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I love how smooth you made the writing and demonstrations. How did you get the camera angels you used in the splatoon 3 demonstrations? Is there a mod?
It feels like yesterday I was coming home from school and getting on splatoon, and now I’m coming home from school and getting on splatoon 3. Time flies
@@ConstantlyCaden What editing software do you use? I love your editing style and would love to do something like this for a school project! Or do you use one of those Premiere Pro packs? Would love to know, thanks!
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 TH-cam and now 7 years later doing the same things. Kinda nostalgic in a way
The last splatfest was announced and it feels weird. I went back to play it again and it made me really happy, I kinda don't want it to end because I don't know if there will be a "4th episode" or not. What good video!!!!!
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 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.
I loved all the crazy looking characters in Octo Expansion and I recently discovered that they were all based on real deep-sea creatures. It's so cool that they based these characters off real creatures in our ocean and even cooler that it's led to you and others actually studying them.
Isn't that wild though? Almost every fictional character that we used to idolize as children are now canonically younger than us. That's something that's become so hard to wrap my brain around.
What the fuck... I was the same age as young link when I played (and beat) Ocarina of Time 3D on my 3DS, it was the first game I ever, ever played and beat, start to end, credits to credits, all on my own. Old Link felt like such a far ways away to me. Now I search it up, seeing he was only 16, and I'm now turning 21... Dude...
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.
Yeah same, some of my friends played Splatoon 1, but kinda fell off once 2 came out. I had one friend who used to be an Xbox fan boy, but decided to give the Switch a try who was obsessed with Splatoon 2. He always thought the game looked corny until I got him to play the testfire and he was hooked. That friend is now in the navy so none of my friends play anymore
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.
I’m the exact same thing dude, I was 9-10 years old when I got Splatoon and I was going through some tough times, the music and the game bright so much colors to my life that it became the soul reason why I kept going. Sucks that through my love for Splatoon I got told mean and nasty stuff about it that I kept quiet about it, so I let it out through my drawings and that was a huge impact. Now I’m 19…I’m 19, and I’m still the same me but I don’t hide my love for Splatoon anymore, why should I? It’s part of my life. (Sorry for my bad spelling and grammar)
Yeah, same here ^^ It helps the series and the memories made through it feel even more special, in my opinion, and it just feels really special in general when series do that, agreed!
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.
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 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 only discovered Splatoon 3 at almost 30 years of age, but it has let and encouraged me to rediscover my own sense of fashion expression, so I 100% saw the "lifestyle" side from the beginning lol Also the branding in the game is just. Incredible Even the fictional ads for washing machine soap are stylish!
@@wydx120 I was in middle school when I got splatoon 1 and I'm 20 now. Basically the same age as agent 3 who WAS ME! I have all 3 games and I sometimes go back to s1 just to be there again and see how the old maps are and such. Now when I go back, it'll feel like I left it behind, but not in a bad way. Even tho I'm back with the DLC, but s1 booyah base, you just had to be there, not all the characters are there now, of course. I was passionate about splatoon, but after the lifestyle mentioned, it just got way more personal.
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
Same here!! This franchise is so special to me! I love splatoon's art, and I have all the art books bc i love collecting them! Honestly besides loz, the splatoon series is my favorites. Replicating the art style is so fun to me because its very unique (the music too). This game is just amazing
@@gickles8830 I am 16 and just finally got to play splatoon once I got Splatoon 3 for my birthday, Splatoon has always been a ame that I wanted to play when it first came out, I know that now most of splatooon players are young adults, but believe me that many teenagers are fans of splatoon and enjoy it, it is more easy to find them than you might think, splatoon is something that is still popular with young people
i, 22 years old and having picked up the first game when I was 14 on launch, feel like an elder watching the next generation grow up to do great things. hope you keep enjoyin it dude
I was 11 when the first game came out I still remember be so excited to finally play it watching all the trailers and the splatoon dircet it was a fantastic game to grow up with
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.
I feel this bro. We the same age so it really hits home when you think about how similar our experiences are with this game. We grew up with Splatoon basically lol.
