If you talked to me about ARMS before the last few days, I would’ve told you not to really bother with it. The only time I’d tried it before was at a preview event for the Switch in February 2017. I tried Zelda: Breath of the Wild, Splatoon 2, and some others. ARMS was the last game I tried. I didn’t like it at all. The main reason? Other than what felt to me like messy motion controls it seemed like a free for all. I didn’t really understand it.
If you’ve never played ARMS, here’s my 2017 run down – it’s a game where you fight characters that throw their hands at each other. You equip different hands to give yourself different effects and styles of attack, and you can jump and dodge.
I didn’t really understand when I was doing something correctly or incorrectly during the few minutes I got. As a result, I kept losing no matter how many times I went back. Looking back, I think the issue was the lack of time to learn the game. More “standard” fighting games like Tekken or Street Fighter can be pretty easy to pick up. ARMS has mechanics that aren’t obvious if you’re used to those fighting games, and definitely looked a lot more casual than it was.
March 2020 – Nintendo Direct
So, during the most recent Nintendo Direct, they introduced ARMS on a Game Trial. This is an option for you can download the entire game and try it. If you have a Nintendo Online subscription, of course. I like free games and this one was almost free, so using the magic of the internet that game went straight onto my SD card. My thought was “well, at least I have something small to play if I want a break from Animal Crossing”
I did exactly that. I loaded it up when I wanted a break from Animal Crossing. And I played through some of the tutorials and won some matches. Then I came back and did it again, and again and again. At the moment, I’ve been playing ARMS for about the same amount of time as Animal Crossing and getting some headway. And now I realise that I really needed to appreciate this game more.
What’s good?
ARMS isn’t a fighting game in the standard sense. It’s more like a “fighting/strategy” game. There’s a method in the madness of throwing your arms at someone. Sometimes, you need to grab, or punch with a specific side. Sometimes, your curved punch is used to bait them into making a specific move. It almost stops being about how much you can hit the opponent, and more how you force the opponent to make a mistake, and then make them regret it. Almost like racing games, except for people who have issues using cutlery…maybe.
Graphically, ARMS is impressive too. I’m playing this in 2020. 3 years after it first released at the same time as the Switch, and it still looks good. The comic-book colour palette pops on screen – both TV and handheld. Motion feels smooth – I didn’t notice any issues with frame rate, only issues with some players online (my internet isn’t that great). Each set of ARMS feel unique – there are so many small details in the models and colours of them. Granted, some of them are recolours of models, but you can still recognise your favourites. Each character plays differently too. I like Ribbon Girl the most, mainly because I prefer to dodge more.
Most importantly, ARMS isn’t about motion controls. You can use motion controls but I found that using a standard controller setup is a better experience. The triggers let you punch, and you have access to the buttons – it feels a lot more accessible like this. I haven’t used motion controls yet, just because using my Pro Controller has been so fun! It’s an easy game to start, but difficult to get good at. What’s great about it is that it’s very rewarding. Once you beat a really difficult level in the main Grand Prix game, it becomes more about going further, and experimenting with new characters and arms. And, of course, if you want to use motion, you can get some fitness!
What’s not so good?
It’s difficult. As I said before, it’s not like any other fighting games I’ve played. The closest comparison would be Pokken Tournament, but without the switch between 2D and 3D fighting. Because of this, you need to be ready to spend time on the game. You also need to be ready to lose to the computer and understand why. If you get frustrated easily, this might not be the game for you.
Also, some of the party games are a bit weird to learn. V-Ball is pretty easy. Hoops involves you throwing your opponent through a basketball hoop. Sometimes, I miss and I don’t know why. Also, I don’t know if I can avoid falling through the hoop while I’m being thrown. There’s one where you hit targets and get a high score – I’m really bad at that. I should try to figure out why later.
What do I like?
Personally, the game’s difficulty feels pretty fair. If I dodge well and read the enemy, I succeed. If I make a simple mistake, the opponent takes advantage. When I win matches in the game I feel skilful, whether I’m online or not!
There’s a large assortment of ARMS available in-game too. Learning how they work and customising your favourite fighter with ARMS that match your style gives you many different combos. In this regard, it feels a lot better than other fighting games. Someone might use your character better than you, but you might have a better strategy with your ARMS.
It you have a Nintendo Online subscription and you haven’t tried the game yet, download it and give it a try. Even for a couple of hours. It’s available on Game Trials through April 6th. The version through Game Trials isn’t a Demo. It’s the full game for a short time to let you try it and see. I know I’m purchasing this once my trial expires. I’ve already tried out online battles and it seems that I’m at lease semi-competent.
