Semi-Obscure Splatoon Facts!

I just launched my biggest project yet that I've been working on for more than two years:

splatoonlore.ink, a website that makes any lore info you could imagine easily accessible. From Sunken Scrolls to Developer Interviews and more obscure info like the CD Booklet articles, there's tons of stuff you can explore right now!

I also made a video going over what the website has to offer, check it out!

Also, I recently launched a Patreon, so if you like the stuff I do and want to support me, this is the best way!

https://www.patreon.com/ardnin

splatoonlore.ink is a website containing all the info on Splatoon's lore there is, from the in-game Sunken Scrolls to obscure info hidden in barely accessible media, after more than two years of development the website is finally launching!

You can check it out right now: splatoonlore.ink

wouldn't it be crazy if it got fully fan translated and typeset. cover to cover. that sure would be crazy. anyway don't click this google doc link. and be sure to avoid this internet archive link.

fav bits from the update:

-ik the origins of nintendo as a brand in splatoon were assumed to be something along these lines, but never officially stated until now -another clear-cut addition to the "marine mammals are dead" pile. my old video becomes even more correct

-i remember this bit about sea sponges and barazushi from an old tweet, but still neat. (i dont remember it being specified that it was in the western part of the splatlands though) -i think many ppl missed that tri stringer shots are popsicles? maybe someone coming across splatoon base today will learn a cool fun fact

I'm laying the most controversial piece of Splatoon lore to rest once and for all: Yes. And it's more important than you think.

/s

Haikara Walker Translations: Up & Coming

A timeline of all the major bands that emerged in the Inkling/Octo music scene over the past few years,  now in English by yours truly.

Haikara Walker Translations: Inkopolis Fashion Movement

My latest translations from pages 78 - 81 of the Japanese-only Splatoon artbook, HaikaraWalker. Have you ever wondered where the freshest Inklings hung out before Inkopolis Plaza? Whether or not you’ve asked yourself that, I’m here to tell you that they hung out in a place called the Inkopolis Backstreets (or at least that’s my best translation of the name), which is now the tutorial area of Splatoon 2. The article also talks about the emergence of various fashions and brands of Inkopolis, especially the history of the brand Firefin. It’s a lil long, but read my translation of it all below if it strikes your fancy.

(artbook scans by @milkiemilkshake)

What do you make of this sign?

Apparently the letters on it roughly translate to the message above

Plus, the tune that would have played if Team Present won

these are just the ones that play in their respective games, so team future would have just had the normal deep cut one. i'll put it for completeness

IN ANOTHER WORLD THIS COULD BE OUR SETLIST. CAN YOU IMAGINE???????? GAH I WISH SOBS

I've gotten a hold of a very rare issue of Nintendo Dream from October 2017, containing an interview with the Splatoon developers. like seriously, i hadn't seen any documentation of this anywhere. HUGE huge thanks to @squidhominid, who spent Too Much Money to buy a copy and scan it!! Since a lot of it is formatted in blurbs like what's pictured above, I'd been unsure how to organize and share translations...I've decided I will gradually share snippets of it like so and compile it all later. Please be patient. Translation under the cut.

NOTE: weapons are ALWAYS inconsistent with the promo kids. their names may be assigned to different models as well. their first appearance is what they are usually seen as, and whatever weapon they "main" are based on renders/what they use in trailers.

SPLATOON 1

The skin tones are very inconsistent with everyone pictured.

TOP ROW: Kaori, John, Mizuho, Rul

BOTTOM ROW: Pit, Laura, Yuriko, Yuya

Kaori and John are the "Agent 3"s. Yuriko and Yuya do not have official renders.

SPLATOON 2

The skin tones are inconsistent, mainly with those with darker skin tones (unfortunately).

TOP ROW: Surume, Cuttlefrsh (Cuttlefresh in the earliest known trailer), Kou, Kensaki

BOTTOM ROW: KelpShot, Splashley, Tof-U, Yari

Surume and Cuttlefrsh are the "Agent 4"s, though Cuttlefrsh/Male Agent 4 is only ever depicted once (discounting coroika). Yari does have a transparent render, I just prefer the one with the roller (though, I wish I could find the transparent version of it).

