Move over Tupac, Hatsune Miku: Splatoon’s Squid Sisters perform live in Japan

By Danny Cowan February 2, 2016

Splatoon シオカライブ2016 (Squid Sisters Live 2016) @ Niconico Tokaigi 2016

Fresh off of their first-ever live show in Japan, Splatoon‘s starring Squid Sisters may soon be immortalized as collectible amiibo figurines.

The pair’s debut stage show, produced as part of the Niconico Tokaigi 2016 event, is available in full on Nicovideo, and an excerpt featuring several songs is archived on YouTube.

Splatoon players know the Squid Sisters Callie and Marie as mascots who announce in-game updates and competition results. The pair makes special appearances during Splatfest events, livening up the game’s hub area with festive decorations and on-stage performances.

Niconico Tokaigi 2016 marked Callie and Marie’s first real-world appearance as holograms, following in the concert tradition of virtual pop idol Hatsune Miku. Popular in Japan, these concerts feature live instrumentation accompanying hologram technology that gives the impression of a live performance by a virtual singer.

During the Niconico Tokaigi 2016 event, the Squid Sisters performed several songs from Splatoon, along with a selection of original music. Lyrics and narration are rendered in Splatoon‘s fictional language spoken by its cast of transforming squid characters, requiring translation via subtitles throughout.

This week also saw the emergence of rumors suggesting that amiibo figurines featuring the Squid Sisters are in the works at Nintendo. Fans who datamined the latest Splatoon update found references to “AmiiboIdolA” and “AmiiboIdolB,” hinting that Callie and Marie are among the game’s recognized amiibo characters.

The pair’s amiibo functionality within Splatoon is not yet known, and Nintendo has not announced plans to expand its lineup of Splatoon amiibo. Splatoon launched in 2015 alongside an amiibo trio that unlocks new in-game content, and any future amiibo releases are likely to follow suit.

While Nintendo recently announced that Splatoon will receive no further updates regarding weapons, gear, or stages, the game will continue to see balance tweaks and new Splatfest events in the months ahead.

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