Which Splatoon game has the best hub area?

[ScOULaris]

Having just finished up a Splatfest weekend in Splatoon 3, I've now seen most of what the newest in-game hub in the series (Splatsville) has to offer in both its normal daytime state and during the wild, neon rumpus that it erupts into during Splatfests. The hub cities/areas of Splatoon games play a huge role in conveying a sense of place and the feeling of being part of a friendly, global online community. I've always found them to be a huge part of the appeal of the series along with everything else that the developers put into each game from presentational and world-building standpoints.

The question is, which game had the best plaza and why?

I'd say that the original's Inkopolis Plaza just barely beats out Splatsville for me, with Square coming in a distant last place. Inkopolis Square in Splatoon 2 always felt a bit too cramped and dingy to me, especially coming from the bright and lively Plaza in Splatoon 1. I really appreciate the size of Splatsville and how many things there are to see and do in it, but Plaza remains my overall favorite because of its atmosphere.

The Splatoon games have all been occurring in chronological order, with each game taking place several years after the previous. The Inklings themselves are even aging and growing with each successive game, and I think that the maturation of the locales and culture as the series progresses is meant to reflect that. That said, I just really love the childlike innocence of both Splatoon 1 overall and the Plaza as its hub. It really feels like a bright, sunny day in a Squid Kid version of Shibuya Crossing. Whenever I revisit Splatoon 1 on the Wii U for any reason, the vibes of the Plaza bring me right back to how I felt when I first got into the series. Splatoon 1 just has that 90's Nickelodeon feel that I personally think has become a little bit subdued in the sequels, regardless of how much they've improved the formula otherwise.

Also, Splatoon 1 has both the best idols/hosts and the best shopkeepers in the series, easily. So for me, Plaza takes the crown despite a valiant effort by Splatsville.

 

[Regiruler]

Splatsville > Plaza > Square

Plaza had some fun topography to play around in. Square doesn't have anything going for it.

 

[famicorpse]

2 is my favorite!! Love the color palette.

 

[SigSig]

3 would be an easy winner if there was more to do, but the way it is it just takes forever to walk anywhere. they also put invisible walls everywhere, can't even make cool selfies on the vending machines :( lots of stuff going on visually, though!
I think I like Square the most. Sure, it's cramped, but it feels properly alive and it manages to have a lot of memorable locations regardless. that small mini ramp…

 

[LinkStrikesBack]

3's certainly looks the nicest, but in functionality it's easily the worst. It's far too large for a map where you're restricted to the slow inkling walk speed.

I couldn't tell you where anything is, and I'd certainly never walk anywhere by choice, the complete opposite of how I felt about 1/2s hubs. I don't even know where the stores are.

 

[Dyle]

Splatsville by a longshot.

Inkopolis Plaza has the best music, gotta love that one beat that you hear all the time, but I never liked being there, it always felt like too much of a hassle and didn't have much depth to its charm. Inkopolis Square has the best aesthetics by virtue of being a street with one clear visual point where everything comes together, but without any little nooks like Spyke's alley from Plaza, it felt a little too simple.

Splatsville is the only one that feels like a place that could be in a real city. The verticality of everything adds a lot, from the stores being in upstairs or basement locations, to the big viewpoint in the far corner. The splatfest appearance is the best and utilizes the physical qualities of the space in a more logical way to display all of the Splatfest posts rather than just putting them in the air. My only complaint is that tableturf needs to be on the menu

 

[Tathanen]

I actually used to walk into the shops in the first two games, in Splatoon 3 I barely know where they are, the signposting really isn't very good and I just warp everywhere via the menu. I like the design of the place in general but it's not very functional.

 

[TGB86]

Splatsville is amazing, particularly during splatfest. It's just so vibrant and full of life.

 

[ScOULaris]

Splatsville is amazing, particularly during splatfest. It's just so vibrant and full of life.

Click to shrink...

For sure. So much so that it makes the normal daytime Splatsville seem dull by comparison.

 

[Fowler]

Splatsville, mostly because it feels (in part) inspired by my home: Hong Kong.

 

[TaySan]

I like Plaza followed closely by Splatsville

 

[NotLiquid]

In all Splatoon games if I want to access anything, I usually just use the menu. If I want to walk around the plazas, I usually have to put myself in a mood to assimilate the environment.

For those purposes, Splatsville is easily the best. It feels like a lived-in place and it's not hard to imagine that they planned it this way to accommodate for future content.

 

[pastry knife]

Majula

Wait, wait, wrong topic. I mean Splatsville!

 

[SnootchieBootchies]

I would say Inkopolis Plaza just because of the music outside the lobby.

So freakin' bouncy!