As someone who is still a kid, who played wayyyy to much Splatoon 1 when it came out, this video is really well made. This is genuenly one of the best videos I have watched in my life. You talk about so many things that I personally think about and also kinda brought me back to that Splatoon time in my life. Thank you. I still want to finish Splatoon 2 and buy 3, but my switch broke, it doesn't connect to the tv for longer than 3 minutes, sadly. But this video reminded me of living in the moment, and that you should appreciate where you are in live right now, because it will one day go by and you will miss it. Especially since I am still a kid. I am here a little late since this video is now one year old, but I am still glad I watched it and am really thankful you made it. Again, thank you.♥♥
Rewatching this video hits different. Since then, The Splatoon 1 servers shut down, seemingly all Splatoon 3 content updates have dropped, Grand fest is over, But the results for Gandfest currently is only an hour away from being reviled, But I can't think but wonder what the nostalgia of Splatoon 3 will be thinking that team Past, Present, or Future won. The sight of Splatoon 4 could be anything and just like the feeling of returning to the older Splatoon games or even changing my gear to what I had 2 years ago, Ik I will have that feeling with who I am now. having the results come right before a major moment in Splatoon history could not have been a better moment to see this again. thank you dude!!!
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.
Wow. This is exactly me. I know when my parents got divorced bc that’s when BotW came out. And I know that the recession happened the same time the wii came out
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!
Wow! That's rough man! I hope you're getting better! These guys who made fun of you for liking the franchise have NO IDEA what they missed out on! Splatoon is such a fantastic, wonderfull franchise and I'm happy to see I'm not the only one who saw themselve in its colorfull characters. After a storm always comes rainbows and sunlight, no matter how dark it gets! All you need to do is step into the light when you see it. Now, keep it up, squid kid! Or octo kid, whichever speaks with you the most!
@@bluecoralkraken i’m an octo kid myself! also thanks for the kind words, i agree with you that they’re missing out on an awesome franchise 😎 one of the best parts of my story is that the people who bullied me actually apologized last year, so things are better between us i’m in a way better place now, and i have splatoon in part to thank for that
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
I'm the exact same way. You are not alone. I met a large group of friends on the NSO app when Splatoon 2 came out in 2017. This was less than a year since my dad passed away in 2016, and they really helped me get through it all. I had to sell my Wii U and 3Ds to have enough money to get a switch, so there was *no* going back to Splatoon 1 or anything I had before. I had my own Discord server, we accumulated a lot of people, we had over 50 people at one point, and now it's really just a relic of the past with nothing going on. Ever since 2020, our friend group just went downhill. I, too, remember the countless nights of staying up until 5 am playing this wonderful game, we may have even come across each other at some points and never realized we would meet at a YT comments section many years later haha. Nevertheless, those friends are all gone now, including the ones who promised they would be there to the end. Even they have left me. The less acquainted friends came and went, the closer friends left due to drama like yours, and the best friends just left due to differences in our schedules, interests, and beliefs. We just weren't the same people who met each other in 2017, and that really breaks my heart. Anyways, thanks for reading this. Have a good day 👍
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.
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.
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.
43:29 That sentence hit me like a truck. I went back to Splatoon 1 multiple times, even recently with the servers shutting down, but without the friends I used to play with this time, they all moved on long ago..
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 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
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.
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.
what's more fun to me is that in italian "Marina" is the name they gave to Marie to make "Stella (Callie) Marina (Marie)" that means Starfish Pearl and Marina are called Alga (Pearl) and Nori (Marina) because of a type of seaweed used for SUSHI😂😂
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.
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.
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
Thinking about the effect Splatoon has had on me, it's crazy to think how integral to me these silly squid games are. I got Splatoon for Christmas 2015 when I was 5, and now I'm a freshman. I actually spent 3 days on the tutorial because I couldn't figure out how to jump as a squid and now somehow I'm playing S+ Clam Blitz? The fact that I have quite literally grown up with Splatoon as a series makes me so grateful for it. So thank you, Splatoon, and thank you Caden.
I swear I don't usually get moved to tears by splatoon videos but I was 9 when splatoon came out and I played it every day. I turned 18 a few months ago. I got splatoon 3 last week. I'm moving out in two months. I was a kid then and I'm an adult now and it's just barely becoming real, so I'm crying at a splatoon video.
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 is so interesting to read! I was 20 already when Splat1 came out and it was a game that accompanied me while I was trying to adjust to adult life. As someone who's a bit older, let me give you some advice: It is perfectly normal not to know what to do with your life, especially at 17. Even I sometimes don't know what to do with the future. And that's okay. Life isn't a race. Take your time and try to find something that you enjoy. Cheers!
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.
