Next Splatfest?

Photo from Nintendo

According to Splatoon's tumblr page the next Splatfest is coming soon.  It seems that after the August update on the 5th which will introduce new weapons and gear a Splatfest will arrive around the 8th.  The event will celebrate the opening of Camp Triggerfish by have players pick between Marshmallow and Hot Dogs.  More summer fun is still in store for Splatoon!  May the best team win!

Ranked Battle - My New Weapon

Photo from Nintendo

After getting some valid advice on how to solve my connection issues I've actually been able to play ranked mode again.  I think I may have found one of my favorite Ranked Mode weapons, the Luna Blaster.  Normally I stay away from the Blaster Class as they do not have a high rate of fire, but I find they work great in tower control mode.  The concentrated shot can easily destroy enemies on the tower and ink mines are devastating if you can leave one on the tower before you die.  After playing for a while I managed to salvage my rank from a 24 C+ to a C+ 72.  Soon I hope to return to the land of B-.  Although after the August Update I don't think I'll every reach the S+ ranks.  Oh well.

Did You Know? - Halfbrick Studios

Here's a fun fact for you today if you don't know it already.  The popular IOS games Fruit Ninja and Jetpack Joyride have a cool origin country.  The creator of these games, Halfbrick Studios, is an Australian company from Brisbane.  This company also worked with another Australian company Blue Tongue Entertainment on distributing the De Blob series to the DS.  The company was founded in 2001 and have created a bunch of interesting games over the years.  They have had games on the PS2, GameCube, Xbox, GameBoy, Nintendo DS, and of course, IOS and Android.

Just another reason to love Australia

Getting Better at Snipers

Photo from Nintendo

At first I didn't give the charger class weapons much look at.  In the majority of shooter games I've played such as Call of Duty and Halo I was terrible at sniper weapons.  So when I first grabbed a charger and didn't do well I figured it was just my normal failure.  I preferred the close up combat of the shooter class and the rapid ability to ink turf with them. But after giving this class another look at recently I've opened up to the idea of using chargers.  They play a support role in a battle by pinning the enemy down to a certain area so your team can in the map.  I've even improved my sniper skills...  maybe I should try Call of Duty again sometime.

Ranked Mode Struggles

Photo from Nintendo

I rarely play ranked battles in splatoon anymore for good reason.   It isn't that the competition is to tough or anything.  I enjoy the hardcore battle styles that ranked mode provides to the game.  It just grinds my gears when you get communication errors in the middle of battle and are forced to lose 10 points of your rank.  I was a 40 B- but after 4 communication errors I dropped down to 70 C+.  It took me forever to get up to B- and I just hate having my hard work taken away from me for no good reason.   I can let it slide when I actually lose internet connection on my end, but when my laptop is running with a connection and Splatoon cuts out I get mad.

I wish Nintendo would look into these problems.  I haven't seen a single time when the servers were down for maintenance or anything.   I know for sure I am not the only one who is suffering from this.  Nintendo please listen to your fans.  Maintain your servers.  Help us help you make Splatoon better for everyone!

Octoling Playable Soon?

Photo from Nintendo

One last thing!

Hackers have dug into Splatoon's code and have uncovered the ability to play as the Octolings.  I know this is old news but here is an interesting fact.  When hackers removed the Octoling goggles there was no face underneath because the developers never thought anyone would be able to remove them.  Splatoon's tumblr account has release this picture;  An Octoling without their goggles and a complete face.

Hmmm....  This is just speculation but many the fans demand for playable Octolings is coming true.  Have to see what August brings us!

Urchin Underpass Rebuild?

Photo from Nintendo

Along with the August Update news Nintendo has also said that Urchin Underpass will be offline from August 2 - 5.  If you look closely at the picture they provided us with you can see there are blueprints with some design changes.  Could Urchin Underpass be getting a redesign? What every it is I'll be keeping a close eye on it.  I have a feeling the August Update will play a major role in what happens to our favorite Underpass.

August Update is Coming Soon to Splatoon

Photo from Nintendo

The release date for the August Update is 10 days away and I am sure excited for it.  Tons of new features are being added such as an increased level cap, new game modes for friends, new weapons, gear and maps!  The two new weapons that are confirmed are a Gatling gun and a bucket.  Now with a Level 50 cap and Ranks going to S+ there are hours of more fun to be had in Splatoon.  I feel like this update will give us an entirely new game to explore and battle on.  See you all on August 5/6th!

...

Although still no word on rainmaker.  Oh well, Nintendo said there are many more surprises to come later in the fall!  Stay tuned for all the new weapon and map reviews right here!

