History VideoGame / Splatoon

** [[https://vignette4.wikia.nocookie.net/splatoon/images/8/82/Squid_Girl_tunic.png/revision/latest?cb=20150807191035 This outfit...]] Well, It is a game all about squid boys and [[Manga/SquidGirl squid girls]]...

*** The video showing [[http://splatoonus.tumblr.com/post/125772953395/say-hello-to-my-little-frie-er-i-mean-check-out#notes the Splatling in action]] makes a reference to the famous line from ''Film/{{Scarface 1983}}'':

*** The [[https://splatoonus.tumblr.com/post/136895156289/breaking-news-from-the-squid-research-lab-weve announcement for the tenth Splatfest]] (Past vs. Future) are filled with references: ''WesternAnimation/{{Futurama}}'', ''WesternAnimation/TheFlintstones'', ''Film/BackTotheFuture'', ''Franchise/StarTrek'' and ''Film/TheFly1958''.
** The Splatoon Direct features several shout-outs, such as the narrator mimicking [[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaTheWindWaker Salvatore's]] [[MemeticMutation infamous]] "splooooosh" while describing the Roller weapons.

** A rather blatant example; in Hero Mode, [[spoiler:shortly after Agents 1 and 2 become MissionControl, one of them accidentally refers to the other as ''"Mar... Agent 2"''. At the very end of Hero Mode, it's revealed that they are, in fact, the Squid Sisters (Callie and Marie)]].

''Splatoon'' is a ThirdPersonShooter created by Creator/{{Nintendo}} for their UsefulNotes/WiiU system. Revealed at E3 2014 and released in May of 2015, the game features the Inklings, [[ItMakesSenseInContext a race of shapeshifting squid-kids/people who fight with all sorts of ink weaponry]], which allows them to paint entire areas of their color that they can use to swim around the map faster as a squid.

[[quoteright:310:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/2addb9ad7ae0028d7ab5ae7725a192c4.png]]
[[caption-width-right:310:[[{{Pun}} Ink]]-oming!]]

* TemporaryOnlineContent: You unlock songs for the rhythm game minigame by simply hearing them, but there are three songs that only play during Splatfests. So if you got the game or the amiibo that unlocks the rhythm game after Splatfests were done running, the songs were impossible to unlock. The sequel has even more Splatfest-exclusive songs and its rhythm game is built-in rather than tied to an amiibo, so time will tell if it has the same problem.

* CompanyCrossReferences: 8-bit renderings of Bloopers, the squid enemies from the ''Franchise/SuperMarioBros'' games, can be found in several [[EasterEgg out-of-the-way locations]]; the Inklings' squid forms also strongly resemble Bloopers.

* AprilFoolsDay: The official Tumblr claimed that [[http://splatoonus.tumblr.com/post/115216490439/so-this-whole-time-i-thought-splatoon-was-going Splatoon was actually going to be a hot new snack.]] The slogan? "Now you can have your squid and eat it too unless you're a squid then just eat a freakin' [[InherentlyFunnyWords quesadilla]]!"

* ConLang: The written language of the Inklings and Octarians is composed of a bunch of weird symbols. Now what language they're supposed to represent or be based on, if any, is another matter, made especially difficult by having multiple scripts. Incidentally, if you happen to know a few languages your brain goes mad trying to read the text since they look like a cross between Latin, Greek, Russian and Japanese. [[spoiler:Given the apparent location, it's ''probably'' ultimately descended from Japanese, but thousands of years of ''cross-species'' linguistic drift has made it difficult to tell with any accuracy.]]

* EverythingsSquishierWithCephalopods:
** The Inklings, cartoony squids that can change into humanoid kids with vaguely squidish features.
** The Octarians are shown as a more disturbing version, the lower ranking soldiers taking the form of single tentacles with eyes, mouth and legs. The Higher up ones possessing more tentacles.

* CompanyCrossReferences: 8-bit renderings of Bloopers, the squid enemies from the ''Franchise/SuperMarioBros'' games, can be found in several out-of-the-way locations; the Inklings' squid forms also strongly resemble Bloopers.

** Splash-o-Matics look like repurposed bike pumps, complete with pressure gauge. Sploosh-o-Matics simply attach a funnel to the end of the former.

* NoNameGiven: None of the members of the in-game bands other than the Squid Sisters have been officially named, or even shown at all beyond their appearances on their album art. The official Tumblr has given aliases to the band Squid Squad based on their instrumental roles, while the other two, Chirpy Chips/ABXY and Hightide Era, have no names given at all.