I've never played Splatoon. I'll turn 18 in two days and this video really touched me. I remember being a kid at my grandma's, seeing the Splatoon ads for the first time on TV... It''s one of the rare game I really would have loved to play. But I couldn't, because I never had consoles or things like that. So I grew out of it, stayed away because... What was the point? Years later, in 2024, I'm gonna get my very first Nintendo Switch with Splatoon 3. I'm a bit sad I couldn't experience the previous games, but eh, they're old, and it's okay. The one thing I look forward to is... Enjoying the next Summer Days going between - finding a job I like and enjoying chill Splatoon nights with my friend - and even strangers ! Thank you for this video. Truly. Good job getting it done, I rarely cry on videos and I never comment, but this felt special.
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.
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 😭😭
Very curious, how did you invest so much time into the original yet not even know there was a third if you had a Switch to immediately buy it?? Did you just fall out of Nintendo hard for a while?
@@KidAL0 i've had a switch since launch but yeah nintendo has fallen off hard imo, switch performance and games and pricing are just too wack for me, stopped keeping up with nintendo for a long time
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
6:30 this is literally why I love this franchise so much. its so simple but highly usable in gameplay with different strategies and mobility and much more the game is so good I wish something like it was on PC and more consoles
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 :)
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. ♥
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.
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 👍
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.
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.
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.
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 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!
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.
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!
Thank you so much for sharing your experience! I'm glad you enjoyed the video and it resonated with you, it means a lot coming from someone who has shown so much passion for it too!! I'll check out your video when I get some time, I'm very excited to hear what you have to say :)
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.
That was super fun to read through, thank you for sharing!!! I had a lot of similar experiences so it's pretty cool to hear that others have had such identical eras of their lives because of the games
Reading that was a rollercoaster, associating splatoon with multiple eras of your life is something relatable, thanks for sharing, glad to be one of the few people knowing your story.
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!
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.
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!
Also I'm in my early-30's. I still feel like a late teen. I remember reading a tumblr post about an older woman on her deathbed as an elder saying something similar. We're all still finding our place. AND GETTING BIG MAD ABOUT THE SHIVER WIN.
I was 20 when the Splatoon series was revealed and now I'm 29 and have been playing each game ever since. I have friends who also started playing it in their 20's and I guess we'll be approaching 40 by the time Splatoon 5 is released 😅
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
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.
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.
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.
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.
One of the greatest videos I have ever watched. That entire ending segment got me in the feels, I relate so much to just about everything you said. The ending monologue perfectly sums up the nostalgia I have for this game and series. Thank you for this amazing video and please keep making more like this!
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
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
"there seems to be a pattern where the primary enemy of the story is later integrated as a player type" HEY CONSTANTLYCADEN WHERE ARE MY PLAYABLE BEARKIDS
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!
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🥹
After playing the grand fest a feeling of happiness filled my heart seeing 3 generations of a franchise singing together. I have played since Splat one, 6 yrs old, then splat 2 and now splat 3, 15 years old. Time flies and that sucks, I remember like it was yesterday when my dad bought a "vacuum" for me, when in actuality it was a secret wiiu for my bday. That and the wii that he got for the whole family when I was 3 or 4 started an insane love for videogames that now translates to me starting a yt channel (3h deepdives about the story and gameplay of games), getting crazy shreeded and wanting to be a game dev. GREAT VIDEO PLS COME BACK
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.
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!
Thank you. Oh my goodness thank you. I'm wrapping up junior year of high school right now. Splatoon has been my special interest that has barely ever let up (and a genuine thank you to my autism that's kept me here this whole time) and I've been a fan since I was 10. This video perfectly encapsulates the feelings and the thoughts of growing up with this franchise, and your experiences with growing up and becoming an adult deeply resonate with myself and my anxieties. I still am a kid, I still feel like one, and while I'm preparing my future and picking classes and assessing colleges, I fear I'll always feel like a kid. That I'll still feel inexperienced, inadequate, unable to act on the responsibilities of being an adult. That I'll be behind and alone. That everyone outgrows that kid in themselves. But seeing Craig dance like a child at the end of that section? I bawled like a *baby*. I'm going to be OK. I'll make it. We all fear we won't, but we have, and we will. I'm gonna be OK.
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. 🔥
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.
This video popped up randomly in my recommended and I’m so glad it did, every point hit really well and it held my intention the entire way through, happy to sun and can’t wait to see you cover Side Order
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.
