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I have never played Splatoon even once, but any series with a character named C.Q. Cumber is a winner in my book.

Watching this video made me realize how fast time has gone by. I can't believe it was like yesterday when I was 10 in 2016 watching people making Splatoon videos on KZfaq and now 7 years later doing the same things. Kinda nostalgic in a way

a goddamn splatoon video is making me weep. i just turned 25 this week and it was really hitting me hard. i still feel like a kid masquerading as an "adult" and like i will never become a real, independent adult. so to say that this incredible video really resonated with me is an understatement. i love how you started with mario sunshine, i too grew up with it and splatoon immediately reminded me of it as well. we must be around the same age because everything you said about parts of the game being tailored to you and your experiences applied to me too. and you're absolutely right in saying that you were lucky to be the exact age you were at the exact time time splatoon released. i feel that too.

This was magnificently done. As a 51-year-old that plays the game with my 15-year-old (and loves it!), you gave BOTH of us some new perspectives not only on this game but on gaming in general. I also enjoyed hearing someone mirror the things I love most about the game and why after 50 years of resisting anything but puzzle games I was drawn to playing Splatoon! Your game history knowledge, deep love for the game, and thoughtful, philosophical take are so refreshing and it felt like it echoed both my and my son's sentiments about what makes Splatoon so special. Thank you for being willing to share them with the rest of us.

I’m now studying marine biology because of splatoon, and this shows how powerful games are. This makes me feel old, but in a good way.

I feel you bro. I'm 25 and literally just yesterday I panicked after realizing I'm much older than Link and the guy I look up to is a kid to me now.

I was 15 when splatoon came out and am 23 now. I am an adult now. I’m not sure exactly how you managed to create a 50 minute video essay putting all of my nostalgia and self actualization struggles into words, but you did it. Unfortunately I didn’t get to experience much of splatoon 1 or 2 because of high school and college, but I was still there watching. We were squid kids and now we are squidults. Thank you for this.

Man i was 9 when Splatoon 1 came out. Buying the original game was the best choice of my life. Some of my friends tell me that im weird for liking the music, but i love it and it has completely marked my music taste for life. I mean the music is strange and original, i get why they say im weird xddd. As a child i loved this music and who cares of the lyrics? they are just "there" to make it sound better not to actually say something xd. I love Splatoon and it's now become my favourite game, just because i started looking back at it again on 2023, but in a more nostalgic way. It deserves a spot in my life, after all, i've grown up with it.

Splatoon 1 hasn’t aged a day. It feels like yesterday when I first played the game loving every second of it.

I honestly really appreciate it when a series grows with its audience.

Listening to how YOU felt during these times just hit different. I don't usually cry or feel happy during youtube videos, but this just hit me different. Time does go by fast but it does feel like yesterday I was buying Splatoon 1 for the first time and feeling that overwhelming freshness of it. Words cannot describe how I feel currently.

I cannot begin to explain how much this hits. We may have moved on from what once was, but that doesn't mean we can't look back at our fond childhood memories of curbstomping the entire enemy team with an aerospray.

This hit like a fucking truck. I never thought of it as a lifestyle game, now I feel even closer with it now that you brought it to my attention. I did know in each iteration, the characters grew up along with us, and the lifestyle bit you mentioned just made it all the more clearer

I've never really thought about how important Splatoon is to me as a franchise despite basically growing up with it because no one I know actually plays it and I pretty much never discuss it. This video changed that and I now have a whole lot more appreciation for games I've been playing since I was like 11 and I wanna thank you for that. You make fantastic stuff and I'm glad to see you upload again.

Pearl and Marina definitely have an intriguing pun in their name. Fun fact, did you know marina is a synonym of harbor.

You really started to make want to cry towards the end, talking about how Splatoon one someday and how the older games and away are dying because they happen in real time and how we will never be this young again but at the same time we will be the people that got to experience the games

This video only cemented how much Splatoon meant to me as a kid. I was 12 when the first game came out and I played it religiously the entire summer. Miiverse and the Amino community that was created around it connected me with so many other people like me, I finally felt like I had friends who I could talk to. Pretty much the entire time I was in middle school plus the first two years of high school, Splatoon was one of the few things I would draw or talk about on a regular basis. Now I'm 20, and although I don't play or draw the game much anymore, I still find time now and again to play with my friends I met through the game.

splatoon has such a special place in my heart. i never played the first game, but i have heard things about absolutely broken giant killer squids. i don’t even know when it happened, maybe through the power of youtube recommended, but eventually i found out about splatoon 2. it fascinated me - a shooter game but silly and interesting. i fell in love instantly. i did so much research so that i’d be ready when i got the game christmas 2020. admittedly, i was lonely during the pandemic, and splatoon 2 helped me cope. i got lost in this world of squids, kids, and later octopi and salmon. i would eagerly talk about it with people in class, but there came a point when they would just ignore me while i got bullied for liking splatoon. i was left truly alone, but i always returned to that colorful world where i could be someone cool and skilled instead of awkward and cringe. eventually though, the bullying got to me, and i stopped playing splatoon entirely. when i started using discord a year after i got the game, i finally decided to let all the suffering and pain out towards my friends. they listened and understood, and for a fleeting moment, i didn’t feel alone. i eventually joined a splatoon discord server, and met so many like-minded people. it took me a while to remember splatoon, but it happened eventually. i started playing again, but this time i was joined by friends from real life and discord who liked splatoon just as much i did. splatoon was there for it all, especially when no one else was. i’ve been playing splatoon 3 since a few days after launch, and the franchise really has changed. the excitable splatoon 2 grew up into the chaotic self-expressive splatoon 3, and at first i thought it was interesting. but only now do i realize that i’m growing up as much as splatoon is. when splatoon 3 released, i was still a bit shut-off, but 6 months later, i’m slowly regaining the self-confidence i lost back when i got bullied. as the new content gets added and the game grows, i grow with it. splatoon 2, and now splatoon 3, have been here for me all this time. this series has become a big part of who i am now, and i don’t think that’ll ever change. i saw myself in those characters 3 years ago when i started playing splatoon 2. when i saw my player character in splatoon 2, he often looked unsure of himself, but celebrated his victories. when i see my player character in splatoon 3, he stands a bit taller, has a bit more determination and confidence in his eyes. and when i think about it, so do i. i wave goodbye to to those maritime memories, and step into the light to a fresh start. this series has helped me so much and i can’t wait to see how it grows. i can’t wait to see how i grow. how we’ll all grow… together. thanks for reading all this, by the way - i hope you’ve had as good a time with splatoon as i have. let’s keep having a splatastic time together!

