N-ZAP '85

The N-ZAP '85 is a main weapon in Splatoon and Splatoon 2. It highly resembles the original North American NES Zapper, an accessory for the Nintendo Entertainment System released in 1985, hence its name.

Splatoon

N-ZAP '85

Category	Main
Class	Shooter
Sub	Splat Bomb
Special	Echolocator
Level	5
Cost	3,500
Availability
Base damage	28
Base duration
Ink consumption	0.8%
Special points
Sp. depletion	40%
Range	50 / 100
Damage	27 / 100
Impact
Fire rate	75 / 100
Charge speed
Ink speed
Mobility
Durability
Handling
Variants	N-ZAP '89 N-ZAP '83

The N-ZAP '85 was the first weapon to be added post-release. It was released on 1 June 2015 alongside the stage Port Mackerel and Ranked Battles. It's weaker than the Splattershot but it makes up for it with a higher rate of fire. It comes with Splat Bombs and the Echolocator.

Data

The N-ZAP '85 is a middleweight weapon.
The ink consumption of 0.8% allows players to fire 125 shots before needing to refill the ink supply.
When initially firing the weapon in humanoid form, the first shot takes 3 frames to come out.
- When firing from squid or octopus form, the first shot takes 8 frames to come out.
When firing continuously, it has a fire rate of 5 frames between shots.
When firing while moving, the player's movement speed is set to 0.8 units per frame.
After firing, there is a 20 frame cooldown before the ink tank starts refilling.
Shots have a radius of 2 units.
The angle its shots can deviate while on the ground is 6 degrees.
The angle its shots can deviate while in the air is 15 degrees.
When jumping, the chance to shoot towards the outer reticle instead of the inner reticle is immediately set to 40%.
Shots initially travel at a rate of 22 units per frame for 4 frames, having an effective range of 88 units.
Ink droplets occur every 100 units.
The frequency at which ink drips from a shot occurs at a rate of 1.65 droplets per shot.
There are a total of 11 different droplet patterns that can be created while firing this weapon.
Droplets that occur within 11 units of the player have a radius of 19.2 units.
Droplets that occur when they travel past 200 units of the player have a radius of 18 units.
All other ink droplets have a radius of 12.8 units.

Version history

Version	Adjustments
2.2.0	▲ Walk speed while firing increased by 11%.
2.7.0	▲ The radius of the droplets that fall before the shot hits has been increased by about 7%. ▲ Intervals between the droplets that fall before the shot hits have been reduced. ▲ Special gauge loss: 50% → as low as 40%

Gallery

Promo image.
A male Inkling in the Shooting Range with the N-ZAP '85.
Promo of a female Inkling posing with the N-ZAP '85.
Official art of an Inkling holding the N-ZAP '85.
Art of several Inklings - the far right one is holding the N-ZAP '85.

Demonstration

Splatoon 2

N-ZAP '85

Category	Main
Class	Shooter
Sub	Suction Bomb
Special	Ink Armor
Level	9
Cost	7,100
Availability
Base damage	28
Base duration
Ink consumption	0.8%
Special points	200p
Sp. depletion
Range	50 / 100
Damage	22 / 100
Impact
Fire rate	75 / 100
Charge speed
Ink speed
Mobility
Durability
Handling
Variants	N-ZAP '89 N-ZAP '83

The N-ZAP '85 returns in Splatoon 2, looking identical to how it did in the first game. It comes with Suction Bombs and Ink Armor.

Quick facts

Role: Support^[1]

Strengths: All-around capabilities, mobility, turfing, Ink Armor

Weakness: Is not exceptionally strong in any one of its supportive capabilities^[2]

Recommended abilities

Ability	Purpose
Ink Saver (Sub)	Allows more frequent use of Suction Bombs
Run Speed Up	Increases running speed, particularly while firing
Special Charge Up	Accelerates building up the Special gauge for Ink Armor

^[3]

Use

As an Ink Armor-based support weapon, the N-ZAP '85 is an all-rounder with no obvious weaknesses.
- It outranges the Splattershot Jr. and outdamages the Kensa Undercover Brella, allowing it to be more aggressive against opposing slayers than either of the two.
- It is more ink efficient than either the .96 Gal or the H-3 Nozzlenose D.
- It is more accurate and mobile than the .96 and has Suction Bombs, while the .96 Gal has no bombs with which to either apply pressure or zone out opponents.
- It has more mobility and a lower special gauge requirement than the H-3 Nozzlenose D (200 vs. 220).
The primary tradeoff for being a Jack-of-all-trades is the lack of a major strength among its supportive capabilities; it is not the most efficient at turfing, the most effective at providing support fire, or the fastest at building up Ink Armor.
- Ink Saver (Sub) can allow for more frequent Suction Bomb use but not quite enough to spam bombs (without a very high investment).
- Special Charge Up can speed up the process of building up the special gauge for Ink Armor but not as quickly as with some other Ink Armor-based weapons.
One unique advantage the N-ZAP '85 possesses over most other weapons it its inherent mobility, particularly while firing. Use this to strafe while firing to avoid opponents' shots, buying time to splat the opponent with a (usually) weaker main weapon. Run Speed Up can increase this mobility advantage even further.
Suction Bombs can be used similarly as Splat Bombs, including clearing areas, such as perches or the Tower, of opponents. However, there are key differences:
- They can attach to surfaces, allowing both more room for error when aiming and the planting of craftier traps, such as underneath a grate.
- They take two seconds after attaching to a surface to detonate, as opposed to one second for a Splat Bomb.
- They inflict more damage from a direct hit and have a larger overall radius of damage.
Ink Armor allows its user's team to either initiate a push, to recapture a Splat Zone for example, or maintain one, such as while locking out the opponent.
- Time the activation of Ink Armor carefully; it takes up to two seconds to activate Ink Armor, which lasts for at least six seconds.
- Try to activate Ink Armor when most or all teammates are active. Slayers, who risk getting splatted more often, benefit from Ink Armor more than anchors do.

Countermeasures

Other Ink Armor-based support weapons each have at least one specific advantage over the N-ZAP '85:
- The Splattershot Jr. has faster turfing, a lower special gauge requirement, and a larger ink tank, the latter which more easily enables bomb spamming.
- Both the .96 Gal and H-3 Nozzlenose D outrange and overpower the N-ZAP '85. The .96 Gal also has a lower special gauge requirement.
- The Kensa Undercover Brella has a shield for protection and Torpedoes for both zoning and distracting opponents.
While the N-ZAP '85 stands better against slayer's weapons than the Splattershot Jr., most slayer's weapons still have an advantage in a one-on-one, particularly in terms of damage. However, be wary of any Suction Bomb traps an opposing N-ZAP '85 might plant while retreating, such as around a corner or underneath a grate.
Keep an eye on the HUD to know when the opponent's N-ZAP '85 has Ink Armor ready to use, and both watch and listen for when it is activated.
- The best way to prevent the opponent from using armor is to splat the opponent with the N-ZAP '85 (or any other Ink Armor-equipped weapon). A charger user can prioritize said opponent when sniping, or a slayer can attempt to pick off an unwary N-ZAP '85.
- Focus fire on armored opponents for longer than usual - preferably with everyone ganging up on one opponent at a time - to compensate for their armor.
- Object Shredder allows a player to inflict three times damage onto armored opponents, as long as the armor is active. Combining this with Ink Storm can nearly neutralize armored pushes by the opponent.