History VideoGame / Splatoon2

* ParentalBonus: The way you pick up your bonuses is this for Japanese players. The player receives their "bonuses" by swapping them out at an external store is a reference to the infamous "three-store system" used by [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pachinko pachinko]] parlors to skirt around Japanese gambling laws that prohibit gambling for cash, allowing pachinko parlors to claim to be "game centers" that ''[[PlausibleDeniability just so happen]]'' to be next to unrelated pawn shops that you can sell the parlor's "prizes" to for cash. A [[https://www.famitsu.com/news/201803/01152806.html developer interview]] put LampshadeHanging on it by explaining that Grizzco had its bonus exchange area outside the store because workers were upset about not being able to claim their bonuses when the Grizzco office was closed, that it just so happened that there was a good place to pick it up outside, and it also [[SuspiciouslySpecificDenial just so happened]] to resemble "something else" in real life.

* ParentalBonus: The way you pick up your bonuses is this for Japanese players. The player receives their "bonuses" by swapping them out at an external store is a reference to the infamous "three-store system" used by [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pachinko pachinko]] parlors to skirt around Japanese gambling laws that prohibit gambling for cash, allowing pachinko parlors to claim to be "game centers" that ''[[PlausibleDeniability just so happen]]'' to be next to unrelated pawn shops that you can sell the parlor's "prizes" to for cash. A [[developer interview https://www.famitsu.com/news/201803/01152806.html]] put LampshadeHanging on it by explaining that Grizzco had its bonus exchange area outside the store because workers were upset about not being able to claim their bonuses when the Grizzco office was closed, that it just so happened that there was a good place to pick it up outside, and it also [[SuspiciouslySpecificDenial just so happened]] to resemble "something else" in real life.

* ParentalBonus: The way you pick up your bonuses is this for Japanese players. The player receives their "bonuses" by swapping them out at an external store is a reference to the infamous "three-store system" used by [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pachinko pachinko]] parlors to skirt around Japanese gambling laws that prohibit gambling for cash, allowing pachinko parlors to claim to be "game centers" that ''[[PlausibleDeniability just so happen]]'' to be next to unrelated pawn shops that you can sell the parlor's "prizes" to for cash. A developer interview put LampshadeHanging on it by explaining that Grizzco had its bonus exchange area outside the store because workers were upset about not being able to claim their bonuses when the Grizzco office was closed, that it just so happened that there was a good place to pick it up outside, and it also [[SuspiciouslySpecificDenial just so happened]] to resemble "something else" in real life.

* StanceSystem: A minor case with the Squeezer weapon where, depending on whether you hold down fire or mash the button, can respectively have low range and high spread or high range and low spread.

* ArchiveBinge: In the Japanese version, after winning the "Action vs Comedy" Splatfest, Marina tells Pearl that they're gonna binge a seven season drama later. Pearl is less than excited. [[invoked]]

* ChickenAndEggParadox: One of the Splatfests is Chicken vs Egg, where the debate was not which was better for once, but rather which one the player believes came first.

** Marina does this again before the "Chicken vs Egg" Splatfest. It's still played for laughs, albeit [[MoodWhiplash uncomfortable]] [[LeaningOnTheFourthWall laughs]]:

** The playable Octolings are apparently considered 'Inklings with fad/weird hairstyles' by most of the population of Inkopolis. Even during the Squid VS Octopus Splatfest, no one seems to make the connection, despite the fact that Inklings and Octolings are only playable on their respective teams during that Splatfest. [[spoiler:The only one who lampshades how 'dangerous' the theme could be is Marina, an Octoling herself. Of course, whether or not Pearl's dialogue can be interpreted as naive or actively trying to [[EnforcedTrope enforce this trope]] depends on if the player has completed the Octo Expansion DLC.]]

* HistoryRepeats: While the Splatocalypse was intended to be the final Splatfest, the UsefulNotes/COVID19Pandemic cooped up players enough that four Splatfests were added during the lockdown. While the first - Mayo vs Ketchup - averted this trope, the other two - Chicken vs Egg and Trick vs Treat - play it straight.

* InsultBackfire: During the intro to the "Salsa vs Guacamole" Splatfest, Pearl accidentally compliments Marina when she tries to diss her:

** The Japanese "Champion vs Challenger" Splatfest used Emperor and Goggles as representatives, tying in to the manga's Square King Cup arc. The official picture even had Team Emperor facing off against Blue Team.

** Meanwhile, a "tournament-style" trio of back-to-back Splatfests for North America, Oceania and Europe were announced for the month of May promoting ''WesternAnimation/RiseOfTheTeenageMutantNinjaTurtles'', the subject being who the many Inklings believed to be the best Franchise/{{Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle|s}}. First was Raphael vs. Leonardo, second was Michelangelo vs. Donatello, third was between the two winners, Raphael vs Donatello.

* TakeThatAudience: In the Chaos vs Order splatfest announcement, when Pearl is trying to prove Marina has more things in her life than just being part of Off the Hook, a vital key point Pearl mentions is that the fans like Marina more than they do her and ends it off with, "I've seen the internet". This is an obvious, fourth-wall breaking jab to the fact that within the ''Splatoon'' community and the internet as a whole, Marina is by far the more popular Off the Hook member.

* TrailersAlwaysLie: The reveal trailer for ''Octo Expansion'' showed Agent 8 emerging from a subway tunnel and spotting Inkopolis Square in the distance. [[spoiler:The subway tunnel footage was actually taken from the "thang" levels, with Agent 8 looking at Inkopolis Square from a distance being made for the trailer. In the actual game, as Agent 8 instead emerges from an underground testing facility and is picked up by Marina and Pearl via helicopter.]]