I love how much of a 2nd world it feels like. It has freaking in-universe: clothing brands, music bands, weapon brands, businesses; all that you can interact with. And flush lore to tie it all together.

I miss being a kid. I miss late nights with my friends playing endless amounts of Splatoon 2. We'd stay up until 4am when one of em had to tap out, or 6am when I had to tap out. We were a big group to start with. Then drama happened. Then one grew up. Then another. Then me. It feels so unfair, that time would do this to us, but it did, and it was inevitable. But some nights I'm tempted to boot Splatoon 2 up again, contact all my friends scattered across the world, to play until it felt like the sun would never rise, and game and game and game. But now I'm here. No longer a kid. Oh well

30:13 that story is hilarious well done

as a 13 year old im glad ive found splatoon! it's basically taken over my lif, but instead of constantly playing it its more like drawing my character, dressing like an inkling and listening to the music. its given me somthing to base my life on edit: this video is amazing, made me tear up even lol

This is the best video on Splatoon I’ve ever seen. I’ve been playing since 1, and thinking about how much younger I was, how much I’ve changed, and how the game grew with me was wonderful. This just made me feel happy. I’ve watched this three times and only now could put my thoughts into words with this comment. Excellent job, Caden!

My cousin introduced me to Splatoon 1 when I was just 6, probably one of the best things to ever happen to me. Being young added just that extra bit of nostalgia as it is truly a time I can’t go back to. Anyways, very nice video that had me tearin up 👍

One of the videos ever made. I relate so hard to remembering video games more clearly than anything surrounding them. Whenever someone asks me how old my little brother is, I simply calculate how old Skyward Sword is - because I know that that came out in November of 2011, and I remember my brother being born shortly before it was released. You would think I should just remember that my brother was born in 2011 by now; but I always take that extra step. Every single time.

I grew up with all three splatoon games, I am 20 now. This video made so many feelings rush through me. Nostalgia, yearning, appreciation, etc. This is an amazing video, thank you.

I just found this video (super late) but omg, you have me crying. I started playing Splatoon 2 like a year or two after it came out and the community welcomed me. I’m so proud I was there for Splatoon 3 coming out and that I got to experience it with the community. This franchise will always have a special place in my heart. I’m also a Mario Sunshine lover and caught the reference with the Manta Storm and it was one of the only times I’ve yelled out loud excited by something.

I never played platoon, only ever watched videos on it, but this whole retrospective still managed to make me a bit emotional. And kind of sad I never partook in what was evidently an awesome game franchise.

It’s weird but this video made me tear up a bit. It just made me feel so proud to be splatoon fan. The memory’s I made back in the day playing splatoon 1, too to the way I nerd out over the series to this day. It just feels good to reminded of all the reasons why splatoon means so much to so many people, including myself.

Splatoon video making you confront your mortality? It's more likely (and better) than you think!

I started splatoon rly late like 2 years before the announcement of splatoon 3 but during that little time I got attached to all the characters and even though I never played never played the original splatoon I still felt like an old guy after realizing how many yrs have gone by.

During a conversation in the Side Order DLC Pearl mentions that events of Octo Expansion occurred 5 years ago. As someone who’s played Splatoon since day one this hit me right in the old.

Doing things like figuring out there was an inherent bias in the Splatoon 1 ranking system that pushed players upwards was the start of my career in data science. Seven years later, I’m working on using my new data science skills to provide advanced analytics for the community. What a crazy ride. This video is high octane nostalgia, thank you.

IM CRYINGGG, this is so lovely and wraps up how nostalgia will never be the same. you easily wrapped up all of the games so perfectly and simple. The way the game was created, how it was enjoyed as a small kid, the deeper meanings despite not understanding; because you were so young and those points being later discovered and understandable with age. The way new idols, species, weapons, gear, and expression isn't exactly scary but it will never be what you used to take it as. You summarized how growing up isn't bad; but it's okay to go back and miss who you used to be. What it used to be. And that later you'll be even different.

While I'm not an adult, yet, I have been a fan of Splatoon for six years now. I still remember my excitement of getting Splatoon 1 for my tenth birthday in 2017, and I didn't even know that Splatoon 2 existed and was already out! Watching this made me happy as I revisted my childhood memories I've had throughout the growth of this series. While it is bittersweet that the inevitable end of the Splatoon series is approaching, I'm also happy that I've also been able to grow up alongside such a wonderful series. This was an amazing video to watch, so thank you. I hope you're having a great day :)

Oh man. I wish I got into Splatoon when it first released. I started with 3 but I’ve loved every square inch of this game ever since I picked it up in September. Splatoon came to me in a time of need in my life and allowed me to have something to do and get good at when I had a lot of downtime. But aside from just the gameplay, the art and style and lore were all so interesting to me and inspired me to make some art of the game, and I really enjoyed it. I still enjoy it. What a great game. Thank you for making this video, this feels like such a great tribute to the franchise, and it’s made me realize how much I’ve missed!

