Splatoon: Difference between revisions

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{{italic title}}
{{italic title}}{{InfoboxGobbler}}{{Retired|article}}
{{InfoboxGame
{{Infobox/Game
|title=Splatoon
|color = {{SiteColor|Splatoon}}
|color={{SiteColor|Splatoon}}
|title = ''Splatoon''
|image=Boxart.jpg
|image = Splatoon NA Box Art.jpg
|caption=The American box art of the game.
|caption = North American box art
|developer=Nintendo EAD Group No. 2
|developer = [[List of Splatoon staff|Nintendo EAD Group No. 2]]
|publisher=[[Nintendo]]
|publisher = [[Nintendo]]
|platform=[[Wii U]]
|producer = [[Hisashi Nogami]] (producer)<br>[[Katsuya Eguchi]] (general producer)<br>[[Shigeru Miyamoto]] (general producer)<br>[[Satoru Iwata]] (executive producer)
|released=May 28, 2015 (Japan)<br/>May 29, 2015 (Europe & North America)<br/>May 30, 2015 (Australia)
|director = [[Yusuke Amano]]<br>[[Tsubasa Sakaguchi]]
|size=2296.2 MB (Not including update content)
|platform = [[Wii U]]
|genre=Third-person Shooter<br>Action-Adventure<br>Online multiplayer
|media = Wii U optical disc<br>Digital download (eShop)
|modes=
|released = [[wikipedia:Japan|JP]]: {{date|2015-05-28}}<br>[[wikipedia:North America|NA]] & [[wikipedia:Europe|EU]]: {{date|2015-05-29}}<br>[[wikipedia:Australia|AU]]: {{date|2015-05-30}}
|ratings=Everyone 10+ (North America)<br/>7+ (Europe)<br/>A - All Ages (Japan) <br/>PG (Australia)
|genre = [[wikipedia:Third-person shooter|Third-person shooter]]
|platforms=[[Wii U]]
|modes = [[wikipedia:Single-player|Single-player]], [[wikipedia:multiplayer|multiplayer]]
|media=Wii U optical disc<br>Digital Download (eShop)
|size = 2.9 GB
|series=
|ratings = JP: All Ages by [[wikipedia:Computer Entertainment Rating Organization|CERO]]<br>EU: 7+ by [[wikipedia:PEGI|PEGI]]<br>NA: Everyone 10+ by [[wikipedia:Entertainment Software Rating Board|ESRB]]<br>AU: Parental Guidance by [[wikipedia:Australian Classification Board|ACB]]
|predecessor=
}}{{StrategyWiki}}
|successor=Splatoon 2}}
{{For|other things the name "Splatoon" is used for|Splatoon (disambiguation)}}
{{For|other things the name Splatoon is used for|Splatoon (disambiguation)}}


{Quote|Dive in to color, chaos, and inkin' awesome battles in this squidtastic take on the action shooter.|Splatoon's official website|<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20170119001318/http://splatoon.nintendo.com/ {{NES}} Official English ''Splatoon'' Website (archived)]</ref>}}
{{Quote|Dive in to color, chaos, and inkin' awesome battles in this squidtastic take on the action shooter.|''Splatoon''{{'s}} official website<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20170119001318/http://splatoon.nintendo.com/ {{NES}} Official English ''Splatoon'' Website (archived)]</ref>}}
'''''Splatoon''''' (スプラトゥーン ''Supuratūn'') is a third-person shooter developed and published by [[Nintendo]]. The game features battles between [[Inkling]]s, using weaponized [[ink]] to cover [[Turf|territory]] and "splat" opponents. The game was first revealed at the Nintendo E3 2014 Digital Event and was released for the [[Wii U]] on May 29, 2015.


A sequel to ''Splatoon'' named ''[[Splatoon 2]]'' is planned to be released for the [[Nintendo Switch]] on July 21, 2017. It includes brand-new weapons, gear, stages, modes, and also a new story, set two years after the original ''Splatoon''.
'''''Splatoon''''' is a third-person shooter developed and published by [[Nintendo]]. The game features battles between [[Inkling]]s, using weaponized [[ink]] to cover [[Turf|territory]] and "splat" opponents. The game was first revealed at the Nintendo E3 2014 Digital Event and was released for the [[Wii U]] on {{date|2015-05-29}}. The game was very popular for the Wii U, selling 4.95 million copies<ref>[https://www.nintendo.co.jp/ir/en/finance/software/wiiu.html {{NES}} IR Information: Financial Data - Top Selling Title Sales Units - Wii U Software]</ref> and being the sixth-best selling title on the system.
 