** The Japanese "Champion vs Challenger" Splatfest used Emperor and Goggles as representatives. The official picture even had Team Emperor facing off against Blue Team.
** Pre-purchasing the ''Octo Expansion'' DLC lets you have the Octo-themed headphones and an octopus-themed layered LS as a bonuses, similar to the bonuses when pre-purchasing the first game in the Global Testfire (which are Studio Headphones and a squid-themed layered LS).

*** Outside of the game itself, the [=SplatNet2=] companion App tracks the amount of all lifetime turf inked while playing either overall or as Octoling and gives out rewards for reaching certain milestones too. The final Inkling milestone needs a reasonable 4,652,000p but the last Octoling milestone needs a whooping ''26,438,000p''. Keep in mind, turf inked as an Octoling counts toward the Inkling milestones, but not in reverse. So if you started playing as an Inkling first, ''none of that ink counts towards the Octoling milestone''. This last one requires several thousand hours of constant playtime to obtain ''all while turfing a significant amount of Ink on every match you play'' so an extremely low number of people have reached it. Also, [[AndYourRewardIsClothes the reward you get for all your efforts is just a wallpaper]. Expectedly, it was ''completely'' toned down for its Splatoon 3 successor, the Wandercrust, with all of its milestones combined requiring less than the already reasonable Inkling milestone total.

*** Outside of the game itself, the [=SplatNet2=] companion App tracks the amount of all lifetime turf inked while playing either overall or as Octoling and gives out rewards for reaching certain milestones too. The final Inkling milestone needs a reasonable 4,652,000p but the last Octoling milestone needs a whooping ''26,438,000p''. Keep in mind, turf inked as an Octoling counts toward the Inkling milestones, but not in reverse. So if you started playing as an Inkling first, ''none of that ink counts towards the Octoling milestone''. This last one requires several thousand hours of constant playtime to obtain ''all while turfing a significant amount of Ink on every match you play'' so an extremely low number of people have reached it. Also, [[AndYourRewardIsClothes the reward you get for all your efforts is just a wallpaper]].

''Splatoon 2'' is the sequel to the ThirdPersonShooter ''VideoGame/Splatoon1''. After being teased at the end of the UsefulNotes/NintendoSwitch reveal trailer, the game was officially revealed months later during the January 2017 Nintendo Switch Presentation. A Global Testfire demo was held the weekend of March 24-26, 2017, while an early Splatfest was held July 15, 2017. The game was released worldwide on July 21, 2017.

*** Outside of the game itself, the [=SplatNet2=] companion App tracks the amount of turf inked while playing either overall or as Octoling and gives out rewards for reaching certain milestones too. The final Inkling milestone needs a reasonable 4652000p but the last Octoling milestone needs a whooping ''26438000p''. Keep in mind, turf inked as an Octoling counts toward the Inkling milestones, but not in reverse. So if you started playing as an Inkling first, ''none of that ink counts towards the Octoling milestone''. This last one requires several thousand hours of constant playtime to obtain ''all while turfing a significant amount of Ink on every match you play'' so very few people have reached it. Also, [[AndYourRewardIsClothes the reward you get for all your efforts is just a wallpaper]].

The final major content update, version 5.0.0, was released on July 31, 2019, though minor balance and bugfix patches would continue. Much to players' surprise, however, Nintendo introduced a series of bonus Splatfests in 2020. The first of these was a rematch of "Mayo vs. Ketchup" in May 2020, which was presented as a "bonus, one-off" event alongside a new Testfire demo; however, it was later announced that three more of these bonus Splatfests would be held before March 2021. These ended up being rematches of "Chicken vs. Egg" (August 2020) and "Trick vs. Treat" (October 2020), as well as a "Super Mushroom vs. Super Star" final Splatfest to celebrate the 35th anniversary of the ''Franchise/SuperMarioBros'' franchise (January 2021).

* CrosshairAware: Being targeted by the Tenta Missiles causes a reticle to appear underneath you, and the ensuing rockets will be marked by small circles on the ground. The large reticle also has a small bit that points towards the general direction of the player firing the Tenta Missiles.

* DramaticHighPercing: In ''Octo Expansion'', [[spoiler:Agent 3]] does this before their BossBattle, standing atop one of the beams supporting a massive elevator platform, before jumping down on to the platform with a GroundShatteringLanding and starting the fight. Later, the OptionalBoss [[spoiler:Inner Agent 3]] appears atop an Octarian UFO before leaping onto the battlefield in a similar fashion.

* AthleticArenaLevel: Goby Arena is a stadium for the [[FantasyCounterpartCulture Inklings' version of basketball]]. The court and its surrounding areas get repurposed for ink battling, which is where ''Splatoon 2'' is concerned.

* ApocalypseHow: The expansion ends with the player character and their allies having to prevent a Class 4 case. [[spoiler:Commander Tartar, a human-made AI created during humanity's last days with the intention to [[FlingALightIntoTheFuture pass humanity's knowledge to the next dominant species]], decides that none of the various species that have emerged are deserving of it; this is due to his view that Inklings and Octarians fighting against each other replicates the same kind of conflict that doomed humanity. As such, they aim to turn every creature on the continent into primordial ooze in hopes that the next round of sapient life meets their standards.]]

%% Tropes related to the Octo Expansion (especially spoilers) should go in the "Octo Expansion" section at the bottom of the page. Meanwhile, Samon Run examples go to the second folder.