This might just be the best Splatoon video on the internet. You managed to touch on pretty much every single aspect of this amazing series, and why it's so special to those of us who have fallen in love with it. Splatoon has always meant a lot to me ever since playing the original on Wii U, and it's been a journey I've enjoyed every second of. Like you said, it's like I've grown up alongside my inkling avatar. Sometimes it feels like no one else around me likes this franchise as much as I do, so it's great to see such a high quality project praising everything about it. Your editing is super impressive too. Also I watched half of this video in between matches of the Zelda Splatfest, truly how it was meant to be experienced

this video was genuinely deep as heck and has me reflecting on how video games effected my life in so many ways. I'm honestly tearing up at how weirdly heartfelt this is.

This made me realise how big of a role Splatoon played in my childhood. I remember the first time getting the Wii U+Splatoon on Christmas, me and my dad would play this whenever we could.

I’ve played splatoon on and off for years with every game, but it’s always been a really special franchise to me the ending of this video actually started to make me tear up

As you mentioned, Splatoons given a younger generation the chance to grow up with a Fresh, unprecedented franchise. I'll never forget the hype leading up to the first games release, it's still the most excited I've ever been for a game. I feel lucky to say Ive been there since it was announced at E3 and have been able to grow up the same age as the characters. Thanks for putting together a well researched summary, exploration and interpretation of one of the best series in gaming

bro... when i was younger i had a wii u and played so much splatoon it was crazy. i skipped over splatoon 2 and didn't even know splatoon 3 existed until you talked about it here 💀. this video was such a nostalgic punch to the gut and it made me buy splatoon 3 on the spot 😭😭

Thank you for talking about Splatoon like this, I was there when Splatoon 1 released and immediately fell in love with the bright colours and fun squids. Now. It has a lot of good memories for me, people I miss but happy memories I shared with them. And the games getting more mature themes here and there show the series growing up in a way. Just like all its players!

I almost cried watching this. You just perfectly encapsulated the feeling of growing up with Splatoon and honestly just growing up with games in general. This video really just reignited my passion for video games as such a unique art form.

What a perfect Splatoon retrospective. Splatoon came out when I was 15 and I was going through so much stuff a teenager would go through at the time. Agonizing school work, relationships, etc. Splatoon 3 came out when I was 22. So much time has passed. I still love Splatoon, but I'm not the same person I was in 2015. I look back fondly of my times with 1 and 2, and especially the early years of Splatoon 2. I've been out of school for awhile, I have people who love me and now I make content online ABOUT Splatoon and create new experiences for myself. Even if I look back at the end state of Splatoon 2 in disgust now, I know for sure I'll get nostalgic for now. The Wii U is slowly going into the grave and there will be a time that I'll play my last match of Splatoon 1 and never know it. It will soon be impossible to play that game again as the servers shut down. There will be a time where Splatoon 2 will truly end, and even Splatoon 3. Time moves on, and I AM an Adult now.

Every Splatoon player needs to watch this video, NOW! Thanks for the emotional ride, good sir.

I have never played Splatoon, but this is one of the most beautiful videos I've seen, it made me want to have played the game years ago, it gave me a longing for something I never experienced, you're amazing, your writing is amazing.

Thank you so much for making this video, you got me tearing up when I should be asleep... I remember begging my mom to buy me Splatoon in middle school after watching some KZfaqrs play hide and seek in the game. I ended up maining Krak-On Roller and Carbon Roller and I still use rollers to do this day! Then my mom surprised me a year later with a Nintendo Switch and Splatoon 2 and I got SO excited to play. I have a picture of me getting 40 splats and assists in a C rank lobby and 14 year old me thought that he had peaked in that moment. During quarantine, I found myself wanting to get better at the game and watching videos on KZfaq to get to X rank. When I reached quad X rank, it felt so amazing. And I absolutely agree, Octo Expansion has got to be one of the best DLCs ever to be released. The story was incredible, the secret boss fight took me days, and the music made me smile and cry. I spent so much of my time in middle school and high school playing Splatoon 1 and 2 and I grew so much since then. The Splatoon 3 Splatfest World Premiere happened the day after I moved into my dorm for college for the first time as a freshman, and the actual game got released around my first day of classes. I can't believe it, I'm in college now. It's regrettable that I no longer have as much time and freedom to be able to play Splatoon 3. I can't just sit down and play Splatoon without having to worry about schoolwork and other new responsibilities as I did just 2 years ago (although I did play Side Order when I probably should have been studying for exams). This game means so much more to me than other games, and your video really helped me understand why. I loved playing Pokemon Heart Gold and still love Pokemon now. Fire Emblem: Three Houses was my first introduction to the FE games and I loved it too. Super Mario Galaxy's music is something I'll never forget. And yet, Splatoon was the only franchise that I was a part of since the very beginning, and that means so much more to me than I initially realized. Everything that you said about the three games interlinking stories, seeing Agent 3 being the new Captain, deciding that ketchup is better for the second time, watching the lore develop and expand in real time... I was a part of all that too. I don't know how my girlfriend tolerates this, but I love telling her about Splatoon mechanics, lore, music, and everything else about the games. And yet, she will never be able to experience the games in the way that it impacted me. As much as I was a part of Splatoon, Splatoon is a sizable portion of my life that honestly, I don't ever want to let it go. I love Splatoon so much and I really loved this video, thank you so much. Subscribed! I'm excited to see what else the expansive world of Splatoon has for us and hopeful that we get better 3rd kits.

