Inventive and original WiiU-exclusive paintball shooter, console's revelation. Unique ink-based combat and exploration mechanics, fun customization. Active online community. One of Nintendo's most original games in years.
Your verdict
Category
Third-Person Shooter4 players7+
Description
Teams of four Inklings compete to cover as much territory as possible with their colored ink while eliminating opponents in this competitive shooter. Published by Nintendo, released in 2015 in the United States and Europe. Wii U exclusive featuring Turf War and Ranked modes, customizable weapons and gear, the GamePad as a real-time map, Amiibo mode, and regular content updates.
Splatoon review
MAX
Art direction
★★★★★
"Iconic"
MAX
Music
★★★★★
"Legendary"
3/5
Story
★★★★★
"Solid"
Fluorescent splashes, street fashion and ink that covers everything: an insolent graphic pop radiates from every screen. The vivid contrast between team colours makes the action instantly readable as much as jubilant. This visual freshness, bold and distinctive, imposed an unforgettable brand from the very start.
Fresh and unhinged, the music unfurls an indie pop-rock sung in an invented language, carried by the irresistible Squid Sisters. Each battle pulses with a young, colourful energy, including the cult "Calamari Inkantation". This unique sonic identity, daring and rousing, set the inimitable style of the game from the start.
Gameplay
"Excellent"
Fun
"From the very first seconds"
Coating the ground in ink, turning into a squid to dart through your own trail and regaining the upper hand by painting faster than your rival: the brilliant idea overturns the codes of the shooter. The blend of mobility and territory makes for snappy, joyful matches that are never cruel. Fresh, stylish and fiercely original, a breath of fresh air in multiplayer.
Addictiveness
"Obsessive"
Spraying the ground with ink, flanking the enemy then turning into a squid to dart through your own color sets up a territory loop of immediate freshness. Weapons to unlock, leveling up and three-minute matches instantly revive the urge for one more game. The launch content was thin, but this brilliant idea keeps a snappy and surprisingly lasting hook.
Splatoon, Nintendo's colorful territorial shooter launched exclusively on the console, reinventing competitive multiplayer around ink and a pop art direction that became a new in-house brand. Its desirability rests on this status as the first entry of a major franchise born on the machine and a tenacious demand rather than scarcity, its exclusive origin lending it a historic value. A prime piece for a Nintendo set.
Better with friends
A four-on-four team showdown where you coat the arena in ink rather than simply eliminate the foe, in a unique blend of shooting and territory. The competition rewards coordination: locking down a zone, covering a teammate and clawing back ground calls for real team communication. The game rested on its era's servers, now offline, but its colorful, collective spirit remains a benchmark.
A cult cover
Splashes of neon ink, an insolent stance and an acid palette: the young Inkling bursts out in an explosion of colors that says everything about the territory-marking concept. Pink, green and orange snap against the light background, conveying the street energy and freshness of a new Nintendo license. Sparkling and modern, it instantly installs a pop, recognizable graphic identity.
Is Splatoon still worth playing in 2026?
A Wii U exclusive multiplayer shoot by Nintendo EAD, Splatoon offers a four on four team shoot where you cover arenas with paint to gain ground. The sublime colourful pop art direction, unique paintbrush combat system and multiplayer mode make it an absolutely unmissable reference of the Wii U catalogue and an absolute Nintendo classic. For anyone owning a Wii U, an absolutely essential recommendation today still without any hesitation on the Nintendo machine truly here indeed.