Stage Overview - Camp Triggerfish

Photo from Nintendo

One of the most interesting stages in Splatoon to date Camp Triggerfish was well worth the wait.  This map is divided into two sides with limited access across to the other.  Players skirmish along the middle firing across the the enemy pathway attempting to slow their progress.  You can not jump across to battle your enemies very easily as water hazards all across the map will result in your soggy defeat.  When the last minute is called all bets are off as the gates open allowing teams easy access to the opposite teams territory.  The last minute on this map is always a mad dash attempting to gain the upper hand and with the only major access to enemy territory right in front of the their spawn point things get interesting as you try to invade turf.

This is by far my favorite stage in Splatoon and for good reasons.

Top 5 Maps

#1 Camp Triggerfish
#2 Moray Towers
#3 Bluefin Depot
#4 Kelp Dome
#5 Arowana Mall

Bread Kitttens

Photo from Bake450

Looking for an interesting Pokemon style game filled with cats for your phone?  Look no further then Bake450's Bread Kittens.  This game is surprisingly fun as you battle your way through different areas of the world collecting and battling with wild cats on your way.  Each world has a rare boss cat to defeat which can be caught after the next world is unlocked.  The battle system in the game is rather simple but getting 3 stars for each level may take some time.  Level up your cats through battles and even bake them stronger wheat based items to upgrade their abilities in combat.  If you're looking for an interesting game this will fit the bill.  Check it out in the app store.

Splattershot

The Splattershot, an early upgrade for fans of the shooter weapon class and is Jr's big brother.  Overall the Splattershot has better accuracy and range then its Jr. counterpart but its rate of fire is slightly slower.  It is still a great weapon to use in turf wars because it can cover a lot of group almost as fast as the Splattershot Jr..  Although with the added range and damage the gun provides it will consume ink at a faster rate then faster weaker weapons.

Now the burst bombs the set comes with are not my favorite as it takes two of them to down an opponent, but they are effective in splat zones to cover territory fast with a bomb rush special.  For anyone around Lv 10 I think this would make a good introduction weapon to ranked mode.  The accuracy and damage come in handy when fighting in Tower Control trying to take out enemies and it still covers adequate turf for Splat Zones.  As with any weapon, if you get good with it you can continue using it all the way to Lv 20.

Splattershot Jr.

The Splattershot Jr. is the default weapon for every Inkling and sadly it is often discarded once people reach level 4 and are able to buy new weapons.  Personally I love using the Splattershot Jr, and continue to use it up into the higher levels.  Although it does lack some range and accuracy, I love how it can cover ground quickly and rather efficiently.  The main tactic I use with this weapon is getting to a high or choke point on a map and throwing splat bombs towards my opponents.  I have been able to get triple kills with this technique.  This means for your equipment you'll need bomb range up and of course sub ink saver to be effective.   

It doesn't take long to charge the special weapon on this gun and I'd advise you to use your bubbles wisely.  Personally, I enjoy charging the bubble in the middle of the map and then moving into enemy territory and using it to pin down my opponents while my team covers ground.  This strategy also works in Ranked Mode  charge the bubble battling for a splat zone or tower and then activate it to protect you and your team as you take the target point.  I have one many tower control games by saving the bubble and using it for the final push into the enemy base.     

Inkbrush and Octobrush

Personally I use these weapons a lot in battle especially when I want to be able to run around the battlefield and dodge enemies with speed.  One technique I like to use with the inkbrush is to make my way to the enemy's side and plant sprinklers to ink their turf while my team mates battle for control of the middle.  With the Octobrush it is the same but change out those sprinklers for beacons my team can use to move quickly across the map.

I feel one must have with the brush type weapons is ink resistance on their shoes.  It comes in handy when you are jetting around covering minimal turf.  Another must have is ninja squid.  If you spend a lot of time in enemy territory like me it is always good to be able to sneak around and possibly ambush unsuspecting opponents or just avoid attackers.   

Good Old NES Games

Found the old NES today.  It really brings back memories of my childhood playing Super Mario Bros 2 by myself or attempting to play Q-Bert, Burgertime or Blades of Steel with my sister.  These older games are definitely the foundations of what gaming would eventually evolve into.  The only downside is I have only been able to master one NES game I owned, Super Mario 2.  The rest were arcade imports so they were a lot more challenging since they were designed to each your quarters until you ran out.  I can't believe that the next gaming console I got was the Wii many years later.

What was your first gaming system? And what was your favorite game to play on it back in the day?  Feel free to drop a comment