When i was 10 years old, I started playing splatoon 1, and instantly fell in love with it. I’ve been playing these squid games for 7 years, and it’s insane how fast time has passed. I’m now a 17 year old senior in high school who’s gonna graduate in a month and is unsure of what’s to do in the future. I feel like splatoons chaos kinda reflects my life in a way, on how I grew up with it and how every game that comes out really shows a new chapter in my life. I loved this video so much!

This franchise has been a real staple in my life as a young teenager. I never thought back to how just like I have grown, Splatoon and its characters have grown as well until I encountered your video. It has made the games all the more special to me. It really did hit me hard so I guess I just wanted to say thank you! I adore the games so deeply and cherish how it has grown alongside me. It's all a reminder as to how I fell in love with video games in the first place. ♥

What a video. Absolutely amazing. I have been putting off this video so I can watch it after my exams are finished, but I couldn't help myself. The storytelling of this video is beautiful. I have been with Splatoon, similar to you since the start. I was 9 when I first played Splatoon, I am 18 now and going into adulthood, and I do not want to, but I know it's ultimately a good thing and we should look back at the past as a good thing. Nostalgia is one of my favourite feelings, I live off of it, playing old games, buying back old consoles, and creating media and art that is reminiscent of my past. I hate letting go of memories so bad, I keep every photo, every video on harddrives at home. I still have the let's plays that and my friends did on splatoon 2 back in 2018, those same friends don't care about those old videos now, but I am so glad we created them. I look back at the old videos and memories and smile and wish to go back to that time- but in reality, I can go back and re-live as many old games and memories, but no one else will be there, everyone is in the future. Which is why the future is as important as the past. I absolutely love that you did a segment on Splatoon's music. You could do another whole 40 minute video on that. The splatoon 1 bassline before booting up the game and the drums, agh! SO GOOD. This video reminded me how much I love splatoon, I have all the amiibo, shirts and merch ever. Even though I suck at it now and cannot get past rank C+ lol. I forget that other people can have the same interests at me, I didn't know it was such a big thing in Japan. I hope to create art and media that gives this same feeling to the kids today, which might seem impossible, Splatoon is one of Nintendo's greatest creations, it is on the same level as Zelda or Mario for me. You are so right about Octo Expansion being the best DLC ever to exist, it is genuinely one of the best campaigns ever. Thank you so much for this video, it moved me in a way that redeemed my thoughts on moving on in life as an adult. Im just sad kids nowadays cannot experience something like this now, they're wasting time on short-form content and Fortnite. I hope you are enjoying Side Order and the new DLC, im sure you mustve been excstatic when you found out we can go back to Inkopolis and Inkopolis Square and Side Order was a fun little story mode giving an answer to where Off the Hook went and what Agent 8 was up to. Thanks again for the amazing video, editing and audio design was great keep it up, dude.

never thought a retrospective video on splatoon would make me tear up omg i still remember playing hours and hours of splatoon all summer, since it was that period of my life when i was old enough to stay at home alone but not old enough to get a summer job. i remember that summer so fondly, i spent the summer with my cat next to me, and now i have my own place, my cat isn't a baby anymore, and my younger sister tells me all about what's going on in splatoon 3 (since i'm a little too busy now to play loads of games). idk. this was such a good video :)

When splatoon came out, I was 7 and didn’t get the game until just around a year and a half later (August 2016). And as someone who played this as one of their first video games ever, at least without one of my parents handholding me. This video hit every mark. In just a couple months all be 16 and as we all get older, a lot of us can agree that playing splatoon has stayed constant for these past 7 years. Which is pretty beautiful

Wow,just wow,your video essays hit like a truck. Also i know that translating all of those sea puns must have been a nightmare to do,i remember translating the puyo puyo games to my little sister and every time the fish pun guy appeared i wanted to punch the screen.

Holy shit this is underrated, second time watching this and I needed the message about growing and and changing. I needed to realize that I need a group of people to connect with over the things I love, like Splatoon! And I need to stop holing up alone without connecting with anyone. As a seventeen year old, the ever present pressure of preparing for adulthood is agonizing. The more I think about how I need my license, a job, and a direction in life, the more I pull back from everyone, put off my goals, and procrastinate on homework. I need to stop stressing over it, I can't stop time and my only option is to move forward. The production and quality of this video is amazing! I feel like every splatoon fan, and everyone who has grown up with a community around their interests, needs to watch this. It relates most strongly to the splatoon community, but the message and experience can be applied to any number of communities. I really hope you the best, I going to be working towards all those goal that I have too.

This video meant so so so much to me, I often feel that I am truly the target demographic because I have bought every single piece of content splatoon has to offer game wise day one. I picked up splatoon 1 at the local GameStop for my tenth birthday (I remember thinking everything 10 and up? I’m ten and up now!) Sitting on the couch grinding for hours on the final fest on team Callie to the point I was playing with my controller plugged into the wall. I remember crying when splatoon 2 was released and watching the entire direct hoping for more content the rest of the day. I remember playing the story mode and replaying every kettle looking for secrets. I remember being on the bus in middle school watching the direct with headphones that only one side worked on with a consistent look of shock on my face as I watched the first look into octo expansion and walking home from the bus stop with Nasty Majesty playing on loop. I remember getting yelled at by my parents when I screamed out loud whenever it was told that Octo expansion was releasing tomorrow. I remember crying at the thank you video with every single splatfest that Nintendo released. And I remenber whenever splatoon 3 was released, while I was in a hotel displased by a freeze. And I remember buying splatoon 3 with my own money that I had made off of an art commission then 100%ing the story mode before I even set foot anywhere else. This franchise has been here for me for 8 years now, as a college student now the allegory of a word ever-changing really touched my heart. As it’s truly felt like I’ve grown along side the game itself

