Zany brawler pulls no punches on Nintendo Switch
Arms represents a subtle milestone for Nintendo, the first big new IP being released on the Nintendo Switch, hot on the heels of high-profile entries in the beloved Zelda and Mario Kart series.
It also sneakily represents Nintendo’s way of further infiltrating lucrative “grown up” genres, alongside their masterwork in Smash Bros. and their foray into the shooter domain with Splatoon.
The zany fisticuffs of Arms may not win over every Street Fighter or Tekken pro out there, but this is a game for people looking to have some wacky fun and it actually packs surprising depth under all the silliness.
Arms is your basic arenastyle fighter, but with the special twist that instead of flurries of kicks, dragon punches and fireballs, combatants hurl looping, spring-loaded long-rang punches at one another from distance.
The key is to time, bend and aim your punches in such a way to anticipate your foes’ movements and to counter their own lengthy, curling attacks.
It’s deceptively simple on its face but cunningly complex once you start hucking punches at one another.
The controls are designed to allow gamers to take advantage of the motion sensors inside the JoyCon if so desired.
I tried this method out first and while I found it much harder to land accurate blows reliably while flailing my hands toward the TV, this was by far the most fun way to play the game.
You can opt for traditional button and stick controls, which makes it much less difficult to time your dodges and blocks, but where’s the fun in that?
Arms manages to avoid being a button mashing (or in my case arm-flailing) nightmare thanks to the roshambo system they use to meter the action: punches can parry throws, blocks can deflect punches and throws can counter blocks. It’s a simple mechanic but one that ensures people just don’t hurl rapid-fire punches all the live long day without repercussion. Measuring your distance, using the environment and proper defence are needed in order to have more than a puncher’s chance in most fights.
That said, those looking for enduring success in Arms should prepare for some serious studies.
The wacky stylings of the fights bely a deep system of timing, blocking and counterattacking that are a hallmark in competitive contests with seasoned players. Taking advantage of powerups, charged attacks, shifting levels vertically — these are considered basic skills when competing beyond the casual level in Arms, something I learned very quickly while dabbling online against more experienced players.
A slew of different load-outs lets discerning players head into battle with specialized arms with differing weights, abilities and effects.
You can probably guess what arms with names like Boomerang and Revolver do, but I’ll leave sillier arms like Bird, Dragon and Parasol as a surprise.
The high-skill cap and large number of load-out combinations will likely allow Arms to carve out a special niche on the eSports scene, but it might turn off casual gamers looking to just goof around online. The arenas and stages of Arms are excellent. Some have obstacles and barriers that afford new strategies and others have outright hazards that you can use to your advantage if you are plucky enough.
The roster of 10 fighters are colourful, varied and expectedly adorable.
Each has their own strengths and weaknesses so it’s likely most gamers will find someone who suits their preferred fighting style given enough time. Spring Man and Ribbon Girl are probably the most balanced pugilists of the squad, Ninjara focuses on defence and mobility, Master Mummy is a sheer brute of a boxer and Kid Cobra uses terrifying speed to make every match a nuisance for his foes.
Despite the different styles at work here, 10 playable characters feels like a mere amusebouche in terms of variety these days, where fighting games can feature dozens or even 50+ fighters on a roster.
The same can be said of the relatively barren mode offerings here in Arms.
The Grand Prix is a fine mode for learning the ropes and making your way through each fighter but it’s decidedly light on depth.
A slew of basketball and volleyball styled mini-games fills some of the void, but it definitely feels like the fine gameplay of Arms is spread thinly across these modes.
It’s possible the promised free DLC that is in the pipe for this title will alleviate some of these concerns, but only time will tell. Graphically the game wows with vibrant colours, great character designs and smooth gameplay that pops both on your TV and on the Switch display itself.
Fighting games are pointless if there’s any hitching or frame drops during the battles; thankfully Arms boasts silky smooth combat even when arms are sproinging every which way. Sound work is a little too zany for my tastes but there’s an over-the-top quality to it all that definitely suits the tone and style of the game. Multiplayer modes allow your to put ‘em up against friends locally or around the world online if you want. You’ll need a 2nd set of JoyCon to appreciate the motion nuances of the game with someone next to you, but the online matches were lag free and full of laughs (even if I did get my butt handed to me almost exclusively).
Arms silly fighting style and cartoonish look won’t be for every gamer, but once you penetrate the basics there’s a surprisingly high skill-ceiling underneath these springloaded punches that could tantalize more hardcore gamers.
This is a wonderful new franchise for Nintendo and a welcome third “must have” title for Switch owners to add to their libraries.
Upside: Fun, zany combat. Controls work well, surprising depth to tactics. Vibrant, colourful environments. Solid online & multiplayer action.
Downside: Not a lot of characters, game modes lacking content. Big skill leap from casual to serious gameplay. Bottom Line: Arms will make you want to reach out and touch someone.