[[folder:''Octo Expansion'' DLC]][[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/splatoon_2_octo_expansion.png]]

%% Tropes related to the Octo Expansion (especially spoilers) should go in the "Octo Expansion" section at the bottom of the page.

* BigApplesauce: Contrasting the respective {{Hub Level}}s of the first and third game, which both have [[TokyoIsTheCenterOfTheUniverse Tokyo influences]], ''VideoGame/Splatoon2'', Inkopolis Square, takes heavy inspiration from Times Square. The Square's main landmark, Deca Tower, even resembles the One Times Square building. Fittingly, the game's ''Octo Expansion'' campaign takes place in an expansive underground subway system. [[spoiler:These parallels are taken to their logical conclusion with the FinalBoss of the ''Octo Expansion'' featuring a [[MonumentalBattle giant weaponized human statue]] off the coast of the city.]]

* MsExposition: Callie, who will read you various facts about Agent 4 from the "Agent 4 Factopedia" that she acquired from Marie. Said facts include strange tidbits such as how much turf you inked measured in Maries, percentage of Roller swings split between horizontal and vertical swings, and Brush swing speed measured in swings per minute.

[[folder:Octo Expansion]][[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/splatoon_2_octo_expansion.png]]

%%* SeriesContinuityError: [[spoiler:Pearl is surprised to learn that Marina is an Octarian, however Pearl refers to Marina as an Octoling during one of the Splatfests prior to ''Octo Expansion''[='s=] release. However, this might also just call into question what the ''order of continuity is'' more than anything; ''OE'' is scripted in such a way as to take place at any point during completion of the base Hero Mode, so it's unclear if they're meant to run concurrently or in order of release or what. If they're supposed to be concurrent in-universe, it makes more sense that Pearl would know who/what Marina is for Splatfests.]]

* StupidityIsTheOnlyOption: [[spoiler:Once you collect the four thangs, you have to step into a giant blender to progress the story. The characters don't realize it's a trap until it's turned on, but the player almost certainly will. You're asked three times beforehand, and some of the "no" options [[LampshadeHanging acknowledge the sketchiness of it all]].]]
* {{Superboss}}: [[spoiler:The rematch with Agent 3, unlocked after completing all 80 tests in the Deepsea Metro.]]

* TimedMission: Several missions require fulfilling the requirements or surviving until the timer is done.

[[folder:Main Game]]

* HundredPercentCompletion:
** The game silently tracks your completion of the single player "Hero Mode" campaign. Beating every level, which you have to do anyway, nets you 100% completion. Meanwhile, beating every level with every weapon nets you [[Over100PercentCompletion 1000% completion]], with the player getting rewarded with the Replicia Hero Weapons ([[CosmeticAward reskinned versions]] of the base weapons) for undergoing that ([[ThatOneSidequest frustrating]]) extra mile. You can only see your completion percentage with the [=SplatNet2=] companion phone app, though.
** The ''Octo Expansion'' DLC doesn't require you to beat every level ([[NintendoHard mercifully]]), but you'll need to aim for 100% completion if you wish to see the bonus chatlog, get all of the available gear, and [[spoiler:fight the {{Superboss}}.]] Go even beyond that to get 1000% completion by beating every level with every weapon and [[spoiler:beating the Inner Agent 3 boss battle]], and the game will acknowledge your efforts with a nice Kamabo Co.-themed flair on Agent 8's CQ-80 menu, with the text "COMPLETE" in Inkling.

* AndNowForSomeoneCompletelyDifferent: ''Octo Expansion'' has you play as an Octoling named Agent 8, who has woken up in an abandoned subway station without their memories. Beating the campaign lets you switch between Agent 4 (i.e., your original Inkling) and Agent 8 as your player avatar at any time for use in multiplayer.
* AndYourRewardIsClothes:
** Like in the first game, completing the single player campaign rewards the player with clothing based on the model of the Hero Suit used during the campaign.
** Iso Padre in the second game's ''Octo Expansion'' will reward you with a clothing item for collecting each full set of Mem Cakes, which can be found by passing each test on a given subway line. Ten pieces of clothing are available from him in total, with nine of them forming full clothing sets and the last being C. Q. Cumber's own hat.
** Completing every single test in the Deepsea Metro will also unlock the {{Superboss}}, [[spoiler:Inner Agent 3]], who will reward the player with [[spoiler:the Golden Toothpick headgear]] upon being defeated.

* AnimalJingoism: Subverted with the release of the Octo Expansion, which not only has Octolings migrating to the surface en masse out of a desire to integrate with Inkling society [[spoiler:thanks to having their minds opened by the events of the Hero Mode campaigns]], but reveals that most Inklings nowadays regard the Great Turf War as ancient history and have no issues with sharing their land (even if some of that is because most of them don't even know what Octarians actually look like). Indeed, relations have improved to the point where one of Inkopolis's most popular idols is actually an Octoling. A lot of the remaining tensions between the two species can be chalked up to the actions of just one individual (DJ Octavio, the Octarian overlord, is a noted user of MindControlMusic and therefore it is possible the Octarians have literally no choice but to follow his call to war).