This video got linked to me and i really love it. It put a lot of thoughts I've been thinking about related to splatoon. I was 14 when splatoon 1 came out and seeing Captain 3 in Splatoon 3 and being their same age gave me such a speicifc nostalgic feeling. like. I was you for a moment and now as time goes on we grow up in paralel. I've also thought about the fact that I'm older than Pearl is because I remember being so shocked when I learned she was 21. but that isn't true because she's going to be 28 or so when the DLC comes out and they bring back Pearl and Marina. the fact that splatoon runs in real time adds so much connection and makes it feel so much more alive because yeah it feels like I grew up with this trilogy I remember seeing splatoon 1 annouced and thinking it looked cool (especially as i had terrible aim back then so the territory idea appealed to me) but I remember knowing I NEEDED the game when the single player trailer dropped. I downloaded the audio from it onto my phone at the time because I loved the song. I remember getting the amiibo because I wanted the alternate arcade games and a dog I was fostering at the time putting teeth marks into my inking boy amiibo, or watching squid girl because of the outfit which was my go to because it was the only dress in the game. I remember voting for inklings on the smash ballet and seeing that trailer where they revealed sloshers and splatlings but more importantly they were giving music in updates???? what???? I remember being in the back of a car for my schools summer drivers ed as I saw the splatoon 2 direct. or just thinking about that game and watching videos on it as I walked home after class. I even somehow remember that summer we got a new bathroom in our house and I was listening to the new splatfest songs as I took a shower in there. No idea why I remember that one. probably because muck warfare rules. that entire summer was defined by my fast food job, my driver's ed, and splatoon 2. I remember a year after that working a warehouse job and playing octo expansion on my breaks. and then being in the guest room at my dad's house as I competed in the squid versus octopus splatfest and bringing my dock because of the event. (also reached the fake ending of hollow knight that weekend). or the splatoon 2 4.0 trailer that was airing in a direct as I walked home from one of my first days at college. I remember 2019 after dropping out of college (I went back) working a retail job thinking about the finalfest and then having my mind blown by all the shifty stations having names (I miss those so bad). I remember 2021 standing up from my couch and jumping when splatoon 3 was revealed and then the return of the mammalians trailer showing up at a direct that was also at one of my first weeks at college. I remember inviting a friend of mine to play splatoon 2 with me on twitch last spring because I was excited for splatoon 3. We started dating soon after and most of that summer I would find out when rainmaker was in league and we would play it. I changed my name last summer and I remember going to get my new drivers license as I watched videos on the splatoon 3 direct. I remember playing through the entire single player in a day because I had to know what happened. I remember asking my girlfriend her favorite pokemon starters in an attempt to figure out what our team would be. I remember every testfire and world premiere. I remember for the splatoon 2 testfire people had trouble because B was jump when X was jump in splatoon 1 and in botw. but I used the setting that made B jump in botw so I was totally fine. I remember playing every region in the ice cream cake splatfest. I also remember so strongly so many plaza posts. splatoon 1 was a comedy goldmine especially as it had textposts but I saw so many popular artists I know pick up splatoon 2 and start making posts. saw a similar wave with 3 with a bunch of artists I've followed since. my most specific splatoon memory is probably that like two days after splatoon 2 came out the united states president at the time signed some stupid thing into law about the US military (avoiding specifics) and the plaza was filled with posts about it and how it sucked. Nobody else seems to remember that couple days but it stuck with me really strongly to see this community about it in a video game talking about it. Later this month I am moving accross the US to live with my girlfriend and I am sure in a couple years I'll associate that memory with learning about the summer 2023 season of splatoon 3. the game is growing and changing and so am I and that means so much that its hard to explain for someone who isn't already following it all. I'm so so sorry this comment was so long. I loved the video and clearly had a lot of similar stories to share.

Damn, man. It feels good to hear other people sharing my experience and describing it so much better than I ever could.

I remember coming home and finding out my Dad bought me Splatoon 1 as an end of the school year gift after talking it up from all the information I had seen of it online. Even though I was well aware of the WiiU's issues, I think anybody paying attention could tell the franchise would be something special and more than capable of overcoming whatever odds it was stacked up against. And even though my time spent playing the first game was really only on its initial launch and well after the end of it's life cycle, I absolutely fell in love with the gameplay, the colorful aesthetics, and the teenage rebellion thematic. Splatoon 2 only piqued my interest after the Octo Expansion trailer was released, and by then I had gotten my hands on a Switch so I knew I'd be buying it sooner or later. Although I experienced the Final Fest on handheld mode while on vacation, I was still so thrilled to experience the tension and excitement of knowing whoever won would likely decide the fate of the next entry. And alas, when they dropped the Splatoon 3 trailer and I heard the new rendition of Splattack, I absolutely lost my mind. And here we are now, with Splatoon 3 a year and a half into it's development cycle. I was just about to enter Middle School when the first game launched, and now I'm in my college years. It's strange, for although I missed a lot of Splat 1 and 2's life spans, I really do feel like the franchise grew up with me. It was like an old friend I bonded with in my younger years, only to grow apart despite reaching out every once in a while, until we found the right moment to reconnect in our futures to the fullest extent. Now a days, I'll play for a bit come the launch of a new Season or Splatfest, take a break, and return when my friends feel like going for a couple rounds of matches. And as someone who never really got to experience multiplayer games with others that often in my childhood, it really means a lot that I still can and do get those experiences today. It is true that as time passes, things are brought to life, and things are laid to rest. But Splatoon hits the sweet spot in where it acknowledges life always continues to move forward, saying change should be celebrated for as much as it can be saddening. That message is everywhere--in the idols experiencing changes within their careers, with Mr. Grizz accepting that the fate of the mammalians, and acknowledging humanity will always live on through the Inklings and Octolings from a more meta perspective. No matter what, Splatoon, too, will always be growing and changing alongside us. Even if the franchise were to ever die for good, the fact that it existed is enough to make that thing worth cherishing. Hell, I could probably go on and on about how Splatoon 3's take on chaos represents how culture is a thing that never dies so long people are still willing to celebrate that, but I think I've rambled on long enough. Like you said, there is truly nothing more special than growing up alongside a franchise, and Splatoon's themes of celebrating both change and constancy within the world is how I've come to appreciate the series for what it is today. There will really never be another Nintendo franchise like Splatoon.

