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


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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