The Legacy of Now or Never in Splatoon 3

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This video is a follow-up to my last video about "Now or Never" in the Splatoon series. You can check that video out here!
• Behind Splatoon's Fina...
"Now or Never" is Splatoon's theme to ramp up the tension in the last 60 seconds of Turf War gameplay. The theme has several renditions in Splatoon 3, so I'm here to explore what's familiar, what's new, and what's undoubtedly fresh about them!
Also, an important correction: I've been informed it's Shiver, not Frye, who sings the chorus melody in Deep Cut's rendition of Now or Never. That's my mistake, my apologies. Still, she offers a good demonstration of the vocal technique in question!
Chapters:
0:00 Intro
0:51 Now or Never: Turf War Version
5:48 Now or Never: Splatfest Version
7:18 Now or Never: Tableturf Battle Version
7:57 Outro
{ ? I ♥ }

[@ScruffyMusic]

I've been informed that it's Shiver, not Frye, singing the chorus melody in Deep Cut's rendition of Now or Never. That's my mistake, my apologies. But she still demonstrates the vocal technique well!

[@kjrv7779]

Don't worry about it. I thought the same thing with Calamri Inkantation

[@curtandrewsjr.8163]

3:13 also the singers of C-Side are actually switched; the guy on the left sings the low voice (or at least... that's what most people assume)

[@myntmetro]

Frye does demonstrate it as well in her part/solo of Anarchy Rainbow so the technique still stands.

[@n4p3r0]

@@curtandrewsjr.8163 We don't actually know that

[@chelsea7918]

@@curtandrewsjr.8163 has this been confirmed? ive never heard of this

[@theminiyosshi2901]

I really want Tableturf's Now or Never rendition to be called "Now or Whenever You're Ready"

[@menialbee]

"This turn or next turn or the turn after that"

[@lewiscarroll4290]

Now or wheNever

[@kaikollas]

Now or whatever

[@philippeleprohon4823]

​@@lewiscarroll4290 You, sir/ma'am/them, get it.

[@ConvenientlyShapedUsername]

"Now or Whenever"

[@chris-fr9ws]

NEW SCRUFFY DROPPED

[@Anubonek]

More importantly its splatoon

[@nightterror7201]

LETS GOOoO

[@hiku1]

"honey new scruffy just dropped"

[@yogun1922]

WOOOOO YEAH BABYYY

[@pinkajou656]

LET’S GOOOOOO!!!!!!!

[@arogustus3984]

I'm honestly just glad to see someone talk and animate C-Side. Nintendo has been so cruel to us by telling us so little about them (no names, nothing). Splatoon is its only little wonder of music, and I hope whatever new songs it adds, from bands old or new, they'll be just as good. But Scruffy, you've seen squids and octopuses make music. Do you think salmon can do it too? It'd be a Chaos Carnival if you ever went over one of their songs, wink wink, nudge nudge.

[@inkedsharkyt]

YESS! Scruffy is you see this please make a video about the Salmon Run music it is too good of an opportunity to pass up!

[@bradenhanks613]

Esp the big run clickbait cover 👀

[@Fridgemasters]

i just wish that they’d make a post about them or something because there’s long periods of time where we get pretty much nothing from the twitter accounts

[@arogustus3984]

@@Fridgemasters And it's especially weird because Wet Floor and Squid Squad got talked about on introduction! The members all got some focus, but C-Side didn't. I think they only ever did that with Tumblr, though.

[@cometisV2]

aromantic splatoon enjoyer gang?

[@marshall7439]

I am begging you to talk about the Calamari Inkantation, and how the franchise took it from small folklore song, to new pop sensation, to a literal hymn of all marine life joining together and celebrating life as one grand family. Especially with the original rendition in an official animation, and the three versions we got to hear throughout the franchise !

[@someoneawesome8717]

ABSOLUTELY AGREE

[@Snowstriken]

YEAHHH

[@Glacier_Nester]

Boosting this idea, calamari has SUCH an important place lore-wise and it shows in how it's written and performed game to game!