''Splatoon''{{'s}} sequel, named ''[[Splatoon 2]]'', was released for the [[Nintendo Switch]] on {{date|2017-07-21}}. It includes brand-new weapons, gear, stages, modes, and also a new story, set two years after the original ''Splatoon''.


<br>
==Development==
==Development==
[[File:Splatoontofu.jpg|thumb|An early design of ''Splatoon'' featuring blocks of tofu.]]
[[File:Splatoontofu.jpg|thumb|An early design of ''Splatoon'' featuring blocks of tofu.]]
''Splatoon'' was first created by Nintendo Entertainment Analysis & Development in late 2013, directed by [[Yusuke Amano]] and [[Tsubasa Sakaguchi]], and produced by [[Hisashi Nogami]], longtime director for the [[nookipedia:Animal Crossing (series)|''Animal Crossing'' series]]. The team had thought of over seventy game ideas, but decided to focus on a game involving inking turf. At first, this concept featured black and white blocks of tofu with noses that sprayed ink. The game featured a top-down view, allowing the tofu blocks to blend in with their splattered turf.
 
''Splatoon'' was first created by Nintendo Entertainment Analysis & Development in late 2013, directed by [[Yusuke Amano]] and [[Tsubasa Sakaguchi]], and produced by [[Hisashi Nogami]], longtime director for the [[nookipedia:Animal Crossing (series)|''Animal Crossing'' series]]. The team had thought of over seventy game ideas but eventually decided to focus on a game involving inking turf after playing a concept game by [[Shintaro Sato]].<ref>[https://www.gameinformer.com/b/features/archive/2014/06/22/splatoon-interview-it-couldn-39-t-be-mario-it-had-to-be-squids.aspx GameInformer interview with Hisashi Nogami and Tsubasa Sakaguchi]</ref> At first, this concept featured black and white blocks of tofu with noses that sprayed ink.<ref>[http://iwataasks.nintendo.com/interviews/#/wiiu/splatoon/0/0 {{NES}} Iwata Asks: ''Splatoon'': It Started With Tofu]</ref> The game featured a top-down view, allowing the tofu blocks to blend in with their splattered turf.


[[File:Splatoonrabbit.jpg|thumb|A later design of ''Splatoon'' featuring rabbits on an early [[Urchin Underpass]]. Note the almost-complete [[Splattershot]].]]
[[File:Splatoonrabbit.jpg|thumb|A later design of ''Splatoon'' featuring rabbits on an early [[Urchin Underpass]]. Note the almost-complete [[Splattershot]].]]
However, these [[character]]s presented a variety of problems, so development began on a different character that was vaguely humanoid in shape. A rabbit was chosen as the design, because its floppy ears would indicate what direction it was traveling when viewed from above. Many EAD developers criticized this idea, so ideas such as [[mariowiki:Mario|Mario]], robots and macho men were considered. The rabbits were later scrapped in favor of a squid, because the team wanted a character that made sense in regards to the environment and gameplay mechanics. The squids at this stage appeared to be squid-human hybrids, but it was decided that instead of this design, the game would feature humanoid Inklings with the ability to transform into squids.


A few weeks before release, the ''[[Splatoon Global Testfire]]'' application, a limited ''Splatoon'' demo, was released for the Wii U. Players could download it and play on the 8<sup>th</sup> and 9<sup>th</sup> of May, 2015, at 3:00, 11:00 and 19:00 UTC, for one hour at a time. A second Testfire event happened on the 23<sup>rd</sup> of May, 2015, at 22:00 UTC. Due to complications, the event was extended to run for two hours instead of one.<ref>[https://twitter.com/NintendoAmerica/status/602253558285643777 {{TWI}} Nintendo of America's tweet in response to the second Testfire's connection issues]</ref>
However, these [[character]]s presented a variety of problems, so development began on a different character that was vaguely humanoid in shape. A rabbit was chosen as the design because its floppy ears would indicate what direction it was traveling when viewed from above. Many EAD developers criticized this idea, so ideas such as [[mariowiki:Mario|Mario]],<ref>[http://time.com/3747708/nintendo-shigeru-miyamoto/ 7 Fascinating Insights from Nintendo's Gaming Genius Shigeru Miyamoto]</ref> robots and macho men were considered. The rabbits were later scrapped in favor of a squid because the team wanted a character that made sense in regards to the environment and gameplay mechanics. The squids at this stage appeared to be squid-human hybrids, but it was decided that instead of this design, the game would feature humanoid Inklings with the ability to transform into squids.