Banger video, and definitely a long one to enjoy too Personally by the time Splatoon 3 released I wasn't interested in keeping up with games, but despite that I can't help but to appreciate everything the series does, especially artistically. It's probably my absolute favourite example of diegetic design, as it connects us to so many parts of Inkling culture, and the dedication I felt for Team Order is something I look back fondly on. Team Order's cyberpunk future would've been better 🤪
This game is beautiful in every way and I found myself crying over it now that the saga is over… I played Splatoon 1 when I was 14-15 and I could go on forever about how much I love this little squid game
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.
This was simultaneously eye opening, very well done, and incredibly stressful all at once. Splatoon 1 was such an important game for me in high school, along with Smash 4, and they carried that feeling for years, even after they became new games (Splat2 + SmashUlt). But now, being an adult, they just kinda hit different. Doesn’t help that I enjoyed the games more when they were a bit slower compared to their newer iterations. I understand why now though, so thank you for this video and how well it described this transition of mentalities from childhood (in a sense) to adulthood. Though this did make me feel old again, so no thank you for that one! 😂
Splatoon is simultaneously the most innovative 3rd person shooter, an influential demigod, an amazing post-apocalyptic narrative, a phenomenal comment on prejudice and the flow of time, and a gateway drug to vocaloid. And I fucking love it.
Thank you all for watching!! If you enjoyed the video, please consider liking, commenting, subscribing, or sharing with friends, every bit helps!! :)
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I love how smooth you made the writing and demonstrations. How did you get the camera angels you used in the splatoon 3 demonstrations? Is there a mod?
This is one of my favorite videos. This has my thoughts as to why splatoon is so special to me.
@@Agent1o1. In Recon and Private battles you have access to the camera mode! I just cropped out the icons :)
It feels like yesterday I was coming home from school and getting on splatoon, and now I’m coming home from school and getting on splatoon 3. Time flies
@@ConstantlyCaden What editing software do you use? I love your editing style and would love to do something like this for a school project! Or do you use one of those Premiere Pro packs?
Would love to know, thanks!
I have never played Splatoon even once, but any series with a character named C.Q. Cumber is a winner in my book.
join the darkside we have cq cumber
join the darkside we have cq cumber
join the darkside we have cq cumber
join the darkside we have cq cumber
join the darkside we have cq cumber
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 TH-cam and now 7 years later doing the same things. Kinda nostalgic in a way
I know it's just a couple of years, but this comment made me feel old for being 14 when the first game released.
I was 16 back in 2016, you're still really young.
The cool thing is that I’ve been growing up with the Inklings themselves :)
No you weren't born in 2006 shutupshutupshutupshutupshutuoahutoshutoshutpshutpshutp
I was six so I still got a lot of child in me.
I was 12 in 2016. I’m glad I’m not anymore xd
The last splatfest was announced and it feels weird. I went back to play it again and it made me really happy, I kinda don't want it to end because I don't know if there will be a "4th episode" or not. What good video!!!!!
Sr pelo you are a good person.
I remember watching the ONE splatoon video you were in a long time ago 😭
Same
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.
This comment means a lot, thank you!
Dude, someone at your age getting along with us, the young ones... My respects for you and I hope there are more friends like you
Aaaw...you're the best parent ever, I wish I had one like you :) i'm sure your kid will treasure those games of Splatoon
Well, this is the sweetest thing I've seen today, hope the best for you and your son.
The best dad ever award goes to :
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.
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 loved all the crazy looking characters in Octo Expansion and I recently discovered that they were all based on real deep-sea creatures. It's so cool that they based these characters off real creatures in our ocean and even cooler that it's led to you and others actually studying them.
I found splatoon BECAUSE I love marine creatures
shut up that’s so cutee ♥️
@@botanically.blonde tyyy
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.
Isn't that wild though? Almost every fictional character that we used to idolize as children are now canonically younger than us. That's something that's become so hard to wrap my brain around.
Technically he’s 100 now-
Ben 10 was my first experience with that.
I mean just look at Ash from Pokemon. He is a 10 year old still and we all grew up while he stayed 10. That was honestly weird to me.
What the fuck... I was the same age as young link when I played (and beat) Ocarina of Time 3D on my 3DS, it was the first game I ever, ever played and beat, start to end, credits to credits, all on my own. Old Link felt like such a far ways away to me. Now I search it up, seeing he was only 16, and I'm now turning 21... Dude...
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.
i wish my friends played, enjoyed and loved Splatoon as much as everyone here.
