Awesome Music / Splatoon

Splatoon, its sequel, and its sequel's sequel are paintball-themed shooters with a colorful, '90s-cartoon style, and they have the music to match.

Be warned of unmarked spoilers for all of the games!

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Hero Modes

Splatoon 1

• Tentacular Circus, the first track heard in the Hero Mode trailer, is an odd, but energetic and catchy track that perfectly captures the frantic, fun, and quirky atmosphere of Octo Valley.
• Eight-Legged Advance is an interesting blend of synths.
• Octoweaponry, the boss theme, captures just how disturbing the bosses can be with not many instruments.
• Cephaloparade is a song that can be described at times as "burpstep", which is as bizarre and interesting as it sounds.
• Octoling Rendezvous, which accompanies the Octoling missions, is suitably low-key and menacing.
• Inkstrike/Tornado Shuffle, the UFO mission song, has a fitting stealthy sound with some Variable Mix for when you've been spotted. It may be short, but it's so infectious that you won't care.
• The final boss theme, "I Am Octavio", is an awesome electronic tune with some Variable Mix thrown in during different portions of the battle... until the end, where it's overridden entirely by the Squid Sisters' Calamari Inkantation. The live version throws in a killer guitar solo as well!
• The ending theme, Maritime Memory, is a relaxed medley of "Calamari Inkantation" and "City of Color".

Splatoon 2

• Buoyant Boogie, an upbeat, bouncy song with solid percussion and nautical synth riffs.
• Shooting Starfish is an interestingly catchy song that perfectly encapsulates the feeling of the more difficult levels it plays in.
• Splatoon 2's final boss music more than lives up to the high standards set by the first game's:
  • The theme of the first phase, a Dark Reprise of "Bomb Rush Blush", is a fast-paced, heart-poundingly intense song with awesome vocals to boot.
  • The theme of the second phase of the fight, entitled "Tidal Rush", is a far more hopeful and surprisingly emotional duet rendition of both "Bomb Rush Blush" and "Tide Goes Out", as Marie is singing with all of her heart to bring Callie back after she is freed from the Hypnoshades and all the while you're making Octavio pay for what he's done. It's exhilarating.
  • The theme of the final phase is "Spicy Calamari Inkantation", a remake of the first song, now doubled in length, now with an introduction that will get you hyped up for the finale. The 2018 Polymanga Live version puts more love into the instrumentation, making it even fresher.
• Fresh Start, the credits theme for Splatoon 2. It's a different kind of awesome for what it represents: the Squid Sisters getting back together and making music again. It's also just gorgeous, and the context is likely to wring some warm-hearted tears out of even the stoniest-faced Octarian. The crowd went nuts when the Squid Sisters put on a surprise performance of this song during the Off the Hook Concert at Polymanga 2018, and there was barely a dry eye in the house.

Splatoon 3 - Return of the Mammalians

• Crater Eighters Routine, the main theme for the Crater arc which serves as the Cold Open for the entire campaign, hits you in the face with the Octarian Army's recurring rift, before transitioning to the fun and bouncy "burpstep" that Turquoise October is known for. Special mention goes to the call-and-response between the odd chanting voice and the instrumentals in the middle of the track.
• Octavio may have suffered Villain Decay in this game, but he clearly hasn't lost his spicy beats, as evidenced by this more intense-sounding F34RME remix of "I Am Octavio" he brings out to accompany his Octobot King L3.Gs as you face him in battle.
• The music used in the target-busting levels, Ride or Fry, is an outright Daft Punk-styled future funk track, and it makes many instances of That One Level so much more tolerable.
• With Flying Colors will make you feel like a superhero as you swing across rooftops and pillars, launch yourself off ramps, and explode enemies simply from landing in their vicinity.
• Seep & Destroy is a bit of a meme within the community — prior to the reveal of its official name, fans simply called it the "Bang Bing" song and associated it with the moai heads — but regardless still manages to be a catchy bop.
• Suprise and Shine, the theme that plays when fighting the Deep Cut trio is an energetic Indian-esque theme that has a high energy to it.
• Much like Octo Expansion, Splatoon 3's penultimate level has you go through a multi-stage gauntlet with some musical backup. This time, Deep Cut brings us "Hide and Sleek", which is an amazing bop reminiscent of Shark Bytes. The live version adds a guitar solo, Big Man vocals in the second chorus, and high notes for Shiver in the last chorus.
• Like the prior two games, Splatoon 3's final boss once again gives us some great music:
  • The first phase gives us "Bear with Me", an even more discordant and bizzare reprise of Grizzco's "Happy Little Workers". It becomes more and more of a Triumphant Reprise of the theme as you progress through it. Of course, that doesn't mean it's celebrating your victory, now is it?
  • The Calamari Inkantation which plays for the final phase manages to meet and surpass the bar set by its predecessors: "Calamari Inkantation 3MIX", which mixes the original tune with the beats of both Deep Cut and DJ Octavio. It makes the already awesome fight where you get to pilot the Octobot King L3.GS even more spectacular.
• Wave Goodbye is a soothing, emotional song played over the end credits for Splatoon 3 carrying the relaxing synths of "Fresh Start" while standing out as its own moving ballad to thank players for standing by this game, the Inklings and Octolings, and the franchise as a whole. It also makes a call-back to "Calamari Inkantation" as well.