== Story ==
The [[E3 2014 Splatoon demo|E3 2014 ''Splatoon'' demo]] was shown in-person in Los Angeles in June 2014, with local Turf War matches available to play as part of an early version of the game.
The single player [[Hero Mode]] tells the main story of the game. Many years after the great Turf War, with the hope of invading the [[Inkling]]s' world, the [[Octarian]]s built an underground facility known as [[Octo Valley]]. After the disappearance of the [[Zapfish]] from the Inklings' world, the protagonist, wearing the [[Hero Suit]], must infiltrate the base and rescue all the Zapfish.


== Gameplay ==
A few weeks before release, the ''[[Splatoon Global Testfire]]'' application, a limited ''Splatoon'' demo, was released for the Wii U. Players could download it and play on 8 and {{date|2015-05-09}}, at 3:00, 11:00 and 19:00 UTC, for one hour at a time. A second Testfire event happened on the {{date|2015-05-23}}, at 22:00 UTC. Due to complications, the event was extended to run for two hours instead of one.<ref>[https://twitter.com/NintendoAmerica/status/602253558285643777 {{TWI}} Nintendo of America's tweet in response to the second Testfire's connection issues]</ref>
''Splatoon'' is a third-person shooter game focused on online multiplayer battles, in which eight players are divided into two teams of four. In the game mode [[Turf War]], teams fight to cover the arena in as much [[ink]] of their team's color as possible. In [[Splat Zones]], they try to control certain zones for a set amount of time by covering the Splat Zone(s) in ink. Players have two main forms and may switch between the two at will: their humanoid form, in which they can use weapons to spread ink and splatter opponents, and their squid form, which they can use to swim through ink at great speed and up walls, recharge the player's ink tank faster (while in their own ink), and hide in their team's ink. Players can also utilize [[Sub Weapon]]s, such as [[Splat Bomb]]s, and [[Special Weapon]]s, such as [[Inkzooka]]s.
 
There are three versions of the game: Japanese, North American, and European/Oceanian. The purpose of the three versions is to separate region-based content such as [[Splatfest]]s, especially ones containing advertisements. Each version has its own translations of the games, even with several differences between the North American and European/Oceanian versions' English, French, and Spanish translations. For the European/Oceanian version, the game was also localized to German and Italian.
 
===Online shutdown===
An unusually long online downtime took place in 2023, with implications for the future of ''Splatoon''{{'s}} online play. ''Splatoon'' was taken offline starting on {{date|2023-03-03}} at {{time|2023-03-03 04:30 UTC}},<ref>[https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/nintendo-has-taken-wii-u-games-mario-kart-8-and-splatoon-offline-for-security-reasons/ Nintendo has taken Wii U games ''Mario Kart 8'' and ''Splatoon'' offline for security reasons - VGC]</ref> leaving players with single-player and local co-op functionality only. The game was finally back online on {{date|2023-08-03}} at {{time|2023-08-03 01:00 UTC}}, requiring players to download Version {{Ver|S|2.12.1}} - the first ''Splatoon'' update in almost seven years and the first since the release of its sequels.<ref>[https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2023/08/after-5-months-mario-kart-8-and-splatoon-are-finally-going-back-online-for-wii-u After 5 Months, ''Mario Kart 8'' And ''Splatoon'' Are Finally Going Back Online For Wii U - Nintendo Life]</ref> Nintendo went as far as stating: "If further issues occur which make it difficult to continue supporting online play, we may have to discontinue the online play service for the Wii U games ''Splatoon'' and ''Mario Kart 8'' at short notice."<ref>[https://en-americas-support.nintendo.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/62554 {{NES}} Nintendo Support: Notice Regarding the Ending of Current Maintenance for ''Splatoon'' and ''Mario Kart 8'' on Wii U]</ref> It was later announced that all online services for Wii U would end on {{date|2024-04-08}} at {{time|2024-04-08 16:00 PDT}} at the latest,<ref>[https://en-americas-support.nintendo.com/app/answers/detail/p/603/a_id/63227 {{NES}} Announcement of Discontinuation of Online Services for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U software]</ref> rendering all game functions besides [[Octo Valley (mode)|Octo Valley]], the [[Battle Dojo]], [[amiibo]] challenges, and the [[arcade machine]] permanently unplayable.
 
