Splatoon 3’s Hero Mode stage names are parody poems in the Japanese version

Splatoon 3’s Hero Mode stage names in the Japanese version have been a good source of laughs for players in Japan as they parody the poem-like slogans many real estate companies in the country use.

In English, Splatoon 3 has stage names like, “Octopods at Rest Tend to FLIP OUT!” “Splat you on the Flip Side,” and “Door, Doors, Doors! And More! (Doors)” which are clever bits of wordplay but not necessarily poems. On the other hand, the Japanese versions of these names are more like catchy poems that will almost make you cringe when reading them. It would also be a stretch to say the stage names match with the content of the stages themselves because that’s not the case.

While ultimately only conjecture, these names appear to be homages to what are called “マンションポエム (apartment poems),” or the slogans seen on real estate advertising in Japan. It’s common to see real estate advertising here with invigorating images coupled with grandiose phrases.

As for why apartment poems are so common, there are apparently a lot of regulations on what real estate companies can say in their advertising, so they’re trying to draw attention while staying within the guidelines (Living Magazine Biz).

The stages names in Splatoon 3’s Hero Mode follow this same apartment poem format. And unlike the English version, the names feature words and phrases more related to buildings and architecture like “建築の美学 (aesthetic architecture),” “快適空間 (comfortable space),” and “プロムナード (promenade).” And since they don’t really match the stages, it feels more like they wanted to get the poems across. Apartment poems have practically become a meme in Japan, so you could even say it’s a little avant-garde of Nintendo to use them in one of their most popular titles.

The stages names in Splatoon 2 were relatively orthodox, so there wasn’t really a precedent from before for using apartment poems. We can also see that many social media users have taken notice, with one even putting together a quiz where users select if the text is a Splatoon 3 stage name or an apartment poem.

As mentioned earlier, the stage names in English aren’t really poems. Since the apartment poem idea probably wouldn’t make much sense outside of Japan, it seems like the localization team went in a different direction, giving Splatoon 3 the kind of witty and stylish translation Nintendo of America is known for.

Written by. Nick Mosier based on the original Japanese article (original article’s publication date: 2022-09-13 09:46 JST)