OCTO EXPANSION (bonus)

BONUS: even though the renders used to represent Agent 8 are wildly inconsistent, there's two regular octoling renders that people believe are linked to them. Their names come from Octolings that look very similar to them in the offline version of the lobby. (Patricia and Steven). Sometimes Patricia is referred to as Naomi due to misinfo. They're like, promo kid adjacent to me.

SPLATOON 3 (the most popular and consistent)

VeronIKA and TakoTruck's skintones are inconsistent :(

Eyecolors for VeronIKA, Hirooooo, and AnemoneNo1 are inconsistent

TOP ROW: VeronIKA, Hirooooo (five o's), AnemoneNo1, TakoTruck

BOTTOM ROW: Stephanie, kAyOss (the k is not meant to be capitalized im dumb, image is inaccurate), C4L4M4R, YARRwhal

VeronIKA and Hirooooo are the "Neo Agent 3"s (though, Hirooooo is only used once for the artbook)

There is also an instance where Hirooooo's name is misspelled (only four o's) but i didnt want to find the image

BONUS

Tof-U is technically present in one of the gameplay showcases(?) I believe it's an error

kAyOss used to look different and was most likely combined with the unrelated promotional character shown next to them (who was used for Wireglasses/Glassless in Coroika)

To put it short there's evidence both for and against them existing, and this is without me actually looking anything up so i might be missing something.

cases for chickens being extant: there's been chickens present in SOME form in several splatfests, they're not mammals so they're not NECESSARILY extinct, despite being domesticated animals and thus being unlikely to survive it doesn't mean it'd be IMPOSSIBLE because pigeons and other relatively human-dependent birds still survive in Splatoon, and of course there are many instances of Eggs being a staple in inkling culinary culture. egg is everywhere

cases for chickens being extinct: we only actually See chickens (or chicken, as in food) in splatfest art and splatfest dialogue which isn't (or at least definitely wasn't until Splatoon 3) canon-compliant at all. We havent actually seen chickens in-universe to my knowledge, nor had them mentioned outside splatfest. probably the biggest nail in the coffin is that there IS a chicken statue in Splatsville, and typically when there are big animal statues in the cities those are statues depicting extinct animals. this is something from an interview that touched on the crane and tortoise statues in Inkopolis Square; which also confirms that it wasn't JUST MAMMALS that suffered and went extinct, it was also other miscellaneous land animals and even random birds which I think me and initially a lot of other people thought were just. Fine and safe. But if a random bird like a crane can be extinct now then chickens are absolutely not safe just because they're not mammals. although eggs are in like every food it's not really been confirmed in any way that those are CHICKEN eggs (although that is the most likely), they could as well be farming domesticated pigeons or something

So really it's a big case of no real confirmation they DO exist, but also no real confirmation they DON'T exist, but also the only context we see them in-universe is in a context where every other animal depicted there IS extinct and it's like a lore thing. So the existence of eggs is a big hint TOWARDS them existing but could easily mean nothing whereas the other one is more in line with proving they do not exist. it is a very uncertain situation for the chicken

HOWEVER!!!!!! there is hope for the chicken. splatfests in Splatoon 3 have had more in-universe accurate themes and dialogue so far (meaning they dont randomly make up shit like "marina's landlord is a narwhal" and "inklings eat red meat" or whatever the fuck in that sea food vs mountain food one we didnt even have that one it was regional). SO THIS MEANS! in the next splatfest we Could get a somewhat stable answer to if chickens exist or not. of course the other 2 options are extinct animals whereas the chicken is 50/50. i'm HOPING the dialogue touches upon this fact and doesn't just talk about all of those like they just Exist. basically we are very close to some kind of progress on this issue that would be Somewhat credible because while splatfest dialogue has never been a credible source in the past, it has been WAY better in S3