Octo Expansion

• Nasty Majesty, the theme for Octo Expansion, Splatoon 2's first DLC, is easily the hardest music to ever be associated with Splatoon. It takes a lot of cues from 80s techno and Dirty Rap to give Agent 8's campaign a very unique feel compared to the rest of the setting. In the game itself, it kicks in around the time you begin arming yourself to escape from the facility for real.
• Nintendo released a mix of some of the songs heard in the Octo expansion, ostensibly (octensibly?) made by an Octoling DJ called dedf1sh, and it is all amazing. Some other dedf1sh highlights include:
  • "#8 regret", which plays during the 8-Ball levels is a relaxing and unexpected Vaporwave track with minimal instruments.
  • "#14 crush", which plays in the puzzle platforming levels (like "Ride with Me Station") is an electro swing tune that's as catchy as it is oddly eerie, thanks in no small part to some wonderfully goofy vocals.
  • "Splattack! (Octo)", the techno-heavy remix of Splatoon 1's main theme. This is the tune for Agent 8's one-on-one with the Brainwashed and Crazy Agent 3. The brokenness of the track is a perfect accompaniment for Agent 3 being out of control.
• Shark Bytes kicks in during a certain sequence of the endgame — specifically, the back half of the climb out of the facility, in which you secure the Energy Core and get to the elevator, kicking butt all the way. It's an awesome, high-energy tune to accompany this.
• Fly Octo Fly ~ Ebb & Flow (Octo) kicks in during the final boss of the expansion, wherein you have to completely ink a human statue to prevent Commander Tartar from charging his Wave-Motion Gun to wipe out all life on Earth. It lives up to the hype and insanity of the situation, and has elements of the signature Octoling battle theme(s) in it that make it sound like a Triumphant Reprise of them. The Octotune soundtrack version is even crisper and brings out the vocals more.
• Into The Light caps it all off, letting Off The Hook take a crack at a credits theme, set to Off the Hook, Cuttlefish, and Agents 3 and 8 looking over the bay at the city they helped save as the sun comes up. It's an utterly perfect capstone to the DLC and a great way to welcome Octolings to Inkopolis.
• Pearl's solo track, "#$@%* Dudes Be #$@%* Sleepin", is a brutally metal 40 seconds of head-thrashingly addictive beats. Mad props to her drummer.
• Marina's solo track is her original composition of Ebb and Flow (Demo), which shows that her songwriting skill back then was still pretty good for a newbie at it. In-universe Pearl was impressed that this was done with only her voice and a damaged keyboard.
• Just in case you didn't hear enough of it, the match against Inner Agent 3 is set to the Calamari Inkantation. Hope you like getting owned to Squid Sisters music!
• January 2019 brings us another Off the Hook LIVE performance, and it features updated live renditions of several of their latest hits from Octo Expansion, including extended solo sequences, new dance steps, and Pearl even bringing her Killer Wail to wow the audience. "Fly Octo Fly" is given an extended outro and new dance steps, "Into the Light" is given a heartfelt slow number, and "Shark Bytes" is pumped up with a more intense instrumentation.