 

[forrest]

Have all of the hubs ran at 30fps? Splatsville is jarring af every time I load into it.

 

[MayorSquirtle]

I honestly don't like Splatsville and I'm not sure what people see in it. It's so visually cluttered, which I know is the point because of the whole chaos schtick but it's not in an appealing way imo it's just a mess. I have no idea where half the shops even are, it's practically a necessity to access them through the menu instead of walking into them. It's a lot bigger than it needs to be with plenty of wasted space. And the idea of the idols moving through the city during the first half of the Splatfest is good, but in practice it's almost impossible to see them on their super high platforms and the music sucks because you can only hear one of them at a time and only if you're directly under them.

The inkling/octoling behavior and posing throughout the hub is way better than the first two games, but that doesn't feel like a point in favor of Splatsville itself.

 

[wackojackosnose]

3rd game needs a shortcut to the card game and lockers. They took me ages to find them the 1st time round - I even needed the internet to find the lockers!

 

[RochHoch]

They're all basically the same to me

 

[ScOULaris]

I would say Inkopolis Plaza just because of the music outside the lobby.

So freakin' bouncy!

Click to shrink...

Easily the best lobby track in the series, still to this day.

 

[404LinkNotFound]

Have all of the hubs ran at 30fps? Splatsville is jarring af every time I load into it.

Click to shrink...

Yup ever since 1

 

[Spring-Loaded]

Splatsville is incredible—the vibes are immaculate, and during Splatfest, seeing all the other shops open and the holograms in the sky ... gorgeous.

The music in the lobby is great too. Someone posted this in the OT: is there a name for this song??


View: https://twitter.com/timshundo/status/1569048466139279360?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1569048466139279360%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&ref_url=

 

[AvianAviator]

I've never played the first, so no opinion on the plaza.

But Splatsville is such a huge improvement from the square in every way, and it REALLY shines during splatfests.

I just find myself hoping that they make use of all of that empty space - I really want them to add more to Splatsville as time goes by.

 

[Unknownlight]

Voted for Splatsville, but I never played Splatoon 1 so I'm only comparing it to Inkopolis Square.

My biggest issue with Splatsville isn't any of the obvious ones (slow movement across large areas, Tableturf not being accessible from the main menu, etc.), it's actually that the entrance to Alterna is so small and boring. I get that it's a reference to the first two campaigns, but the entrance should have been like one of the tubes you use to traverse between islands in Alterna. Or, I dunno, anything other than what it is.

 

[Kalor]

I'd say 3 since it feels like a more lively space, especially during the Splatfests.

 

[Danby]

3's certainly looks the nicest, but in functionality it's easily the worst. It's far too large for a map where you're restricted to the slow inkling walk speed.

I couldn't tell you where anything is, and I'd certainly never walk anywhere by choice, the complete opposite of how I felt about 1/2s hubs. I don't even know where the stores are.

Click to shrink...

I was thinking that the travel could be mitigated by adding ink strips/rivers. Splatoon 4 could have the larger area but make running around easier/more fun.

 

[808s & Villainy]

Splatville is way cooler than the other ones. I think my only complaint is not having menu options to jump to the Recon woman and Tableturf area

I was thinking that the travel could be mitigated by adding ink strips/rivers. Splatoon 4 could have the larger area but make running around easier/more fun.

Click to shrink...

I can understand them not wanting everything to be inkable, but they could at least make all the ground inkable so you don't have to run around. But it would also mess with the fiction (as in why would you have a weapon just running around outside?)

 

[Danby]

Splatville is way cooler than the other ones. I think my only complaint is not having menu options to jump to the Recon woman and Tableturf area


I can understand them not wanting everything to be inkable, but they could at least make all the ground inkable so you don't have to run around. But it would also mess with the fiction (as in why would you have a weapon just running around outside?)

Click to shrink...

Yeah these would be preinked paths so you wouldn't need a weapon.

 

[Aleh]

Splatsville and it's not close
Plaza is ugly and Square is small

 

[Poltergust]

I like Splatsville the most, but I just want to say that the shopkeep music in Splatoon 1 absolutely thrashes the shopkeep music in 2 & 3. It's not even a contest there.

 

[Spring-Loaded]

I've never played the first, so no opinion on the plaza.

But Splatsville is such a huge improvement from the square in every way, and it REALLY shines during splatfests.

I just find myself hoping that they make use of all of that empty space - I really want them to add more to Splatsville as time goes by.

Click to shrink...

They should have a breakdance spot near the card game.

 

[808s & Villainy]

Yeah these would be preinked paths so you wouldn't need a weapon.

Click to shrink...

Oh, how about ink rails in place of powerlines?