* ArmorPiercingAttack:
** The Ink Armor was nerfed in Version 1.3.0. so that sufficiently powered attacks can deal direct damage through the Special while simultaneously breaking it and inflicting significant {{Knockback}}. Namely, anything that hits for more than 100 damage will apply up to 80 points of direct damage in addition to breaking Ink Armor.
** In Salmon Run mode, the Grizzco Slosher has the unique ability to damage to ''any'' enemy it hits. Including bosses like Flyfish and Steelheads that are otherwise invincible unless they reveal their weakpoints. The sheer kill power is balanced by being a PainfullySlowProjectile and a massive ink cost for each shot. This concept was later implemented with the Explosher, which has a more limited version of this trait but, unlike the Grizzco Slosher, is not PurposelyOverpowered and can be used in the other online modes.
* ArrangeMode: Salmon Run sometimes has a variation of this. Usually, each Salmon Run rotation has four weapons that are made available to use, with who gets what being randomized for each of the run's three waves. However, sometimes there are rotations where one or more of the four weapon slots is replaced with a question mark, in which you get a completely random weapon, and the weapon you get could be [[PurposelyOverpowered a rare Grizzco weapon that's heavily optimized for damage]]. Far more rarely, you will get a rotation where ''all'' the weapon slots are golden question marks, which guarantees that all four players will receive a Grizzco weapon for each wave; there have been only four such rotations since the game's July 2017 release.

* BagOfSharing: The game has the Inkling and Octoling avatars (once you unlock the former by beating the ''Octo Expansion'' DLC campgain) share a multiplayer inventory, rank progress, and Grizzco pay grade. Interestingly, the game's smartphone companion app does keep track of how much turf you've inked with each species separately.

* BanditMook: A couple of them are introduced thanks to the also-debuting Salmon Run mode:
** The Snatchers are a type of common Salmonid which spawn after a [[EliteMooks Boss Salmonid]] is defeated. They can't attack players, but they will attempt to take the Golden Eggs left on the ground back into the sea. Splatting them will make them drop any eggs they're carrying, but more Snatchers will continue to spawn until you pick the eggs up yourself and take them to the egg basket. While the ones in this game are bound to the ground and can only hold up to three eggs at once, the ones in ''VideoGame/Splatoon3'' can carry multiple Golden Eggs at once, and pilot tiny aircraft to grab out-of-the-way eggs, such as those left on a Fish Stick.
** During certain Salmon Run waves, you will be faced with the Mothership, which can steal Golden Eggs right out of your egg basket. Shooting at it enough while it's attempting to siphon from your basket will push it back temporarily, but it will attempt to steal your eggs twice before the wave is over.

* BattleInTheCenterOfTheMind: In the ''Octo Expansion'', Agent 8 [[spoiler:fights Agent 3 in their head as an OptionalBoss after getting every Mem Cake. After the fight, Agent 8 feels "like the freshest Octoling ever" and gets the Golden Toothpick headgear]].
* BeamOWar: The climax of ''Octo Expansion'' involves [[spoiler:Pearl screaming into a giant Killer Wail (read: ''loudspeaker'') to counter Commander Tartar's WaveMotionGun aimed at Inkopolis. Thanks to Pearl's singing voice alone already being destructively loud and shrill, she overwhelms Tartar easily with a '''''888.8%''''' to 0% Turf War victory]].

* BossArenaUrgency: Two stations in ''Octo Expansion'' — namely, [[Film/{{Breakin}} Breakdance]] Station and Film/{{Footloose}} Station - take place on platforms made entirely out of destructible {{crate|Expectations}}s.[[note]]In the shape of an iconic ''Franchise/{{Splatoon}}'' squid and a [[Franchise/SuperMarioBros Blooper]], respectively.[[/note]] Rather than a traditional, singular boss, each of the tests pit you against three waves of increasingly dangerous enemies. Interestingly, this is a rare example where the player's attacks can ''also'' destroy the floor. While this does mean you'll need to be more cautious, it also means you can effectively turn this trope on the enemies, and shoot the floor out from beneath ''them''.

* BossRemix:
*** The first phase of the final boss battle uses a tense DarkReprise of "[[https://youtu.be/fVq0s1ABjNE Bomb Rush Blush]]" with the Octarian army's leitmotif mixed in, while the second phase has a more hopeful medley of "[[https://youtu.be/fmoLeGjlHbw Tide Goes Out]]" and "Bomb Rush Blush".
*** While fighting [[spoiler: [[BrainwashedAndCrazy Sanitized]] [[PreviousPlayerCharacterCameo Agent]] [[DuelingPlayerCharacters 3]]]], a chopped and screwed version of [[spoiler: "[[https://youtu.be/8L54s2m1dPs?t=31s Splattack!", the first game's unofficial theme,]] plays.]]
*** "[[https://youtu.be/jGZW_Uvhvvk?t=29m37s Fly Octo Fly]]", the music for [[spoiler: deactivating [[DoomsdayDevice the NILS Statue]], is a remix of the "Test Cleared" jingle for the first two minutes. During the home stretch, it switches to a TriumphantReprise of "[[https://youtu.be/-i9GTp3Mp30?t=12m26s Ebb And Flow]]", Off The Hook's BootstrappedTheme.]]
* BossRush: The Salmon Run mode has this as a ''tutorial level''; its main purpose is to teach you how to fight the seven most common Boss Salmonid that appear in the mode, but if you think that's hostile, it's ''[[NintendoHard nothing]]'' compared to fighting several Boss Salmonid at once on top of the actual hordes.

** Your reward for defeating [[spoiler:Inner Agent 3]] in ''Octo Expansion'' is the Golden Toothpick, which is ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin: a golden toothpick with a gold piece of takoyaki impaled on it that player can wear as headgear. It's a 3-star item of clothing that grants Special Charge Up (which increases the speed your [[LimitBreak special weapon]] charges up) as its main ability, but there are plenty of other clothes in the game that do exactly that, and any that aren't 3-star can be upgraded until they're functionally as powerful. The same applies to all the clothing rewards you receive in the process of OneHundredPercentCompletion of the DLC campaign.