[@karenmontserratcampos1159]

omg yes

[@gard3boi311]

This song has, too date: -Superpowered an two Inkling teenagers to defeat a giant robot created by a tyrannical dictator. -near instantly destroyed decades of brainwashing in the span of 3-4 minutes, thereby introducing an ENTIRE SPECIES to a new way of life -Gave an old man enough strength to break through tight rope bindings -Turned a once enemy of the surface into an ally. -triggered what can only be described as a mega evolution of a tiny salmon creature -summoned the souls of millions of marine life on earth. This song is, quite literally, etched into the DNA of all sentient marine life on Earth. It pumps through the blood of everyone, Inkling, Octoling, Jellyfish, Salmonid, Manta Ray, Cuttlefish, etc., Inspiring them to continue onward, to fight through the dark and to come out on top. The lore this song now has is nothing short of phenomenal. And everytime I head it, I can HEAR why it's so important. If fills you up, energizes your very soul, sends a shock through your entire being, to put your all into those three to four minutes the song plays, every ounce of your strength you have in every fiber of your body, to defeat the villain and save the world. The Calamari Inkantation isn't just a folk song from Splatoon, or the song sung during the final battle of the Splatoon games. IT IS SPLATOON. It embodies every core concept of the game with ever strand and chord and note, the heavenly melody that etched itself into our minds and hearts and makes us return to the world of Splatoon, again and again. This was supposed to be short, but damn it this song is too damn good to be described in one tiny post.

[@WitchyThyme]

I think it's really interesting that it's Shiver singing in 6:41 while using the style that Frye's cultural influences bring to the table, since we can hear Frye chime in as a backup vocal during that part. It really shows the way the band influences each other too.

[@no1infrastructurefan]

I can't say I know EXACTLY where it lies in the culture, but a few people live in saying that she ever actually uses traditional "shouts" (singing that descant part) in a lot of Deep Cut's songs. I can't confirm nor deny this, but I think that's Shiver's influence, not Frye's. Also because the members of Deep Cut typically stay within their respective styles and blend them together rather than borrowing from one another.

[@christiancasaverdepertica1802]

I've heard a few people say that it's also a thing in Japanese music, but I can't remember what it's called to verify.

[@fineaswine5863]

​@@christiancasaverdepertica1802 enka. in a nutshell, its where japanese women purposefully use voice cracks to transition to the next note when singing.

[@miumiunotofficial-babybusp4962]

@@fineaswine5863enka is not a vocal technique its a genre of music. you're talking about "kobushi" and people of any gender use that technique when singing enka songs or other traditional songs

[@Jiroxys25]

YES! I felt too weird and selfish to request a follow-up to the Now or Never video, but my dreams have come true!

[@samt3412]

I really want an Omega-3 breakdown because even for Splatoon, they are WEIRD.

[@AlexPies1]

don't worry, i made the request 3 weeks ago on the original video for both of us :)

[@kumarisampson8425]

Love😊

[@xRidlay]

Felt too weird and... Shellfish?

[@baoweexd]

the fictional pop-culture in splatoon is all connected, while being so stylish, and somehow is almost as rich as pop-culture in real life its so cool that sometimes i wish i could live in it. The writers behind the world of splatoon deserve a medal for making one of the most creative universes in all of fiction in such a short amount of time.

[@coleywoley2374]

6:32 I love frye and shiver taking less than half the screen together while big man comes in full force

[@frequels]

Big Man Best Man

[@Soguwe]

That "hello, I'm scruffy" always triggers me in the most wholesome way possible. It just tickles that certain itch in the back of my head that instantly makes me all mellow and cosy insight, ready to shove some knowledge about a topic I didn't care about 2 seconds prior into my head. You have the voice of an angel, dude

[@Plague_Dok]

The only thing I don't relate to is the part of about not caring about the topic 2 seconds prior... otherwise, this comment is literally everything I could've ever wanted to say about how Scruffy's intro makes me feel You have a way with words, my friend. Perfectly captured what's so wonderful about his intro and all the clever, amazing "What I Love" jingles at the ends of his videos in this beloved series 💖

[@fartdoodoostinkfart6864]

calm down it’s just 3 words

[@Soguwe]

@fart doodoo stink fart it's not about the words, dude, it's about the one speaking them

