Splatoon 3 (Splatfest #16: Springfest!/April 19th - 21st, 2024)

[Sonictrainer]

Quote

Splatoon 3 arrives on Nintendo Switch in 2022! In the wake of chaos, enter the sun scorched Splatlands and the new city, Splatsville, inhabited by battle-hardened Inklings and Octolings. New weapons, moves, and more await, so be sure to keep an eye out for updates in the future.  

What We Know So Far

• Chaos seems to be a theme, considering it won during the Final Splatfest in Splatoon 2
• There is a new Arrow Weapon Type
• There might be a new Crab Sub Weapon
• The Inkzooka from the first game is back

Edited April 5 by Sonictrainer

[Blue Blood]

Splatoon 2 was just Splatoon 1 again, with the new Salmon Run mode. I'm sure people who play it competitively or at least regularly online will be more privy to all the nuanced differences, but it really did just feel like an expanded port and refinement of the original. This looks super interesting though. A new wasteland setting, new gameplay features (like choosing where you start in a map?), the salmonid partner character and new weapons of course... yeah, I'm really excited for this.

But it's not due until 2022? I thought Nintendo was over announcing games this early, apart from Zelda. I was a bit disappointed to see that it won't be launching until next year. And let's be honest; a January of February release for a big Nintendo IP like this seems incredibly unlike, so it's probably more than a year away.

[Graystripe2000]

Can. Not. Wait. But I have to because it’s next year. Uuhhhggg.

[Ryannumber1gamer]

The big thing I'm going to say for a Splat 3 is I really sincerely hope they took lessons from Octo Expansion. Personally speaking, I always thought the campaigns in Splat 1 and 2 were fun, but 1. wore out their welcome, and 2. didn't really teach you enough about what you're actually going to be dealing with in the game's main modes.

Octo Expansion on the other hand really changed my mind, making up a ton of bite-sized missions that carried the spirit of the campaign mode, while basing those missions solely around various pieces of gameplay that you're likely to encounter online, not only making a campaign that's more in tune with all of Splatoon's core mechanics, but better prepping you for the other aspects of the game, which is the strongest part of Splatoon in general. 

I fully expect it given the customisation options, but I hope they let you choose an octoling or inkling right out of the gate, and don't just randomly decide to bar off octolings for whatever reason. 

Last thing is I wonder if they might do something based on the final splatfest like Splat 2 did with Marie and Callie, like if Marina and Pearl ended up split off or something, due to Pearl's role on the side of chaos, and Marina's on order. Given they're making a big deal out of the chaos theming, I wonder if Pearl and Marina might be estranged or something at the start.

[mayday2592]

Was excited when I saw the trailer, and then I realized we aren't even through the second month of 2021.. Lol why announce it so early? Unless it's out in January, we still have over a year to wait.

[Sonictrainer]

Since the announcement, the Japanese Twitter has been posting pics & information. Although the translations might be off, I'll go back and clarify some things once the English side gets updated.

EDIT: The English side was hidden in the Nintendo America Twitter. Adding it now.

Spoilered Tagged the Images because of their large sizes

 

 

Splatsville

Spoiler

Quote

Here we see Splatsville, the newly discovered “city of chaos.” It has a dated feel yet seems densely populated. Research indicates that Splatsville’s development has accelerated rapidly since the Final Splatfest a year and a half ago, even though it’s located far from Inkopolis.

 

Splatlands

Spoiler

Quote

We’ve learned that Splatsville is located in a broader region called the Splatlands. It seems the intense sun and harsh environment have had a profound effect on its inhabitants. In recent years, trendsetting Inklings have been drawn to this culture like moths to a Bunsen burner!

 

Turf Wars

Spoiler

Quote

Even in the Splatlands, Inklings seem devoted to the popular pastime of Turf War. The basic rules appear unchanged—two teams of four compete to ink the most ground. However, the denizens of Splatsville appear to have taken their battles into the surrounding wilds of nature!

 

Mid Air Spawn Drones

Spoiler

Quote

In the Splatlands, Inklings seem to favor entering the battlefield by launching themselves out of some sort of midair spawner drone. It appears they can even choose their landing spot before flying into action!

