Whenever Nintendo releases a major first-party game, it often sells themed accessories to accompany that launch, like consoles with decals or new controller colors. Splatoon Raiders, the upcoming single-player shooter, is no exception: it’ll introduce a brand-new blue and yellow colorway for the Switch 2’s Joy-Con. It’s a refined, subtle look that many will undoubtedly enjoy. For some Joy-Con collectors or Splatoon fans, though, the new colors might be a huge miss.
One of the things that made the original Switch so memorable was its willingness to be playful. Yes, that vibe was partly based on Nintendo’s odd, experimental library of games. But critically, much of the Switch’s whimsical feel is achieved through its offbeat Joy-Con controllers. One of the bundles for the original Switch included red and blue Joy-Cons. This is widely considered to be the iconic Switch look now, but the fact remains that red and blue are not complementary colors. Instead, the Switch’s signature look is a loud display of contrast. You’d be hard-pressed to find official controller colorways on PlayStation or Xbox that match that feel, customizations aside.
Over time, the original Switch accumulated a number of colorways, many of them ‘normal.’ Arguably, however, it’s the bold Joy-Con colors that defined the console: neon yellow, pink and green, pink and yellow, yellow and purple. And who can forget the Splatoon watermelon colorway, which mashed together an amazing neon pink and bright green? The colors didn’t just make the console pop: they were emblematic of the bright and fashionable series.
With that context in mind, I look at the new Joy-Con colors with a tinge of sadness. They’re so… ordinary. Maybe the color makes sense for Splatoon Raiders, a spin-off game that taps into mainstream shooter trends. Nintendo says that this color scheme is inspired by Deep Cut, the Splatoon 3 band. Still, I wish the official Splatoon controller for Switch 2 felt like an evolution of the pink and green colorway, not a downgrade.
But, hey. There are always third-party controllers, Joy-Con shells, and even existing color schemes like the pastel ones that better suit my sensibilities. Plus, you can’t even see the colors at all when the controllers are attached to the console or the Switch 2 is docked!
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