Side Order

• The Elevator theme is a surreal, otherworldly track that progresses through five variants, each getting more intense than the last. The first two are rather relaxed, if a bit unsettling, Elevator 3 ups the otherworldliness, while 4 is slow, intense, and heavy yet awesome listen as you ascend the last few floors towards Order. Elevator 5 plays for the final 30th floor and is appropriately ominous yet subdued.
• The boss fights of Side Order drops a few bangers:
  • Unconscience is the theme of the tutorial boss, Marina Agitando, and it helps to capture how Marina is Brainwashed and Crazy by the main foe of the Tower of Order.
  • The Final Boss, Order, starts off with New World Order, which helps to set the tone of the boss fight, and how close they are to getting what they want. It sounds very reminiscent of some boss themes from the Metroid series, even having a repeating snare similar to the infamous one featured throughout the Metroid Prime Trilogy.
  • For the second phase, Spectrum Obligato ~ Ebb and Flow (Out of Order) further cements the Off the Hook song as the closest to an Octoling equivalent to the Inkantation, and serves as a last push to stop Order from fully completing their plans.
  • Even after being beaten, the final boss changes up the music for rematches, playing Short Order instead — this reflects how they turn from an abomination to a whiny little octo-AI who complains when they doesn't get their way.

Multiplayer Tracks

• Splattack!, the first game's main theme and the Bootstrapped Theme of the franchise as a whole. Present from the very first trailer, it is a highly energetic rock theme tune that fits the game's aesthetic perfectly. It's been compared by many to the music of 80s kids game shows, especially Double Dare and Fun House. The song is even so popular in-universe that it has received various remixes and covers by other in-game bands, all of which are equally as awesome. Splatoon 3 introduces a remix of "Splattack" played in a lower key to emphasize the title's more anarchic tone.
• Shellfie ("Friend List" in British English and Japanese), added with the first game's 2.0.0 update, is an incredibly upbeat, catchy chiptune track.
• The game's soundtrack was already a tad reminiscent of Pop Punk bands like blink-182, but Split and Splat ("Quick Start" in British English and Japanese), makes the connection more explicit.
• Sucker Punch, also added in an update of the first game, is a delightful, keyboard-heavy piece.
• During the first game's Splatfest events, all of Inkopolis' music gets a Squid Sisters override: City of Color plays in Inkopolis Plaza, Ink Me Up plays during battles, and a variant of Now or Never! plays during the last minute of a round. We also get a reprise of "Calamari Inkantation" overriding "Ink Me Up" during the second half of the final Callie vs. Marie Splatfest.
• The solos Callie and Marie debuted during their second concert at Chokaigi 2016, "Bomb Rush Blush" and "Tide Goes Out", respectively. Callie's song is upbeat and catchy, while Marie's song is more relaxed and really shows off her vocals. Bomb Rush Blush also made the transition to Super Smash Bros. Ultimate in the form of a cover by famed Sonic the Hedgehog composer Tomoya Ohtani.
• Splatoon 2's main theme is Inkoming! by in-universe band Wet Floor. It's every bit as infectious as "Splattack!", if not more. A few other great tracks from Wet Floor include Rip Entry which has a really catchy guitar riff and a funky slap bass line, and Don't Slip, a catchy prog-rock tune featuring changing time signatures.
• Ink Another Day, also from 2, is a definite candidate for the smoothest and most relaxing "You lose" theme ever. It's even one-upped in that department by Party's Over, Off The Hook's remix of the same tune.
• In the second game's Splatfest events, all of the battle music is replaced with Off the Hook songs (namely Ebb & Flow, Acid Hues, and Muck Warfare), which all do a great job of blending hard-driving electronica with hip-hop and pop vocals; DJ Octavio's not the only Octarian with spicy wasabi beats! Additionally, Off the Hook can be found on stage in the main square performing Color Pulse, a lovely duet between Marina's smooth vocals and Pearl's rapping.
• The 2.0 Update for Splatoon 2 gave us five new songs from two new bands, the art jazz of Ink Theory and Celtic punk from Bottom Feeders. Both offer distinct sounds to complement the mayhem that is a Splatoon 2 match: for Ink Theory, the stand-out is "Broken Coral", while Bottom Feeders has the song used for the trailer, "Seafoam Shanty".
• Also from the 2.0 Update comes two other hits from Bottom Feeders: "Fins & Fiddles" and "Shipwreckin’". Both songs sound like the sort of thing you'd hear in an Irish barfight (in a good way!).
• Splatoon 2's 3.0 Update adds two new songs from Chirpy Chips! Blitz It! feels right at home in an intense Ranked Battle, while Wave Prism is super upbeat and perfect for a Turf War.
• Update 4.0 adds a song from a new band SashiMori, titled "Entropical." Given the initial reactions from when it was revealed in the September Nintendo Direct, it would make a really great anime opening theme.
• The 2018 Off the Hook concert ended with a rendition of "Now or Never!" performed by both Off the Hook and the Squid Sisters. This would later override the standard "Now or Never!" theme on the second day of Final Fest: Splatocalypse.
• Picking up from where 2 left off, one of the Splatoon 3 tracks shown pre-release from new idol trio Deep Cut is Anarchy Rainbow, which mixes traditional Japanese Odori festival music, Brazilian samba and Middle Eastern/South Asian instrumentals to construct a truly chaotic but incredibly catchy festival theme to listen to during Splatfests.
• Splatoon 3 gives us Clickbait, which can be considered its main theme similar to "Splattack" and "Inkoming" from the previous games.
• In the third game's Splatfest events, all battle themes are replaced with songs peformed by Deep Cut, including the incredibly bloodpumping "Till Depth Do Us Part", and "Fins in the Air", which shows off Shiver's high vocal range and Frye's fast-paced singing.
• For anyone who missed the old Squid Squad music from the first game, they'll be happy to listen to "Sea Me Now" by Front Roe. Ichiya's vocals will give a sense of nostalgia to those who heard "Splattack" for the very first time.
• Sandy Side Up is another fist pumping track from Front Roe, but what makes it even better is the additional vocals provided by what are strongly implied to be Ikkan and Warabi from Diss-Pair. It's the reunion collab Squid Squad fans have been waiting for.
• Nessie, Aliens, and Bigfoot, the first Splatfest after the release of Inkopolis Plaza, brings us two superfresh tracks from the Squid Sisters - City of Color 2023, a colorful chiptune remix of the familiar theme, and the brand new Tomorrow's Nostalgia Today, an absolutely gorgeous track specially made for the latter 24 hours of Splatfest. The Squid Sisters have returned to music business with a worthy bang.
• Thrown in for the cryptid Splatfest is yet another song by Squid Sisters - sling ink to the playful, magical tunes of Liquid Sunshine, made in collaboration with a certain "Ian BGM".
• Big Betrayal, a reenactment of the moment Shiver and Frye found out about Big Man's involvement in "Liquid Sunshine". An EDM tune that doubles as a self-diss track, and it sounds amazing to boot!