Yeah same, some of my friends played Splatoon 1, but kinda fell off once 2 came out. I had one friend who used to be an Xbox fan boy, but decided to give the Switch a try who was obsessed with Splatoon 2. He always thought the game looked corny until I got him to play the testfire and he was hooked. That friend is now in the navy so none of my friends play anymore
The fact splatoon has been around long enough for someone to be able to say they "grew up with it". Ah time...
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.
The splatoon music goes hard, though 😭
I’m the exact same thing dude, I was 9-10 years old when I got Splatoon and I was going through some tough times, the music and the game bright so much colors to my life that it became the soul reason why I kept going. Sucks that through my love for Splatoon I got told mean and nasty stuff about it that I kept quiet about it, so I let it out through my drawings and that was a huge impact. Now I’m 19…I’m 19, and I’m still the same me but I don’t hide my love for Splatoon anymore, why should I? It’s part of my life.
(Sorry for my bad spelling and grammar)
nobody else going to mention the paragraph about landlords hidden in this video? guy speaks in truths.
I honestly really appreciate it when a series grows with its audience.
Yeah, same here ^^ It helps the series and the memories made through it feel even more special, in my opinion, and it just feels really special in general when series do that, agreed!
Cough cough pokemon
Indeed. By the time the Splatoon series made its debut back in 2015, I was in my early 20s.
@@atsukana1704they really made the same game like 50 times
Splatoon 1 hasn’t aged a day. It feels like yesterday when I first played the game loving every second of it.
same although i was a bit too young to understand some games splatoon was fine and it was really fun doesn't feel the same anymore
Indeed. =) And, now that Inkopolis can be accessed via Splatoon 3’s Expansion Pass, the city can easily be revisited at any time.
Wow. Reading this now hits different.
@@echoonyoutube yeah it feels like only a few years of splatoon and yet the servers are down rn
I can’t believe it’s been this long.
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.
A 25 year old crying like a baby over a game? You may be older, but you ain't no adult...
@@illseeyaonthedarksideofthemoon Crying over nostalgia makes you not an adult now? Stop it lmao
@@illseeyaonthedarksideofthemoonbro why are you here watching this video?
I started punching the air when i realized i turned 20 and is about to turn 21
dont be a jerk brah nothing shameful in feeling some nostalgia, be a little nicer you’ll be happier
Hits hard as someone who isn't even an adult yet still grew up with the series as a child
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 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 only discovered Splatoon 3 at almost 30 years of age, but it has let and encouraged me to rediscover my own sense of fashion expression, so I 100% saw the "lifestyle" side from the beginning lol
Also the branding in the game is just. Incredible
Even the fictional ads for washing machine soap are stylish!
@@wydx120 I was in middle school when I got splatoon 1 and I'm 20 now. Basically the same age as agent 3 who WAS ME! I have all 3 games and I sometimes go back to s1 just to be there again and see how the old maps are and such. Now when I go back, it'll feel like I left it behind, but not in a bad way. Even tho I'm back with the DLC, but s1 booyah base, you just had to be there, not all the characters are there now, of course. I was passionate about splatoon, but after the lifestyle mentioned, it just got way more personal.
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 comment made me smile. I was 13 when I found splatoon too, now 20 years old still a fan. Enjoy it all my friend :)
Same here!! This franchise is so special to me! I love splatoon's art, and I have all the art books bc i love collecting them! Honestly besides loz, the splatoon series is my favorites. Replicating the art style is so fun to me because its very unique (the music too). This game is just amazing
@@gickles8830 I am 16 and just finally got to play splatoon once I got Splatoon 3 for my birthday, Splatoon has always been a ame that I wanted to play when it first came out, I know that now most of splatooon players are young adults, but believe me that many teenagers are fans of splatoon and enjoy it, it is more easy to find them than you might think, splatoon is something that is still popular with young people
i, 22 years old and having picked up the first game when I was 14 on launch, feel like an elder watching the next generation grow up to do great things. hope you keep enjoyin it dude
I was 11 when the first game came out I still remember be so excited to finally play it watching all the trailers and the splatoon dircet it was a fantastic game to grow up with
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.
Ur exactly me
I feel this bro. We the same age so it really hits home when you think about how similar our experiences are with this game. We grew up with Splatoon basically lol.
Yeah, and it's really weird to think all that was 7+ years ago now...