At {{time|2024-04-08 16:00 PDT}}, the ''Splatoon'' servers stopped communicating with players, preventing access to the [[Lobby]]. Players that had remained within games and the matchmaking lobby over this cutoff were able to remain for two more hours, at which point the game automatically booted players out for the [[Inkopolis News]] to announce stage changes. For some players, they could not connect to the servers, which instead produced an error message and a boot-out to [[Inkopolis Plaza]], preventing online play permanently. For other players, they were able to enter the Lobby and join new matches.
 
==Story==
The single-player [[Octo Valley (mode)|Octo Valley]] mode tells the main story of the game. Many years after the great Turf War, with the hope of invading the [[Inkling]]s' world, the [[Octarian]]s built an underground facility known as [[Octo Valley (location)|Octo Valley]]. After the disappearance of the [[Zapfish]] from the Inklings' world, the protagonist, wearing the [[Hero Suit]], must infiltrate the base and rescue all the Zapfish.
 
==Gameplay==
''Splatoon'' is a third-person shooter game focused on online multiplayer battles, in which eight players are divided into two teams of four. In the game mode [[Turf War]], teams fight to cover the arena in as much [[ink]] of their team's color as possible. In [[Splat Zones]], they try to control certain zones for a set amount of time by covering the Splat Zone(s) in ink. Players have two main forms and may switch between the two at will: their humanoid form, in which they can use weapons to spread ink and splatter opponents, and their squid form, which they can use to swim through ink at great speed and up walls, recharge the player's ink tank faster (while in their ink) and hide in their team's ink. Players can also utilize [[sub weapon]]s, such as [[Splat Bomb]]s, and [[special weapon]]s, such as [[Inkzooka]]s.


In the primary game mode, [[Turf War]], players are awarded points based on the amount of [[Surfaces|land]] they cover in their team's ink—the team that covers the most territory within three minutes wins the match.
In the primary game mode, [[Turf War]], players are awarded points based on the amount of [[Surfaces|land]] they cover in their team's ink—the team that covers the most territory within three minutes wins the match.


''Splatoon'' also features a single player [[Hero Mode]], which sees the player travel to [[Octo Valley]] and traverse levels based on 3D-platforming and puzzle solving. 
''Splatoon'' also features a single-player [[Octo Valley (mode)|Octo Valley]] mode, which sees the player travel to [[Octo Valley (location)|Octo Valley]] and traverse levels based on 3D platforming and puzzle-solving.
 
Since its initial launch, ''Splatoon'' received many updates to introduce new stages, weapons, and wholly new gameplay modes to the game's multiplayer mode. Also, Nintendo announced and hosted semi-regular community events called [[Splatfest]]s, where players could pick a team to side with and play Turf Wars against each other for prizes and glory. Both upcoming updates, as well as upcoming Splatfest information, can be read about on the game's official Tumblr page, named [[Squid Research Lab]].
 
===Technical===
''Splatoon'' has a native resolution of [[wikipedia:720p|720p]]; selecting a resolution other than 720p in the Wii U system settings will cause the game's 720p output to be [[wikipedia:Video scaler|scaled]] to the selected resolution. ''Splatoon'' runs at 60 frames per second, with the exception of the main hub area, [[Inkopolis Plaza]], which runs at 30 frames per second. Performance of ''Splatoon'' is generally very stable, with frames only being noticeably dropped in particularly hectic moments.<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hrrYtncKGrI {{YT}}<nowiki> Digital Foundry - [60fps] </nowiki>''Splatoon'' Wii U Gameplay Frame-Rate Test]</ref>


Since its initial launch, ''Splatoon'' has received many [[DLC]] updates to introduce new stages, weapons, and wholly new gameplay modes to the game's multiplayer mode. In addition, Nintendo also announces and hosts semi-regular community events called [[Splatfest]]s where players pick a team to side with and play turf wars against each other for prizes and glory. Both upcoming DLC as well as upcoming Splatfest information can be read about on {{S'}} official Tumblr page, named [[Live from Squid Research Lab]].
==Characters==
{{Main|Character}}