* BrutalBonusLevel: Beating all levels with no skips grants the player access to a fight against [[spoiler:Inner Agent 3]]; all Agent 8 has is an Octoshot and Splat Bomb, while the opponent has unlimited ink, constant specials, a faster and more powerful weapon, [[TheAllSeeingAI knowledge of where you are at any time]], an aggressive AI, and the ability to dodge-roll at any time. Oh, and there's no checkpoints, so losing at any one of five phases[[note]]That is, Agent 8 has to defeat Inner Agent 3 five times, while Inner Agent 3 only has to defeat Agent 8 once[[/note]] sends you all the way back to the beginning. Once you do manage to win, YourRewardIsClothes! All you get is a virtual Golden Toothpick.

* CanonIdentifier: The player character in the base game's Hero Mode is recruited and given the title of Agent 4. Meanwhile, the ''Octo Expansion'' DLC has you play as an amnesiac Octarian military defector who gets christened as Applicant No. 10,008 by Kamabo Co. Deeming this too long, Cap'n Cuttlefish decides to call you Agent [[ArcNumber 8]], with other characters calling you "Eight" as a nickname.
* CensoredForComedy: In the ''Octo Expansion'' DLC, the aptly-named song [[https://youtu.be/m3ihXBVOQbU "#$@%* Dudes Be #$@%* Sleepin"]] features a long censor-bleep in the middle of it, heavily implying that Pearl started singing whatever the Inkling version of swearing is.

* CharacterSelectForcing: In ''Octo Expansion'', "Girl Power Station" gives you the choice of using any of the game's primary weapons to defend an orb from several waves of Octolings. However, the mission becomes ''massively'' more difficult if you choose anything but the roller (which is capable of one-shotting the Octolings) or the Inkbrush (which allows for faster movement speed).

* ColossusClimb: In ''Octo Expansion'', Agent 8 must defeat the NILS Statue, [[spoiler:a humongous Greek-style statue equipped with a WaveMotionGun with [[EarthShatteringKaboom world-destroying power]], by completely covering it in ink to interrupt its solar-powered charge. Agent 8 also has to do it within the NILS Statue's 3-minute charge time, though to make the task possible, Marina attaches Hyperbombs to it, each of which ink a large portion of the statue all by itself.]] Agent 8 still has to do a lot of climbing around the thing though.

* ConsoleCameo:
** Several Nintendo consoles, among them an original model Game Boy, a [=GameCube=], and a Switch (naturally), can be spotted as artifacts in the background of Shellendorf Institute.
** ''Octo Expansion'' has giant Nintendo consoles floating around in the background of some stages. Brute Rollup Station has Game Boy Color systems, Ink From Above Station features GameCube consoles, Shrinky Ink Station features Super NES consoles and games, Ink & Watch Station features Game & Watch systems, and One Shot Station features NES, SNES, N64, and GameCube controllers.

* CrateExpectations: The game features wooden crates littered throughout its single-player campaigns. They can be destroyed and may contain Power Eggs or other collectables, but there's not much more to say about their usage in the series -- until ''Octo Expansion'' came along with all kinds of creative applications for this gaming staple. One level might task you with carefully destroying only the correct crates to match a three-dimensional shape, while another asks you to set off a chain reaction that destroys a tower of crates using only a single well-placed shot, and still others use crates as the ''floor'', forcing you to mind where you're shooting [[BossArenaUrgency lest you run out of footing]]. The ''Octo Expansion'' also introduces a new variation of special "target" crates, which usually appear in tests where the ultimate objective is to destroy a certain number of them.

* CrosshairAware:
** Being targeted by the Tenta Missiles causes a reticle to appear underneath you, and the ensuing rockets will be marked by small circles on the ground. The large reticle also has a small bit that points towards the general direction of the player firing the Tenta Missiles.
** In Salmon Run, a small fishing lure floats in green ink and emits a pulse when it gets close to players just before Maws erupts from the ink to [[OneHitKill feast on Inklings]]. You ''need'' to get away before then; even the Inkjet will ''not'' save you as they surface quite high.
* CyberpunkForFlavor: While the world of ''Franchise/{{Splatoon}}'' generally has little to do with the genre, ''Octo Expansion'' introduces us to a far more cyberpunk-influenced world lying beneath the surface. The expansion is set in a gritty, run-down, subway system that features retro computing hardware as background elements, and an [[CyberPunkIsTechno electronica soundtrack]] echoing throughout. The [[HellBentForLeather tight black leather-clad]] protagonist of the expansion, Agent 8, was apparently subjected to [[BioAugmentation biotech experimentation]] (by a [[MegaCorp shadowy corporate entity]], no less) and [[YouAreNumberSix shackled with a number rather than a name]]. Agent 8 is under [[SinisterSurveillance constant surveillance]] within the subway and has a [[ExplosiveLeash remote-controlled kill device]] strapped to their back at all times. At the same time, they use advanced technology like the smartphone-like CQ-80 device, which can pull up a projected map of the subway system, and their VoiceWithAnInternetConnection Marina hacking into the facility mainframe is both a gameplay mechanic and a plot beat in a few cases. To top it all off, [[spoiler:the facility is run by a [[AIIsACrapshoot rampant AI]] that intends to destroy all life on Earth with a [[GeneticEngineeringIsTheNewNuke bioweapon death ray]].]]