Salmon Run

• Both of the main battle tracks, Deluge Dirge and Fishing Frenzy, are a brilliant synthesis of eerie low strings and pulse-pounding percussion and electronics that perfectly capture the absolute chaos that is a round of Salmon Run. Their 15/8 and 7/8 time signatures add to the hectic feeling of being face first against a horde of Salmonoids. The tutorial also has Surge and Submerge, a stripped back version of Deluge Dirge. It starts off sounding fairly relaxed, but slowly builds up to sounding more ominous and dreadful, as if warning you of what's to come the moment you leave training and get to work.
• The 4.0 Update adds Frantic Aspic, which only plays on regular waves during random loadouts. Appropriately enough for the only time it's heard, it manages to be even more chaotic than either of the tracks that came before it.
• Grizzco Industries' main theme, Happy Little Workers, is a strange little tune mixing a goofy and catchy main melody with an eerie and dissonant backing track, plus the occasional creepy laugh.
• Frothy Waters from Salmon Run: Next Wave replaces "Fishing Frenzy" for a lot of the nighttime waves. It starts off bouncy and playful, but as it goes on, it becomes increasingly frantic. This is capped off at the very end with the song becoming ever faster-paced. It is exactly 100 seconds long, which is the same length of a wave.
• Toxic Anoxic plays solely in Xtrawaves when a King Salmonid appears. It is extremely desperate in tone, and it is matched only by its intensity.
• When Salmonids come to invade the cities of Inkopolis and Splatsville during a Big Run, ω-3 backs the event with their own remix of C-Side's Clickbait called Bait and Click, transforming the once cheerful anthem of turf war fun into a distorted and chaotic dirge of your incoming demise. And then there's the Grizzco lobby version of the remix, which is absolutely haunting. The entire song is stripped back to just the cello, an ominous droning in the background, and the occasional crackle of radio feedback. It gives the sense that things will end badly if Grizzco doesn't succeed in driving the Salmonids back.

Other Related Works

• Off the Hook's vocalists, Alice and Lighter190E, came together to collaborate for "This is How We Do", the closest we will get to a real-life Off The Hook performance in a language we can fully translate.

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