When Splatoon 3 released it was like a return to an old nostalgic time. Splatoon 2 had finished it's lifespan and was getting boring at the time. The old Splatoon 1 maps being in Splatoon 3 was cool. I returned to Splatoon 1 to experience the nostalgia one last time and it was active unlike before so I got to play my first and also last matches of Splatoon 1 since 2016.

As someone who grew up with the franchise, this video hit me hard. Splatoon 3 launched when I had first reached college, and it had felt like a huge turning point in my life, not only that Splatoon had grown into this 3rd entry, but I had entered this new point of my life. Fantastic video, hit me right where I needed it.

Jokes on you, I was in my 20's when the original Splatoon was released! My boyfriend-now-spouse had a Wii U strictly for Bayonetta, as he was a fan of the series. And picked up Splatoon as a successor to Team Fortress 2, another somewhat silly shooter game with fashion aka hats. However, it swiftly became my game whenever I could briefly make the trek across oceans to visit him. Now we have a Switch, am married, and I am still getting so extremely salty at Splatfests...like I evidently was back in the day as well. I honestly don't remember what EU Splatfests I participated back then, only that I vacariously enjoyed the game and Urchin Underpasses rework came out during one of my visits. Oh and I gotta say, I do empathize with feeling a little out of the loop in gaming until I got older. My parents hard stuck me to a GBA Advance and a SNES that I wasn't able to shake off of until I managed to nab a DS at a after-prom party. And even then, it wasn't until my spouse got me a chonker of a PC and I was able to use the systems he got until I could really get into proper "gaming." Splatoon, FFXIV and The Sims were all experiences I couldn't have as a kid and I'm able to have them now. And my favorite games usually do have an area that I can just vibe and explore and exist within, even after the game is done. Looking at you Breath of the Wild and FFXIV!

As someone that has played all of the games in the series, the nostalgia hit me really hard and it's crazy to me just seeing how much I have evolved as a person alongside the game. This video brought some genuine tears to my eyes, thank you for making it! I'm glad to see that Splatoon also has a special place in other people's heart :)

Now that I’m 18, graduating high school in a couple months, this really set forth my thoughts on how life is about the journey and living in the moment, just like the years I’ve played splatoon. Loved this❤❤

You're the only person with the guts to make a Splatoon video all about Mario Sunshine and I love it

This video genuinely makes me so happy. People don't understand why I have such a connection to a kids game. This encapsulates so many of my thoughts. I was in late elementary when splatoon 1 came out, I was in middle school during splatoon 2. Then, during high-school I didn't really play it but I grew the most during those years, now, right when I start college, splat 3 comes out and it's the strangest feeling. I'm an adult now, but I'm returning to something that was so special to me, and taking it to a whole new level. Especially with how the games are all intertwined, starting college and being scared of my future was somewhat halted when I was able to look back and see how far I've come, just as splatoon has.

This video really resonates with me and so many others. Thank you for creating this gem. I’m glad we share this love and joy through such a wonderful media. Splatoon really is something else

Maybe one of the most relatable vid i ever saw. i grew up with splatoon 1 altho i am some years later then you. (reference: one of my favourite and first games was super mario galaxy) and i was legitemetely hiped about splatoon 2 and 3 but had some down 'non splatoon' time in between and i cannot tell you how often i got goosebumbs and nostalgia during this vid. maybe i connect a little to mutch emotion to the game but your summery describes the series very well too. thanks for the case of you reading this and have a great day

I still remember my first experience with Splatoon, I was on a jog with my dad (who has died since then) and I came home to play the Splatoon 1 testfire (around 8 years ago to this day). I immediately fell in love, and I was soaked in. A videogame never caught my love and attention the way Splatoon did, and I had no friends or social life really before this game. I was so focused on my academics and acing college. I graduated college 2 months before Splatoon 2 released. Over Splatoon 1, I met 3 of my longest lasting friends, including my ex-girlfriend. We met around the time of the Splatfest or two before Callie vs. Marie. By the time Splatoon 2 came out, I was in a relationship for a year by that point, I had a tight group of friends of 4 people. Things were going down a nice road, and we met more people. By the end of the games' updates, I met more and more friends until we almost all go on Team Chaos for the Splatocalypse. Then... tragedy struck with the chaos 2020 was, shortly after Chaos won the Finalfest; things began to crumble with my job, friendships began to crumble. And the year leading to Splatoon 3 was my hardest one. My dog and dad had both passed away, I lost my job, I broke up with my ex girlfriend, all in the months leading to Splatoon 3's release, symbolizing chaos in my life. In Splatoon 3 thus far, I've grown even closer to the few friends I still have after losing so many of them. I've lost every Splatfest since the start of the game (so far), and I had to adapt between my present life being a responsible adult and playing videogames. I have people I can call friends and family, and I have become the person I was born to become. This series defines a good chunk of my young adulthood, and looking back to 8 years ago it shows how far I've come as a person and this series has. I can't thank Splatoon enough for what it has done for me and so many other people. If not for it, I would be a lonely guy with a high paying job living a life of loneliness, the very element that most of the final bosses to Splatoon express. In a way, Splatoon saved me from being lonely. Watching this video got me to think back on the last 8 years of my life, and how amazing, yet horrible, some of them were.