* DarkWorld: Labyrinth Station in ''Octo Expansion'' seems to take place in the tutorial area from when the main game is launched, except the atmosphere is dark and gloomy, with garbage lining the streets, tougher enemies, and sinister music.
* DeadlyGas: In ''Octo Expansion'', Agent 8 describes the Toxic Mist as follows: "The sickly sweet aroma spreads. Its stagnant arms bring only harm, along with sluggish, looming dread."

* DefeatEqualsExplosion: While all of the [[MiniBoss Boss Salmonids]] of the [[MultiMookMelee Salmon Run]] mode explode into ink upon death like Inklings and Octolings, the Steelhead stands out from the rest in that its death-blast can take out other Salmonids.

* DerelictGraveyard: Salmon Run mode takes place in a restricted ocean zone, full of polluted water and rusting debris. Among the wreckage that can be found here are the remnants of a hydroelectric dam, a derelict ship marooned on a sandbar, and curiously, the ruins of a space shuttle that seems to have crashed into the sea millenia ago. This area, of course, appears to be completely uninhabited -- barring the territorial mutant Salmonids that make these waters their home.

* DisturbingStatistic: As revealed in ''Octo Expansion'', Agent 8 is the 10,008th person to attempt the trials of the underground testing facility. [[spoiler:It eventually turns out that before them, all the 10,007 people who failed either were killed during the trials or blended up to supply the ammunition for Commander Tartar's WaveMotionGun.]]

* DownloadableContent: ''Octo Expansion'' gives a second story campaign that follows an amnesiac member of the Octoling race and explains where certain characters were during the events of the game's main story. After completing it, the player is able to use Octolings in the game's multiplayer mode.

* DramaticHighPercing: In ''Octo Expansion'', [[spoiler:Agent 3]] does this before their BossBattle, standing atop one of the beams supporting a massive elevator platform, before jumping down on to the platform with a GroundShatteringLanding and starting the fight. Later, the OptionalBoss [[spoiler:Inner Agent 3]] appears atop an Octarian UFO before leaping onto the battlefield in a similar fashion.

* DroughtLevelOfDoom: In ''Octo Expansion'', several tests prevent you from refilling your ink tank by swimming into ink of your color as usual. There may be items you can collect to recharge your ink tank, but either way, if your ink runs out, the test will end in instant failure.
* DrugsAreBad: A subtle variation in [[SurvivalSandbox Salmon Run]]. Similarly to how most weapons are made of household appliances from the days of humanity, the four Grizzco weapons, which are illegal in Inkopolis due to how overpowered they are, are made with bottles of prescription drugs.
* DuelingPlayerCharacters: Near the end of ''Octo Expansion'', Agent 8 must fight [[spoiler:Agent 3, the protagonist of ''VideoGame/{{Splatoon|1}}''[='=]s Hero Mode, who has been BrainwashedAndCrazy by the Telephone]]. [[spoiler:Getting OneHundredPercent the expansion will unlock the {{Superboss}}, in which Agent 8 imagines what it would have been like to fight Agent 3 two years ago.]]

* EasyModeMockery: In the ''Octo Expansion'' DLC, there's a MercyMode that allows you to skip a station after getting a game over on it twice. However, if you do this, the Mem Cakes you receive for beating the level will be colorless, not actually show you the associated memories, and won't count towards [[spoiler:unlocking the {{Superboss}}.]] If you want to unlock all of the gear, you're going to have to go back and beat each station properly.

* FiendishFish: The co-op Salmon Run mode is all about fighting through wave after wave of dangerous [[FishPeople Salmonids]] to protect [[CityOfAdventure Inkopolis/Splatsville]] and collect [[GoldMakesEverythingShiny golden Power Eggs]].
* FightingYourFriend:
** Callie becomes brainwashed and teams up with DJ Octavio in the final battle.
** In ''Octo Expansion'', you have to fight a brainwashed [[spoiler:Agent 3]], who is not only the [[spoiler:agent]] that Captain Cuttlefish would frequently praise throughout the DLC, but is also [[spoiler:the character that you played as in Splatoon 1]].
* FlingALightIntoTheFuture: In the ''Octo Expansion'', [[spoiler:Commander Tartar is an AI created by a human professor 12,000 years ago for the purpose of passing on the knowledge of humanity to the next dominant species that rose up. However, it became disgusted by both the Inklings' hedonistic lifestyles and the Octarians' obsession with revenge against the Inklings, [[AIIsACrapshoot and decided that neither of them were worthy successors to humanity]]. It then decided that the best course of action would be to [[FinalSolution exterminate both species]] and blend them up into a primordial sludge which it would use to create a brand new species that would be more to its liking.]]

* GetBackHereBoss: The "Goldie Seeking" wave in Salmon Run, in which the titular Goldie hides within the Gushers scattered around the stage. When the Gusher it's currently hiding in is opened, it doesn't try to fight -- it instead runs to another Gusher while players are tasked with firing on the creature to make it drop Golden Eggs.

* GrewBeyondTheirProgramming: In ''Octo Expansion'', [[spoiler:Commander Tartar is an A.I. that was created to pass down human knowledge to the next dominant lifeforms after the extinction of humanity. But over the past 12,000 years, Tartar began developing its own opinions on the Inklings and Octarians, becoming disgusted with their societies and lifestyles, and eventually, it created a new prime directive on its own to making a species worthy of human knowledge. Genocide, which is the opposite of what his creator wanted]].

* HackedByAPirate: In ''Octo Expansion'', Marina's personal insignia is a stylized octopus with a pair of headphones. Whenever she hacks into Kamabo Co.'s systems, a pixelated version of it appears on the screen.

