Splatoon is one of my favorite video games ever! It's an online multiplayer third-person shooter set in a post-apocolyptic world where sea creatures became the dominant species after the death of humanity. You play as either an Inkling or an Octoling with customizable looks and fashion. The series has an incredibly passionate playerbase. Despite being fairly new to the Nintendo IP, Splatoon is already one of Nintendo's flagship franchises. It isn't super big here in America, but in Japan, it's a cultural phenomena on the scale of Pokemon, which is amazing considering the game has only been around for just over a decade. I am so excited to see what Splatoon 4 will bring!

Why I Love Splatoon

My first introduction to Splatoon was actually on my 3ds, which is weird because there weren't any Splatoon games on that console. There were, however, advertisements for Splatoon 1 and 2 on the Nintendo eShop. I remember watching trailers for Octo Expansion and wishing I had the game because of how cool it looked. But I don't think it was until I watched a Squid Sisters live concert that I really fell in love with the game. There was a recording of it on the eShop. I fell in love with the music instantly. I do remember looking at pictures of the Squid Sisters on Google on a school laptop sometime after that - however, since I couldn't actually play either of the games, I eventually forgot about it. Other than seeing the occasional ad for Splatoon on TV, I didn't really think about the franchise.

Once I got my Nintendo Switch, I remembered Splatoon and got Splatoon 3 as a birthday present. I actually didn't like it that much at first. It was plenty of fun, but I wasn't really into shooters, and that was all the game seemed like to me at the time. It wasn't until I came across a Rassicas video about Splatoon lore that I really got into it. Turns out, Splatoon has some of the best worldbuilding of any Nintendo game, and it has suprisingly deep lore if you know where to look.

I was in love. I instantly began watching any Splatoon video essay I could get my hands on. Within a month, I could probably recite the entire story of the franchise to you in deep detail. It doesn't really matter that I never played Splatoon 1 or 2 - I know everything about them. I know everything from the story of Judd and Little Judd to the precise reason why Inkfish die in water. Below I'll list some of my favorite Splatoon video essays, if you're interested!

• Splatoon's Story and What It Means to Be Human
• You're an Adult Now / Splatoon 1-3
• Inklings and Water: A Splatoon Lore Deep Dive

The Music of Splatoon

Splatoon has one of the best Nintendo soundtracks out there. It's my personal favorite soundtrack, with the Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess coming in a close second. In fact, this website is named after a Splatoon song - Liquid Sunshine by the Squid Sisters (ft. Ian BGM). The range of sound is amazing, and the best part is that every song is associated with an in-world band, each with its own unique sound. You can tell bands apart by their music, and you can even tell when one band has been inspired by another - like how Ink Theory's music has clearly be influenced by High Tide Era. My personal favorite Splatoon bands are the Chirpy Chips and Sashimori. Click here to listen to the incredible OST!