 

[Dizzy Ukulele]

You would think that bigger equates to better but I miss walking to the lobby and looking at every post along the way. It's time to log off by the time I've read them all in Splatsville.

 

[Digital Dinosaur]

Splatsville by far. The way the Splatfest float actually transits the entire area is great and it was just fun to follow it around.

That said I hope they plan on taking advantage of Splatsville being so big to add points of interest in its nooks and crannies.

There's a ton they could do with it, such as Splatfest events involving scavenger hunts.

 

[Dyle]

Splatsville is incredible—the vibes are immaculate, and during Splatfest, seeing all the other shops open and the holograms in the sky ... gorgeous.

The music in the lobby is great too. Someone posted this in the OT: is there a name for this song??


View: https://twitter.com/timshundo/status/1569048466139279360?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1569048466139279360%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&ref_url=

Click to shrink...

That's Lobby Sub 09

The fact that so much music in the game hasn't been named yet is a big bummer

 

[Unknownlight]

Oh, how about ink rails in place of powerlines?

Click to shrink...

I love this idea.

 

[Danby]

Oh, how about ink rails in place of powerlines?

Click to shrink...

Yeah sounds good, they'd have to do some work to prevent people from getting in the wrong places but it should work.

 

[MoogleWizard]

You would think that bigger equates to better but I miss walking to the lobby and looking at every post along the way. It's time to log off by the time I've read them all in Splatsville.

Click to shrink...

That's me. The plaza is just something I check very briefly before I jump to the lobby. I liked when everything was in a smaller space. Splatville is too big and it takes too long to get around.

 

[Jintor]

Splatsville is incredible—the vibes are immaculate, and during Splatfest, seeing all the other shops open and the holograms in the sky ... gorgeous.

The music in the lobby is great too. Someone posted this in the OT: is there a name for this song??


View: https://twitter.com/timshundo/status/1569048466139279360?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1569048466139279360%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&ref_url=

Click to shrink...

Lobby 9

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lKj266OR7aY&list=PLQvYucvu2ATC02Df0ldddMYZbnS5piWKz&index=9&ab_channel=GracieReneeGiraffe

I like Splatsville the most, but I just want to say that the shopkeep music in Splatoon 1 absolutely thrashes the shopkeep music in 2 & 3. It's not even a contest there.

Click to shrink...

Wcck-wccccka lk lk like it like that, wcky-wckky lky like it like that, wcky-wckky lky like it like that, yeah, yeah, yeah...


View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hhpesdjHry8&ab_channel=FabulousTomcat

 

[Xwing]

Square, but I'm probably biased as it's the one I spent by far the most time in. It's functional even if it could have used maybe one or two "hidden areas".

Splatsville would be greatly improved by faster movement speed or some ink rails for quick traversal without teleporting.

 

[NotLiquid]

I like Splatsville the most, but I just want to say that the shopkeep music in Splatoon 1 absolutely thrashes the shopkeep music in 2 & 3. It's not even a contest there.

Click to shrink...

Splatoon 1 shop music is definitely legendary, but I'm not gonna knock on 3's jams too hard. Crush Station's grimy music alone makes shoe shopping the highlight of my daily Splatoon clothing routine for the first time in the series. And Hotlantis is such a saccharine cute little beat that's making me yearn for more ABXY music.


View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uX0XqcRsxIg
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RSvFe3pFDhY

 

[NaikoGames]

Splatsville is the only one i actually enjoy walking around, while i like the hub on 2, at the end of the day it was just colorful, most inklings was just standing there and you had access to everything very easily so there wasnt a lot of reason to hang out.

In 3 while is not gigantic, it feels like you're exploring a bit, some inklings have more animations, they walk, laugh, take photos, it feels a bit more like a part of the city and less like a hub, which is nice, and while yes it takes longer to go from place to place, you really have the fast menus for that.

I also like how vertical it is, it looks like a place from Japan almost, also i found a pretty cool detail is that you can actually see the idols recording the program if you skip it in the intro.

About the splatfest, i think thats not even subjective, the sense of festivity and community in 3 puts it way above 1 and 2, the colors, the idols going all around the place, the music, the spectacle, it was awesome.

 

[Crayolan]

Splatoon 1's cause it's the smallest and quickest to get anywhere. Splatoon 3's is the worst cause finding anything there is a pain the ass, makes you want to not actually use the hub and just default to the menu.

 

[petethepanda]

I like Splatsville, but it feels a little too big for what you can actually do there. Plaza is probably still my favorite.

I know it's unlikely to ever happen, but man do I wish the hub areas were multiplayer. Just load in a couple dozen players and give us a couple jumping puzzles and a ball to bounce around like in Destiny and it'd be incredible.