 

New Moves: Squid Roll & Squid Surge

Spoiler

Quote

We’ve identified two new ways that Inklings can move. A “squid roll” allows them to leap and twirl out of their ink, and a “squid surge” allows them to quickly swim up ink-covered walls and jump out at the top! Just think how these abilities could be used in the heat of battle…

 

New Arrow Weapon Type

Spoiler

Quote

We’ve also discovered a new weapon with a shape like a bow. It looks a bit primitive at first glance, but on closer inspection, it’s packed with technology, including a mechanism capable of launching three strings of ink simultaneously!

 

Remixed & New Specials

Spoiler

Quote

In the video transmission, we also spotted some special weapons! In addition to a brand-new one, some seem like reconfigured versions of special weapons found in Inkopolis. How perfectly fitting for the city of chaos…

 

Old Weapons, New Designs

Spoiler

Quote

Classic main weapons appear viable in the Splatlands, although their appearance seems evolved to suit this unique culture. The .96 Gal and Range Blaster look markedly different than we’re used to, which will seemingly make them stand out more from other weapons of the same type.

 

 

[Blue Blood]

So I think that it's time for thoughts and wishlists for Splatoon 3. The game's not out until 2022 so we've probably got quite a long wait before Nintendo start delivering any new news. The very announcement of the game was a huge surprise that I don't thing anyone saw coming, right?

So what does everyone want to see from this game?

Personally, I would really love to see Nintendo overhaul the single player gameplay. We've had three single player campaigns so far, each better than the last. The fact that we got the Octo Expansion tells us that Nintendo is at least somewhat interested in building upon the single player aspect. All three campaigns so far have been these Mario Galaxy style platformers; random floating platforms where you complete a very tight and specific platforming challenge. Each level has a gameplay theme that gets expanded upon incrementally until you reach the goal, at which point it's tossed out for a fresh challenge in the next level. This approach is fun, but after three campaigns in that style across just two games, I'd love to see them change things up or expand upon it. 

I'm not asking for open-world or non-linear gameplay. But something that's less restrictive, more focused on including some of the shooter aspects of multiplayer and that's utilises the turf war and ranked battle mechanics would be really, really cool. I don't have any specific ideas or requests really, just want something that's different this time. Maybe some RPG aspects? Levels that encourage exploration instead of just completing one very specific task and getting to go the goal? I dunno. Different. That's all that I really want.

Splatoon 2 was made quickly to be out not long after the Switch's launch and was focused only on refining the original game. They're so similar, especially Octo Valley to Octo Canyon, that you're not really missing out if you've only played once game and not the other. 

The Splatoon 3 trailer opened up with the single player stuff. And whilst it didn't show much, that suggests that maybe there's going to be more of a focus on single player this time? And the Small Fry buddy definitely seems to be setting up Salmonids as an important part of single player. 

[septimus01]

One thing I would like in the multiplayer is some new non ranked pvp modes. Currently all there is is Turf war, which is good, but all the other modes are on the Ranked list and so get treated like full competitive modes with all the negative cogitations that come with a ranked comp mode. Some more 'casual' modes with no ranking system like turf war would be nice, since all there is after that for multiplayer is Salmon Run.

[Sonictrainer]

Some new official art

Quote

Whether you’re basking in the sunny vibes or just trying to beat the heat, happy summer wishes from the #Splatoon3 team!

 

[Sonictrainer]

New Trailer showing one of the Story Modes for Splatoon 3

Quote

Details are fuzzy but Splatoon 3’s new weapons are sure to intensify Splatsville’s multiplayer Turf Wars. And some very familiar faces will be lending a hand in the game’s Story Mode, Return of the Mammalians, where the Inklings’ world is about to get a lot hairier…

 

EDIT: More Info from the News Update on the US Nintendo Site

Some info & images are in Spoiler Tags

Quote

This Splatsville youth and trusty little Smallfry buddy are scrap hunters who search for junk gems by day and splat it up in Turf Wars on the side. It seems this Inkling met the New Squidbeak Splatoon and is now their new Agent 3 in the continued fight against the evil Octarians!

 

New Agent 3 & Smallfry Buddy

Spoiler

Quote

This is the Hero Suit worn by the new Agent 3. It's flexible enough to bust sweet moves in, yet it can withstand the harsh conditions in the Splatlands. Little buddy even fits in the pack! We noticed two styles in the video. Perhaps they're each suited to different situations?

 

Mammalian

Spoiler

Quote

This is a soldier in the evil Octarian Army that is planning an invasion of the squid world. That said, this one isn't like those we've observed before... It appears to be growing furry hair! Why would a marine creature grow stuff like this? We must investigate further!

