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Welcome to Inkopolis Plaza
Inkopolis Plaza is one of the oldest locations in Inkopolis, but it’s still fresh in the minds of the inklings that live and work there. It’s well known as a hub of business, activity, and culture, with many citizens passing through or hanging out as they go about their day. Whether you want some new gear, a chance at turf, or just a quick bite, Inkopolis Plaza has you covered.
The most famous landmark of Inkopolis Plaza is, of course, Inkopolis Tower. This latticework of metal was built a hundred and fifteen years ago by Sasha Mi, a forward-thinking inkling that wanted to gather Inklings together. A painting of her standing on the very top of the tower and playing her horagai as loud as she could hangs in the head office of the modern broadcast station. Underneath on a bronzed placard is one of her most famous quotes: “Make what you can, and make it known; they will come when they know you’ve got something made.”
Of course, Inkopolis Tower has changed a lot since the days Sasha played her music to attract wandering Inklings; the discovery of radio and television broadcasting led to the construction of the transmission stations in the center and the top of the metal framework, and SquidForce’s founding of the formal Turf War League led them to construct an organization office at its base. Sasha herself is famous for her choice to host a newborn Zapfish in the tower itself; despite not fully understanding “all this electrical whozamawhatzits,” she always strove to incorporate any new knowledge into the growing Inkling city. The Great Zapfish may very well be the only being left alive that remembers her personally, but all of Inkopolis reveres her as a pioneer of her time.
Booyah Base, west of the tower, has been renovated multiple times since its original construction. A sheriff's office and prison became a bunker for soldiers, then an adventurer’s home, before being repurposed into a shopping center. For a time it served as the nexus of turf war culture, with merchants selling only the freshest gear to inklings ready to paint; Sheldon Shellondorf himself curated both Ammo Knights and its famed shooting gallery back in Booyah Base’s heyday.
Just to the east of the tower lies the Dragnet complex, two buildings with an interesting history. Before Sasha Mi built Inkopolis Tower, the buildings served as a bank and a goods store for the local town. But as more and more inklings came to live in the growing city, the businesses found themselves strained to keep up with the current goings-on. Eventually, the bank relocated to a more up-to-date location, leaving the owners of the goods store to expand into both buildings. With their newfound wealth, the goods store owners attempted to modernize, remaking the now empty bank with glass windows and binding it to their building with a ramp bridge.
Unfortunately, their investment fell horribly flat, as the competing Booyah Base attracted more customers; while they still sold groceries and minor accouterments, the goods store was on the way to bankruptcy and might have collapsed entirely. In a stroke of good luck, however, the SquidForce company stepped in and offered to pay their debts in exchange for the upper half of the two buildings; the older building was converted into a dojo to train inklings in the newly established Professional Turf War League, while the newer one was quickly adjusted to serve as a broadcast studio. The goods store rapidly reprocessed their own business model after that; under the dojo rests a kitchen and food service that not only stocks the local vending machines, but provides food for the cafe under the broadcast studio.
This odd mish-mash of old and new stands as a testament to the adaptability of business to a changing market, and has seen new popularity as a young generation of Inklings look to relax between furious, fast-paced Turf Wars. While many of the shopkeepers in Booyah Base have moved out, Jelonzo has expanded his business into the now-abandoned spaces, providing a wide variety of outfits for the casual Inkling.
Try the Junior Splattershot!
Provided by SquidForce free of charge to any kid signing up for the Turf War, the humble Splat Weapons Junior Splattershot opens the playing field for any number of eager fighters, while still remaining useful even in high-level play. While all turf warriors should of course experiment with their weapons, the Junior Splattershot’s efficiency, rate of fire, and wide spread make it a good fallback in desperate times.
This Issue of Inkopolis Walker brought to you by SquidForce
The company that took turf wars from a street game to a sanctioned sport, SquidForce is responsible for organizing matches, regulating weapons, and maintaining the equipment needed for inklings to get their ink on. All the boring tedium that’s needed to get teams set up to battle and keep the ranking system fair is handled by your good friends at SquidForce, who are just as happy to see you compete as you are to show off your skill at the sport.
We here at SquidForce know the importance of keeping fresh with every trend. That’s why we arrange collaborations between our Splat Weapons subsidiary and other companies, and why we will have promotions with some other groups; it’s always good to see an outside viewpoint. But our first loyalty will always be to our eager turf warriors. No matter your brand, no matter your style, SquidForce will keep you in the game as long as you love it.
Trust your Splat Bombs!
The most common of subweapons, Splat Bombs store a good amount of ink and trigger a few moments after impact. They’re already useful for covering turf, and a cunning Inkling can take advantage of physics to rebound them around corners for a surprise splatting. Remember: A little ink can go a long way.
Interview with the Squid Sisters
I: Welcome back! It’s been a while, hasn’t it?
C: Oh, yeah, it really has. Hey, do they still serve those paninis downstairs?
M: They use a different bread now, but yeah.
C: I’ve really wanted one for a while now.
M: Yeah, I guess you would, wouldn’t you...
