The Splatoon series has been around since 2015 and since its release it has become popular on game consoles such as the Wii U and the Nintendo Switch.  As third person shooter games Splatoon 1 & 2 are arguably the most popular Nintendo titles of the 10’s decade.  However, there are some who question whether or not the Splatoon series could have been popular back in the 00’s.  When it comes down to the rise of popularity within the shooter genre of gaming many people would tell that it began back in the early 00’s.  With games like Gran Theft Auto Vice, Halo the Unreal Tournament and others the shooter genre had really started to surpass other genres such as fighting and racing in terms of popularity.

If the Splatoon series had started back in the early 00’s it could have definitely been more popular back then.   In terms of sales the original Splatoon game might have done better on the Nintendo GameCube than it did on the Wii U.  The GameCube was more popular in the early 00’s than the Wii U was in the 10’s.  Also, Splatoon was a family friendly game that was also a shooter title.  Generally when it comes down to the shooter genre of gaming they are usually rated T or M.   Having a E rated shooter game could have really made Splatoon 1 or 2 stand out on the GameCube anytime between 2002-2005.