When ARMS was first introduced, it didn’t impress. It seemed like one more in the Nintendo Switch catalog. However, the new IP of the Great N has convinced us event after event until we reach this analysis. In fact, a new fighting star may have been born.
You need to understand Splatoon to understand ARMS . The game model is exactly the same. It has been proposed as a title based on the continuous updating of content, and it will probably not be the same now as towards the end of the year. It also aims to establish fluid communication with fans, through tournaments and special events. Surely, the multiplayer focus of the title is the key to expanding the initial experience.
All of this means that ARMS exhibits the same symptoms of nudity as Splatoon at its launch. But the important thing is that its playable base is simply spectacular . Nintendo, a company barely known for its combative titles, proves once again that -when it wants- there is no genre that can resist it. Despite its colors and samba rhythms, at the mechanical level it stands on tiptoe to match other great combative video games.
ARMS contains just 10 fighters, the modes have ups and downs, and browsing the entire game takes little time. However, the balance achieved in the fighting suggests that this has a great future . Each character is a world, mastering the game takes hours, it is really challenging, it offers many forms of control to play (surprisingly the gyros work great) and the overall quality is extremely high. Nintendo Switch fists out, and in what way …
Gameplay
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Innovation strokeMost of ARMS ‘success lies in its combative innovation. Traditional fighting video games have opted for hand-to-hand action. Here it is almost more important not to get too close to your opponent. Throwing punches from a distance – and with effect – is the main mechanic. The combative originality that this implies affects all layers of the video game, making it unique.
The video game works at 60 frames per second in both portable and television mode. It only drops to 30 frames when four users play split screen.
One of the first has to do with control. ARMS can be played in all possible ways , and very satisfactorily. You can do it with the Joy-Con horizontally, using the “grip”, in portable mode or enjoying the additional comfort and precision provided by the Switch Pro Controller . Of course, also holding a controller in each hand, throwing the fists towards the screen. We have not finished getting used to this last option, but we are aware – through the different events we have been to – that there are many people who are very good at it.
Every fight becomes a strategy danceIt is still surprising to me that someone playing with motion detection can be at the same combative level as someone holding the Pro controller. It is unusual, but ARMS always gives the impression that it succeeds. This is the paradigm of the balance achieved in the title, and speaks exemplarily of what the Big N has achieved. There are even details such as that you can decide, by tilting the Joy-Con, the side to which you rise when you fall to the ground due to an impact.
Getting new fists is essential to customize your fighter. The more variety you have, the more complex the gameplay becomes.
But the best thing about ARMS is that each fight becomes a strategy dance. Pushing buttons without further ado is absolute defeat, without exception. Here it is essential to read the adversary . If he covers himself, this is the ideal time to catch him. If he throws a punch, you should dodge it and fight back right away. The combative flow can become exhausting, and here is my best indicator that tension is being generated: starting to hurl expletives at the screen.
So don’t be fooled by ARMS’s nice looks. The same selection of fists , before each fight, is something that determines its development. We have them faster and more powerful, that launch rays from a distance, that have a greater trajectory curve … and also have different states (electricity, fire, ice, etc.). The probability of victory is directly proportional to the dominance you have over the different fighting styles that exist.
This is not ending here. Each character is a world , because not everything is based on different ways of striking, but of moving. Ninjara teleports to counter when she dodges a hit. Master Mummy recovers energy by protecting itself. Mechanica can glide in the air. Twintelle slows down time. There is a robot that carries a kind of tech-support dog that defends it from attacks.
Are there a few seconds left to finish the fight and do you have more life than the rival? Managing a victory by letting time pass is a very valid option in ARMS.
All this depth is expanded in ARMS with the scenarios themselves , which are not mere assistants to the skirmishes, but are there to deliberately influence the contest. In a set the pillars serve to hide us from the enemy. In another we have a springboard that can be used to unbalance the confrontation. You understand what this is all about when you throw fists that dodge parked cars in Plaza de la Fame, or when you get on floating platforms in Viperine Circuit.
And then there is the unpredictable . At any moment a circle of regeneration of life or of increase of special power can appear … or also an explosive ball that works as a “hot potato”. In short, a small but successful portion of the Mario Kart madness brought to the mat. It destabilizes the fighting and makes it more interesting. Something had to be noted that Kosuke Yabuki was behind the production of the video game.
Coherent fightsCombining all these ingredients: combative strategy, types of fists, peculiarities of fighters, scenarios and a certain unpredictability, the success of ARMS as a fighting versus video game is understood. The base is exemplary, with a progression system based on accumulating points to unlock new fists. Even that works fine. What it does not hit so much is in game modes, limited and shallow in some cases.
The main game mode is the Grand Prix , with ten fights that can be played on up to seven different difficulties. It is the typical arcade, except for the detail that it can be played split screen with a second user. That is the key. ARMS has a Versus that supports up to 2 vs 2 players, and if you play online you can do it alongside a partner: it’s wonderful. It is a video game designed to be played in company. It is one of the best multiplayer proposals currently available on Nintendo Switch.
You understand their spirit the first timeThe central core convinces, but not the periphery. Modes like volleyball, basketball, target shooting or “The 100 opponents” (typical endurance mode) become accessories, and you will probably play a couple of games before you get bored. They need more incentives to be played, with tournaments perhaps. Nintendo will have to study how to reactivate these options – or add others – for the future. The good thing is that ARMS is a product designed for the medium term , so we should not fear too much in the face of this lack of content.
But let’s not forget the fundamentals. The video game also triumphs because of an invisible glue that joins all the mentioned components . The rhythm of audiovisual samba, with happy tones and lively melodies, is the integrating element of the ARMS experience. The Big N does this like no other: combining playable, visual and audio components to achieve exceptional overall coherence. You understand their spirit the first time.
For this reason, more than the inventive art of the characters and settings, you realize that ARMS is a Nintendo video game through this philosophy: that of ensuring that everything maintains a coherent line. It is a fighting game, but respecting the tone of joy and emotion that surrounds everything that the Japanese do. He achieves it with quality, enthusiasm and the desire to propose new things. It is impossible not to wish you the best … although the truth is, your future depends exclusively on what updates your fists in the coming months.
“Very good”
ARMS
8.5
Readers
(12)
ARMS is the proof that Nintendo can do anything if it wants to. We are facing a video game of fights with an exemplary base and devilish depth. The variety of fighters, the exquisite control, the multiplayer possibilities and a charming audiovisual section give us a lot of optimism to think that the title can hit hard if the Big N takes care of it in the coming months.
- Brilliant combative concept: balanced, deep and original
- The control is exceptional, both with traditional control and with Joy-Con
- Great difficulty setting: challenging but very addictive
- Great multiplayer proposal, both local and online
- A tremendous base to exploit, going forward, through upgrades
- Something naked at launch, as happened with Splatoon
- The accessory modalities (basketball, volleyball …) have little route