 

Alterna

Spoiler

Quote

This intriguing structure appeared at the end of the video. It's quite different from what we've seen of the Splatlands so far. All we know is that it's located somewhere within "Alterna," where this story mode takes place. Its purpose remains unknown, for now...

 

 

Fuzzy Ink

Spoiler

Quote

This mysterious substance found in Alterna is called Fuzzy Ink. It pulsates like a life-form, but it doesn't actually seem to be a living creature. It appears to be partially covered with brown furry stuff, leading us to suspect some kind of connection with that hairy Octarian...

We have learned a terrible truth. If an Inkling comes into contact with Fuzzy Ooze, some manner of brown hairy fur-like substance grows all over their body, and they lose their sense of self. In this state, they're unable to do much but hopelessly roll around...

In less terrifying news, we've learned that Smallfry aren't affected by Fuzzy Ooze. In fact, they can eat it and clean it up! Seems like these little buddies might just be the key to solving the mysteries of Alterna.

Apparently Smallfry will bite at Octarians to attack them, activate helpful contraptions, and assist Inklings in various other ways. They may be small, but they're seeming more and more like a brave and reliable sidekick!

 

New Squidbeak Splatoon

Spoiler

Quote

This is the New Squidbeak Splatoon who work together undercover to defeat the evil Octarian Army. On the left is Agent 1, on the right is Agent 2, and in the middle is their captain. Their true identities are a secret, and they'll do whatever it takes to support the new Agent 3.

Quote

This elderly Inkling is Craig Cuttlefish. He was once captain of the Squidbeak Splatoon and is a true hero of his day. He recently retired from active duty and passed on his captain's hat to a brave new leader. No slouch, he's still patrolling the squid world though. What a guy!

 

New Maps: Eeltail Alley & Scorch Gorge

Spoiler

Quote

We've discovered a new stage known as Eeltail Alley! An old neighborhood in the center of Splatsville, it's become a popular hangout for the town's young folk. With a walkway spanning up and over the area, this is surely a dynamic location for Turf War battles!

Quote

Next, we have Scorch Gorge, a stage seen in the previous video. We hear the strange rocks that rise up like chimneys were once undersea hydrothermal vents that now appear on land due to changes in the planet's surface. This area is also designated as a national park and quite popular.

 

Returning Map: Museum d'Alfonsino

Spoiler

Quote

This stage below is the Museum d'Alfonsino from the Inkopolis area. It seems a sophisticated transportation network makes it possible to join Turf Wars there. It's a large museum with lots of exhibitions, including ones currently featuring indigenous artifacts and modern art.

 

New Specials: Crab Tank, Big Bubbler, Zipcaster, Trikooka, & Killer Wail 5.1 

Spoiler

Quote

Now let's dive into the new special weapons seen in the video. This is the Crab Tank! When piloting this multilegged vehicle, you can attack with a powerful rapid-fire gun and a cannon with a wide blast area. You can also turn into a ball to move around faster than crab walking.

Quote

This is the Big Bubbler. It's a modified version of a special weapon popular in Inkopolis. By making it fixed, the size has been greatly increased! It seems Inklings in the Splatlands think bigger is better. Well, this certainly does look useful for protecting one's allies!

Quote

This special weapon turns an Inkling into a shadowy warrior called a Zipcaster. With tentacles that stretch way out and stick to walls, you can zoom around and cause mad chaos! To conceal your identity, when the ink runs out, you'll be returned to where you first transformed.

Quote

This weapon was seen in the video, and we've learned new details! It's called the Trizooka and seems like a modified version of a special weapon once popular in Inkopolis. It has a powerful shot that fires three blasts at once and can be fired three times in total each use!

Quote

This is the Killer Wail 5.1. It also appears to be a modified version of a special weapon from Inkopolis. The six floating megaphones move autonomously and attack with lasers that chase enemies. For such a dusty place, it seems the Splatlands are brimming with shiny tech!

 

[Sonictrainer]

In today's Nintendo Direct, we looked at the new features & Bosses added to Salmon Run

 

Quote

The next wave of Salmon Run’s co-op action returns in Splatoon 3! But with this mysterious new giant Salmonid in the picture it might be a tougher challenge than swimming upstream! 

 

[Kittea]

This Salmon Run enjoyer would very much like to know the story context.

Also, there’s an official English Twitter account now.

