Splatoon, released in 2015 for the Wii U, is one of Nintendo’s best new franchises in recent years. Its unique world, slang, style, and colorful characters all combined to give Nintendo a fresh hit for the whole family. This July not only brings Splatoon 2 to the Nintendo Switch, but The Art of Splatoon to bookstore shelves. With a cover price of $39.99, it’s hard to recommend it to anyone that’s not a diehard fan, but if “Stay Fresh!” is now in your DNA, this is an amaz-ink book for your Splatoon collection.
If you’ve ever picked up Dark Horse’s other art books for video game franchises like The Legend of Zelda and Mass Effect, you know what to expect: gorgeous art in a large, comprehensive volume, along with details about the game’s story and development you won’t find anywhere else. The Art of Splatoon is no exception.
The most striking pages in the book are the colorful two-page spreads showcasing the vivid world of Splatoon. You get a real idea of the creative worldbuilding Nintendo concocted when inventing Inkopolis and its inhabitants’ history. (That’s right, Inklings have a history.)
The only downside is that most of the text describing the art and designs feels translated from Japanese. Whether it’s due to the sentence structure or vocabulary, the text is obviously translated and slightly jarring. But that doesn’t make the content any less fascinating.
From character design to level design, you’ll never look at Splatoon the same way after you flip through this art book. There are tons of beautiful little details that you probably didn’t notice because you were busy diving headfirst into ink or getting splatted by your opponents. From the graffiti on the walls to the designs on your character’s clothes, you’ll notice something new every time you pick up The Art of Splatoon.
Because the 320-page book is such high quality, it comes with a high price tag that casual fans might balk at. But if you love the game or you’re enchanted by game concept art, it’s a fantastic investment: The characters leap off every page in a splash of color that captures the ink-flinging action of the game perfectly.
The Art of Splatoon will be available from Dark Horse Comics on July 11, 2017 for a retail price of $39.99.
GeekMom received a promotional copy for review purposes.
All Images © Nintendo / Dark Horse Comics
