Splatoon 3’s Grand Fest Event happened September 13-16, 2024. The Grand Fest was a live concert set in a new area of the game in which the three diva bands from the three games, Callie and Marie; Marina and Pearl; and Shiver, Frye, and Big Man, rotate the stages and sing the songs that they’re best known for. It was kind of a big deal. In making the time to play this event, it got me reminiscing a little bit about the impact that Splatoon has made in my life not just as a player, but as a content creator as well!
It all started with Splatoon 2. The game came out on the Switch and since I didn’t have a Wii U despite what some videos might have led on, I never was able to experience the first game in the series. The game was a breath of fresh air for someone who enjoyed shooter games but didn’t like series like Call of Duty or Medal of Honor. It was quirky, colorful, and fun! In 2019, I decided I would take a day a week and devote it to Splatoon 2 so I could hone my skills a bit. I wasn’t expecting to be amazing or anything, but it was good to have that consistent game to stream.
With that streaming came friends. My current mod FalcoFlyer found me because I happened to be playing the game. Because of Falco (I think), I was introduced to the Splatoon/Variety streamer Fish and all of the Splatoon players in his community. Needless to say, if I ever wanted to play or talk Splatoon, I had a community that I could rely on.
As the game dwindled in popularity after the Final Fest in Splatoon 2, my streamer friends kind of went their own ways, but I was able to maintain those relationships even without the game which was amazing.
Splatoon 3 eventually came out and a lot of friends didn’t really latch on to the game at first. I was hooked and got the game on release. I wasn’t as entrenched in the game although I did enjoy it! I’d play most of the Splatfests when I was available and still made time to play every once in a while.
Even in Splatoon 3 I found friendship through games. I got a bit of a regular team with Kirik the Orc, A MACHINE, WatermelonOrc and Lady_Chuckleton. It was so much fun getting together and playing games and just hanging out in Discord while we Splatoon!
The coolest thing in my opinion about Splatoon as a series is how they’ve created a whole culture of music and fashion inside the series. There are so many different musical groups and fashion brands that any player can make their own fashion combos to their heart’s content.
When Splatoon 3 announced their Grand Fest and the fact that all three of the main music groups were going to not only have their own stages but also combine for a number, my heart leaped. Despite not playing the first game, Callie and Marie have had a presence in both games and I’ve definitely grown attached to these characters.
Having all three of the groups singing together was ethereal. Nintendo really outdid themselves with the production that went into this festival. I’m incredibly happy that I shared this event with so many of my friends, as I played with so many of my streamer friends, like Kirik, WatermelonOrc, Josh Jepson, and more!
While a lot of people associate me with Banjo-Kazooie, Splatoon has an almost equal part in my heart. I’m so glad of the community that I’ve found through the game and the content I created because of it.