 

[Blue Blood]

There's very little to glean from that trailer. It's just Salmon Run with some very iterative improvements. It all looks nice, but it's not particularly exciting or interesting. 

[Raya]

To be honest I preffered an old, non-wasteland artstyle of Splatoon 2. Hope that the final game will have more colors. 

[Sonictrainer]

 

Quote

Squid Research Lab here with an important update—we've discovered that the release date for #Splatoon3 will be 9/9! We’ve also observed some remarkable Turf War action in new and exciting settings.

 

 

Quote

Check out this rare footage of a Turf War in a location called Eeltail Alley. Notice how the central bridge is a focal point of the action—it'll be fascinating to see what strategies emerge from this feature. See if you can spot anything else interesting!

Quote

Next up—we've obtained imagery of a new class of weapon known as the stringer. It seems stringers can fire ink horizontally or vertically depending on whether they are fired while standing or jumping. Either way, a simple press of ZR is all it takes to start splatting.

 

Quote

The brand Krak-On is known for canvas sneakers, but now it appears to be offering shirts and hoodies with a vintage look. And this retro gear is far from outdated when it comes to supplementing one's abilities—we're keeping a close eye on the latest offerings. For science.

 

Edited April 22, 2022 by Sonictrainer

[Sonictrainer]

It's been confirmed that Pearl & Marina will be returning in Splatoon 3 and have some new members

Quote

Squid Research Lab Musicology Dept. here with breaking news about Off the Hook! While on tour, the band seems to have scouted a few new members and reformed as an act calling itself “Damp Socks feat. Off the Hook.” Stay tuned for exclusive access to their hot new single!

Quote

You’re listening to “Candy-Coated Rocks,” the latest from Damp Socks feat. Off the Hook. Our audio anthropologist says Marina’s subtle piano work wraps around the guitar like an eel wrapping itself around whatever eels wrap themselves around (she’s not an eel scientist).

 

[Sonictrainer]

The wait is over!

Quote

Tune in on August 10 at 6 a.m. PT for a livestreamed #Splatoon3 Direct presentation. Join us in the Splatlands for roughly 30 minutes of updates!

 

[Sonictrainer]

We have a ton of info to run thru so here is our Splatoon 3 Direct Recap!

 

New MCs: Deep Cut (Shiver, Frye, & Big Man)

In Splatoon 3, we'll have 3 MCs instead of 2!

Quote

Meet Deep Cut, the ultra popular trio of Shiver, Frye and Big Man. Deeply rooted in Splatsville's culture, they're here to get everyone in the Splatfest spirit!

 

Deep Cut Images

Spoiler

Remixed Feature: Splatfests & Tricolor Turf Wars 

 

Splatoon 3 Splatfest World Premiere (Saturday, August 27th)

 

Spoiler

Like Splatoon 2, Splatoon 3 will have a free demo via the first Splatfest

Speaking of Splatfests, the first one will be ROCK VS PAPER VS SCISSORS

New & Remixed Maps

Spoiler

At launch, there will be 12 Maps in the main game.

Along the with 5 New Maps, we have 7 Returning Maps from the first 2 games:

• Hammerhead Bridge, Museum D'Alfonsino, & Mahi Mahi Resort from Splatoon 1
• Ink Blot Academy, Sturgeon Shipyard, MakoMart, & Wahoo World from Splatoon 2
• New Maps debuting in Splatoon 3 will be Scorch Gorge, Eeltail Alley, Mincemeat Metalworks, Undertow Spillway, & Hagglefish Market

Flounder Heights, another Map from Splatoon 1, & a brand new map were teased for a later update.

New Weapon Type: Splatanas

Spoiler

Quote

This new weapon class—including stuff like the Splatana Wiper—can be tricky to wield effectively but are spot-on for those who like to ink up close.

 

[Blue Blood]

The most interesting thing to come out of the entire presentation was the reveal of Deep Cut, and Frye in particular. That was an unexpected but totally welcome little showing of ethnic diversity that I just didn't think we'd see from Splatoon. She's a brown-skinned inkling and seems to be based on a South Asian culture like that of India. It's even reflected in the music and dance that they showed off. That's a really nice touch. I just hope that she ends up being positive representation and not awkward tokenism. Shiver looks like an East Asian Octoling with light skin and Big Man is just an odd ball Manta Ray. Nice group overall. Ngl though, Frye's design is a bit weird. Dunno why they wanted to give an Inkling more forehead than Pearl, but damn the mad men actually did it. 

