Splatter enemies and claim your turf as the ink-spewing, squid-like characters called Inklings in Nintendo’s new third-person action shooter game for the Wii U. Challenge your friends in chaotic four-on-four matches, in which the goal is to get your ink on as many places as possible and claim your turf, all while strategically submerging yourself in your team’s colors and blasting your enemies.

A central “plaza” that connects to all the different modes in the game also grants access to a shopping center that lets players customize their weapons and outfits with in-game currency.

The game’s main online mode is Turf War, in which players with broadband Internet access can compete head-to-head in four-on-four teams to try to cover as much territory as possible in their team’s ink. As they do battle, players will gain levels and earn in-game currency that allows them to customize their Inkling. Players can equip different pieces of clothing, which each provide different game-play perks like swimming more quickly through ink or decreasing the time needed for them to refill their ink canister. Players can also equip pre-determined weapon sets consisting of main weapons like rapid-fire ink guns, long-range ink rifles and paint rollers, as well as sub-weapons like ink bombs or sprinklers. Players can also fill up their special gauge in battle to unleash powerful special weapons for a brief period of time. Players will battle in a variety of online multiplayer maps, including the newly announced Blackbelly Skatepark, Saltspray Rig and Walleye Warehouse.

On April 23, Nintendo is partnering with Nickelodeon to bring a SpongeBob SquarePants-themed Splatfest competition to the Splatoon game for the Wii U console.

Players will be asked to declare their allegiance to either the world’s most lovable sponge, SpongeBob SquarePants, or his starfish sidekick, Patrick Star, from Nickelodeon’s animated television show SpongeBob SquarePants. SpongeBob and Patrick will feel right at home in the squid-themed Splatoon game. Squidward was not invited.

“Two international pop culture sensations meet when the SpongeBob SquarePants Splatfest comes to Splatoon,” said Scott Moffitt, Nintendo of America’s Executive Vice President of Sales & Marketing. “Fun partnerships like this take advantage of the crossover appeal that family-friendly franchises like Splatoon and SpongeBob provide. Personally, I’m team SpongeBob all the way.”

Splatfest is a recurring online competition that asks players to pick a team – in this case, either SpongeBob or Patrick. Once players choose a side, they’ll receive a free in-game T-shirt adorned with an image of SpongeBob or Patrick for their character to wear as they compete in the online multiplayer Turf War mode to see which team comes out on top. At the end of the Splatfest competition, the side with the most points is awarded Super Sea Snails (no relation to SpongeBob’s pet, Gary), items that allow them to upgrade gear in the game. The SpongeBob SquarePants Splatfest competition kicks off in Splatoon on April 23 at 6 a.m. PT and runs until April 24 at 12 p.m. PT. This also marks the first Splatfest in which players from North America and Europe can be matched together. Splatfest is open to all Wii U owners who have the Splatoon game and an Internet connection.

The Ranked Battle multiplayer mode keeps track of each player’s online ranking. Splat Zones is one of the additional ways to play online in this mode. As opposed to Turf War, which will be available to all players as soon as they begin playing Splatoon, Splat Zones lets players try to control the territory of specific areas of the map with their ink blasts. As they play these ranked modes online, they will have the opportunity to increase their rating from “C-” to “A+,” which will be dynamically updated based on their performance. Players will need to achieve an in-game online Level of 10 by leveling up their Inkling in Turf War online matches before gaining access to these additional modes. As a result, once the game launches in May, Nintendo will track the global progress of players as they gain levels, and once a critical mass of players has achieved Level 10, this additional mode will be unlocked for players who meet the ranking criteria.

Key Features:

• Team up and take on other teams in an action-filled battle to cover the level with as much ink as possible. Spray walls to access hard-to-reach areas.
• Covering more territory with ink unlocks powered-up super weapons that can be used to attack rivals or cover more turf.
• Strategy is everything. Defeat enemies to splatter them in an explosion of ink, covering more turf for your team. But choose wisely: Players who only go after the enemy might find their turf redecorated in their enemies’ colors.
• Refill ink tanks, hide from opponents or move faster by turning into a squid and diving into the ink with the tap of a button.
• Select between multiple control options on the Wii U GamePad controller, including using gyroscopic controls to look around, allowing for better aiming and control.
• Hop online and battle in four-on-four matches.