After completing the tutorial, you land in the center of Inkopolis Plaza, a bustling hub of activity for Inklings obsessed with ink battles. Turn your attention to the overhead monitor for the latest broadcast of Inkopolis News, hosted by Callie and Marie—apparently the Great Zapfish is missing from Inkopolis Tower. Could this be connected with the recent UFO sightings? In any case, Callie and Marie don’t seem too worried about this latest development. Following the broadcast, feel free to explore the Plaza—there’s plenty to see and do.
Inkopolis Tower
Enter the lobby at the base of Inkopolis Tower to participate in online ink battles.
Inkopolis Tower is the gathering spot for all ink battle participants. Come here if you want to compete in online Turf Wars or ranked Splat Zones matches. Upon choosing a game mode, you enter a matchmaking screen where you’re grouped with seven other players—three teammates and four opponents. Competing in ink battles earns you Battle Points (or BP), which are then converted into gold. You can use gold earned from online matches to purchase new weapons and gear from the shops at Booyah Base. For more information on how online matches work, flip ahead to the Ink Battles chapter.
Booyah Base
Spend your hard-earned gold on new weapons, clothing, shoes, and headgear at the shops in Booyah Base.
Booyah Base consists of four shops where you can purchase new weapons and gear for use during ink battles. But you’ll need to earn some street cred before shopping here—The armor vendors won’t sell you stuff until you’re Level 4, however Sheldon (Ammo Knights) will start selling you weapons at Level 2. So head to Inkopolis Tower and start making a name for yourself (and earning gold) by competing in ink battles. For more information on the shops and their inventory, reference the Weapons and Gear chapter.
Jelly Fresh
Tired of that boring, old Basic Tee? Then pay Jelonzo a visit at Jelly Fresh. Here you can find a variety of t-shirts, jackets, and tops, perfect for your next ink battle. Jelonzo’s inventory is limited to six items per day. But stock is updated daily, so check back frequently.
Shrimp Kicks
Crusty Sean is the proprietor of Shrimp Kicks, the Plaza’s exclusive source for the latest and greatest fashions in footwear. The store’s stock is rotated daily, offering six different pairs of shoes per day. So stop by often to see what Crusty Sean has in stock.
Cooler Heads
If you’re looking for a new hat, headband, or eyewear, then check in with Annie at Cooler Heads—the clownfish living in her anemone hairdo is Moe. Like the other gear shops, you can find six different items for sale here each day. Make daily visits to find that perfect head accessory.
Ammo Knights
Sheldon, the talkative shopkeeper of Ammo Knights, sells and manufactures a variety of weapons designed for ink battles. Unlike the other shops, the number of weapons available for purchase increases based on your level—the higher your level, the more weapons are unlocked. Sheldon can also create new weapons by using blueprints. Blueprints are obtained from the Sunken Scrolls retrieved after boss battles during the single-player campaign.
Octo Valley
Cap’n Cuttlefish knows who is behind the disappearance of the Great Zapfish. Enter this hatch to investigate.
Who is that peeking out of the hatch? Why it’s none other than Cap’n Cuttlefish, a decorated veteran of the Great Turf War. The disappearance of the Great Zapfish has Cap’n Cuttlefish concerned—he believes the Octarians are involved. While most Inklings ignore Cap’n Cuttlefish’s seemingly paranoid ramblings, he might be on to something. Enter this hatch to meet with Cap’n Cuttlefish, launching the game’s single-player campaign. Completing the campaign gives you access to new weapons and gear you can use in ink battles. Flip ahead to the Octo Valley chapter for more details.
Battle Dojo
The Battle Dojo, located on the Plaza’s upper promenade, allows you to participate in a one-on-one Balloon Battle with a friend. This isn’t an online mode, but a local battle where one player plays on the TV and the other plays on the GamePad—the player using the TV can use the Classic Controller, Classic Controller Pro, or Wii U Pro Controller. Once a second controller has been connected, both players can select from eight weapons, each with their own sub weapon—this is a good opportunity to try out different weapons and sub weapons before you buy them. After weapon selection, choose from one of five stages to fight over, including the same arenas available during ink battles—this is a great way to get familiar with each stage before competing online.
At the Battle Dojo, choose your weapon, then go head-to-head against a friend in a Balloon Battle match.