[@sansthedarkmodeskeleton8440]

Same vibe as "hello everyone! This is YOUR daily dose of internet"

[@Soguwe]

@@Plague_Dok Thank you. I try to keep my writing up to the standards I had in high school, when writing actually mattered, so this is lovely to hear. : )

[@doritoarts9878]

seeing the orange inkling from c-side interpreted as the higher voice in their songs is really cool in a way i can't explain. I love that

[@spacewitch3707]

i have been torn for months now over whether to attribute the high pitch to the inkling based on "small squeally creature" or the low pitch based on "weirdo gremlin squid dude" and i just wish the devs would tell us more about them so i can finally stop thinking about this weirdly specific matter

[@BK2410]

@@spacewitch3707 they are actually based on their vocals from the demo version of clickbait.

[@spacewitch3707]

@@BK2410 i don't know what you mean

[@FV0RT3X]

but isn’t the high voice the bassfish girl’s voice?

[@BK2410]

@@FV0RT3X yeah but originally it wasn't planned to be a girl voice.

[@catzillapurrfect4526]

6:06 - Fun fact! Big Man is canonically a fan of Marina, who is a part of Off The Hook. I'm not sure if it's intentional, but it does explain that.

[@ShadowLinkxMaster]

Fun fact: The “hesitation note” was absent in Splatoon 2’s Now or Never when the song was first heard during the January 2017 presentation demos. They added it by the time the test fire came out.

[@doubleatv6732]

I'm always amazed by Scruffy's ability to simultaneously teach music theory and entertain at the same time.

[@byrontheusurper6505]

6:26 THAT'S WHAT I'M SAYING! This is why I love anarchy rainbow this much, because it utilizes all these elements in perfect unison! Even my non-music-theory brain could differentiate the different cultural influences and Instruments in anarchy rainbow and it made me love it so endlessly much!

[@saltyfinalboss]

the animation at 5:32 is so nice omg

[@toasture9119]

What i love about splatoon’s bands is you can talk about them like theyre real bands, and it doesn’t feel weird. The world building and lore is so great that everything feels real

[@nzhad9185]

One thing that I love is that when you get to the end of now or never, it blends into a simple beat that stays until you get the match's results. Maintaining some of the energy until you get back in queue

[@dexiedoo_octo]

6:40 unfortunately that is Shiver singing at that point But otherwise oh my god new scruffy video let's goo

[@meggy1162]

Im so glad to see not just a followup of more Now or Never but to see some musical analysis of Deep Cut! Even if its only a cover of a cover of a cover of a song, seeing someone actually go in depth about their cultural inspirations and influences and where it's applied brings me so much joy. Thank you for making this video

[@PiercingSight]

The chorus of C-Side's version is reharmonized in such an exciting way, especially the full speed second half of it. The nearly chromatic ascent from one chord to the next is SO good, and it doesn't even resolve, it just leaves you hangin'. It's almost like it's using the unresolved ending of the song as the baseline to the chorus. It's genius! It's my absolute favorite version of the song. Goosebumps every time.

[@CaptainAstronaut]

These types of videos give me such a greater appreciation for the work and creativity that goes into creating games! Great video as always!!

[@maceybeddall2478]

I can't describe how much I love these videos

[@BlueVestGaming]

0:05 Nice idea to use an Inkfurler on the follow-up concept. Awesome, Scruffy!

[@inkythebeloved]

I payed a lot more attention to the Splatoon 3 music when it came out because of your previous video about Splatoon and I've been so excited to hear your thoughts on the music! :]

[@JakoBpyroTech]

That ending animation with the ink is really freaking good!

[@anicrue]

This was amazing!!! So glad you covered Splatoon 3 as well, and continued to look at "Now or Never" across the games! Also, your persona with the inkling "hair" and pseudo beak was really cool and cute to see! Final compliment (so this doesn't get too long), the effects at the end for your outro remake/rendition of "What I love" was unexpected and looks really well done and fitting for the topic/video! Thank you for making this and sharing it

[@technobeagle9598]

Splatoon musical analyses always make me so incredibly happy, and scruffy videos are always so visually appealing and easy to understand. This was a wonderful combination the first time and I am very glad it is being revisited.

