I have never been what you might call an avid gamer, but over a year ago, part out of nostalgia, part out of midlife crisis, part out of boredom.. I bought a Nintendo Switch.. OK.. let's be honest.. I bought it for Zelda: Breath of the Wild!
Either way, I got a few games to try out with the boys when I order the console/handheld hybrid. Mostly big name Nintendo headliners, like Mario Kart and Mario Odyssey.
When I was back visiting The States for Christmas last year, a mate of mine, who was also a Switch owner, turned me on to a game that I thought would hold little interest for me.. boy was I wrong..
~ Splatoon 2: Chaos vs Order ~
Final Splatfest
Splatoon 2 took me by surprise. It's fun, high-paced challenging and original... and it's extremely addicting.
I'm one of those people that becomes fixated on learning something until I've mastered it.. I learn every nook and cranny, and surpass causal players or hobbyists. But then I run out of steam, or something new catches my attention, and what once hinged on a 24-hour round the clock obsession, sits on a shelf, collecting dust and going stale.
January 2018 started my love affair with Splatoon 2, Nintendo's quirky, fresh online Third-Person shooter. I would stay up through the night, mastering how to use a certain weapon, or practicing a new technique I thought might give me an advantage.
At times I would rock it, but others I would make frustrating mistakes, but either outcome usually resulted in a compulsive.. "one more round.." perpetually in my brain. The highlights of these online shoot-em-up turf wars would be a monthly 24-hour global tournament deemed "Splatfest!" A splatfest was always prefaced with a choice of a side.. like what is the better condiment, Ketchup or Mayo.. or a more philosophical blood vs water conundrum choosing Fam or Friends.. winners would be counted upon votes, team wins and pro wins. I couldn't put the game down.. until I could..
src
Yeah, too many sleepless nights led to too many grumpy frustrated days.. Among other things.. So I put the Nintendo aside, and when I revisited it, it was only because a new game that I was interested in came out.
To be honest, nothing was as fun or addictive as Splatoon 2. But I never went back.. However, I saw recently online that after 2 years of ongoing online support (including monthly patches, dlc, free gear, crossover events and the splatfests of course!), Nintendo is cutting the chord.
Yup.. after July, all events for the game will be discontinued.. It's funny.. I haven't played the game in over a year, but I find myself devastated that the prospect of getting back into it suddenly being ripped away from me. In my mind, I guess I thought.. well, in an ideal world, I could live a healthy productive life AND have all the time I wanted to indulge in video games..
In any case, I guess it's not without fair warning, Nintendo is hosting a Splatfest to end all splatfests with an apocalyptic theme of Chaos vs Order.. instead of the usual 24 hour mayhem, this ultimate battle royale event will run all weekend.. yup, 72 hours of inking up your opponents to see who has the better claim of how the world should be run.
I have signed up for a team already, and hope to at least find a quite portion of the weekend to slip in a few matches.. for old times sake.. and to say, I was there.. I participated in the grand finale, and my efforts, no matter how minuscule, played a role in determining the outcome of the world of Inkopolis.. 😎