It's crazy how fast time has passed at least we were all playing together
03 squad :3
As someone who is still a kid, who played wayyyy to much Splatoon 1 when it came out, this video is really well made. This is genuenly one of the best videos I have watched in my life. You talk about so many things that I personally think about and also kinda brought me back to that Splatoon time in my life. Thank you. I still want to finish Splatoon 2 and buy 3, but my switch broke, it doesn't connect to the tv for longer than 3 minutes, sadly. But this video reminded me of living in the moment, and that you should appreciate where you are in live right now, because it will one day go by and you will miss it. Especially since I am still a kid. I am here a little late since this video is now one year old, but I am still glad I watched it and am really thankful you made it. Again, thank you.♥♥
Rewatching this video hits different.
Since then, The Splatoon 1 servers shut down, seemingly all Splatoon 3 content updates have dropped, Grand fest is over, But the results for Gandfest currently is only an hour away from being reviled, But I can't think but wonder what the nostalgia of Splatoon 3 will be thinking that team Past, Present, or Future won. The sight of Splatoon 4 could be anything and just like the feeling of returning to the older Splatoon games or even changing my gear to what I had 2 years ago, Ik I will have that feeling with who I am now. having the results come right before a major moment in Splatoon history could not have been a better moment to see this again.
thank you dude!!!
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.
Wow. This is exactly me. I know when my parents got divorced bc that’s when BotW came out. And I know that the recession happened the same time the wii came out
To see you here.. well interesting. I remember watching your Persona 5 let’s play 3 years ago lol.
Marking November 2011 by skyword sword instead of Skyrim is actually kind of refreshing
I sometimes remember when I was in 8th grade by remembering the release of Splatoon.
@@g.l.2006 Looking forward to you watching my Persona 6 Let's Play in 3 years! (hopefully, who knows what Atlus is up to)
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!
Wow! That's rough man! I hope you're getting better! These guys who made fun of you for liking the franchise have NO IDEA what they missed out on! Splatoon is such a fantastic, wonderfull franchise and I'm happy to see I'm not the only one who saw themselve in its colorfull characters.
After a storm always comes rainbows and sunlight, no matter how dark it gets! All you need to do is step into the light when you see it.
Now, keep it up, squid kid! Or octo kid, whichever speaks with you the most!
@@bluecoralkraken i’m an octo kid myself!
also thanks for the kind words, i agree with you that they’re missing out on an awesome franchise 😎
one of the best parts of my story is that the people who bullied me actually apologized last year, so things are better between us
i’m in a way better place now, and i have splatoon in part to thank for that
30:13 that story is hilarious well done
He could prbly tell his friend was gay bc they were hanging out with someone wearing a splatoon shirt
@@aduckinlingerie it was him, the friend, or both. The sentence worked either way
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
I'm the exact same way. You are not alone. I met a large group of friends on the NSO app when Splatoon 2 came out in 2017. This was less than a year since my dad passed away in 2016, and they really helped me get through it all. I had to sell my Wii U and 3Ds to have enough money to get a switch, so there was *no* going back to Splatoon 1 or anything I had before. I had my own Discord server, we accumulated a lot of people, we had over 50 people at one point, and now it's really just a relic of the past with nothing going on. Ever since 2020, our friend group just went downhill. I, too, remember the countless nights of staying up until 5 am playing this wonderful game, we may have even come across each other at some points and never realized we would meet at a YT comments section many years later haha. Nevertheless, those friends are all gone now, including the ones who promised they would be there to the end. Even they have left me. The less acquainted friends came and went, the closer friends left due to drama like yours, and the best friends just left due to differences in our schedules, interests, and beliefs. We just weren't the same people who met each other in 2017, and that really breaks my heart. Anyways, thanks for reading this. Have a good day 👍
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.
same here
same
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.
Omg mee I turned 21 less than a week ago and grew up OBSESSED with splatoon and 2 🙏
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.
43:29 That sentence hit me like a truck. I went back to Splatoon 1 multiple times, even recently with the servers shutting down, but without the friends I used to play with this time, they all moved on long ago..
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 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
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.
This is such a lovely video, thank you so much
@@amarhastings6849young child you did not read the paragraph correctly
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.
Pearl and Marina definitely have an intriguing pun in their name.
Fun fact, did you know marina is a synonym of harbor.
Yes!! Like Pearl Harbour. Callie and Marie are CaliMari.
