You remember the neon pink and green joy-cons, right? Back in 2017, the world felt a little simpler, and Nintendo was betting the farm on a sequel to a Wii U game most people never actually played because, well, nobody owned a Wii U. When Nintendo Switch Splatoon 2 dropped, it didn’t just iterate; it basically defined the early "must-have" era of the Switch. It was messy. It was loud. It was aggressively stylish.
Honestly, it’s easy to look at the third game in the series and think the second one is just some dusty relic sitting on a shelf. But that’s a mistake.
The game is a weird time capsule. It’s the bridge between the experimental roots of the Inklings and the polished, hyper-fast chaos we have now. If you’re jumping back in, or picking it up for the first time because you found a cheap cartridge at a garage sale, you’ll notice something immediately: the vibe is different. It’s less "end of the world" and more "Saturday morning in Shibuya."
The Salmon Run Paradox
Let's talk about the mode that ruined sleep schedules globally. Salmon Run in Splatoon 2 is genuinely harder than the version in the sequel. Not because the mechanics are better, but because it feels more claustrophobic. You've got restricted weapon rotations that sometimes feel like the game is actively trolling you. Ever tried taking down three Flyfish with a slow-rolling Splat Roller while your teammates are spamming "This way!" from across the map? It’s stressful.
💡 You might also like: Epic Games Football Manager 2024: What Most People Get Wrong
But that stress is why it works.
In Splatoon 2, Salmon Run wasn't always available. Nintendo had this bizarre scheduling system where the Grizzco boats only opened at specific times. We all hated it then. Looking back, though, it created this weird "event" feel. When the gates opened, you had to play. You weren't just grinding for scales; you were surviving a shift. The rewards felt more tangible because they were fleeting.
The maps—places like Lost Outpost or Ruins of Ark Polaris—have a specific architectural grit. Polaris, in particular, with its ride rails circling a giant decaying structure, offers a verticality that still feels unique. It’s not just about the ink; it’s about the movement.
Why the Single Player Campaign Actually Matters
Most people skip the Hero Mode. They think it's just a glorified tutorial. They're mostly right, but they're also missing out on the lore that actually makes the world of Inkopolis feel lived-in.
Marie is your guide here. She’s dry, cynical, and clearly over the whole "Great Zapfish is missing" drama. The level design in the Octo Canyon is essentially a series of puzzles that teach you how to think with ink. It’s not about aim; it’s about momentum. You’re grinding rails, hitting switches, and dodging the Octarians in ways that the multiplayer doesn't always demand.
Then there is the Octo Expansion.
If you own Nintendo Switch Splatoon 2 and haven't played Octo Expansion, you haven't actually played the game. This DLC changed everything. It shifted the tone from "pop-star fun" to "existential synth-wave horror." You play as Agent 8, an Octoling with amnesia trapped in a massive underground testing facility. It’s hard. Like, "throw your Switch across the room" hard.
The expansion introduced 80 missions that stripped away your safety nets. Some levels don't even let you use a weapon; you’re just navigating a ball through a maze or protecting an orb from heat-seeking missiles. It was the moment Nintendo proved Splatoon could be a high-skill platformer, not just a shooter. And the music? The "Into the Light" finale? It’s peak Nintendo.
The Meta: A Messy History of Sting Rays and Ink Armor
If you talk to competitive players about the Splatoon 2 meta, they usually get a thousand-yard stare. It was the era of the Sting Ray.
For the uninitiated, the Sting Ray was a global-range thermal beam that could shoot through walls. It was broken. It was terrifying. In high-level Ranked Battle—specifically Tower Control—it meant you could never truly feel safe. But there’s a certain nostalgia for that chaos. The game relied heavily on Specials like Ink Armor, which gave your whole team a temporary shield.
- Turf War: Still the soul of the game. Paint the floor. That’s it.
- Ranked Modes: Splat Zones, Tower Control, Rainmaker, and Clam Blitz.