Three-way Splatfests sound like a lot of fun. I especially like the 2v4v2 matches. Salmon Run sometimes taking over regular levels too sounds fun too. The card game looks like nice addition. Should be a cool little time killer. 

Otherwise, what else is there to say? This is definitely more Splatoon. Itvs more of a good thing, but yeah it's really just more of the same. I'm disappointed that we didn't get to see much of the single player campaign. I know that Splatoon is primarily a multiplayer game, but the single player experience has always been a huge draw for me. I was hoping that we'd see something new and different, as all three campaigns so far (1, 2 and Octo Expansion) have been very similar in their approaches. But unfortunately this looks like more of the same random floating island obstacle courses. Maybe they'll finally deliver on a proper story? Nah, I doubt it. It's a shame the we won't be getting proper levels with identifiable locations. There's a lot potential with Splatoon's mechanics that just isn't being realised with the Mario Galaxy esque series of micro-islands and obstacle courses. 

I guess the only other thing that springs to my mind is that they confirmed major paid DLC already, which I'm happy to hear about. Like I said, any new single player content is a winner in my book. Plus the silhouettes that they teased were clearly of Pearl and Marina. They're my favourite idol group so far, and seeing them get so much attention in the Octo Expansion was great. Sure would be fun if we got to play as some of the character established characters for story modes. It would be an excuse to experiment with different abilities and features that aren't just mechanics lifted from a multiplayer shooter. That'll never happen, but I'm just thinking out aloud here. 

[Nix]

Big Man is going to shape my opinion on minor topics for the next two or so years.

[DaBigJ]

If you have Splatoon 2 save data, you'll get some bonuses

[Jovahexeon Jax Joranvexeon]

That'll certainly come in handy for me.

[Sonictrainer]

Quote

A whopping 26 weapons will be available for you to try out in Saturday's #Splatoon3 Splatfest World Premiere demo, including all-new ones like the Splatana Wiper and Tri-Stringer. See which one you like best! 

Who's ready to bring a sword to a gunfight?

Edit:

We'll have some footage of Single Player on Thursday

 

[Blue Blood]

So, who took part in the Splat Fest and what were your thoughts? 

I spent virtually the entire day playing it. It's great... And painfully familiar. Nintendo really haven't tried to do much to make Splatoon 3 stand out from Splatoon 2, which itself was little more n a refined Splatoon 1. This shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone, but it's disappointing nonetheless. 

For what was new, the Tricolour Turf War format was fun, but very unbalanced. It felt like the Defending Team didn't stand a chance. Without their own hard-to-access spawn areas and inability to activate the Ultra Signal, it didn't take much for them to be totally overpowered in almost every single match. Having 4 players in the team didn't seem to help very much. I was on Team Paper. I'm 100% certain that we're going to lose the popular vote. Team Scissors won the first round of matches, although I'll be surprised if they have any chance at winning the second round. My money is on Team Rock overall.

[Ryannumber1gamer]

1 hour ago, Blue Blood said:

So, who took part in the Splat Fest and what were your thoughts? 

I spent virtually the entire day playing it. It's great... And painfully familiar. Nintendo really haven't tried to do much to make Splatoon 3 stand out from Splatoon 2, which itself was little more n a refined Splatoon 1. This shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone, but it's disappointing nonetheless. 

From what little I got to play, it's really just the same frustrating issues I've always had with Splatoon. When things work, it's a crap-ton of fun. But when things go bad, it is absolutely miserable. There is genuinely nothing more depressing in Splatoon than getting stuck on bad teams multiple times in a row, and constantly dealing with teammates who're always dead, and it feels like you can do very little to turn the tides back in your favour. Maybe it's different when it gets to comp, but I've always found Splatoon matchmaking dreadful, and the fact Splat 3 still hasn't fixed it is really annoying.

Furthermore, I hate how it's still running into problems that the game has had for ages and refuses to fix. Why are maps still on a rotation system of only two at a certain time? Why am I still forced to watch a boring cutscene of announcements every time I boot the game? It's so easy to fix yet they refuse to fix it.

I'm still interested enough because I like Splatoon, but I really hope the game has more to show when I get it proper. At bare minimum, I am hoping the campaign is closer to Octo Expansion (which better suited handheld play + taught the game's mechanics far, far better than either Splat 1 or Splat 2) compared to previous games, at least.