SPLATOON
released: 28th May 2015
(Splatoon demo available before the release of the game, on the Nintendo eShop for Wii U)
first announced: E3 2014 (10th-12th June 2014)copies sold: 4.95 million (March 2021)
awards:
- The Game Awards 2015: Best Shooter ; Best Multiplayer
- 33rd Golden Joystick Awards: Best Family Game ; Best Nintendo Game
- Japan Game Awards: Game of the Year for 2015
- British Academy Children's Awards: Game of the Year for 2015
- SXSW Gaming Awards: Most Promising New Intellectual Property
game modes
single player story campaign: Octo Valley
MULTIPLAYER:
Splatoon's main game mode: 4 vs 4, try to cover the most of the map with your team's color in 3 minutes
Splat Zones: 4 vs 4, "King of the Hill"
Tower Control: 4 vs 4, try to control a moving central tower
Rainmaker: 4 vs 4, try to hold on to the Rainmaker and bring it into the opposite team's base
development
Splatoon was developed by Nintendo Entertainment Analysis and Devlopment. First conceptualized as a third person shooter with ink-splatting rabbits that could burrow into any surface, they considered placing the Mario characters into this game (à la Mario Sunshine) before coming up with the genius idea of humanoid squid characters who could switch between squid and human form. And thus the inklings were born!
The inklings are quite brilliant from a game mechanic and design standpoint: paintball --> ink --> squid is a logic that's easy to follow, and the gameplay mechanic of turning into a squid is very intuitive.
RIP SPLATOON
On the 8th of April 2024, all online services for Wii U were terminated. The only game functions that now work are Octo Valley, the Battle Dojo, amiibo challenges and the arcade machine. Thank you Splatoon, for the last 9 years <3