== Characters ==
===Protagonists===
=== Protagonists ===
* [[Inkling]]s
* [[Inkling]]s
* [[Agent 3]]
* [[Agent 3 (Splatoon)|Agent 3]]


=== Secondary ===
===Secondary===
*[[Squid Sisters|Callie & Marie]]
* [[Squid Sisters|Callie & Marie]]
*[[Judd]]
* [[Judd]]
*[[Cap'n Cuttlefish]]
* [[Cuttlefish|Cap'n Cuttlefish]]
*[[Spyke]]
* [[Spyke]]
*[[Sheldon]]
* [[Sheldon]]
*[[Annie]] & [[Moe]]
* [[Annie and Moe]]
*[[Jelonzo]]
* [[Jelonzo]]
*[[Crusty Sean]]
* [[Crusty Sean]]


=== Antagonists ===
===Antagonists===
* [[Octarian]]s
* [[Octarian]]s
* [[DJ Octavio]]


== Modes ==
==Modes==
{{Main|Mode}}
{{Main|Mode}}
* [[Regular Battle]]
* [[Regular Battle]]
** [[Turf War]]
** [[Turf War]]
Line 78: Line 95:
* [[Private Battle]]
* [[Private Battle]]


== Multiplayer Stages ==
==Multiplayer stages==
{{main|Stage}}
{{main|Stage}}
{{Stage table}}
 
{{Navbox/S Stages}}
{{clr}}
{{clr}}


==Manga Series==
==Manga series==
{{Main|Splatoon (manga)}}
{{Main|Splatoon (manga)}}
In June 2015, a ''Splatoon'' manga was released by [[Sankichi Hinodeya|Sankichi]] called '''Splatoon''' (Splatoonスプラトゥーン ''Splatoon Supuratūn'', translating to Splatoon Splatoon) to celebrate its release in Japan. However, this was a fan-made one-shot, and the offical version was released in December 2015 as a one-shot type until April 2016.


{{gallery}}
In June 2015, a ''Splatoon'' manga was released by [[Sankichi Hinodeya|Sankichi]] to celebrate its release in Japan. However, this was a fan-made one-shot, and the official version was released in December 2015 as a one-shot type until April 2016.
 
==Gallery==
{{Gallery}}
 
==Unused content==
{{Main|Unused content in Splatoon}}
 
==Trivia==
[[File:Eshopwl.png|thumb|right|250px|''Splatoon'' shown as the most requested game on Nintendo eShop.]]
[[File:Eshopwl.png|thumb|right|250px|''Splatoon'' shown as the most requested game on Nintendo eShop.]]


== Prerelease Elements ==
{{Main|Prerelease Elements}}
== Trivia ==
* ''Splatoon'' is a portmanteau of "splat" and "platoon."
* ''Splatoon'' is a portmanteau of "splat" and "platoon."
* The Inklings' squid form shares strong similarities with [[mariowiki:Blooper|Bloopers]] from the [[mariowiki:Mario (series)|''Super Mario'' series]].
* The Inklings' squid form shares strong similarities with [[mariowiki:Blooper|Bloopers]] from the [[mariowiki:Mario (series)|''Super Mario'' series]].
* In the single-player trailer from the November 2014 [[Nintendo Direct]], a frame of artwork consists of Bloopers from the ''Super Mario'' series and [[zeldawiki:Octorok|Octoroks]] from [[zeldawiki:The Legend of Zelda (Series)|''The Legend of Zelda'' series]].
* In the single-player trailer from the November 2014 [[Nintendo Direct]], a frame of artwork consists of Bloopers from the ''Super Mario'' series and [[zeldawiki:Octorok|Octoroks]] from [[zeldawiki:The Legend of Zelda (Series)|''The Legend of Zelda'' series]].
* According to an email sent by Nintendo, ''Splatoon'' was listed as the the top wish-listed game in Nintendo's eShop over the summer it was released.
* According to an email sent by Nintendo, ''Splatoon'' was listed as the top wish-listed game in Nintendo's eShop over the summer it was released.
{{clr}}
* Despite the Nintendo Network servers shutting down on April 9th, 2024, Twitter user [https://twitter.com/Lcd101 @Lcd101] is still connected to this day and broadcasting the still ongoing rotations in a thread<ref>[https://twitter.com/Lcd101/status/1778196776396390903 @Lcd101's Twitter thread of the Splatoon rotations after the shut down of Nintendo Network]</ref>.
 