Intriguing indeed lmao
what's more fun to me is that in italian "Marina" is the name they gave to Marie to make "Stella (Callie) Marina (Marie)" that means Starfish
Pearl and Marina are called Alga (Pearl) and Nori (Marina) because of a type of seaweed used for SUSHI😂😂
@@TheMCPRINCESSPearlkinda weird the more you think about it
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.
Every Splatoon player needs to watch this video, NOW! Thanks for the emotional ride, good sir.
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.
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
The fact it nearly never happened in the was it did is fascinating an scary
It’s very one of a kind I agree
Thinking about the effect Splatoon has had on me, it's crazy to think how integral to me these silly squid games are. I got Splatoon for Christmas 2015 when I was 5, and now I'm a freshman. I actually spent 3 days on the tutorial because I couldn't figure out how to jump as a squid and now somehow I'm playing S+ Clam Blitz? The fact that I have quite literally grown up with Splatoon as a series makes me so grateful for it. So thank you, Splatoon, and thank you Caden.
I swear I don't usually get moved to tears by splatoon videos but I was 9 when splatoon came out and I played it every day. I turned 18 a few months ago. I got splatoon 3 last week. I'm moving out in two months. I was a kid then and I'm an adult now and it's just barely becoming real, so I'm crying at a splatoon video.
Splatoon video making you confront your mortality? It's more likely (and better) than you think!
Xenoblade making me confront my mortality was one thing, I practically expected that. Splatoon blindsided me with it.
😞
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 is so interesting to read! I was 20 already when Splat1 came out and it was a game that accompanied me while I was trying to adjust to adult life. As someone who's a bit older, let me give you some advice: It is perfectly normal not to know what to do with your life, especially at 17. Even I sometimes don't know what to do with the future. And that's okay. Life isn't a race. Take your time and try to find something that you enjoy. Cheers!
@@Melissa08087 Thank you so much for your advice Melissa :D
SQUID‼️GAMES‼️
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.
I've never played Splatoon. I'll turn 18 in two days and this video really touched me.
I remember being a kid at my grandma's, seeing the Splatoon ads for the first time on TV... It''s one of the rare game I really would have loved to play. But I couldn't, because I never had consoles or things like that. So I grew out of it, stayed away because... What was the point?
Years later, in 2024, I'm gonna get my very first Nintendo Switch with Splatoon 3. I'm a bit sad I couldn't experience the previous games, but eh, they're old, and it's okay. The one thing I look forward to is... Enjoying the next Summer Days going between - finding a job I like and enjoying chill Splatoon nights with my friend - and even strangers !
Thank you for this video. Truly. Good job getting it done, I rarely cry on videos and I never comment, but this felt special.
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.
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 😭😭
Very curious, how did you invest so much time into the original yet not even know there was a third if you had a Switch to immediately buy it?? Did you just fall out of Nintendo hard for a while?
@@KidAL0 i've had a switch since launch but yeah nintendo has fallen off hard imo, switch performance and games and pricing are just too wack for me, stopped keeping up with nintendo for a long time
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
You're the only person with the guts to make a Splatoon video all about Mario Sunshine and I love it
6:30 this is literally why I love this franchise so much. its so simple but highly usable in gameplay with different strategies and mobility and much more the game is so good I wish something like it was on PC and more consoles
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 :)
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. ♥
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.
Damn, man. It feels good to hear other people sharing my experience and describing it so much better than I ever could.
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 👍
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.
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.
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.
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 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!
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.
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!
Thank you so much for sharing your experience! I'm glad you enjoyed the video and it resonated with you, it means a lot coming from someone who has shown so much passion for it too!! I'll check out your video when I get some time, I'm very excited to hear what you have to say :)
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.
That was super fun to read through, thank you for sharing!!! I had a lot of similar experiences so it's pretty cool to hear that others have had such identical eras of their lives because of the games
Reading that was a rollercoaster, associating splatoon with multiple eras of your life is something relatable, thanks for sharing, glad to be one of the few people knowing your story.
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!
It means a lot to hear that my video helped you out in some way!! Thank you so much for watching :)
i think the impact of this video is gonna be life changing for me
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.
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!
Also I'm in my early-30's. I still feel like a late teen. I remember reading a tumblr post about an older woman on her deathbed as an elder saying something similar. We're all still finding our place. AND GETTING BIG MAD ABOUT THE SHIVER WIN.
