My Thoughts on Splatoon 2: Final Review (Splatoon 2 Review)

In 2015, Nintendo released a brand new IP in the form of Splatoon. This new third-person shooter from the house that Mario built shocked nearly everyone upon release, as almost no one expected it to be as good as it was. Throughout the first year or so of the game’ life, Nintendo continued to support their new IP with free DLC that gave the already awesome game some much needed more depth. The sequel to this hit shooter recently released, but this time, it wasn’t taking anyone by surprise. The hype for Splatoon 2 was through the roof during the time leading up to its launch. Despite the massive hype, Nintendo did not disappoint and once again delivered on an epic Switch game. Splatoon 2 brings over all of the depth added to its predecessor, while adding its own new touches that makes it stand on its own as a full-fledged sequel rather than just another port.

My Thoughts on Hero/Story Mode (Splatoon 2 Review)

Diving into Splatoon 2’s Octo Canyon is a very familiar experience. The basic level design and hub world layouts are nearly identical to that of Splatoon 1’s. Even the story feels somewhat familiar, revolving around the Octarians abducting the zap fish that power Inkopolis. However, despite the similarities to its predecessor, Splatoon 2’s story mode somehow feels like a fresh experience. This is accomplished by means of improvements to almost every aspect of both gameplay and storytelling.

My Thoughts on Ranked Battles (Splatoon 2 Review)

Every good multiplayer focused game offers both casual matches and some type of ranked match in order to cater to both casual players and hardcore fans. Thankfully, Splatoon 2 does indeed offer both. Nintendo’s sequel to their hit third-person shooter includes 3 very different game modes within their overall ranked mode. These 3 modes are the same 3 that were also found in the original Splatoon: tower control, splat zones, and rainmaker. Each game mode offers its own unique challenges and gameplay opportunities. Unique gameplay opportunities also occur through randomized map/mode combinations. The current playable game mode and a pair of maps cycle through every 2 real-time hours in order to create these unique combinations. Someone may play Splatoon 2 at 1 PM and experience tower control on Moray Towers or Humpback Pump Track, but play again later that evening and get a much different experience by playing the same game mode, but on two very different maps. This variety means that players will not be having the same experience too often. However, it is now easier than ever for players to track their favorite map/mode combinations through Nintendo’s Switch Online App, or more specifically SplatNet 2 (For more on this, check out my review on the Switch Online App). With this app, players can check a schedule of upcoming combinations!

My Thoughts on Turf War and Salmon Run (Splatoon 2 Review)

One of the strongest features of Splatoon 2 is that it is truly a full-fledged sequel that knows how to keep all the strengths of its predecessor, while adding new modes, mechanics, and tweaks to keep the gameplay fresh and exciting. This statement is especially true when pertaining to two of the game’s modes. Turf war and Salmon Run. While turf war is a tried and true, beloved game mode from Splatoon 1, it has also been slightly revamped in a way to make it even more enjoyable. Salmon Run is a mode unique to Splatoon 2 that adds an entirely new layer of gameplay to the title. These two game modes are quite possibly the biggest highlights of Nintendo’s hit sequel.

New for Nintendo this Week (7/23/17-7/29/17): Hey! Pikmin & New Nintendo 2DS XL

There is a lot coming to Nintendo’s consoles this week! While most of the titles are smaller indie games, or third party games, Nintendo is launching two of its major first party games for the 3DS in the next 7 days. The Nintendo Switch is still riding high with last week’s release of Splatoon 2, but they are not slowing down as a couple more high quality games are hitting the system. The Switch and 3DS are getting plenty of support, meanwhile, the Wii U is still continuing its slide into obscurity. There is a lot to go over this week, so let dive into it!

Five Tips Learned from Splatoon to Help You in Splatoon 2!

It is July 21^st, 2017 and Splatoon 2 is now officially out! Nintendo’s highly anticipated sequel to their hit, 2015 shooter landed on retail shelves and the eshop this morning, much to the delight of fans all over the world. Whether you are a returning veteran from Splatoon 1 and just need to freshen up, or a new player who never got experience the original, I’m sure a lot of players are going to find themselves rusty or inexperienced when jumping into an online battle. Well don’t worry, because I have taken five tips from Splatoon 1 that still apply to Splatoon 2 in order to help us all be prepared to splat our opponents!

Legendary Pokemon are Finally Coming to Pokemon Go! What does it Mean?

One year ago, in July of 2016, a new augmented reality mobile game, Pokémon Go, took the entire world by storm. By entire world, I do mean the entire world. This statement does not just include gamers or longtime Pokémon fans, as Pokémon Go invaded the mainstream in a way few other video games ever had. The instant popularity of the game coupled with mainstream coverage drew in even more players to the mobile app. The result was millions of people all across the world roaming around parks and neighborhoods, staring at their phone screens in search of mythical creatures. It really was like we had temporarily entered into some bizarre version of modern society. One year later, the buzz and popularity has significantly died down, leaving a much smaller group of hardcore fans still hoping to “catch ‘em all.” Despite the significantly smaller player base, Niantic, the developer behind Pokémon Go, is still making efforts to support their mobile game. Their efforts have resulted in a much deeper and better game than we had at launch, and has even inspired some Pokémon Go resurgences. On July 20^th, 2017, we awoke to quite possibly the biggest news to hit Pokémon Go fans to date. The arrival of Legendary Pokémon.