I: Maybe we’ll order some brought up here. So ladies, it’s been a few years since Inkopolis News filmed their last Turf War update in the Dragnet broadcast station--
C: OMC they canceled Turf Wars?!
M: No, Callie, they didn’t cancel Turf Wars. The announcements are just filmed over in the New-Color Times station these days.
C: Phew! Don’t scare me like that, dude!
I: You didn’t know?
C: I’ve been... uh... out of town for a while.
I: Really? Care to tell us about it?
C: No.
I: ...alright then. Anyway, I was just wondering what you two think of the new broadcast pair, Off the Hook.
M: Well, they’re certainly a distinctive pair, to say the least. They have a lot of talent and skill, both of them; Marina understands the technical side of music and her lyrics have a deep sort of passion, while Pearl keeps up with the trends and has a good handle on who’s who in the biz.
C: And of course the power of their songs is undeniable, right Marie?
M: Yep. Honestly, I’m impressed at how far they’ve made it already--and I genuinely want them to go as far as they can.
C: So long as they stick together, Off the Hook will stay On the Charts!
I: Oh, that’s great to hear. So what have you two been doing?
M: Well, I’ve been working on my radio career for a while, with my songs and my advice cast, but I’ve noticed certain things haven’t been getting the attention they should. So I’m arranging a new series--Deep Sea Marie, about all the underappreciated and unnoticed goings-on in our fair city.
C: Uh, Marie, are you going to talk about... the stuff?
M: Not... all of it. Just the parts that need to be talked about. I’ll run it by you.
C: I guess that makes sense... Well, as for me, I kinda got pulled offset by unexpected circumstances, but I can assure all my fans that I’m okay now. I’m not going to talk about what happened, but I am going to say that I’ll be back on camera as soon as possible. And, actually, I’ve been talking to the producers of Tangled Tentacles to see if I can direct one of the episodes for next season.
M: Really?
C: What?
M: You used to freak out when the teleprompter broke!
C: Yeah, well... I kinda want to be the one telling others what to do, for once.
M: Oh. Well... I’m sure you’ll do wonderfully.
C: You’re not just saying that?
M: No, I mean it.
I: Wow, both of you seem to be growing a lot in your careers. Hey, are you planning on getting the Squid Sisters back together anytime soon?
C: Planning? We’re already together!
M: We have a new song out and everything!
C: Honestly, part of the reason we’re taking more active direction in our careers is so we can stay together. Coordinate schedules, that sort of thing.
M: Not that we have anything against our fans, but sometimes... sometimes it’s good to perform for yourself, to do what it is you want to do.
I: Of course. Sorry, I’m just going off my list of questions to ask--
C: Oh I know how that is. Hey, let’s do something fun.
I: Huh?
C: Ask us a question that isn’t on the list. Something you want to ask.
I: Uh... okay. Um... How do you get your tentacles so long?
C: Oh yeah, that’s the result of healthy living.
M: Here we go...
C: See, a lot of people will tell you eating less makes you fitter, but food is fuel! What you need to do is figure out the right kind of food for what you need, eat a lot of that, and then match it to the best exercise you can get.
M: So the reason you run three dozen ink laps every caturday is to justify you stuffing yourself silly the rest of the week?
C: Yep!
M: I’m pretty sure the tentacle thing is genetic.
C: I’m pretty sure your cuteness is genetic!
M: ...was that supposed to be a burn?
I: I think it was.
C: Yeah, not my best burn.
M: Callie... just... you know what, I’m going to hug you now.
Get your Tentacles on a Splattershot!
Another Splat Weapons staple, the Splattershot is an excellent all-rounder loved by turf warriors of all levels. It doesn’t provide any special tactical advantage, but it suffers from no serious disadvantage either, and pairs very well with many sub and special weapons. In a skilled set of tentacles, the Splattershot can mean the difference between victory and defeat.
Inklings and you
You might have noticed these small squids switching to cool kids and running around in the freshest gear they can find. These are the Inklings, the founders and primary inhabitants of Inkopolis, and they’re a friendly, lively bunch. Inklings are one of the most interactive of the Limuped clade, always willing to pick up fresh new trends from anybody they run into and remix it into something anybody can enjoy. This acceptance and adaptability runs deep through their culture, and makes for an eager and energetic friend.
But watch out! The same urge to find fresh new flips also encourages the competitive spirit of these squids! It’s not hard for Inklings to start squabbling over what the coolest trend is, and they will fight with a passion for their favored way. They don’t hold grudges, though, and once a battle is taken to its conclusion they will just as eagerly praise their opponents--after all, they only really fight over what’s trending, and winning shows a new trend.
Besides fashion and fighting, Inklings have one deep love--music! Song is woven into their very ink, and they’ll collaborate with artists from any background to make hella fresh beats for everyone. Like anything else they enjoy, Inklings will throw themselves fully into making their music and dancing to it; sometimes this leads to clashing tastes and deep arguments, but they handle it as well as any other conflict.
Remember: Inklings love to live life to the fullest, and while that means they can be beasts in a fight, they’re just as intensely devoted to their friendships!