Maybe? : )

It does have local multiplayer.

Seems to me like the game was designed around the Gamepad rather than being designed around Wiimote/Nunchuck...

For the second point, I would say that wiimote+nunchuck would be a nightmare for a game where you need to turn very quickly at times plus (if you have no gamepad screen) navigate menues to quickly jump to players.

For the third point, local could use a boos in the form of a full vs since everyone would be equally deprived of the gamepad or a co-op for the campaign. But co-op online would put your friends at a decided disadvantage given the lack of gamepad features, so not sure that's a good idea.

It worked fine in that Metroid minigame in Nintendoland; just add options for deadzone, turnspeed, and cursor sensitivity, and you have a winner.

Maps and menus could be overlaid on the screen by pressing plus or something, and the pointer could be used to jump to a spot.

Well, seeing that the tablet is used to jump around the stage, as well as keep track of the field, the gamepad does seem rather vital to the game. Though I don`t rule out that wiimote/nunchuck wouldn`t be that hard to implement.

I guess I should have said 'proper' local multiplayer.  From what I've seen it's very lacking.  

I think the game should have more local options, but they mean little to me given my current situation. It obviously wasn't a priority, which is strange for a Nintendo game, but I suppose since they have a lot of local-only multiplayer games this gen it's only fair. I look forward to the sequel having a greater variety of content; in the meantime, what this game promises is enough for me. Maybe they will add more local modes down the line, but I expect that about as much as I expect the additional Battle Mode content in Mario Kart 8 everyone keeps talking about.

You should know that I have the memory of an octogenarian and I already don't remember our last conversation.

I do remember you kicking my ass repeatedly in Smash 3DS though, and for that I'll never forgive you.

Anyway I butt heads with Curl and Spemanig constantly around here and all that does is fuel our increasingly homo-erotic jests.

wow i didn't even know that.

time to play Splatoon again rofl.

although that makes it especially ridiculous how you can't play with a pro controller.

The gamepad is VITAL for this game, is one of the best uses that any game makes of it. You need it to see the map, fly to your mates touching them on the screen, to send missiles to the zone that you want, quick access to everything in Inkopolis, to play the minigames while you are waiting for the matchmaking and for the Gyro controls, that makes Splatoon controls just perfect. I don´t understand how anybody would want to play without gyro to be honest.

And how would you make a 4vs4 local?¿?¿?

Splitting the screen on 4? on a shooter? it´s ridiculous.  And the players without gamepad?? they have to play without the gyro? how they tap the screen to fly to their mates?? How they send the missile ?? And no, one loocking at the gamepad an one in the TV doesn´t work, it willl hit the performance so hard that you would have to play the game at 30fps or worse. It happens on Hyrule Warriors, and even on Splatoon Battle Dojo already takes a hit on the performance because of that, and that´s only 1 vs 1 local mode, imagine a 4 vs 4 local/online.... And even if it worked (it wouldn´t) the second player has a clear disadvantage for not having a gamepad anyway.

It is very easy to complain about everything but not even stop for a minute to think how the hell would you solve that problems is unfair.