E3 2014: Multiplayer shooter Splatoon coming to Wii U

Nintendo today announced a very different addition to the Wii U’s game log: a third-person, competitive, multiplayer shooter: Splatoon.

Splatoon is a contest of color in which two teams (opposite the color wheel in many cases—nice touch) compete to coat the battleground in their color, eliminating enemy players all the while. This premise creates multiple interesting mechanics such as swimming in squid form through your own color in order to move quickly and up difficult terrain, which can be countered by opponents spraying their color in your path, in which you move incredibly slow.

As you can see from the trailer, there are also special items such as the paint roller and a color tornado of sorts, allowing for quick distribution of color and elimination of players. In addition, the status of the match—distribution of color, enemy movement and more—is displayed on the Wii U gamepad, allowing you to keep track of the game at all times.

The match victor is decided by who colorizes a greater percentage of the map, though player kills and other objectives will likely play a role depending on the game type. In any case, Splatoon is exactly what online shooters need: a colorful, humor-laden and action-packed take with a unique and expansive mechanic at its heart.

Splatoon is now up for pre-order, but does not yet have a hard release date. It's safe to expect 2015, though. We’ll update you with more information as it surfaces.