One thing that really annoys me about gaming over the last decade is how cynical and downbeat it's become, where everything is trying so hard to be "grown up" that most of the time it just comes off as joyless.

Don't get me wrong, I love games like Bioshock, Gears of War, or Uncharted, (because unlike most of their stablemates, they have heart) but if I had to give one reason why the 90s were the golden age of gaming, it would be that games back then were about fun first and foremost. Splatoon has this same philosophy.

I love realistic graphics but I also love artistic cartoon graphics. There are many games that may have had more appeal to me if they actually tried some new ideas visually. Mario kart and Gran Turismo are both driving games but one focuse's on fun and the other realism. I love both games but have played kart more on the various systems. I'd love there to be a major fps shooter franchise with cartoon graphics with a decent single player campaign as well as multiplayer. If you remove the realism it means its much easier to be more imaginative with enemies and bosse's and you can implement new gameplay mechanics plus realistic graphics are resource hungry so it limits the scope of games sometimes.

Yeah, the Skater feel is definitely there and intentional. Especially the music and clothing give this off. Definitely intentional. I actually wouldn't mind the sequel taking it a bit farther, adjusting the proportions of the Inklings to be less kids and more teens to fit in with that attitude. Not that the current proportions clash all that much.

That whole hip-hop style comes from the 90's, Booyah is a westcoast term, yes the whole game is 90's all over.

For it to not be a coincidence Nintendo would have to display cultural awareness of a place outside Japan. It's a coincidence.

It's Nintendo's Jet Set Radio type of game.