It’s such a minor detail, but because of it, Minegishi (who solo composes the bulk of the songs) has created tunes that make you go “Oh yeah, that one’s by the Squid Squad!”. A good chunk of the songs are by bands in-universe. The best way to actually talk about the music in Splatoon is to play along with the game’s own creative decision. In a way, it feels as though the album has come right off the store shelves from the game’s own Inkopolis City. Rarely do I take the time to compliment something as trivial as this, but it’s just charming and puts a smile on my face. The inside booklet is chock full of artwork, and some of it has never even seen the light of day until the album’s release. It’s such a needlessly aesthetic touch, but it works wonders. The album comes with a multitude of eye-catching, adorable album covers that you can swap out with the official one. Something to appreciate right away with Splatune is its presentation. Two of Nintendo’s in-house composers, Toru Minegishi and Shiho Fujii, have crafted something that only they could have made. Yet oddly poor choices made with the way the album mixes its song selection prevents Splatune from perfectly reflecting its game’s creative heights.

Its soundtrack was eventually released by Enterbrain as a two-disc set, Splatune. Drawing influences from both Western and Japanese musical styles, Splatoon‘s sound design is an ink-credible triumph.

It’s a bold statement to make, but rarely does a game soundtrack become so heavily remixed and cited as a modern day classic. What is the true essence of a squid or a kid? Is it the tentacles that dangle freely from the body of a cephalopod, or the innocent nature of a human child? Regardless, Nintendo’s Splatoon has one of the most uniquely memorable soundtracks in recent years.

Splatoon 2 ost record