Splatoon's Weirdly Limited Demo Returns for a Few Hours
Make your plans now.
Those who haven't yet picked up Splatoon have another chance to sample it later this month, albeit only for a very limited period of time.
As with past Testfire demos, this one has an extremely narrow window during which you can play: It'll be available from August 25-28 from 3-5 PM PT each day. Nintendo's insistence on restricting the demo is odd given the game is now well over a year old. But the company has a history of doing things differently with demos, as evidenced by the limited number of times many 3DS demos can be played.
To participate in the demo, you'll first need to download it from the Wii U eShop. This is an online-only demo, so you'll need to have an internet connection during the allotted times. When it's live, you'll be able to take part in Turf War multiplayer matches on two maps, Saltspray Rig and Walleye Warehouse. Four weapons will be available: the Splattershot, Splattershot Jr., Splat Roller, and Splat Charger.
You can prepare for the demo by checking out some tip videos Nintendo released earlier this year. You could also ask a friend--more than 4 million copies of the game have been sold, so you might very well know someone who's played it.
Splatoon was updated a number of times following launch, with the final weapon and map arriving earlier this year. Since then, Nintendo has pledged further support for the shooter, which was recently honored with a Chinese knockoff.
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