15 Best Nintendo Games of 2015

2. Splatoon

I’ve stayed up later than I should’ve way too many nights due to Nintendo’s new IP, the inky splatterfest of an online shooter, Splatoon, making a glorious colorful mess and inducing the gurgling death throes of my cephalopod enemies. Credit extremely satisfying gameplay with short bursts of fast and furious matches that make it the king of “just one more game and I’ll turn it off” false promises, along with more depth than I would’ve thought from a game that initially boasted only one style of multiplayer and five maps, and you’ve got one of the freshest, most enjoyable, and addicting games I’ve played on the Wii U in a while.

Bucking the conventional wisdom that cleanliness is next to godliness, the brilliance of Splatoon lies in the simple accessibility; anyone can pick this game up and start contributing right away. While drowning enemies in your inky blasts is certainly fun and often extremely helpful, even those who aren’t crack shots can be productive, as spraying every inch of the ground is really the whole point anyway. Who needs precision aiming? This is made fun by mechanics that are easily learned and implemented regardless of preference, whether using motion controls or the right stick to aim, and the intensity of the matches, each of which lasts a mere three minutes. If you and your team of suckers are getting embarrassed by your opponents, the beating will end mercifully soon and you all can go on to the next one.

Splatoon has established itself rapidly into a megahit new franchise and  represents Nintendo at its creative best. It’s unique take on the shooter genre injects life into a stale formula, innovating in such unexpected and surprising ways that after many months and many battles, the itch to ink everything around is still strong. Ultimately, Splatoon is a wonderful mess. (Patrick Murphy)

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