When you begin playing Splatoon, you’ll find your character in a central plaza populated with other Inklings that have been sent to the game via Miiverse. Through the plaza, you’ll be able to communicate with these inklings, access the game’s online multiplayer mode, and also purchase weapons and equipment at the in-game store.
On the game’s official Tumblr, Nintendo shared a few more details regarding how the central plaza and equipment will work in Splatoon. To begin with, Nintendo draw a comparison between the central plaza and Shibuya, saying that if the setting of the game were Tokyo, the central plaza would serve as the Shibuya district.
The plaza is home to four shops—a weapons shop, a headgear shop, a clothing shop, and a shoe shop. Items in the clothing, headgear and shoe shops change from day to day, so you’ll need to check back frequently if you want to find new stuff. These items are purchased using the in-game currency, and the amount of currency you earn from each multiplayer match depends on how much turf you cover in ink.
As mentioned in the Nintendo Direct presentation, your equipment changes your stats during matches. In addition to your equipment, you also get three weapons—a main weapon, a sub-weapon, and a special weapon that can be charged up—so you’ll have a fair bit of control over how you choose to outfit your character and engage the opposing team.
Splatoon is scheduled for release this May on Wii U. In addition to online multiplayer, the game will also include a single-player campaign.
