Sunday 6 August 2017

Heroes of Inkopolis: Time to paint the valley Pink, Green, Blue and Orange

First of all, before starting, #TeamKetchup. It's not Jam! (and we are working on a joint review for Splatoon 2, we're just trying to find the time to record)

It's safe to say Splatoon was a breakout hit for the Wii U, and success is continuing for Splatoon 2. But with every success, there are its fans, and while fan games might get taken down by Nintendo, fan art seems to be safe... assuming the artwork itself is safe for all places such as a workplace. While some prefer just to draw, some choose to tell a story in their art, with the conclusion being in the style of a comic or manga. Allow me to take you back to Inkopolis Plaza, back to Octo Valley, with two agents that have... a touch more personality then Agent 3. Heroes of Inkopolis. Before reading, to make it clear that I'm not stealing the artwork, the source of the comic can be found here: http://tamarinfrog.deviantart.com/gallery/55917023/Splatoon-Heroes-of-Inkopolis



Our two main protagonists are Agent Orange and Agent Blue, the two newest recruits of the Squidbeak Splatoon. Blue being one of the newest inklings in Inkopolis and a fresh recruit for the Blue Team, and Orange being the captain of the Orange Team. Inkopolis is running out of power, turf wars are limited as a result and Splatfest is on the verge of being cancelled. With little options left, the two were brought on to aid Agent 1 and Agent 2 in the recovery of the Great Zap fish. From there, while there are far more meaningful interactions, the plot basically follows that of the game, only difference is that there are two agents who need to work together, rather than just Agent 3 (the player). It adds an extra layer onto the story of the campaign and I enjoyed little touches like Agent 1 and 2 knowing about the two new agents in secret from the moment they signed on, Cuttlefish's house being where the dummy Zapfish are kept, even justifying why you only have a limited number of respawns in the campaign. Not all the levels are shown off, but what ones are do work well with the story.

The story itself is a touch too predictable though. Taking out the fact that it’s based on the campaign from Splatoon, things like "the two main characters don't get along well at first but grow to trust each other" (in more ways than one), has been done to death. I can personally live with it as Agent Blue and Agent Orange do have strong personalities that don't get lost in the standard trope. Combined with Cuttlefish, Agent 1 and 2's personalities coming straight from the game, leading to some great moments in the story, and you have a delightful cast in play. It does come down to your stance on tropes like the afore mentioned "hate each other at start, like each other at end". Visually, it is very faithful to the games. Proportions might be a bit hit and miss at times if you look for them, but you can easily tell who everyone is supposed to be and the slight exaggeration in proportions leads to some great visual gags, with a personal favourite of mine being Callie's reactions near the end of Splatfest. Apart from that, the only complaint I have is that it is trying to replicate a Manga style, and I wished it went for something closer to western comics, just because I'd love to see this in colour. This is Splatoon after all, wars are fought over what colour to paint the floor!

Speaking of war, what happens when Batman and Superman goes to war?... I've already done Dawn of Justice, try again! Did Dark Knight Returns too!... how many times have those two fought again? Regardless, Injustice is next. In closing, once again, if you'd like to read this comic for yourself, http://tamarinfrog.deviantart.com/gallery/55917023/Splatoon-Heroes-of-Inkopolis, and remember. "Stay Fresh!"

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