Splatoon 3’s best outfits highlight its sense of fashion

After the publication of Splatoon 3, I have developed a nightly ritual of strolling the game’s Splatsville hub. At 8:08 p.m. ET, the server is reset. I then immerse myself into Inkling fashion.

Long-time gamers will find new opportunities for expression with the daily reset. In-game shops stock a new selection of Inkling apparel, with new abilities and ratings. The square is bustling with avatars enjoying and showing off the Splatsville vibes.

The game allows you to travel quickly between shops, but I can’t help but walk through the streets.

Every day, I visit the amiibo booth to have a chat with the Off the Hook crew. Marina may even give me the Marinated Headphones, which I had been wanting for so long. Splatoon’s unlocks give you new avatars. Every amiibo only offers one item, but each amiibo has 14 exclusive Splatoon items. These visits to amiibo have been a part of my daily routine.

After leaving Marina I might stop at a nearby park bench or storefront for a picture op. Once I’ve immortalized my latest outfit with a picture, I continue my sojourn through the square, stopping at each new avatar I come across. With the in-game shops’ commitment to rotating outfits, other players in the square are likely to be sporting gear I have not yet seen.

Each player has their own style and I find it fascinating how they choose to display that. Some may prefer Tentatek’s sporty style, while others might be more drawn to the minimalistic stylings of Toni Kensa or Zekko’s skate-punk look. Should I spot an avatar repping the Rockenberg Punk Whites I have been looking for, I will place a quick order with Murch before heading off to visit Jel La Fleur over at Man-o’-Wardrobe clothing. If I am fortunate, he may stock the Toni Kensa Brand Orca Bolero I was trying to pair it with my Barazushi Ink–Black Flap Cap.

Image: Nintendo via Matthew Pilkington

With Splatoon 3The number of brands in the university has increased to 22. No two brands stock the same gear, with selections ranging from Annaki’s post-punk counterculture aesthetic to Zink’s athletic attire, Splash Mob’s university fashion, and beyond. With so many brands cycling through Man-o’-Wardrobe, Mr. Coco’s Crush Station, and Gnarly Eddy and Nails’ Naut Couture, there are always new possibilities for me to expand my wardrobe and express myself.

You can play a game similar to FortniteWhile I could spend $20 on the opportunity to transform my avatar into Goku, it is not worth the extra cosmetic bragging rights. Splatoon fashion serves another purpose. Each piece of clothing has the ability to change my play style, in addition to cosmetic customization.

Unfortunately, if you find a valuable piece of gear it is unlikely that it will be able to gain the highest value abilities. Each item’s level up assigns sub abilities randomly. Some brands prefer specific abilities. While I spend a lot of time leveling gear up, sometimes it is frustrating not to be able unlock the abilities that I wanted.

Each iteration has seen improvements in player control and loadouts. You can find it here. Splatoon 3It’s easier than ever before to display my individual style and not sacrifice combat effectiveness.

In the original Splatoon, the urchin NPC Spyke allowed players to view other avatars in the game’s square, select up to three clothing options, and order them to be delivered over subsequent days.

Players could also pay for slots or sub-abilities to be added to the fashion-on-demand platform. It was more effective to pick the most valuable skills and level up more outfits than to choose from the list of available options.

Image: Nintendo via Matthew Pilkington

With Spyke’s retirement in Splatoon 2Murch was also added to this series, allowing players to better combine function and fashion.

Murch enabled players to totally scrub their subabilities in exchange for ability pieces that allowed them to place a sub ability on their preferred piece of clothing. Splatoon 3This system has been expanded to permit the replacement of main capabilities and the strengthening of gear ratings.

For players to remain competitive they don’t have to sacrifice their personal style.

SplatNet 2 is a Nintendo Switch Online App tie-in that was launched in 2017. Players could choose from a variety of clothes and have them delivered to their homes. SplatNet 3 in 2022, further enhanced the system. Players can now track their “Freshest Fits” (saved loadouts, which were previously only available via amiibo support), and order parts of a daily curated outfit from one of the game’s many in-universe designers.

SplatNet 3 allows players to also browse the site. Splatoon 3’s full seasonal catalogs.

Adopting the now ubiquitous battle pass embraced by most free-to-play shooters, Nintendo’s version is a Seasonal Catalog which models the series’ fashion-forward design philosophy. This system does not have a real-money option, which means that players are able to access it for free. Unlocks will arrive at a fixed rate.

The catalogs offer players new clothes, accessories and winning poses. The catalogs change every three months so players have a wide range of fashion options. It can make it difficult for players to decide what clothes to wear, since avatars only have three options.

Image: Nintendo via Matthew Pilkington

Nintendo added lockers that can be customized to reduce stress and make it easier to pick. These lockers are primarily used to display Moai-themed memes. However, they can also be customized with stickers and trinkets. They even have customizable racks and shelves that you can use for your gear.

Players rise in rank, so locker sizes and options change. Hotlantis offers locker color options and locker sizes that increase in size as players reach levels 15, 30, and 31. To differentiate themselves further from the rest of Splatsville, these incremental unlocks allow users to get involved with Splatoon.

Being a fan of the series from the very beginning, it has been a joy to see Nintendo adopt its fashion-forward design philosophy and allow me to express my opinions to others. While the core gameplay is the same since 2015, I find many minor additions to gameplay distract from the true experience. For me, designing the avatar that represents me best has been the most rewarding part of my gaming experience.

There are more options to customize gear, better ways to show my favourite outfits and a wider range of Inkling brands and styles. It’s never been easier to embrace Inkling fashion.