What is "splatoon"

Splatoon is a third-person shooter video game developed and published by Nintendo for the Wii U, and released worldwide in May 2015. The game centers around characters known as Inklings—beings that can transform between humanoid and squid forms, and hide or swim through colored ink sprayed on surfaces using gun or brush-based weaponry. Splatoon features several game modes, including 4-on-4 online multiplayer and a single player campaign.

Splatoon was created by Nintendo Entertainment Analysis & Development, and originated from the concept of having a competitive multiplayer ink-based territory control game. The idea was created by Shintaro Sato, a member of the Animal Crossing team. The idea was later expanded to include squid and the ability swim through ink. The development team is composed of much younger members compared to other teams that work on Nintendo franchises, and they played other shooters "as part of their job".

Splatoon received positive reviews upon its unveiling and release, with critics praising Nintendo's decision to enter the genre with a new franchise, the game's overall style and presentation, gameplay mechanics, and its soundtrack. Criticism was directed at the exclusion of voice chat and private lobbies—features that are commonplace in the genre of multiplayer shooters, the small number of multiplayer maps, and issues with online matchmaking. Nintendo provided extensive post-release support for the game by unlocking content locked at launch, and holding time-limited events called Splatfest. It was awarded and nominated for several year-end accolades, including Best Shooter, from several gaming publications.