Urchin Underpass

Urchin Underpass is a multiplayer stage in Splatoon.

Urchin Underpass consists of two large L-shaped areas of land that are joined together by a rectangular piece of land between them. It takes place below a highway.

Layout


The spawn point of Urchin Underpass is fairly complicated despite being a usually neglected area. It is a large, enclosed area with several slopes descending to the lower floor, as well as grates leading away from it. The area around the spawn is a high, wide level with railings surrounding the edges, and the only way up is through the winding ramp situated at the corner in front of the spawn point. The spawn point area is accessible to the enemy team. The spiral ramp also has a walkway that leads to an alternate entrance into the main arena.

Dropping down to the lower floor, the path toward the center of the map splits. One is an elevated path partially protected by railings and hard to reach for the enemy team, while the other is behind a grated wall that squids and ink can easily pass through, but solid objects like bombs cannot. A pillar juts out where the split paths converge and is tall enough that only players from the upper level can jump to. Beyond the pillar is a steep ramp leading to a side area that functions as the team's battlements. There are large patches of uninkable ground as well as two openings that make for popular sniper outposts. The opening closer toward the middle has an inkable wall so that anyone from below can swim up to it.

A large multilayered hill marks the entrance to the center, while a narrow alley runs beside it. At the end of the alley is a small flat square, and beyond that is the front lines where shots are traded, which has a ramp for daring jumps into enemy territory, a wall for cover and two ramps leading down into the gorge between either team's concrete platforms. The platform walls are all inkable, allowing for surprise attacks from within the gorge. Two trees are placed at either end of the gorge for cover. There are no hazards in this stage.

Ranked Battle terrain


In Ranked Battles, specifications for the terrain or placement of objects are different between the modes; these changes create new paths or new objects to take cover behind.

Splat Zones
The Splat Zone in Urchin Underpass is located at the very center of the map. It is the smallest singular Splat Zone in, so gaining and staying in control requires lots of attention to it. Boxes have been added near both ends of the Splat Zone to protect from enemy fire and a vantage point to attack the Splat Zone.

Tower Control
In Tower Control, the Tower starts in the center plaza. It moves straight back towards the enemy territory and climbs up, then moves to the rider's left, climbs back down, and reaches the goal.

Rainmaker
The Rainmaker in Urchin Underpass is located in the center of the stage, just below the two ramps in the center. The goal is at the end of the small strip of land with four stripes in front of the opposing team's base. Two stacks of blocks have been added to help both teams get to the center of the map faster.

Splatoon
Urchin Underpass underwent a series of changes between its development period and release. It is also used in Octo Valley mission #21, Unwelcome Flying Object, as well as the Battle Dojo in the released version of it.

Early design version


The earliest designed version of Urchin Underpass has been seen in a screenshot from when the game still used rabbits as the design for the player characters. The center of the stage is very similar to the E3 and release versions of Urchin Underpass.

E3 2014 version
The pre-release version included many differences, such as:


 * A water tank guarded by a fence could be found in the corner of teams' bases.
 * The raised platform opposite the spawn points in the teams' bases was accessed by one smaller ramp, included a wooden plank used to swim up through a grated platform, and did not provide access to the Center Plaza.
 * The lowest area in teams' bases was much larger.
 * When leaving a team's spawn point and heading left, the first ramp encountered was not present. Instead, players could go around the raised portion on either side. This raised portion was split into three differently-sized platforms, and a window was not present in this location.
 * The walls of the secret alleys were concrete, not glass.
 * When entering the center plaza from the main entrance, a small fence acting as a grated barrier was present on players' immediate left.
 * The ramped platforms allowing players to jump to the other side of the center plaza were directly opposite each other.
 * The middle area in the center plaza was slightly smaller.
 * The grated walkways outside the secret alleys in the center plaza were extended.

Version 1.0.0 to 1.3.0


In this version, the center of the stage is almost the same as in the E3 version, but each side's base was changed completely, from removing grates and high platforms to ramps and high advantage points.

There are two alleys located near the central plaza. They are long, narrow, hidden-away strips of turf that are difficult to access which have two glass panels.

It is still possible to play the pre-update Urchin Underpass in Battle Dojo.



Version 2.0.0 onwards


On 2015-07-27, the official Splatoon Tumblr announced that Urchin Underpass would be undergoing maintenance between 2 and 2015-08-05. They released an image showing the original map scribbled on, allowing fans to see what about the stage would be changed. Many features were altered, including:


 * The trees near each team's base were moved to the center of the stage.
 * The secret alleys were extended and pushed further away from the central area. They were also widened and given another access point to the center area.
 * The grated walkways protruding from the secret alleys were removed.
 * The ramps leading into the central area were made so that they only took up half of the available space. The other half became flat turf.

Splatfests
Urchin Underpass was available in the following Splatfests in.


 * Rice vs. Bread
 * Cats vs. Dogs (July 2015)
 * Rock vs. Pop
 * Airhead vs. Wisecracker
 * Art vs. Science
 * Messy vs. Tidy
 * Naughty vs. Nice
 * Get Fit vs. Get Rich
 * Pokémon Red vs. Pokémon Green
 * Tuna Mayonnaise Onigiri vs. Red Salmon Onigiri
 * SpongeBob vs. Patrick

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe


There is a battle course in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe based on Urchin Underpass. This version of the stage features much more open areas for karts to drive and purple and green ink on the ground to slow down the karts. In Coin Runners mode, coins are replaced by the Cash from Inkopolis. When getting an item, the ability reroll sound plays. Splattack! is played as the main music and on the last minute of the battle, Now or Never!.

Trivia



 * Urchin Underpass is the only map in that was changed almost completely after being released.
 * Near the center area is an inaccessible, L-shaped space, which can be seen by standing on the vending machine in the corner. The floor and walls are fully textured to match the rest of the stage, but the floor is not solid; sub weapons thrown in are never heard landing.
 * The utility poles featured in the teams' bases are decorated with various license plates, many adorned with the Splash Mob and Forge logos. It is unknown what purpose these license plates serve.
 * Before Version, two utility poles in the center of the stage featured the same license plates, but with Shrimp Kicks and Krak-On advertising instead. They were removed in the update.
 * Its design and Japanese name are based on Jūjō-dōri (十条通, lit. Tenth Road) in Kyoto, near which Nintendo's headquarters is located.
 * In Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, the grates leading to the side alleys are raised.
 * Urchin Underpass, along with Saltspray Rig and Bluefin Depot, are the only stages in to not return in a sequel.

Etymology
Urchin Underpass is derived from the nouns 'urchin' and 'underpass'. 'Urchin' can relate to both a slang term referring to someone dirty and poor, as well as sea urchins, spiny sea creatures that are round and prickly, like hedgehogs. 'Underpass' is a passageway for passengers and cyclists beneath a road or railway, allowing them to reach the other side in safety.