you buying at launch?
Already pre-ordered.

When do you think launch will be?
I am going to go against Mop it up on this one. It'll release in late May or early June. This is absolutely going to see another "start of the summer months so it can be 'milked' throughout while everyone's out of school and such". Mark my words. (though it could be as late as late June)

@Mop it up

It's ironic that you could play it for months without a subscription fee and you're waiting for them to introduce the subscription fee before you buy it.

Anyway, for me I'm hoping for revamped controls. I couldn't play the first one for some reason. It made me dizzy and confused. Few games have done that to me (Pocket Jockey, oddly, was one of the only other ones) so if there's a new control scheme that maybe I can wrap my head around, I'm all for it! :D

I also hope there's a robust single player mode. I like single player and local multi more than online multiplayer.

EDIT: As for release, I expect June.

EXCITED: Cool to see new additions to the arenas and new weapons, although to be honest, I was hoping for a few more new things from the initial reveal.

HOPEFUL: Bots pleeeeease! Bots bots bots bots. They already confirmed more local co-op, which is a great starting point. Now we just need booooooots~ (that's a short "o" drawn out, not "boots")

BUYING: Probably will pick it up upon launch, yeah. It's Splatoon! It's practically guaranteed to be great.

WHEN: I'm guessing July or maybe August. I think it'll get pushed back ever so slightly; Nintendo sometimes pads out their year by announcing things a bit earlier than they'd come out. And for some reason, they release stuff in August (at the end of the school year!) pretty frequently. But Fink makes a good point about the last one coming out at the beginning of Summer.

Can't wait to get into Splatoon again.

Single player wasn't confirmed but I'm assuming it's a lock.

I mean, the trailer did show the Octoling Army.

@carlosrox

There was a hint at a cutscene which would indicate some more single player. Plus, despite the awesome online multiplayer, the single player is highly beloved and almost anyone who plays it itches for more.

@TriforceBun

Bots would be pretty great. An offline mode that had bots would be pretty cool for when you just want to practice, particularly on those Squad Modes.

Summer starts June 20-22 so I don't think it'll be bumped up to May which is spring. Anything's possible though.

@J.K. Riki Ha ha, nah, it isn't ironic. The system and game will be more expensive when this releases, so it wouldn't help.

@Mop it up]

If they hold themselves to 'Summer' I expect it to be June 23rd or June 30th then. It might prove smart to get this in before the 4th of July and then have their first Splatoon 2 Splatfest for the July 4th holiday weekend, so I would suspect June 23rd.

All I really want is another excellent single player mode like from the first game, and maybe also a feature that allows you to play against the AI ala Overwatch, I find that a really low-stress way to try out new characters, weapons, techniques etc.

@deathly_hallows

Agreed. When I want to try something I'm not as comfortable with, like Chargers, I'd like to not be up against the best Level 50 Japanese players the world has to offer. Instead I'd like to dabble and grow again despite being so well through the game as other weapons.

So that new Single Player mode trailer is inkredible! They are clearly fleshing this experience out. Even if it's not longer, the story is going to be way different and there are tons of new cool mechanics. Hype Train! Woo!

The trailer looks fantastic. I wish the music was as good as the first Story Trailer for 1 but that was a nigh impossibly tall order. The music towards the second half sounds more like the Splatoon soundtrack I fell in love with.

Seriously, Splatoon's soundtrack for SP and MP was incredible. 2 really has its work cut out for it.

That trailer looked really fun. I recently finished the campaign for the first Splatoon, which was a nice collection of fun little bite-sized challenges, with the occasional moments of brilliance sprinkled throughout. A very unique and fresh FPS campaign. This one looks even nuttier, with a new grab bag of level gimmicks. I hope that they make it a bit more cohesive and blow the campaign out a bit more this time. Bring on the crazy!

We are now less than three weeks till release! (We're three weeks from when I can play it though!)

Carlosrox and I were gleefully examining the music and awesomeness of Splatoon with some Splatoon 2 mixed in earlier today. I'm digging the new flavor of music they're going for (though I was against it initially).

I also just hit 659 hours in Splatoon today. I LOVE ME A LITTLE SPLATOON…

Anyone still playing Splatoon? Who is going to pickup Splatoon 2 on Day One?

@DrFinkelstein I still play the original, which means I'm in no hurry to get the sequel and am thinking about waiting until next year.

(I think I actually have more time than you, which is saying something, though I haven't checked in a while.)

@Mop it up

Check it! If someone has more time than I, I've gotta know about it. I've taken a couple of prolonged breaks over the years but despite being so into Splatoon on Wii U, there's no way I could wait to dive into all new material. My body is ready.

DrFinkelstein said:

I also just hit 659 hours in Splatoon today. I LOVE ME A LITTLE SPLATOON…

Holy shit!!

I actually only started playing the original Splatoon recently. I beat the campaign, did a few Amiibo Challenge levels, and I'm almost to the point where I can play ranked games. Level 9, I think?

I have pre-ordered the sequel. I started playing through the original after the testfire.

By the way, any split-screen in this one at all? I know that everyone apparently hated the Balloon Battle thing, but there HAS to be a way to share the joy in Spla2oon, right?

@Anand

There isn't a split screen mode for Turf War and such like you might hope in Splatoon 2, but I believe they are intending to do more with the multiplayer. Not entirely sure. They've vowed to enhance that kind of experience though.

@DrFinkelstein
The splitscreen? Or are they just talking about local wireless play? I haven't been able to find any mention of splitscreen.

I'd be fine with any quality splitscreen mode. Turf War might be pretty weird with two people. Actually, I didn't even mind that Balloon thing. But I've never played it against someone with an equivalent skill level.

@Anand

The issue I had with the split screen balloon mode was how uneven the motion vs normal controls are, for me anyway.

I haven't heard much about split screen I suppose. I've just been hearing their dedication to the smaller than 4 player modes.

A new Direct hits Thursday so maybe there's news!