Gusher



"Shoot a Gusher to make it burst skyward. So satisfying..."

- Cap'n Cuttlefish

A Gusher is one of the mechanics first introduced in Octo Valley. They also appear in Octo Canyon, Salmon Run, a Shifty Station (Gusher Towns), the Octo Expansion, and Return of the Mammalians.

Appearance
Before being activated, Gushers appear to be stationary, circular, silver grates adorned with a knob. The knob has many red dots of light on it and a red wheel on the top. Upon being sprayed by ink, a large column of ink erupts from the platform. The color of the ink matches that of whoever activated it. After a certain amount of time, the column of ink will descend quickly.

Description
Before being activated, Gushers remain stationary and do nothing. Upon being sprayed by ink, a large column of ink erupts from the platform, carrying all objects, including the player, to the top. This column of ink blocks both enemy and ally attacks. After around ten seconds, the ink from the Gusher stops coming out, and said Gusher needs to be sprayed with more ink to be activated again.

In multiplayer stages, such as Gusher Towns, Gushers require slightly more hits to activate. Touching a Gusher erupting with the opposing team's ink instantly splats the player.

In Salmon Run, Gushers only appear during Goldie Seeking waves, where spraying the Gusher with ink will cause the Gusher to erupt a column of various sizes of enemy ink. The size of the column depends on how close the Gusher is to the Goldie. They also emit light depending on how close to the Goldie they are, while other Salmonids spawn from them. All of the activated Gushers remain active until the Goldie is found and finds a new hiding place, or until the wave ends.

In Splatoon 3's Big Run, Gushers serve as additional spawn points for Salmonids during normal/high tide and the only spawn points for Salmonids during low tide. These Gushers have a wider base than ones found elsewhere.

Usage
Gushers can be activated by the player firing ink directly on their surface. They cannot be activated by Octarians or Salmonids.

Octo Valley

 * Gusher Gauntlet (Mission #04)
 * Flooder Junkyard (Mission #12)
 * Octoling Assault (Mission #14)
 * Undeniable Flying Object (Mission #15)
 * Area 3
 * Area 4
 * Pinwheel Power Plant (Mission #24)
 * Far-Flung Flooders (Mission #25)
 * Octoling Onslaught (Mission #26)
 * Enter the Octobot King! (Final Boss)

Shifty Station

 * Layout 16: Gusher Towns

Octo Canyon

 * Enter the Octohurler (Mission #04)
 * Back-Alley Cleanup (Mission #07)
 * Octoling Assault (Mission #15)
 * Secret Bowling Alley (Mission #16)
 * Octocommander Fortress (Mission #17)
 * Slimeskin Garrison (Sector 4)
 * Propellerland (Mission #20)
 * The Octogalaxy (Mission #23)
 * Paradise Lanes (Mission #26)

Salmon Run

 * Goldie Seeking (Known Occurrence)

Octo Expansion

 * Abandoned Station
 * Phat Splatz Station
 * Da Bomb Station
 * Duh-Oh Station
 * Ink 'n' Slide Station
 * All Eyez Station
 * Radio Station
 * Villi Phase

Challenges

 * Oh My Gush
 * Eeltail Alley
 * Scorch Gorge

Return of the Mammalians

 * Get to Know Alterna, Your Only Choice
 * The Ink-Conservation Project
 * Landfill Dreamland
 * Eco-Forest Treehills
 * Alterna Space Center: Entrance

Salmon Run Next Wave

 * Goldie Seeking (Known Occurrence)
 * Wahoo World (Big Run)
 * Inkblot Art Academy (Big Run)
 * Undertow Spillway (Big Run)
 * Um'ami Ruins (Big Run)
 * Barnacle & Dime (Big Run)

Trivia

 * It is stated that the Salmonids obtained the Gusher technology through trade with the Octarians.
 * Mudmouths spawn autonomously from gushers during Mudmouth Eruption waves.