"Splatoon" was met with positive reviews. GamesRadar rated the game a 3.5 out of 5 stars. They said that the game was a refreshing take on the shooter genre but criticized some of the features like lobbies and Amibo-locked content. Destructoid rated the game 8.5. Chris Carter of Destructoid, said that "most of (the game's) shortcomings can be forgiven in my mind because of how damn fun it is."