==Names in other languages==
{{Localized name
|color=Splatoon
|Jap=スプラトゥーン
|JapR=supuratūn
|JapM=Splatoon
}}
 
==See also==
* [[:File:Splatoon Wii U Manual NOA English.pdf|''Splatoon'' manual for America]]
* [[:File:Splatoon Wii U Manual NOE English.pdf|''Splatoon'' manual for Europe and Australia]]


== External links ==
==External links==
* [http://www.nintendo.co.jp/wiiu/agmj/ {{NES}} Official Japanese ''Splatoon'' Website]
* [http://www.nintendo.co.jp/wiiu/agmj/ {{NES}} Official Japanese ''Splatoon'' Website]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20170119001318/http://splatoon.nintendo.com/ {{NES}} Official American English ''Splatoon'' website (archived)]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20190425073556/http://splatoon.nintendo.com/splatoon/ {{NES}} Official American English ''Splatoon'' website]
* [http://www.nintendo.co.uk/Games/Wii-U/Splatoon-892510.html {{NES}} Official European English ''Splatoon'' website]
* [http://www.nintendo.com/en-gb/Games/Wii-U/Splatoon-892510.html {{NES}} Official European English ''Splatoon'' website]
* [https://twitter.com/SplatoonJP {{TWI}} Official Japanese ''Splatoon'' Twitter account]
* [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8L54s2m1dPs {{YT}} Announcement trailer]. This trailer, shown at E3 2014, was the first glimpse of ''Splatoon'' seen by the public.
* [https://www.facebook.com/Splatoon/?fref=ts {{SRL}} Official English ''Splatoon'' Facebook account]
* [http://splatoonus.tumblr.com/ {{SRL}} Official English ''Splatoon'' Tumblr account]


{{Refs}}
==References==
<references/>


[[Category:Games]]
[[Category:Games]]
[[Category:Splatoon|*]]
[[Category:Splatoon|*]]


[[es:Splatoon]]
[[fr:Splatoon]]
[[fr:Splatoon]]

Latest revision as of 14:43, 17 April 2024

Splatoon "S" icon.svg
Splatoon 2 "2" icon.svg
Splatoon 3 "3" icon.svg
RotM Icon Cuttlefish square.png
Retired.
This article describes content that may be partly or wholly inaccessible due to its removal or the discontinuation of online services.

Splatoon
Splatoon NA Box Art.jpg
North American box art
Developer(s) Nintendo EAD Group No. 2
Publisher(s) Nintendo
Producer(s) Hisashi Nogami (producer)
Katsuya Eguchi (general producer)
Shigeru Miyamoto (general producer)
Satoru Iwata (executive producer)
Director(s) Yusuke Amano
Tsubasa Sakaguchi
Platform(s) Wii U
Release JP: 28 May 2015
NA & EU: 29 May 2015
AU: 30 May 2015
Genre(s) Third-person shooter
Mode(s) Single-player, multiplayer
Media Wii U optical disc
Digital download (eShop)
Game size(s) 2.9 GB
Age rating(s) JP: All Ages by CERO
EU: 7+ by PEGI
NA: Everyone 10+ by ESRB
AU: Parental Guidance by ACB
StrategyWiki Icon.svg
 StrategyWiki has an article about:
Splatoon
For other things the name "Splatoon" is used for, see Splatoon (disambiguation).
“ Dive in to color, chaos, and inkin' awesome battles in this squidtastic take on the action shooter. ”
— Splatoon's official website[1]

Splatoon is a third-person shooter developed and published by Nintendo. The game features battles between Inklings, using weaponized ink to cover territory and "splat" opponents. The game was first revealed at the Nintendo E3 2014 Digital Event and was released for the Wii U on 29 May 2015. The game was very popular for the Wii U, selling 4.95 million copies[2] and being the sixth-best selling title on the system.

Splatoon's sequel, named Splatoon 2, was released for the Nintendo Switch on 21 July 2017. It includes brand-new weapons, gear, stages, modes, and also a new story, set two years after the original Splatoon.

Development

An early design of Splatoon featuring blocks of tofu.

Splatoon was first created by Nintendo Entertainment Analysis & Development in late 2013, directed by Yusuke Amano and Tsubasa Sakaguchi, and produced by Hisashi Nogami, longtime director for the Animal Crossing series. The team had thought of over seventy game ideas but eventually decided to focus on a game involving inking turf after playing a concept game by Shintaro Sato.[3] At first, this concept featured black and white blocks of tofu with noses that sprayed ink.[4] The game featured a top-down view, allowing the tofu blocks to blend in with their splattered turf.

