It's no longer strange to see the concept of genres challenged by unusual games, but Splatoon is a special case. It's a lighthearted, sugar-coated game that's landed on the back of today's dark and gritty shooters ( Battlefield , Call of Duty , Wolfenstein , and Titanfall come to mind).

Proves shooters don't have to be violent to be engaging; Employs one of the most unique movement mechanics around; It makes you look at your environment and opponents in new ways; The colorful atmosphere lifts you up rather than weighing you down

The single player campaign loses steam too quickly; A lack of control over multiplayer matches does more harm than good; Some content is locked behind amiibos; forcing eager Inklings to spend real world money

Nintendo's take on the third-person shooter is refreshingly original, with lots of impressive tools, skillful mobility, and creative maps to play with. Matches are consistently fun and tense, and the mechanics feel simple and fair enough that almost anyone can contribute positively.

Creative mechanics; Fast-paced matches; Customization; Unique modes

No voice chat

A new Nintendo IP doesn't come around all that often. The 100 year old company has produced some of the most memorable worlds and characters in gaming hist

Excellent and unique online multiplayer; Superb visuals and sound; Great new world full of fun characters; Fantastic use of amiibo

No voice chat; No online spitscreen; Limited map/mode selection at launch

Splatoon's world is bright, colourful and full of charm; pretty much the norm for a Nintendo game. It's also a lot of fun, as anyone who has played it will attest to. Nintendo have put their spin on

Super fun; Looks great; Superb sound

Threadbare Multiplayer; Archaic online structure; Short story mode

The one thing we shouldn't be baffled by, though, is the fact that Nintendo has delivered an excellent, unique game for everyone with a WiiU. It's a game that feels great from the moment you pick it up and just gets bigger, larger, and more involved as you continue on, full of charm and personality...

Impressive effort with a few noticeable problems holding it back. Won't astound everyone, but is worth most people's time and cash. How we score: The Destructoid Reviews Guide

A shooter is a game where you run around shooting guys. Lots of games have played with the "guys" part, distinguishing themselves only by having you kill Nazis, aliens, or Nazi aliens.

Updated August 19th: Since James first reviewed Splatoon, the game has been updated constantly with new multiplayer modes, new maps, new weapons and of course finally a way to play with your friends easily.

In 2002's Super Mario Sunshine, Nintendo gave players the mission of saving an island from a messy catastrophe. Now a new Nintendo game releases with a mission that will send shivers down Mario's spine: to make the biggest, inkiest mess you can possibly make.

Games like Splatoon don't come around too often. It's fresh and exciting in ways that are rarely seen. Marching to the beat of its own drum, Splatoon is bursting with style. So much so, that in a different era it would have made an excellent addition to the Dreamcast library.