Splatoon Global Testfire

The Splatoon Global Testfire was a free Splatoon demo available on the Nintendo eShop. It allowed players to engage in free four-versus-four Turf War at scheduled times ahead of the release of the game. It was available for download before the scheduled times, but server connection was not possible beforehand. The application was made unavailable for download afterwards.

It was stated that the will briefly return from August 21st to August 23rd, for use for Wii U owners that have not yet purchased.

Description
During the Global Testfire, players were able to customize their Inklings and enter a tutorial area where they could pop balloons and get accustomed to the game's controls. They were then able to enter online matches of Turf War and use the Splattershot Jr., Splattershot, Splat Roller, and Splat Charger on both Saltspray Rig and Walleye Warehouse.

Release times
In order to ensure a sufficient number of players for the Testfire, Nintendo designated the following times to be used.

North America
The following dates were added following the 'Live from Squid Research Station' announcement.
 * Friday, May 8th 2015 8-9 PM PST
 * Saturday, May 9th 2015 4-5 AM PST
 * Saturday, May 9th 2015 12-1 PM PST
 * Saturday, May 23rd 2015 3-4 PM PST (up to 5 PM PST due to connection errors for most of the original time)
 * Friday, August 21st 2015 3-5 PM PST
 * Saturday, August 22nd 2015 3-5 PM PST
 * Sunday, August 23rd 2015 3-5 PM PST

Europe

 * Saturday, May 9th 2015 4:00 BST
 * Saturday, May 9th 2015 12:00 BST
 * Saturday, May 9th 2015 20:00 BST

Trivia

 * The Global Testfire application doesn't create any save data.
 * The option to pre-purchase the full game appears at the title screen, at the weapon selection screen, and after matches. Players who pre-purchased received special gear for the Testfire.
 * When the servers were shut down, players online were given the message: "A communications error occurred." They were then taken back to the title screen. However, if they were in the practice area when the servers were shut down, they were not brought back to the title screen and could stay in the area as long as they wanted.
 * The digital manual for the Global Testfire application is the full game's manual.