A later design of Splatoon featuring rabbits on an early Urchin Underpass. Note the almost-complete Splattershot.

However, these characters presented a variety of problems, so development began on a different character that was vaguely humanoid in shape. A rabbit was chosen as the design because its floppy ears would indicate what direction it was traveling when viewed from above. Many EAD developers criticized this idea, so ideas such as Mario,[5] robots and macho men were considered. The rabbits were later scrapped in favor of a squid because the team wanted a character that made sense in regards to the environment and gameplay mechanics. The squids at this stage appeared to be squid-human hybrids, but it was decided that instead of this design, the game would feature humanoid Inklings with the ability to transform into squids.

The E3 2014 Splatoon demo was shown in-person in Los Angeles in June 2014, with local Turf War matches available to play as part of an early version of the game.

A few weeks before release, the Splatoon Global Testfire application, a limited Splatoon demo, was released for the Wii U. Players could download it and play on 8 and 9 May 2015, at 3:00, 11:00 and 19:00 UTC, for one hour at a time. A second Testfire event happened on the 23 May 2015, at 22:00 UTC. Due to complications, the event was extended to run for two hours instead of one.[6]

There are three versions of the game: Japanese, North American, and European/Oceanian. The purpose of the three versions is to separate region-based content such as Splatfests, especially ones containing advertisements. Each version has its own translations of the games, even with several differences between the North American and European/Oceanian versions' English, French, and Spanish translations. For the European/Oceanian version, the game was also localized to German and Italian.

Online shutdown

An unusually long online downtime took place in 2023, with implications for the future of Splatoon's online play. Splatoon was taken offline starting on 3 March 2023 at 04:30 UTC,[7] leaving players with single-player and local co-op functionality only. The game was finally back online on 3 August 2023 at 01:00 UTC, requiring players to download Version 2.12.1 - the first Splatoon update in almost seven years and the first since the release of its sequels.[8] Nintendo went as far as stating: "If further issues occur which make it difficult to continue supporting online play, we may have to discontinue the online play service for the Wii U games Splatoon and Mario Kart 8 at short notice."[9] It was later announced that all online services for Wii U would end on 8 April 2024 at 23:00 UTC at the latest,[10] rendering all game functions besides Octo Valley, the Battle Dojo, amiibo challenges, and the arcade machine permanently unplayable.

At 23:00 UTC, the Splatoon servers stopped communicating with players, preventing access to the Lobby. Players that had remained within games and the matchmaking lobby over this cutoff were able to remain for two more hours, at which point the game automatically booted players out for the Inkopolis News to announce stage changes. For some players, they could not connect to the servers, which instead produced an error message and a boot-out to Inkopolis Plaza, preventing online play permanently. For other players, they were able to enter the Lobby and join new matches.

Story

The single-player Octo Valley mode tells the main story of the game. Many years after the great Turf War, with the hope of invading the Inklings' world, the Octarians built an underground facility known as Octo Valley. After the disappearance of the Zapfish from the Inklings' world, the protagonist, wearing the Hero Suit, must infiltrate the base and rescue all the Zapfish.

Gameplay

Splatoon is a third-person shooter game focused on online multiplayer battles, in which eight players are divided into two teams of four. In the game mode Turf War, teams fight to cover the arena in as much ink of their team's color as possible. In Splat Zones, they try to control certain zones for a set amount of time by covering the Splat Zone(s) in ink. Players have two main forms and may switch between the two at will: their humanoid form, in which they can use weapons to spread ink and splatter opponents, and their squid form, which they can use to swim through ink at great speed and up walls, recharge the player's ink tank faster (while in their ink) and hide in their team's ink. Players can also utilize sub weapons, such as Splat Bombs, and special weapons, such as Inkzookas.

In the primary game mode, Turf War, players are awarded points based on the amount of land they cover in their team's ink—the team that covers the most territory within three minutes wins the match.

Splatoon also features a single-player Octo Valley mode, which sees the player travel to Octo Valley and traverse levels based on 3D platforming and puzzle-solving.