I wasn’t expecting this video to hit on such a deep emotional level, this franchise has always had a special place in my heart and each game reminds me of how much I’ve grown and who I was back then, very bitter sweet. Absolutely amazing video, made me cry ahah.

This video made me cry a bit. It made me realize how integral splatoon is with my life. Not other series really clicked with me the way splatoon did, I assume it’s because many of them started way before I was born, but I was there so see splatoon grow and change. It grew and changed along with me. Splatoon is the one game I’m really here to experience from start to finish. I remember waking up early before school trying to finish octo expansion before I had to leave and goofing around with my online friends late at night in the summers. I remember wanting a Wii U so bad and begging for one solely for the experience of splatoon, I never got one but I did get a switch and that experience and this community may have been one of the best things in my life. Thank you, for helping me realize that.

It’s so crazy to think that this franchise has been around for years and yet it doesn’t. When the original Splatoon came out the world was totally different. A lot has happened since then, and like you said we’ve all grown up. This video really shows how fast time really is. This was an amazing video!

WOW I cannot stress how utterly phenomenal this video is man! You covered each game in the series, the idea of a 'life style game', and the relationship of a ageing player base with an ageing game perfectly. Splatoon is truly something special and it makes me extremely happy to see it's success and growth but slightly sadden that the western game industry market doesn't see it's specialness as compared to eastern players. The concept of a game 'growing up' with it's player base isn't exactly new since the live service model has been taking off the last few years, but Splatoon uses that idea and mixes it into the game design itself to make a community of players that make you feel welcomed and celebrated. Splatoon doesn't ask for your money with FOMO like other live service games. It asks for your time so you can celebrate along with it's players. I never fully realized just how extensive and impactful having a game evolve and grow with it's players is. You really gave a deep and insightful view of a game I've studied and loved for hundreds of hours! I played through Octo Expansion the day it came out and it was without a doubt of the best gaming experiences I've ever had. The week it came out, the day after I finished it, I moved to Alaska for the summer to work at the fishing docks at a fish factory for a few months. What followed at my time there was long hours, grueling and gory work, and lots of violence amongst people unfortunately. Needlessly to say, my view on salmon run changed a bit lol. Nah but jokes aside, it was pretty bad and I've dealt with the events that took place their for a while now trying to process things. I look back at my time with Octo Expansion often and think about the profound affect it had on me before one of the most impactful times in my life occurred. How a masterly crafted labor of love of a video game was there for me when life got rough, just like how games have always been there for me in my childhood when live got rough. I look at myself when I was fresh out of high school playing Splatoon 1, in the middle of college playing Splatoon 2, right before my fishing work playing Octo Expansion, and at myself now when playing Splatoon 3. I made a Splatoon 3 video essay as well and it's single handedly is responsible for my channel being the size it is now! A celebration of a series I love growing my channel to be 100x the size and viewership it had before. Splatoon has been there for me when life was confusing, right before life become much more difficult, and has brought me personal success in my creative career. To see a fellow creative so deeply impacted by a series that has so profoundly impacted myself, is comforting, insightful, and inspiring. We're adults now. But that's okay. We made it this far, we should celebrate how far we've come by sharing and creating new things with each other as humans. The exact same mentality Splatoon has always had. To celebrate and express creatively with each other...but as squids. Got a little personal there but hey, I felt it was appropriate given the topic matter of the video. As a fellow mid 20s creative who grew up with 2000s Nintendo and wants to celebrate the endlessly creativity and joy of the video games, fantastic work man, fantastic work. Your video really resonated with me and I'm excited to see the rest of your video work and your work in the future!

This is the only franchise that makes me cry every single time From rewatching concerts,3 mix's beautiful theming with the rest of the game.every race,style,and form of life being appreciated and loved.this series is really the best it has ever been

0:50 - DUDE! That is so golden and kino. Usually video guys make some dumb claim or self deprecate but you can both stand your ground, like what you like, and be critical of it without becoming a sheep to public opinion. I madly respect you for this. Good Video.

I felt myself tearing up a little at the end. It's such a strange feeling to grow up and you've shown just how splatoon mirrors that back at us. Thank you

Hey, thanks for making this video! I had this saved in my watch later Playlist for a while, I just finished finals so I finally had time to watch it. I teared up, thinking on how much has changed since I was a kid. These past few weeks have been hard but watching this made me feel better, so really thank you! As someone who cried when Splatoon 3 was announced, it means a lot to me. Have a good day!

