Third Kit Memorial Service

[isaac4]

Instead of the usual third kit discussion we have on Squidboards, I want to focus on some third kit designs that didn't get the chance to return in Splatoon 3.
Whether they originated from S1 or S2 isn't an issue here.
I'll only be talking about kMachine and Soda Slosher as I want to give others a chance to share their favorite designs (not that I would have anything interesting to say about them anyway).

Starting off with kMachine, I had no expectation for this weapon to come back but it would have still been really interesting to see how the devs would have changed it with Machine's S3 redesign.
I would imagine there would have been a larger emphasis on the color red and maybe the logo itself would be added the same way Machine Neo has the Neo logo under its handle. I'm not sure what they would have done about the red clothespin though but maybe it'd still fit?
Regardless, it's a very nice design but I don't feel disappointed that it didn't return.

This is the real tragedy though. The classic Soda Slosher design that started in S1 would have been amazing to see again in S3.
I wasn't a big fan of the look at first but I've started to realize that part of that might just be that I don't particularly care for how most weapons looked in the previous games.
This design not returning is particularly disappointing but I do expect it to come back in some form.

 

[Vidknight]

There are a goof amount of third kit designs I liked, but to limit myself I'm going with N-zap '83 and Grim Range Blaster

Zap has this nice red primary color with a gold accent that compliments it so well. It's based off the Nintendo Famicon which is a cool nod to an old piece of history. There is also this neat detail on the weapon where unlike the other zaps it has these little buttons on the side again a small detail that add some character to this weapon. This is not even getting into its kit which I actually found more enjoyable than the other zap kits in the previous two games.

As for the Grim range blaster... I mean just LOOK at it that green flame goes so hard it's crazy also another small detail on the weapon is how the wires are slightly different colors compared to the other ranges with it being red and blue instead of both being red. I really wish that nintendo changed up the flame colors on the regular or range blaster. There are so many different routes they can take it can grim range proves (Twice) that it can look beautiful

Honorable mentions to Fresh Squiffer and Clear Dapple Dualies

 

[Grushi]

Tenta Camo Brella how I miss you. It's kind of crazy how different it looks from the other kits we know. They added a whole mesh on the canopy with leaves intertwined and it looks really cool. Big fan of the pattern on it, and the grey too.
I guess s3's Sorella Tent looks a little similar, since yellow's its primary colour instead of red, but come on, it doesn't even come close.

But I have to admit, I barely played Splatoon 2 when this kit released, so I didn't get to give it a fair chance, unlike...

Kensa Charger. This is the coolest looking weapon I had EVER seen. The moment I put my eyes on it in the 4.0 trailer, I was in love. Just look at it, it's perfect. But then it got sprinkler baller, what a sad kit...
And I didn't even care. This is my number 2 most used s2 weapon just because it looks cool. The other kits were soooo much better but I had better priorities. Z+F is cool, but it doesn't even come CLOSE to this beauty. The scope and unscoped even have different colours! How cool is that?

Seriously, there's even official art of this weapon, and it looks SO good. Does your weapon kit have exclusive art like this? No it doesn't, because it's not kensa charger. If I had to rate it in my second kit beauty contest, it'd be in its own tier. It could be brought back with sprinkler ultra stamp for all I care, and I'd STILL play it

 

[solz]

Rip Kensa gal and dynamo🫡

 

[Catloafman]

I am a sucker for kensa and kensa + brella is heaven for me and I really miss this sleek design

ALSO I MISS SUPPORTIVE ASSIST FARMING UNDERCOVER BRELLA SO MUCH AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

 

[OnePotWonder]

Shoutout to these two beauties.
H-3's classic Cherry design would have been even better with the facelift its model got in Splatoon 3, the missed potential is astounding to the point where I'd say it's the kit design that we'll miss the most in Splatoon 3.

Also, my old S2 main, the Heavy Remix. The colors just work, I don't know how else to describe it. While it is nice that the hot pink of the barrels got carried over to the base Heavy design in Splatoon 3, it just doesn't hit the same; nowhere close, really. What really takes the cake for this design is how it calls back to Heavy's old design in Splatoon 1 with the ink reservoir parallel to the barrels. Now that is how you do a callback tribute. Definitely a shame it didn't come back, but H-3 had way more missed potential.

 

[youre_a_squib_now]

This. The Sploosh-o-matic 7.

That shiny dark pink-ish color is beautiful all by itself, it's so rich and deep and bold and bright at the same time, but the plain silver complementing it is what takes it to the next level. The stark contrast makes the pink stand out from the rest of the weapon, and yet the perfectly matching shine makes the two colors seem perfectly natural next to each other, making the whole thing feel unified while still drawing all your attention to that amazing ring of color around the front.

Plus, the brightness and shine make it go perfectly with the neon-colored handle and ink stick that change to match your ink color. And that ink color changes every time you play, so the way the different colors interact with the deep red/pink of the rest of the weapon means that it has a slightly different mood every time you play, while still being the same amazing design at its core.

Truly a shame we didn't get to see this in S3. You know it would have gotten splat bomb too.

 

[solz]

Yes, yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes. Yes Yes, yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes absolutely entirely yes yes sploosh beautiful