[@JackCheeseJ]

I love the slow, quiet Now or Never you've got in the background a couple times. I never imagined this song played at a mellower tempo, it sounds really great!

[@Waterfaulter]

something thats really interesting is that if you listen to the global testfire version of Splat 2's Now or Never theres are two vocalists that go back and forth with the singing! Its just curious to see them originally go with that but for the final release they end up just going with the one vocal track. Its also nice hearing the back and forth in splat 3, it definitely adds to it all!

[@itsnathan9131]

i think there might be 2 singers but its kinda hard to tell

[@topazs.5492]

Hearing your voice made me decompress immediately. I don't like ASMR but i think your videos give me whatever feeling people who like it get from it, plus i get to learn something! love your work, ur awesome scruffy (:

[@frew5757]

The calming part or the tingly part?

[@fyra_cat2119]

6:41 I thought that was shiver singing? With Frye's vocals chiming in at the end of each held note

[@nota_ffs]

I honestly hope you cover more Splatoon 3 songs, specifically Clickbait from C-side as it uses that same back and forth vocals that were present in the Turf War now or never if not even more. I think it'll be REALLY cool to go more in depth with that song. Regardless, amazing video as always Scruffy!

[@tbtb66]

7:54 Fun fact, the recently found Mario Kart 8 Deluxe prototype has a version of Now or Never that loops infinitely, it keep building up the final part but never finishes and then goes back to the start It sounds super wrong

[@Mr.Taco1111]

7:51 I'd just really like to appreciate how scruffy transitions with music from the tableturf battle version of Now or Never to his own version so smoothly and casually. Amazing video!

[@deadlamp5101]

I absolutly loved your last Now or Never video and I'm sure this one is Great!

[@PointyTooth]

Your videos are so cool, no pressure but I'm SO hoping that you'll make one about Anarchy Rainbow ? The mixing and use of instruments in this piece is just genius. I wanna learn even more about it with you if able.

[@hankboog462]

I like the cultural influences with deep cut. I was honestly really glad to hear about the Indian influences in frye's music, because her clothes and her boss fight reminding me of snake charmers already made me think that she probably had Indian influences.

[@CuteZi]

I think that Deep Cut's rendition is probably my favorite version of Now or Never

[@leongrladgrl7954]

Now that side order is out, I heard that there's some pretty cool music references in the soundtrack- I understand very little of music theory, so I'm hoping scruffy will cover them some time!

[@PrincePoison]

Small detail, if you win the battle, that final Resolving E plays in the victory song if you win, but plays a lower mix of notes if you lose.

[@mochaolait199]

Hey Scruffy, this might come off as a bit weird, but I wanted to say - first, I appreciate the extra effort that's been going into your newer videos (the 3D bits and the higher-framerate animation whenever your character pops up) and second, your character is _extremely_ endearing. Always puts a smile on my face to see them. Your videos and the topics covered therein have always been great, and for someone like me, who's no good with music theory, you cover stuff in such a quick, concise, easy-to-follow way - but there's this extra bit of polish you've been applying lately that really makes it all shine, and I like having a face of sorts to put such a soothing voice to.

[@MikooOnYoutube]

7:50 small detail, but I love how the cover of Now or Never continues off from where the tableturf version _would_ have been if it hadn't faded out.

[@pokeperson1000]

Ever since splatoon 3 was announced, I was hoping there would be another Now or Never video from you. Thanks for your hard work

[@abandoned__]

that "hello!! im scruffy" is just a free serotonin rush to be honest

[@jorgemtzb9359]

7:00 The one doing the high notes is Shiver, not Frye.

[@SalokinQuagsire]

I adore seeing how much your animation style grows with each video. Very impressive! Keep up the great work!

[@curtandrewsjr.8163]

3:34 That's called the Mario Cadence, right? It helps to show a resolution in a song with the last two flat chords (VIIb and VIIIb) before resolving back to the tonal center. Winning a level in the original Super Mario Bros. shows it, and even Fist Bump from Sonic Forces!

[@Jongivitis]

Hey, that's a pretty neat addition!