13:34 “Shibuya from ‘the world ends with you’” while showing footage of P5 make me spit out my drink

Even if you’re bad at Splatoon, you can be good at it. When you just start you can do a lot by doing support roles, so even though you aren’t good at the game you can still help the team and not feel useless like in other shooters

I absolutely adore splatoon. I’ve been playing since splatoon 1, and this video was hauntingly comforting for me. The acknowledgment that this game grew up with us, agh. It’s terrifying to think about but also so beautiful. Thank you for this 🩷

Splatoon is like a online therapist to me, its just.. SUCH A GOOD GAME! (Also I watched all the way to the end, I cried)

The first time a video essay almost made me cry. The first one came out right before my 15th birthday, and I've been into the franchise ever since. Thank you for this, this was a really beautiful video essay

I was in elementary when splatoon released, I loved it. I used to sit in my living room with my older brother who hogged it everyday preventing me from being able to play it frequently. I was just happy to be able to play it even just for a few matches. Like you, I came back to the first game too see what was going on years later, there was still people playing which was nice to see. Nostalgia flowed through me and it was insane. I cant go back to being a kid now as an adult but man do I wish for it so that title def hit me

To me everything about splatoon just feels so lovingly hand crafted, the puns, the fashion, the mechanics, THE MUSIC. I just love this series so much ❤

When Splatoon came out on the WiiU, I wasn’t even the one who primarily played it - I was content to just sit beside my sisters and watch them play through Turf Wars and the Story Mode. However, I got into the franchise over something super small - my sister hadn’t collected all the Sunken Scrolls, and because I was so interested in the lore, I decided I would play through the entire story mode and collect every scroll. Immediately, I was hooked (haha). That was when I was in my first year of middle school, and now I’m just finishing up my freshman year of college - Splatoon is still one of my favorite franchises, and this video was such a well-composed love letter to the franchise that it made me feel the same excitement of having just gotten into the game over my middle school’s winter break. Thank you for making this - it was beautiful! also: I was already planning to subscribe to your channel halfway through the video (I was waiting until the end to do it because I was so invested I didn’t want to interrupt the video lol), but as soon as you went “Fuck landlords. FUCK LANDLORDS.” I KNEW that this was a channel I needed to get into. :D

This is such an amazing video, holy shit. Can't stress this enough. You put a lot of feelings I have towards the Splatoon franchise into words and ended up making me tear up a little from it.

This video has been a comfort watch for a few weeks. I adore this video and Splatoon. Thank you

This was a great video. As someone who dismissed Splatoon when I first saw it, but didn't have that second look like you did, I never got to play a single game or hear anything about it. I was a little surprised to hear anyone speak so highly of Splatoon, but after watching this video I have a newfound respect for the series. Not quite a personal connection to it though. Hearing you describe these games, I can't help but think that I missed out on Splatoon 1 and 2, and a part of my FOMO makes me want to play Splatoon 3 even though I'm not actually that interested in its gameplay. If I'm interested in anything, it'd be its story (which I've just recently been spoiled on) and its music. The cultural touchstone of the Splatoon franchise is fascinating, and I'd love to see where the series goes

Damn I love Splatoon. I didn’t play the first game but I watched people play it all the time, I was definitely there in spirit. I have the second and third game and I’m so happy to have been able to and continue to grow up with this franchise. It really does have a special place in my heart and will always be my favorite. This video was very beautifully put together, brought me to tears🥹

This is the best Splatoon video I’ve ever watched. Thank you.

Splatoon has come so far. As someone that’s played since day one, it’s changed so much, and it’s so different. I still remember the first splatfest, didn’t get to play during that time but watching others play gave me this sense of community whenever I’d play. Thanks for making this vid.

25:18 I am glad octo expansion was my big introduction to dlc and the idea behind it

I will admit. When I look at splatoon 3, I see my own past and look at what I've missed. Splatoon 3 is my first game. I love it and I'm willing to try to learn the competitive with this game. I loved this game so much that I was willing to try splatoon 2 story. I mostly did it for the challenge in the dlc, but after hearing this it makes me think that I missed a lot in the games. While there is still an active player base there, I feel like it was a me I never got to see. I am glad I was able to experience this game from the start. Best 60 bucks I've spent so far. While I will struggle to understand how people do motion forever after growing up in mkwii, I will love this game and it will be remembered in my head, which says a lot as I have poor memory. I even 100% base story mode which is one 3 games I've done for. (Both mario galaxy games being the other 2) Sorry if this is long but as a newer adult this game feels right to me. It is giving me a purpose to have a drive, which I was struggling with before committing to this. Cheers to a great game despite its flaws! Also Octario doesn't brainwash the octarians he uses the culture to lead them.

nobody else going to mention the paragraph about landlords hidden in this video? guy speaks in truths.

I never played Splatoon 1 but I put so many hours into Splatoon 2 and it's still so nostalgic to me. You put that nostalgia into words better than I ever could have and it made be appreciate these games even more. I'm not a kid or a teen anymore but Splatoon 3 is my favorite game right now and I'm sure it's still gonna make some great memories and be an incredibly nostalgic game. We will never be as young as we are now but it's not gonna stop us from having fun and making memories.

this whole video and channel are EXTREMELY underrated. I truly hope you get the attention you deserve, for you as well as for viewers being blessed with this content.

Your writing is wonderful. You’ve put into words these feelings on media and passage of time with so much grace; in a way that I, and many others, never could. Great video!

Ive been playing Splatoon since i was 7, in 2017, loved the artstyle, loved the octo expansion DLC and even supported Viantastic during that.. thats one hell of a statement but Ive always loved splatoon. Splatoon makes me cry, Captain/prior agent 3 makes me happy. I love this game, and i still play it, in a couple of months I'll be 14, meaning itll have been 7 years since I first started playing.

Why do I feel empty now? Everything you've said feels right and still. I don't want to feel that emptiness that comes when the splatoon franchise someday ends. I'm a little afraid of what is about to happen with splatoon and me. On this point im a 17 years old dude in Germany wondering what will happen next. I've always thought tjat this kind of worries start coming when I'm an adult. Anyways. That was a great video and I thank you from the bottom of my heart for reminding me about all the great memories. 🔥