Splatoon is a game that’s very different from what we’ve come to expect from Nintendo. It’s a team-based, online-focused, competitive shooter that stars a bunch of teens who are also squids. But that hasn’t stopped Nintendo from adding some nostalgia into the Wii U game: soon your squid-teen character will be able to wield the classic NES Zapper.
Nintendo turned the NES Zapper into a paintball gun for Splatoon
This game just keeps getting better
This game just keeps getting better
is an entertainment editor covering streaming, virtual worlds, and every single Pokémon video game. Andrew joined The Verge in 2012, writing over 4,000 stories.
As part of the first batch of add-ons for the game, Splatoon is getting a new weapon called the N-Zap ‘85, which looks suspiciously like the plastic gun you used to shoot ducks on the NES as a kid. The revamped Zapper is described as a “rapid-fire shooter,” though it’s unclear how it compares to the game’s current lineup of weaponry. But considering how different each Splatoon weapon feels — this is a game that lets you wield everything from paint rollers to bazookas — it’s at least worth trying out.
The Zapper will be available alongside a new map as part of a free update for the game tonight at 10PM ET. For more on Splatoon, be sure to check out our review.
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