The latest Nintendo Direct covered some major ground, including surprise announcements like an Actraiser remake and a long-awaited Bayonetta 3 trailer. Still, there was room for some of Nintendo's core content, including Splatoon 3. The new trailer for Splatoon 3 didn't come with a release date for the game, but it did reveal some valuable new details and hints about its plot. It seems that Mammalians are encroaching on the world of Splatoon, which could lead to players learning how exactly this world came to be. Aside from the plot teasers, Nintendo showcased a couple new weapon types, one of which stood out from the rest.
In a clip of Splatoon 3's Turf Wars, fans noticed one Inkling riding a crab-like robot into battle that could curl up and roll around. Splatoon is no stranger to weird weapons - bucket and paint roller weapons have existed since the first game in the franchise - but a rideable crab mech is particularly weird. It's definitely a fun design, though, partially because it's reminiscent of a classic Star Wars droid: the Droideka. Any longtime Star Wars fan is well aware of the Separatists' rolling robot menace, and probably sees the similarities to this new Splatoon weapon.
Comparing Splatoon's Crab Tank to the Droideka
Shortly after the Splatoon 3 trailer came out, Nintendo of America tweeted about it, confirming its name as the Crab Tank. It's a multifunction special weapon that's equipped with two types of weapons: one rapid-fire cannon, and one heavier cannon that blasts ink in an area. When Crab Tank users need to reposition, they can simply roll up into a ball and hurry over to new ground. There's a lot of details about the Crab Tank that Splatoon 3 fans don't know, but it certainly looks impactful. Seeing an enemy Crab Tank marching on one's position sounds about as intimidating as its potential Star Wars inspiration.
In the prequel trilogy of Star Wars, as well as Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Droidekas were major threats. Also known as destroyer droids, droidekas balanced power with speed. Thanks to their ability to curl into a ball and roll around the battlefield, they were far faster than most Separatist droids, but they hardly sacrificed durability or firepower to be so mobile. Once they stood on all three feet, they could open fire with two blaster cannons and project a deflector shield that made them very difficult to destroy.
Hopefully, Splatoon 3's Crab Tank makes players just as powerful and durable as a droideka. Since it's a special weapon, the Crab Tank's period of use will probably be pretty limited, so it wouldn't be surprising if players using it become vastly harder to splat. Funnily enough, there might be a special weapon combo that makes the Crab Tank as strong as a droideka. Splatoon 3 has another special weapon called the Big Bubbler that projects a protective force field much like a droideka's shield. A Crab Tank standing safely inside a friend's Big Bubbler sounds like a very droideka-like menace.
Splatoon 3's Crab Tank is a Great Innovation
Comparisons to Star Wars aside, the Crab Tank is a great addition to Splatoon 3's arsenal. Unique weapons go a long way in setting Splatoon 3 apart from its predecessors and showing how drastically the franchise has grown over its fairly short life so far. The Crab Tank, alongside other surprising new Splatoon 3 weapons like the Zipcaster and the Bow category, prove that there's still untapped creative potential in the Splatoon IP. Nintendo may lean on a lot of long-lived series, but Splatoon is compelling evidence that the company can still come up with totally unique and highly entertaining franchises. Splatoon 3's mighty Crab Tank looks like an unstoppable force, just like Splatoon itself.
Splatoon 3 releases in 2022 for Nintendo Switch.