* HarderThanHard: In Salmon Run mode, the ranks and associated difficulty are, in ascending order: Intern, Apprentice, Part-Timer, Go-Getter, and Profreshional. It seems like difficulty tops out at Profreshional, but a team averaging 600 points or more in Profreshional rank will encounter what is known as '''''Hazard Level MAX!!''''', in which Golden Egg quotas and boss spawn rates are at their maximum.
* HardModePerks: Each station in ''Octo Expansion'' offers a choice of one or more different weapons that the player can equip before starting, with some optimized to be more challenging for that particular station than others. Attempting a station with a difficult weapon will cost the player more CQ Points, but will also net them a bigger reward for completing the station. While it's possible to earn a sizeable net gain of points from these difficult challenges, the system is very high-risk and high-reward -- if you fail repeatedly trying to clear a station with a difficult weapon, you're likely to end up with less points than if you had just used an easier one.
* HaveANiceDeath: If you fail a test in the ''Octo Expansion'' DLC, the ink pack attached to you blows up, along with the TEST FAILED message.
* HealingBoss: In ''Octo Expansion'', [[spoiler:Inner Agent 3]] is the only boss in the entire franchise that can heal [[spoiler:her/himself]].

* HeroOfAnotherStory: The story mode revolves around Agent 4 and their adventure through Octo Canyon to help Marie find Callie. Cap'n Cuttlefish and Agent 3 (the MissionControl and [[PreviousPlayerCharacterCameo player character]] of ''VideoGame/Splatoon1'', respectively) don't show up in this campaign, with Marie explaining their absence as being on a mission of their own. Whatever mission this was leads into the game's ''Octo Expansion'' DLC campaign, which itself has an example in the form of Agent 3, who gets separated from Cap'n Cuttlefish and Agent 8 and is presumably wandering unseen parts of the subway and Kamabo Corporation up until they return for a BigDamnHeroes moment before the campaign's final stretch.

* HoldTheLine: In Salmon Run mode, the Salmonids will all stop attacking and retreat back into the water once time runs out. It doesn't matter if they've defeated everyone on the team but one and the last remaining player is cornered and helpless; the Salmonids are done fighting. Combined with TimedMission in that if the players have taken enough Golden Eggs from them to meet the quota, the players all pass, and if there are more Salmonid groups to fight, any defeated players are revived good as new.

* InstakillMook: In Salmon Run, Maws, like the Octomaw, can try to eat your Inkling whole, but sometimes, if physics favors you, you can get out of being swallowed.

* ItemGet: ''Octo Expansion'' has two: standard stages have Agent 8 super-jump back to the subway platform before smiling at their newly acquired mem cake, while the "thang" stages have Agent 8 pose with the item to take a selfie before lugging it into the subway car.

* KaizoTrap: In ''Octo Expansion'', it is entirely possible for you to complete a timed course within the allotted time, but because the goal animation did not finish playing before the clock ran out, C.Q. Cumber still kills you for running out of time.

* LaserHallway: One portion of the ''Octo Expansion'' DLC has a series of hallways crossed by inkrails of enemy ink that will splat you if you touch them, forcing you to maneuver through the gaps. The overall effect is clearly inspired by this trope.

* LeftTheBackgroundMusicOn: After you reach a certain point in the final area of ''Octo Expansion'', the previously ominous BackgroundMusic is [[ThemeMusicPowerUp replaced with Off the Hook's "Nasty Majesty"]]. Later on in the stage, Pearl comments on being able to hear their own music, which they realize is coming from Agent 8's CQ-80, meaning they're approaching the surface.

* LevelInBossClothing: The final boss of the ''Octo Expansion'' is like this. [[spoiler:You have to splat an entire statue in ink, before the time runs out. The statue doesn't attack you, and no enemies spawn, so your only threat is the incredibly tight time limit.]]
* LevelInReverse: ''Octo Expansion'' has the level Labyrinth Station, which is a reversed version of the main game's ''tutorial level''. In addition to being played in reverse, the level has a darkened atmosphere and features enemies that weren't present before. This allows for fresh challenges in a familiar area; for example, the final segment has you taking cover from an Octosniper along the same straight narrow corridor that was previously used to teach the player basic movement.

* LocomotiveLevel: ''Octo Expansion'' has the Deepsea Metro, a SinisterSubway that serves as the game's main HubLevel.

** A straighter example is how on higher levels in Salmon Run, several bosses spawn in a single wave, meaning players can easily become overwhelmed if they're slow in taking bosses down.

* FryingPanOfDoom: Lesser Salmonids use spoons and pans as melee weapons.

* AndYourRewardIsClothes: Iso Padre will award a piece of gear for every set of Mem Cakes you collect. [[spoiler:Defeating Inner Agent 3 awards the Golden Toothpick Headgear.]]

* DownloadableContent: Summer 2018 saw the release of the Octo Expansion, which includes playable Octolings and a new single player campaign around one particular Octoling called Agent 8.

* DuelingPlayerCharacters: [[spoiler:Just before Agent 8 escapes the facility, they have to fight a BrainwashedAndCrazy Agent 3.]]