Since its initial launch, Splatoon received many updates to introduce new stages, weapons, and wholly new gameplay modes to the game's multiplayer mode. Also, Nintendo announced and hosted semi-regular community events called Splatfests, where players could pick a team to side with and play Turf Wars against each other for prizes and glory. Both upcoming updates, as well as upcoming Splatfest information, can be read about on the game's official Tumblr page, named Squid Research Lab.

Technical

Splatoon has a native resolution of 720p; selecting a resolution other than 720p in the Wii U system settings will cause the game's 720p output to be scaled to the selected resolution. Splatoon runs at 60 frames per second, with the exception of the main hub area, Inkopolis Plaza, which runs at 30 frames per second. Performance of Splatoon is generally very stable, with frames only being noticeably dropped in particularly hectic moments.[11]

Characters

Main article: Character

Protagonists

Secondary

Antagonists

Modes

Main article: Mode

Multiplayer stages

Main article: Stage
Multiplayer stages in Splatoon
S Stage Ancho-V Games.jpg
Ancho-V Games 		S Stage Arowana Mall.jpg
Arowana Mall 		S Stage Blackbelly Skatepark.jpg
Blackbelly Skatepark 		S Stage Bluefin Depot.png
Bluefin Depot
S Stage Camp Triggerfish.jpg
Camp Triggerfish 		S Stage Flounder Heights.jpg
Flounder Heights 		S Stage Hammerhead Bridge.jpg
Hammerhead Bridge 		S Stage Kelp Dome.png
Kelp Dome
S Stage Mahi-Mahi Resort.png
Mahi-Mahi Resort 		S Stage Moray Towers.png
Moray Towers 		S Stage Museum d'Alfonsino.png
Museum d'Alfonsino 		S Stage Piranha Pit.png
Piranha Pit
S Stage Port Mackerel.png
Port Mackerel 		S Stage Saltspray Rig.jpg
Saltspray Rig 		S Stage Urchin Underpass.jpg
Urchin Underpass 		S Stage Walleye Warehouse.jpg
Walleye Warehouse

Manga series

Main article: Splatoon (manga)

In June 2015, a Splatoon manga was released by Sankichi to celebrate its release in Japan. However, this was a fan-made one-shot, and the official version was released in December 2015 as a one-shot type until April 2016.

Gallery

Image linking to the gallery page
➤ View the gallery

Unused content

Main article: Unused content in Splatoon

Trivia

Splatoon shown as the most requested game on Nintendo eShop.
  • Splatoon is a portmanteau of "splat" and "platoon."
  • The Inklings' squid form shares strong similarities with Bloopers from the Super Mario series.
  • In the single-player trailer from the November 2014 Nintendo Direct, a frame of artwork consists of Bloopers from the Super Mario series and Octoroks from The Legend of Zelda series.
  • According to an email sent by Nintendo, Splatoon was listed as the top wish-listed game in Nintendo's eShop over the summer it was released.
  • Despite the Nintendo Network servers shutting down on April 9th, 2024, Twitter user @Lcd101 is still connected to this day and broadcasting the still ongoing rotations in a thread[12].

Names in other languages

Language Name Meaning
Japan Japanese スプラトゥーン
supuratūn		 Splatoon

See also

External links

References

  1. ↑ Nintendo Official English Splatoon Website (archived)
  2. ↑ Nintendo IR Information: Financial Data - Top Selling Title Sales Units - Wii U Software
  3. ↑ GameInformer interview with Hisashi Nogami and Tsubasa Sakaguchi
  4. ↑ Nintendo Iwata Asks: Splatoon: It Started With Tofu
  5. ↑ 7 Fascinating Insights from Nintendo's Gaming Genius Shigeru Miyamoto
  6. ↑ Twitter Nintendo of America's tweet in response to the second Testfire's connection issues
  7. ↑ Nintendo has taken Wii U games Mario Kart 8 and Splatoon offline for security reasons - VGC
  8. ↑ After 5 Months, Mario Kart 8 And Splatoon Are Finally Going Back Online For Wii U - Nintendo Life
  9. ↑ Nintendo Nintendo Support: Notice Regarding the Ending of Current Maintenance for Splatoon and Mario Kart 8 on Wii U
  10. ↑ Nintendo Announcement of Discontinuation of Online Services for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U software
  11. ↑ YouTube Digital Foundry - [60fps] Splatoon Wii U Gameplay Frame-Rate Test
  12. ↑ @Lcd101's Twitter thread of the Splatoon rotations after the shut down of Nintendo Network
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