I was 20 when the Splatoon series was revealed and now I'm 29 and have been playing each game ever since. I have friends who also started playing it in their 20's and I guess we'll be approaching 40 by the time Splatoon 5 is released 😅
Happy for you :)
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
13:34
“Shibuya from ‘the world ends with you’” while showing footage of P5 make me spit out my drink
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.
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.
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.
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)
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.
One of the greatest videos I have ever watched. That entire ending segment got me in the feels, I relate so much to just about everything you said. The ending monologue perfectly sums up the nostalgia I have for this game and series. Thank you for this amazing video and please keep making more like this!
I keep coming back to this video, there's something very special about it, idk just hits me in the feels and I love it
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
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 the best Splatoon video I’ve ever watched. Thank you.
THE FACT THAT WHEN YOU SAID “SHIBUYA” A SCENE FROM PERSONA 5 SHOWED UP DJSJJSDJJDJD
"there seems to be a pattern where the primary enemy of the story is later integrated as a player type" HEY CONSTANTLYCADEN WHERE ARE MY PLAYABLE BEARKIDS
Maybe in the next one.... 🤐
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!
I would bite for Miiverse again
That's on Miiverse webseries gives me so much life
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🥹
25:18 I am glad octo expansion was my big introduction to dlc and the idea behind it
After playing the grand fest a feeling of happiness filled my heart seeing 3 generations of a franchise singing together. I have played since Splat one, 6 yrs old, then splat 2 and now splat 3, 15 years old. Time flies and that sucks,
I remember like it was yesterday when my dad bought a "vacuum" for me, when in actuality it was a secret wiiu for my bday. That and the wii that he got for the whole family when I was 3 or 4 started an insane love for videogames that now translates to me starting a yt channel (3h deepdives about the story and gameplay of games), getting crazy shreeded and wanting to be a game dev.
GREAT VIDEO PLS COME BACK
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.
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!
Thank you. Oh my goodness thank you.
I'm wrapping up junior year of high school right now. Splatoon has been my special interest that has barely ever let up (and a genuine thank you to my autism that's kept me here this whole time) and I've been a fan since I was 10. This video perfectly encapsulates the feelings and the thoughts of growing up with this franchise, and your experiences with growing up and becoming an adult deeply resonate with myself and my anxieties. I still am a kid, I still feel like one, and while I'm preparing my future and picking classes and assessing colleges, I fear I'll always feel like a kid. That I'll still feel inexperienced, inadequate, unable to act on the responsibilities of being an adult. That I'll be behind and alone. That everyone outgrows that kid in themselves. But seeing Craig dance like a child at the end of that section? I bawled like a *baby*.
I'm going to be OK. I'll make it. We all fear we won't, but we have, and we will.
I'm gonna be OK.
Splatoon is my special interest too! What part of Splatoon is the one you prefer?
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. 🔥
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.
This video popped up randomly in my recommended and I’m so glad it did, every point hit really well and it held my intention the entire way through, happy to sun and can’t wait to see you cover Side Order
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!
Banger video, and definitely a long one to enjoy too
Personally by the time Splatoon 3 released I wasn't interested in keeping up with games, but despite that I can't help but to appreciate everything the series does, especially artistically. It's probably my absolute favourite example of diegetic design, as it connects us to so many parts of Inkling culture, and the dedication I felt for Team Order is something I look back fondly on.
Team Order's cyberpunk future would've been better 🤪
I started played splatoon 1 at launch and now I'm 17. I love this series.
This game is beautiful in every way and I found myself crying over it now that the saga is over…
I played Splatoon 1 when I was 14-15 and I could go on forever about how much I love this little squid game
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.
Damn, this video is so relatable, alot of my favorite memories are from videogames, I was 10 when Splatoon 1 released and now I am 18 which is insane
This was simultaneously eye opening, very well done, and incredibly stressful all at once. Splatoon 1 was such an important game for me in high school, along with Smash 4, and they carried that feeling for years, even after they became new games (Splat2 + SmashUlt). But now, being an adult, they just kinda hit different. Doesn’t help that I enjoyed the games more when they were a bit slower compared to their newer iterations. I understand why now though, so thank you for this video and how well it described this transition of mentalities from childhood (in a sense) to adulthood. Though this did make me feel old again, so no thank you for that one! 😂
Splatoon is simultaneously the most innovative 3rd person shooter, an influential demigod, an amazing post-apocalyptic narrative, a phenomenal comment on prejudice and the flow of time, and a gateway drug to vocaloid. And I fucking love it.