Can we stop calling Splatoon a shooter now?

Polygon:

"The word keeps popping up when critics talk about Splatoon, even in our own review, and it's a bit maddening. Shooter. This is Nintendo's take on the online shooter. It's Nintendo's first shooter. I'm guilty of talking about the game in this context as well, but it has to stop."

[DryBoneKoopa85]

Splatoon in a lot of sense is just like Smash Brothers. Smash Brothers is a fighting game. People argue the notion of whether it is. Most people argue the idea because of what they are used to. Gamers have had the idea when it comes to a fighting game you need to drain your enemy's health bar to defeat them. Then Nintendo came along with Smash and turned everything everyone knew about fighting games on it's head.

Smash Brothers changed the rules of how you fight in a fighting game. Splatoon changes the rules in a shooter in a shooting game. Same rules are there but new goals are presented to the player in achieving victory.

Anyone who reads the article should read the comments as well. I found the comments WAY more entertaining. Some really interesting things are brought up and discussed.

[mixelon]

"But! But! *Something something* Polygon! *something something Ben Kucheeeeera!"

[Concertoine]

Ben Kuchera presents stupid articles sometimes too. Just last year he posted that article saying MK8 would be the worst selling in the series with no real logical basis, just a bunch of numbers and statistics taken at face value. And less than a year later, he's already been proven wrong and the article is already taken down in shame.

[mixelon]

@Concertoine I was joking really, I have no particular opinion on Ben or his articles. :) I've just seen a lot of hand-wringing over him and Polygon so thought I'd joke at the hate machine's expense.

I don't doubt that he posts derpy stuff sometimes.

[XisThatKid]

Metroid isn't a shooter? Jetforce Gemini third person shooter. I guess Nintendo didn't have shooters.

[Loadedklip]

At Least this means Nintendo doesn't straight up rip off other people's ideas. But rather does their own very unique take on a popular genre. So unique that many believe it isn't even part of that exact genre.

[InTheLab]

Umm... What would you call Amiibo?

[GordonKnight]

@InTheLab

They put their spin NFC as well. Amiibos can be used with a number of games. Not just one game.

[Blacklash93]

It's true that Smash Bros and Splatoon are different from the rest, but I don't buy the idea that they shouldn't be thought as some form of those genres.

What else are we gonna call them, if we can't call them Fighter or Shooter? Because fighting and shooting are exactly what you do in those two games, respectively.

[comebackkid9891]

Smash would forfeit the distinction if translated to 3D (something street fighter and mortal kombat retained). Smash is a platformer.

[Peace_Love_and_FPS]

Name another platformer which has 4 person battles on a small area, variations of light, heavy, grab, super etc. attacks, health (which I prefer personally over damage %), and as many character as... Hm.. Feeling generous, so brawl. Actually melee for that matter.

The answer is "there isn't one", but in case you missed it there's this whole genre, with character selection screens similar to smash, character types like smash, gameplay mechanics similar to smash... Its called the Fighting genre. Smash is a fighting game.

[comebackkid9891]

Power Stone?

[3-4-5]

* Your shooting something, constantly, so yea it is technically a shooter.

It is however, a different type of shooter in that shooting others isn't the main aspect like it is in other games.

* Randomly shooting at the walls in a normal shooter would be pointless and would serve no purpose.

In splatoon, it's a huge part of the game, so in that sense it is a brand new kind of shooter.

It's going to take time for gamers to adjust to what Splatoon is, but once they do I think it will hold it's own place in the shooter market just fine.

[Masterchief_thegoat]

It is a shooter game. You shooting nothing but rainbow lol

[paddy95]

I played the same concept in LittlebigPlanet years ago. Also the Unfinished Swan idea came from levels made in LBP1 7 years ago to name just a few that took their ideas from far more talented community creators.

[WeAreLegion]

Well, I'll give you that Media Molecule is one of the most talented studios in the history of the medium, but give these guys some credit. They've built a great game here. Also, The Unfished Swan freaking rules. Haha. I can't wait for Giant Sparrow's next game.

[Spotie]

I agree with you, buy he's got a point that I didn't even notice, and that a lot of Nintendo fans here won't accept, as far as lbp is concerned.

[WeAreLegion]

I totally agree. Haha. LBP is a masterpiece that I think any good dev needs to take a long look at. Media Molecule games have a charm about them that Nintendo games haven't touched since the SNES. That's a hard pill to swallow, but there it is.

[OhMyGandhi]

your right, it should be called a "squirter" :)

[Kal-V3]

"Hey man, have you played Nintendo's new Squirter?"

I like it!

[memots]

imagine the Amibo for this ....

[FallenAngel1984]

If the paint were replaced with blood, people would have no problems calling this a shooter

[TheUpbringer]

Does it have a gun? Does it shoot stuff?

It's a shooter.

[Jyndal]

May as well call GTA or Red Dead a shooter then. Telltale's The Walking Dead has guns that shoot stuff. Is it a shooter?

[Summons75]

Well GTA and RD are Third person shooters when the gameplay primarily revolves around guns.

[Masterchief_thegoat]

Gta and red dead is a.a, because you do things, that not all can resolve with guns. While splatoon is creative shooter game.

[Spotie]

Except Splatoon is built around shooting things.

[N0TaB0T]

What's wrong with calling it a shooter?

I guess because Splatoon isn't *insert military grit setting here*.

[mhunterjr]

Why stop calling it a shooter... It's about sending projectiles out of guns...

These just happen to be liquid paint guns...

Yes it's a very unique take on the genre, less focus on quick aim, with a novel approach to team strategy... But it isn't a new genre...

[Jyndal]

Everytime I look at this I'm reminded of Small Arms and, for some reason, Power Stone.

[WeAreLegion]

You shoot though. That's a shooter. Jesus, Polygon. It doesn't matter what connotation the word "shooter" carries with it. It matters that it IS a shooter. So, it's a shooter.

[GzusKreist]

Can we stop calling polygon a games website now?

[Kal-V3]

Oh..if only.

[Germany7]

Well said.

[Peace_Love_and_FPS]

If your comment gets a single disagree, my faith in N4G will be lost. We've been saying it for so long, it needs to end. The anti-gamer views, the blatant cash grabs and under the table deals, and their consistently idiotic articles.

I don't honestly think they know what a shooter is.. Or a good game.. They're paid because a bunch of people who either don't know any better or are morons visit their twisted, sick, idea of what gaming and a gaming site should be.

The end of gamers is nigh, and Polygon is the antichrist, so if you don't want polygons to go extinct, then its about time Polygon goes extinct.

[Summons75]

No it is a shooter, just because it's not call of duty doesn't make it anything else. It's an arena shooter plain and simple.

[Dudebro90]

Its a shooter...you shoot things...

[nesiguess]

Its a paintballer???

[Coachkeys]

Lol what's with the nitpicking. Sorry Nintendo Splatooned in your Call of Duty cheerios.

[Zulehan]

If we have a problem calling Splatoon a shooter, maybe we should rethink or expand our understanding of the shooter.

Does Super Paper Mario stop being a platformer because of its focus on storytelling and its use of RPG elements?

[contradictory]

it just goes a bit out of the norms, it's still clearly a shooter..

[wheresmymonkey]

If something controls like a shooter, plays a lot like a shooter, than its a shooter. the characters use gun to shoot the floor.

Its a shooter. Its also one of the best shooters i've played in years. original unreal tournament good.