- League Battle: Where the real sweaties went to play in coordinated pairs or quads.
The movement in the second game feels "heavier" than the third. You don't have the Squid Roll or the Squid Surge. This means your positioning has to be more deliberate. You can’t just parry an incoming shot with a flick of the joystick. You have to outplay people with raw fundamentals.
The Gear System is a Massive Time Sink (In a Good Way)
The fashion in Inkopolis Square is better than Inkopolis Splatsville. There, I said it. The brands like Toni Kensa or Enperry felt like actual streetwear labels you’d see in a high-end Tokyo boutique.
Scrubbing slots with Murch is a ritual. You spend thousands of G coins to wipe a piece of gear, hoping to get those sweet, sweet Sub Resistance or Ink Recovery Up chunks. It’s a grind, sure, but it’s a rewarding one. There was something deeply satisfying about finally rolling a "pure" set—a shirt with three identical sub-abilities that made you feel like a god on the battlefield.
Is the Online Still Active?
Surprisingly, yes.
You might wait two minutes for a lobby instead of thirty seconds, but the community is dedicated. You’ll run into a lot of "Prestige" players—the ones with the little star next to their level—who never moved on to the third game. They stayed because they prefer the maps. Maps like The Reef or Manta Maria have a flow that some fans feel was lost in the later, more "linear" map designs of the sequel.
The lack of official Splatfests is a bummer, obviously. We won't ever get another "Chaos vs. Order" or "Mayo vs. Ketchup" (which was a bloodbath, by the way). But the core game loop remains intact.
The Technical Reality
Let’s be real for a second. The game runs at a solid 60 FPS in matches, but the resolution takes a hit in handheld mode. It can look a bit blurry on the original Switch screen compared to the OLED model. Also, the tick rate of the servers—or lack thereof, since it’s peer-to-peer—means you will occasionally get "splatted" by someone who died three seconds ago. It’s a Nintendo online experience. You know what you’re signing up for.
Despite the quirks, the art direction carries it. The ink looks viscous and reflective. The sound design is squelchy and satisfying. Every weapon, from the Dualie Squelchers to the Tenta Brella, feels like a physical object with weight and consequence.
Real Insights for Returning Players
If you are digging out your copy of Nintendo Switch Splatoon 2, here is what you actually need to do to have a good time:
- Check your sensitivity: The motion controls are still the gold standard. If you’re playing with just the sticks, you’re playing with a handicap. Crank that sensitivity up to at least +2 and learn to aim with your wrists.
- Finish Octo Expansion: Don't just do it for the story. Do it because it unlocks the ability to play as an Octoling in multiplayer, which is still the ultimate flex in the second game.
- Salmon Run Strategy: In the second game, the "Snatcher" birds are your best friends if you know how to use them. Let them carry eggs closer to the basket before you pop them. It saves time on the commute.
- Buy the Kensa Collection: These weapons were added late in the game’s life cycle and are generally some of the most balanced and fun kits to use. The black-and-white aesthetic is also top-tier.
Nintendo Switch Splatoon 2 isn't just a prequel. It’s a specific flavor of competitive shooter that we probably won't see again. It was the peak of the "Inkopolis" era before the series went all Mad Max with the third entry. It’s bright, it’s frustrating, it’s stylish, and it’s still one of the best reasons to own a Switch.
✨ Don't miss: Gregg Lee: Why the Night in the Woods Fox Still Matters
To get the most out of the experience now, focus on the single-player content you likely skipped during the height of the multiplayer craze. The Octo Expansion remains one of the finest pieces of level design Nintendo has ever produced. Once you've cleared the "Girl Power" station or the final boss gauntlet, your mechanical skill in the multiplayer modes will have naturally leveled up beyond anything you could learn in a standard Turf War. Check the Nintendo eShop for the DLC if you don't have it yet; it's often bundled with the Switch Online Expansion Pack.