The original Splatoon launched on the Wii U.
Nintendo released Splatoon in Japan on May 28, 2015, followed by other regions shortly afterward. It was designed specifically around the Wii U’s hardware, including its GamePad, and introduced Nintendo’s ink-based Turf War battles, where teams compete to cover more of an arena in their color.
The platform is easy to confuse with the Nintendo Switch because Splatoon 2 and Splatoon 3 were released for that system. Nintendo DS and Nintendo 64 are also incorrect: neither hosted the original game. The Wii U version remains the first entry in the franchise, while later installments moved the series to newer Nintendo hardware.
The Wii U release also helped establish the franchise’s central identity: Inklings could transform into squid form, swim through their team’s ink, and move quickly around ink-covered stages. Its multiplayer focus was supported by a separate single-player campaign called Octo Valley.