Who could have predicted that a single-player-focused spinoff of the massively popular — and most notably, multiplayer-heavy — Nintendo IP Splatoon would be causing such a commotion upon its release?
After all, the Salmon Run-inspired gameplay loop seemed destined for cult classic status, not to surpass the likes of smash-hit Donkey Kong Bananza or cultural phenomenon Pokémon: Pokopia. But apparently, the Big N’s latest release has its supporters in hysterics, calling it one of the best offerings on the console, full stop.
That’s reflected perfectly in the game’s Metacritic user score, which peaked around 7th highest on record but has since balanced out to the 16th position at the time of this article with an average user score of 9.2 out of 10. There’s a new kid on the block, and he’s a squid now — no, he’s a kid now. No…
How Does It Compare?
That’s the second-highest mark of any 2026 release, behind only Resident Evil: Requiem and its 9.4 user score — the second-highest score of all time, below only Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, a 2025 release.
It’s been a hard-hitting year for Nintendo and its follow-up to the massively popular Switch console. The Switch 2 had gargantuan shoes to fill, but has delivered in both quality and quantity of first-party releases, consistently receiving review scores of 8 out of 10 or higher for the vast majority of its current-gen titles.
Donkey Kong Bananza blew the doors open; Kirby Air Riders followed suit. Now nearly every month on the 2026 calendar features a big-name, critic- and fan-acclaimed hit from Nintendo’s newest system.
Final Word
Splatoon Raiders might have seemed like a gamble — a single-player spinoff of a multiplayer-centric franchise — but the players have spoken. With a 9.2 user score and a spot in the all-time top 20, it’s clear that Nintendo’s gamble paid off in a big way.
And for fans of the Inkling universe, that’s something worth celebrating.
