Splatoon | Nintendo Wii U

Important: Game may not include original DLC, bonus-content, online-pass, season-pass, or other digital redemption codes. Any included codes may have already been redeemed or expired.

Preorder and launch bonuses, promotional or bonus inserts, and bundled bonus-game downloads are not guaranteed. Content supplied on the game disc or cartridge is unaffected.

Ink-Based Action on Wii U

Splatoon is a third-person action shooter built around covering the world with colored ink. Inklings can fire weapons in humanoid form, then transform into squids to swim quickly through their own ink, refill the ink tank, hide from view, and climb painted surfaces. Enemy ink slows movement and blocks squid travel, so every exchange changes both the battlefield and the routes available through it.

Weapons, Gear, and Battle Systems

Loadouts combine a main weapon with a sub weapon and a special weapon. Shooters, rollers, chargers, bombs, protective tools, and map-altering specials support very different approaches to space control. Clothing, headgear, and shoes carry abilities that refine movement, ink use, defense, and other traits. The Wii U GamePad supplies the map and touch targets for Super Jumps, while motion aiming is part of the original control design.

Offline Story Progression

Octo Valley remains the substantial single-player mode. Cap'n Cuttlefish sends the Inkling underground to recover stolen Zapfish from the Octarians. Stages mix shooting with platforming, moving machinery, ink rails, puzzles, and bosses. Power Eggs upgrade hero gear, checkpoints protect some progress within a stage, and hidden Sunken Scrolls reveal more of the setting. Because this campaign does not depend on matchmaking, it remains playable after the Wii U network shutdown.

Local Two-Player Battle Dojo

Battle Dojo provides a separate one-on-one local contest in which players burst balloons. One player uses the Wii U GamePad and its screen; the other watches the TV and needs a compatible Wii U Pro Controller or Classic Controller Pro, sold separately. Battle Dojo is not a substitute for the original four-on-four online modes, but it preserves a competitive local option.

Current Service Status

Nintendo ended Wii U online play and other online communication on April 8, 2024. Official Regular Battles, Ranked Battles, matchmaking, online progression, rankings, news and event delivery, and other server-dependent features are no longer available. Historical Turf War, Splat Zones, Splatfests, and later online modes should not be read as currently playable features. The practical experience today is the offline Octo Valley campaign, local Battle Dojo, and compatible amiibo challenges where the required figures are available separately.

Rating

The ESRB rates Splatoon E10+ for Cartoon Violence.