* ExistentialHorror:
** the game plays this for laughs during a commentary for Inkblot Art Academy.
--->'''Pearl:''' Let's turn this campus into a canvas!\\
'''Marina:''' Does life imitate art? Or does art imitate life? AM I EVEN REAL?!
** Marina does this again before the "Chicken vs Egg" Splatfest. It's still played for laughs, albeit [[MoodWhiplash uncomfortable]] [[LeaningOnTheFourthWall laughs]]:
--->'''Marina:''' Yeah, I bet that mom chicken has wanted kids ever since she was an egg.\\
'''Pearl:''' Ha! Yeah, but, whose... grandma laid the egg... uh... that had the mom inside it?\\
'''Pearl:''' Wait... Which side am I on?\\
''[both laugh]''\\
'''Marina:''' It's funny because we're all living in a simulation and free will is a lie.\\
''[both {{aside glance}}]''

* LaserHallway: [[spoiler:In the second half, you'll be introduced to hallways with laser beams that must be evaded to proceed. Contact with a laser beam will turn you into fried calamari instantly.]]

* ArmorPiercingAttack: The Ink Armor was nerfed in Version 1.3.0. so that sufficiently powered attacks can deal direct damage through the Special while simultaneously breaking it and inflicting significant {{Knockback}}. Namely, anything that hits for more than 100 damage will apply up to 80 points of direct damage in addition to breaking Ink Armor.

* AthleticArenaLevel: Goby Arena, whose intended purpose is for the Inklings' version of basketball but can be repurposed for ink battling too.

* BossRemix: [[spoiler:The first phase of the final boss is Bomb Rush Blush in a minor key. The second is a mash-up of that and Tide Goes Out. Finally, the third is a new remix of Calamari Inkantation.]]

* BraggingRightsReward: The Replicas of the Hero weapons are now this. They can be unlocked by clearing every single level in Hero Mode with that Hero weapon, but the Replicas are identical in function to an existing weapon. Their only practical use is getting more fresh bonuses after winning enough matches in a row, since each weapon can only get each fresh bonus once.

* ConsoleCameo: Several Nintendo consoles, among them an original model Game Boy, a [=GameCube=], and a Switch (naturally), can be spotted as artifacts in the background of Shellendorf Institute.

* CrosshairAware: Being targeted by the Tenta Missiles causes a reticle to appear underneath you, and the ensuing rockets will be marked by small circles on the ground. The large reticle also has a small bit that points towards the general direction of the player firing the Tenta Missiles.

* DarkReprise: [[spoiler:A remixed and far more serious version of Callie's [[https://youtu.be/fVq0s1ABjNE "Bomb Rush Blush"]] serves as the theme for the first phase of the final boss fight. [[https://youtu.be/fmoLeGjlHbw "Tide Goes Out"]] joins in once the second phase kicks in.]]

* EarWorm:

* FakeLongevity: Unlocking the hero weapons requires playing through ''every single story mode stage'' using only that weapon, for a total of nine replays.

* GlassShatteringSound: The first Sunken Scroll depicts a young Pearl singing, which was purportedly [[NoIndoorVoice loud]] [[HarshVocals enough]] to ''destroy speakers.'' [[spoiler:This actually comes into play during the final battle of the Octo Expansion as Pearl's singing voice is loud enough to ''counter and overpower a world ending super-weapon when filtered through a Killer Wail.'']]

* ClothesForChristmasCringe: The Sweater vs. Socks Splatfest had players duke it out over which article of clothing they'd be least upset with getting as a [[YouMeanXmas Squidmas/Octivus]] gift. The icons for the event represented each side with an Inkling scowling in disappointment while wearing their team's chosen clothes.

* DubInducedPlotlineChange: {{Downplayed}} with the Japanese version of the sixth chatroom log, where [[spoiler:Pearl learns that Marina is an Octarian. This would cause a continuity error if translated straight, since the English localization has Pearl drop hints that she already knows Marina is an Octoling during Inkopolis News segments; the revelation is instead changed to Pearl discovering that Marina is an Octarian war engineer]].

* MetaphoricallyTrue: [[spoiler:Commander Tartar isn't lying about taking you to the Promised Land. It just means you're going as part of the primordial ooze it wants to blend you in, to help it make the idealized homeland for the "worthy" sentient life it hoped to pass knowledge to.]]

** In addition, a creepy distorted version of [[spoiler:"Telephone's Theme"]] plays when [[spoiler:the Telephone reveals himself as Commander Tartar and explains his motives before activating the WaveMotionGun on the NILS Statue.]]

* DoesThisRemindYouOfAnything: Even before the reveal that [[spoiler:Commander Tartar intends to wipe out Inklings and Octolings]], Kamabo Co.'s goals and the like are reminiscent of Nazism; for example, Octarians being "sanitized" is eerily similar to "cleansing" (as in, ethnic cleansing), and the Sanitized Octarians are/were put through biological experimentation, making them essentially zombies - keep in mind the Nazis [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nazi_human_experimentation also performed abhorrent experimentation on humans]], with effects just as, or even significantly '''more''', devastating. These all fall into place during TheReveal, [[spoiler:[[EvilutionaryBiologist with Commander Tartar admitting it's orchestrated the genocide and experimentation of over 10,000 Octolings, and using their remains for the sake of creating his vision of an "ultimate lifeform"]] -- which also bears eerie similarities to the idea of a "master race" -- [[FinalSolution then planning to kill everyone else with said remains]].]]

* GenderNeutralWriting: Used for dialogue related to Agent 3, although this curiously happens ''after'' you're allowed to choose their gender.

* NonstandardGameOver: Downplayed in [[spoiler:the ascent to the surface]]; if you perish, Captain, Marina, or Pearl will call out for you in concern before you respawn. On the other hand if [[spoiler:Agent 8 falls or time runs out before covering Tartar's statue in ink, the scene cuts to Inkopolis covered in slime.]]