Nintendo's gone through many different phases in its 130-year lifespan, transitioning from a playing card manufacturer, to a toy producer, and finally to one of the world's biggest video game publishers. Even within just the world of gaming, Nintendo's had a few different phases, most of which have revolved around whether it's setting the example for the industry, or just following the latest trend. In recent years, with the release of the Nintendo Switch, it seems as though the publisher is once again focused on paving its own way, and titles like Splatoon 3 are the perfect example of this.
Though Splatoon 3 is a 4v4 competitive multiplayer shooter, its modes, weapons, and visual style set it far apart from the rest of the contemporary market and give Nintendo an IP that's distinctive. One of Splatoon 3's most anticipated modes is its iteration of the Salmon Run horde mode, first introduced in Splatoon 2. Titled Salmon Run: Next Wave, this mode is set to feature a limited-time event that might just give Call of Duty Zombies a run for its money.
Salmon Run: Next Wave's Big Run Mode
For those that haven't played Splatoon's Salmon Run before, this mode pits a team of players against an onslaught of Salmonids, all of which attempt to overwhelm the player, destroy their fortifications, and defeat them. Players will need to fend off the horde, all while trying to collect as many golden eggs as possible, which primarily drop from larger enemies and bosses. It seems as though Splatoon 3 is going to be building upon its predecessor's Salmon Run mode quite a bit, with new weapons, objectives, and bosses.
In a recent gameplay breakdown for Splatoon 3, Nintendo hinted at a limited-time special event for this new Salmon Run: Next Wave mode. Called Big Run, this event will apparently occur every few months and will see players fight off the Salmonid horde on a range of regular Splatoon3 multiplayer maps, from construction yards to mall parking lots.
Big Run Could Capture The Same Chaotic Feel of COD Zombies
Though it's all currently shrouded in mystery, Splatoon 3's Big Run special event could have the potential to reach the same lofty heights as Call of Duty Zombies, still widely regarded to be the leading voice when it comes to the horde mode genre. One of the key defining traits of CoD Zombies has always been its claustrophobic maps. Even the biggest CoD Zombies maps tend to force players down tight hallways for the most part, which ensures that there's a constant feeling of danger throughout the course of a round.
Splatoon 3's Big Run special event could capture the same intensity of CoD Zombies' best maps. By bringing the Salmonid invasion to the regular Splatoon 3 multiplayer maps, players will be forced to learn the territory anew, and learn how best to navigate the arena when a constant stream of enemies is flooding the area from all sides. These once vibrant and frenetic multiplayer maps can easily become chaotic, claustrophobic winding passageways, where it's easy to be overrun by the horde of Salmonids. The false sense of security that comes from having played the maps before in a different context can easily give way to possibly some of the most intense gameplay that Splatoon 3 will have to offer, and it might just be able to capture that same unmistakable Call of Duty Zombies feel.
Splatoon 3 is scheduled to release on September 9 for Nintendo Switch.
