Inkling Creation
In Splatoon, you assume the role of an Inkling, a humanoid-squid hybrid. When first starting the game, you’re prompted to choose a girl or boy Inkling—this is the character you’ll play as during the single-player campaign as well as online matches. Your Inkling’s gender is purely aesthetic and has no bearing on how your character performs. The same is true for your Inkling’s skin tone and eye color, two other attributes you’re prompted to select. Later on, you can further customize your Inkling by outfitting them with different clothing, shoes, and headgear—these items can enhance your Inkling’s performance. But for now, you’ll need to make do with the standard-issue Basic Tee, Cream Basics, and White Headband.
Choose your Inkling’s gender as well as their skin tone and eye color.
Controls
Tutorial: The Path to Inkopolis
During the tutorial, experiment with swimming and jumping while in squid form. Mastering these skills is essential for surviving ink battles.
After personalizing your Inkling, you’re immediately ushered in to a quick tutorial, giving you a chance to familiarize yourself with the game’s controls in a hostile-free environment. Advance through this stage while popping balloons and spreading ink. There’s no rush, so take some time to experiment with the game’s unique gameplay mechanics. For example, spread ink across horizontal and vertical surfaces, then swim through your ink in squid form—while swimming through your ink, your ink tank replenishes at a much faster rate. Swimming through ink also makes you more difficult to detect, allowing you to sneak past enemies. Also, get familiar with the Splat Bombs. Hold down the R Button to see the bomb’s trajectory before throwing—this allows for more precise targeting, particularly when throwing a Splat Bomb from behind cover. When you feel comfortable with the game’s controls and mechanics, continue to the launchpad at the end of the stage. Stand on the launchpad and press the ZL Button to perform a Super Jump, taking you all the way to Inkopolis Plaza.