Battle Dojo Weapon Line-up
| Weapon | Name | Sub Weapon | Name |
|---|---|---|---|
 |
Splattershot |
 |
Burst Bomb |
 |
Splat Roller |
 |
Suction Bomb |
 |
Splat Charger |
 |
Splat Bomb |
 |
Blaster |
 |
Disruptor |
 |
Jet Squelcher |
 |
Splash Wall |
 |
Aerospray MG |
 |
Seeker |
 |
Classic Squiffer |
 |
Point Sensor |
 |
Rapid Blaster |
 |
Ink Mine |
Balloon Battle
If you have the lead, keep your distance from your opponent—if you get splatted, you’ll lose balloon points.
Balloon Battle is a completely unique game mode to the Battle Dojo. The objective of Balloon Battle is simple—pop more balloons than your opponent. Each balloon you pop gives you one balloon point. If you accrue thirty balloon points, you win. Otherwise, the player with the most balloon points at the end of the five-minute match wins. However, there are a couple of twists.
In the last minute of gameplay, each balloon you pop is worth two balloon points, making the final moments of a match much more intense. Also, if you get splatted by an opponent, you’ll lose balloon points. So if your opponent has a commanding lead, instead of going after balloons, try to splat them in an attempt to even the scores. There are no rewards issued for competing in Balloon Battles, but the experience you gain here can make all the difference once you transition to online battles.
Arcade Games
The arcade cabinet in the Plaza features a mini-game you can play called Squid Jump. This, and all arcade games, are played on the GamePad. Look down at the GamePad’s screen to help your squid navigate a series of platforms. By default, Squid Jump is the only arcade game available. But you can unlock more by defeating the Octobot King with the Inkling Boy, Inkling Girl, and Inkling Squid amiibo. In addition to playing arcade games at the cabinet in the Plaza, you can also play these games while waiting in the lobby of Inkopolis Tower—play a few rounds while waiting for other players to join your game.
Interact with this arcade cabinet to play a game of Squid Jump—other games can be unlocked by completing amiibo challenges.
Squid Jump
- Unlock: Default
Squid Jump puts you in control of a squid who must leap vertically from one platform to the next. There are a total of twenty-five stages to complete. Gather the red fish, blue fish, and the red starfish to enhance your jumping ability.
Squid Racer
- Unlock: Defeat the Octobot King as Inkling Boy amiibo
Squid Racer pits your squid against jellyfish in a road race. Hold down the ZL Button to drift around corners, then accelerate out of the turn at the right moment to gain a sudden burst of speed. Keep an eye on the timer and complete each stage before time expires.
Squidball
- Unlock: Defeat the Octobot King as Inkling Girl amiibo
Squidball is a volleyball-style game requiring you to knock back an Zapfish at your jellyfish opponents—use the left stick to aim the Zapfish at the jellyfish targets. Eliminate the required number of jellyfish to advance to the next stage.
Squid Beatz
- Unlock: Defeat the Octobot King as Inkling Squid amiibo
Squid Beatz features the different music found throughout Splatoon. You can simply listen to the music or participate in a mini-game on the GamePad. There are no points or stages in this game, just some simple rhythm-based interactivity.
Judd
If you earn a vibe rank of Toasty, Smokin’, or SO HAWT!!, Judd will reward you with gold.
When he’s not officiating ink battles, Judd can be found snoozing on this blue box in the Plaza. Speak to Judd to get tips for your upcoming ink battles. But Judd serves another purpose too. By winning ink battles, you increase your vibe rank, visible in the Inkopolis Tower lobby screen. There are four vibe ranks: Chill, Toasty, Smokin’, and SO HAWT!! If you obtain a rank of Toasty or higher, Judd will give you a daily gold reward—the higher the rank, the more gold you’ll receive. So make a habit of talking to Judd each day, preferably at the end of your play session. Vibe ranks reset every day, so if you forget to talk to Judd, you’re leaving gold behind. For more information on Judd and vibe ranks, reference the Ink Battles chapter.
Spyke
Sitting in the alley, opposite of Booyah Base, Spyke is running a different type of business. But like the more legitimate shop owners, Spyke won’t deal with you until you reach level four or higher. At that point you can place orders with Spyke by interacting with other Inklings in the Plaza. If you see an Inkling wearing clothing, shoes, or headgear you like, place an order with Spyke—he’ll have the item you want the next day. You can place up to three orders at a time, but Spyke will only deliver one item per day, in the order in which they were requested. You can also pay Spyke Super Sea Snails (obtained from Splatfests) to reroll the sub abilities assigned to your clothing, shoes, or headgear. For more information on Spyke (and Splatfest), flip ahead to the Ink Battles chapter.
Need some gear not offered in the other shops? Spyke can help you out.