* BokeAndTsukkomiRoutine: A Japanese-region Splatfest scheduled for early September pits Boke vs Tsukkomi. Fans jokingly call it the Callie VS Marie Splatfest, as the two of them take on these roles, with Callie as the silly Boke and Marie as the serious Tsukkomi.

* DesperationAttack: The Last-Ditch Effort equipment ability gives you several buffs when 30 seconds or left remain on the clock, or if you're in a Ranked mode and the enemy team is close to victory.

Inklings were the first new characters to be unveiled for the fifth installment of Nintendo's ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBros'' franchise, with the game taking most of its ''Splatoon'' elements from this first installment.

Inklings were the first new characters to be unveiled for ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBrosUltimate'' for the Switch.

** Inklings always keep the same shorts on regardless of outfit, making them work like this for outfits with skirts like the female variations of the school uniform and the ''[[Manga/ShinryakuIkaMusume Squid Girl]]'' tunic.

** To an extent, the ''[[{{Manga/ShinryakuIkaMusume}} SQUID GIRL]]'' and ''Famitsu'' clothing lines in all versions of the game.

* IntercontinuityCrossover: Official crossover content between this game and fellow squid-centered manga ''Manga/ShinryakuIkaMusume'' was announced shortly before release, including stuff like a crossover illustrated by ''Ika Musume's'' creator, and a free outfit based on Squid Girl herself for the game. While both works involve squid kids, the intercontinuity comes from both being incompatible between one another story-wise [[spoiler:since ''Splatoon'' takes place thousands of years after the end of humanity]].

** The [[Manga/ShinryakuIkaMusume SQUID GIRL Tunic]] is clearly a dress on the female inklings, but is a tunic not unlike a basketball jersey on the males. The matching SQUID GIRL Hat is much larger on male inklings, covering the inkling's hair completely and fitting over their ears.

->''"Until next time... Staaaay fresh!"''

* SaveScumming: People have been know to buy a USB[=/=]a second USB drive to copy and revert data to an earlier save for this very reason. For the most part, it's used to get specific ability rerolls on equipment without spending months on end grinding the money[=/=]waiting for next Splatfest to get more snails, but some of the more "determined" people out there use to even do stuff like preserve their rank. Naturally, this process (especially the latter) is [[BrokenBase rather controversial in the community]], and [[Administrivia/RuleOfCautiousEditingJudgment that's all we're saying about that.]]

* SaveScumming: People have been know to buy a USB[=/=]a second USB drive to copy and revert data to an earlier save for this very reason. For the most part, it's used to get specific ability rerolls on equipment without spending months on end grinding the money[=/=]waiting for next Splatfest to get more snails, but some of the more "determined" people out there use to even do stuff like preserve their rank. Naturally, this process (especially the latter) is [[BrokenBase rather controversial in the community]], and [[RuleOfCautiousEditingJudgment that's all we're saying about that.]]

The official website can be found [[http://splatoon.nintendo.com/ here]]. Also featured is an official Website/{{Tumblr}} called the [[http://splatoonus.tumblr.com/ "Squid Research Lab"]], which reveals information in a similar vein as the "Pic of the Day" done for ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBros 3DS/Wii U''. See the [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8L54s2m1dPs announcement trailer here]], and the Hero Mode trailer [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KDnfzfBDedE here.]]

Inklings were the first new characters to be unveiled for ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBros Ultimate'' for the Switch.

* SpiritualSuccessor: Splatfest to both the Wii's ''Everybody Votes Channel'' and Conquest in ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBros 3DS/Wii U''. Everybody can vote and fight for popularity, although there is no fighting in ''Everybody Votes Channel''

*** The [[https://splatoonus.tumblr.com/post/136895156289/breaking-news-from-the-squid-research-lab-weve announcement for the tenth Splatfest]] (Past vs. Future) are filled with references: ''WesternAnimation/{{Futurama}}'', ''WesternAnimation/TheFlinstones'', ''Film/BackTotheFuture'', ''Franchise/StarTrek'' and ''Film/TheFly1958''.

** [[CombinedEnergyAttack The Booyah Bomb]] introduces a mechanic in which it's user makes it charge faster by saying "Booyah" while their teammates get a bonus in their special meter by "Booyah"-ing back. They actually made the "Booyah" meme a mechanic for this weapon!