Splatoon: Questions Before I Buy

[persephone]

So, I've been thinking about getting Splatoon for a bit, but I have some questions for those Escapists out there who already own the game.

(1) Do you have to play multiplayer with the tablet controller? I know from looking at YouTube that there are gameplay mechanics (such as Inkstrike and respawn teleportation) that require the touchscreen. But my hands are literally too small to comfortably grasp that mountain of a controller.

What I'd like to do is use a Pro controller and have the tablet controller propped up in front of me on a table so I can see the mini-map and tap the touchscreen when needed. Is that possible?

(2) I've never really been into shooters, but the Roller option looks really fun. But I think that to unlock new rollers, you have to play single player, which requires you to do shooter stuff? Is that true? Or can you unlock new rollers without doing shooter stuff?

Thanks to everyone who answers this thread!

 

[xaszatm]

1. Sorry, you need to use the gamepad to play all modes with the exception of the 1 v 1 in which one person needs to gamepad and the other uses either Wii Mote + Nuncuck, GamePad Pro, or a GamePad with a Wiimote ducked taped to it (I'm not actually joking about that one, surprisingly)

2. You start the game with the splattershot and you get money and experience whenever you play multiplayer. Single-player is good for getting a hang of the game but is Splattershot only. You unlock the Roller at level 3. Single player and Multi-player has no real interaction asides from some skins you get for some of your weapons and a costume. To get more stuff in the multiplayer, you need to play the multiplayer.

I hope these answered your questions.

 

[tstorm823]

The first reply you got pretty much covered everything.

This is the game that will break your opinion of the tablet, I promise.

 

[persephone]

I wish it was an opinion of the tablet; it's a physical limitation. I've tried using the thing, and it physically hurts. The buttons are literally too far apart and my arthritic joints can't handle how incredibly un-ergonomic the thing is.

I guess I add this to the list of games that look fantastic but I can't play b/c of physical problems. That's life, I guess. Thanks for the info!

 

[Flammablezeus]

I wish it was an opinion of the tablet; it's a physical limitation. I've tried using the thing, and it physically hurts. The buttons are literally too far apart and my arthritic joints can't handle how incredibly un-ergonomic the thing is.

I guess I add this to the list of games that look fantastic but I can't play b/c of physical problems. That's life, I guess. Thanks for the info!

That sucks. You might have trouble with the pro controller as well then, because everything has the same layout except for the fact that your hands are slightly further apart with the tablet controller. The distances between analogue sticks and buttons are all the same.

 

[Las7]

So, I've been thinking about getting Splatoon for a bit, but I have some questions for those Escapists out there who already own the game.

(1) Do you have to play multiplayer with the tablet controller? I know from looking at YouTube that there are gameplay mechanics (such as Inkstrike and respawn teleportation) that require the touchscreen. But my hands are literally too small to comfortably grasp that mountain of a controller.

What I'd like to do is use a Pro controller and have the tablet controller propped up in front of me on a table so I can see the mini-map and tap the touchscreen when needed. Is that possible?

(2) I've never really been into shooters, but the Roller option looks really fun. But I think that to unlock new rollers, you have to play single player, which requires you to do shooter stuff? Is that true? Or can you unlock new rollers without doing shooter stuff?

Thanks to everyone who answers this thread!

1) I had this problem to until I got used to the GamePad, my hands would get tired.
Otherwise I'm loving the Gyro Controls as a person who has never played shooters on a console - it was very easy to make the adjustment coming from a K+M Shooter background.
ProController only works in the Local Multiplayer which I haven't played yet

2) Personally I play Roller and the one I use is one of the Rollers which is unlocked very early in the game. The Dynamo Rollers can only be unlocked by finishing the Single Player which takes around 5-8 hours. I actually finished the SP when my ISP had problems and I had no Internet - it was very good, and I hope to see single player platforming mechanics become part of the newer maps they release. Things like Rotating Platforms/Ink Tubes/Ink Sponges would make the Multiplayer even more interesting.

 

[persephone]

I do actually have some trouble with the pro controller; I can't really reach the bottom two buttons (from the little set of four). So I can use the pro controller fine for Mario Kart, which only needs the top two buttons, but for other games I have to switch to a smaller, third party controller.

Unfortunately, my hands can't "get used" to anything anymore. I have permanent nerve damage and joint damage in my hands and wrists. I can't even hold a controller up for thirty seconds; I build holders out of Legos and use keyboard support pads and bean bags to rest my hands on. I use a height adjustable chair and height adjustable table to get my ergonomics *just so*, because if I don't, I can't play, period. Motion controls are right out; I would fry my hands within five minutes and be unable to feed myself for a week.

I know you can turn the motion controls off. If the tablet were more ergonomic to hold, I'm confident I could build a holder for it; I've done it before, I just gave up on using it because the tablet was too damn *big* and it wasn't contoured to deal with human hands. And the buttons and joysticks were just too far apart; it's clearly designed for hands that aren't petite like mine, or don't mind stretching like mine.