[@BluishGreenPro]

That ending graphic! You really went all out : ) Fantastic analysis as always; I’d never pick up on this stuff myself, so I really appreciate it

[@Octo_Human]

5:44 I HAVE NEVER SEEN YOUR OC BEFORE OMFG ITS PERFECT IN EVERY WAY

[@slushyface307]

We all knew another now-or-never was coming out. *BUT ITS HERE*

[@Vicvillon]

Someday, Splatoon 4 will have to deliver as many now or nevers as possible just to see if Scruffy can break them all down (Awesome video!!! Loved listening to it :) )

[@ZaffaPlaysGames]

Stellar video as always, and some part of me knew a Now or Never followup was in the cards as soon as splatoon 3 launched. Special shoutout to the outro animation+music on this one!

[@nekoneko_koneko]

6:42 i might be wrong but i think that its shiver that is singing at that part. And i think she is singing the “enka” style of singing or maybe it’s just my japanese ears hearing everything as enka

[@poisonousPoint]

another thing about the Deep Cut cover that I think is worth mentioning is that it samples horns/alarms/sirens which give it a much stronger sense of urgency and power behind it, making up for the lack of strong power chords that are present in the original and the c-side cover. the song is also given more of a sense of urgency through the chorus becoming a crowd at the end, and also with the final climb of the lydian scale being supported by the alarm sounds signaling that its the last seconds the players have to do anything

[@armageddon7432]

honey wake up scruffy made another what i love

[@CommandantLennon]

Another banger for sure, but you're teasing us hard with that jazzy little undercut of now or never in your own style, something I'm sure we'd all love to hear.

[@LittleParade_]

Thank you for covering Splatoon again, Splatoon needs soo much more recognition for its music and sound work!

[@karachoto]

You put so much effort into these videos and break it down perfectly, I love seeing people analyze Splatoon's music; there's so much to unpack!

[@ninjacrafter2215]

One thing I like about Splatoon 3’s now or never is that that last drum hit at the very end lines up almost perfectly with the explosions from all the bombs everyone throws in the final second of the match to claim a little bit more turf. It’s super satisfying and adds extra emphasis on those final moves, as they can completely change which side won.

[@Maxler5795]

The second i heard the new now or never i actually said and even commented "im excited to see scruffy analizing this". Because that end part of the song, after its over, kinda gets rid of the hanging tension

[@22oreos]

The attention put into Splatoon's music has always been incredible. I'm happy to see a followup to the original video and I hope to see more Splatoon music related videos on this channel!

[@Mario1080p]

Been waiting for a sequel of this topic

[@takorokawindcrusher]

Glad to see you talk about a splatoon again. One of my favourite games and one of my favourite soundtracks.

[@hide02]

I'm glad to see a followup to the original video! Just a few things that I thought I'd mention since I haven't seen any other comments bring them up. Splatoon 2's version of Now or Never actually does have 2 different singers, and if you used the Squid Sisters amiibo in Splatoon 1 you could actually here a looped version of the Splatfest Now or Never. I really enjoyed listening to you break this version of the song down though!

[@kikog9599]

The way C-Side's rendition of Now Or Never lingers on the second to last note as the match ends as opposed to ending RIGHT on the whistle like the previous two games actually messed up my timing a bit when I first played it lol, I'd be ready to throw a bomb but it was too late!

[@kaleidoskye]

hey scruffy, this video's great! i found your channel originally through the first Now or Never video, so this was a treat to see! keep up the great work!

[@jorgemtzb9359]

Now all we need is an Ω-3 analysis with all that amazing weirdness.

[@harutakami1313]

a small aside, loved the little animated Squid-Scruffy in the video.

[@picpic7220]

I'm so happy you did another splatoon now or never video. Well, happy you did another splatoon video short. Actually, I'm happy you did another video.

[@Wallis_2001]

Scruffy talking about Splatoon is my favourite thing ever

[@WhyDidIJustEatThat]

It always blows me away whenever Scruffy uploads. The sheer amount of effort in each video is astounding!

[@idk-what-im-doing]

YES ITS SCRUFFY! Man you have no idea how much I love music and motifs, it makes me go :D and the fact that you go so in-depth is sick! Paired with the gorgeous visuals, I gotta admit you’re my favorite youtuber! KEEP BEING AWESOME!!

[@alejoflorez4715]

i was waiting for this video to come out some day, i really love how you analize the different versions of this song and what each band does different, it's something i notice as well, but i lack the musical knowledge to pin point exactly what's going on, so it's nice to see someone who can actually bring a full analysis

[@spectravj]

this is the video i wanted but did not expect to be releaed

[@happyfellowship4291]

Begging Scruffy to take the little bit at 4:11 and turn it into a full jam session

[@henriquebernardino8187]

I discovered this channel recently and I have to say, I absolutely adore the music analysis and the visuals of the videos are amazing

[@dvdcd]

Loving the little 3d animated touches in this video! super cool!

[@TheAlexio00]

I'm honestly ever amazed by your musical expertise and by how you make it so easy to understand. Still, isn't Shiver the one singing in the moment you highlited from the Deep Cut version of now or never? Like, you can hear Frye being talked over by the vocal melody

[@kkangelcake]

I’m in love with the C-side drawings!

[@ZeraAxon]

I just rewatched the other video about Now Or Never a month or two ago. Ironic that you post another one now :) Glad to see it though!

[@YouMayKnowMeAsNate]

So glad we got this addition to Splatoon’s now or never breakdown

[@yeetymcneety]

GOD this just makes me adore the team's attention to detail even more than I already did! I would love to see your take on Anarchy Rainbow

[@JoeMecca]

I'm so happy that you made a video about this version of the song. When I originally watched your last video on this topic, I enjoyed it so much. The C-Side version of Now or Never is my favorite across the whole series, and I wondered what you thought about it. It's great that I get to know that answer now!! :D

[@Diamond_V_Blitz]

YES!!! I saw your video on the Splatoon 2 now or never and honestly, this one felt a little less in depth, but still happy to see it!! You have such a nice voice too and I love the little animation of your own character you did! Keep of the great work scruffy! ❤

[@timebubble8421]

AAAAAH thank you for making this! I love splatoon's music and i love it when the cool bits get noticed and explained! I can't wait till you cover more Salmonrun music because it's just so good. Like the new song where a beat is added after it restarts the short melody! It's so clever and they made it work so well!

[@karzai5649]

your original now or never video was so wonderful and honestly a comfort video for me, both because its a topic i hold dear to my heart and your very soothing and insightful commentary. so glad you made this video

[@Stephen-Fox]

I'm loving what they're doing with the 'main theme' for want of a better term for this game, as well, alongside the now expected tutorial jam session version and main version for the multiplayer of Clickbait we've also got... An almost mournful cello cover in the Big Run lobby and whatever the hell ω-3 has done to it (is that a sample? A remix? A cover? All three at once?) for Big Run itself.

[@woomix]

i love feeling informed about music from my favourite game!!

[@oranplan1630]

loved the little splatoon-ified scruffy design

[@DesignFrameCaseStudies]

Fascinating video! Great job man. It's cool to see how the track has evolved over the years.

[@Pinkatie]

I love your videos and I love Splatoon (especially the music) and I was REALLY hoping you’d make another video for Splatoon 3. I’m so glad you did! The video was AMAZING!!

[@Marzlpan]

maybe it's a small thing, but you resolving the first question at the beginning is something i really appreciate. feeling forced to stay just to hear someone's opinion on something has plagued me a little too hard

[@AngelofGrace96]

Yess! I've rewatched the original now or never video several times, so this video was so exciting to see!

[@Minishroom123]

I absolutely adore the way Deep Cut reharmonises the song after the chorus. In conjunction with the instrumentation, it conveys the feel of a cultural festival soooooo perfectly, and in my opinion just blows all the other Splatfest versions out of the water.

[@Xenovile]

I must admit i love Inkling Scruffy, subtle yet somehow really cool

[@quickfeather]

the lil teef on scruffy's character design is super cute

[@dc_rocker]

The stylization of this video is so crisp! Your videos are always a treat :)

[@gabbro2290]

I'm so glad you revisited this!

[@TommyTheCat_05]

THANK GOD you made a follow up, your first now or never was my favorite video of yours, great to see you come back to sploon :))