Arms | Geek Node Archive

Developer Nintendo
Publisher Nintendo
Distributor Core
Where we got our copy Core
Genre Fighter
Game modes Single Player, Multiplayer, Co-op
Players 4
Reviewed on Nintendo Switch

MJ Khan

Published July 4, 2017

Closing off my ‘winter of fighters’ is the ridiculously fun Arms. I was reticent going in, fearing that Nintendo’s new IP would simply be a child of Boxing from Wii Sports (an occasional escape from the vastly better tennis, baseball and bowling mini-games). However, the house that Mario built has confidently delivered a fighter that shows off all the best features the Switch has to offer, with a lot of opportunities for future enhancements.

Nintendo is often accused of relying on older, albeit bankable franchises instead of taking more risks, and while I have no issue with this (Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is a masterpiece and Mario Odyssey won IGN’s coveted E3 Game of Show), it is refreshing to immerse yourself in something that doesn’t have a barrier to entry like other Nintendo games – I assume one of the reasons why Nintendo games aren’t as popular in South Africa is because most gamers skipped three generations of Nintendo consoles between the NES and the Wii, and as such, have not grown up with the franchises. My wife dismisses Mario Kart, which while criminal, is almost understandable given that she never dedicated months to Mario Kart 64. Almost understandable. She doesn’t have the same bias for Arms (and hogged the game this past week). Parallels to Mario Kart are evident, with Nintendo’s take on boxing likely to do for the genre what Mario Kart did for kart racing.

While less gimmicky than Wii sports, I found the input lag to be a little problematic – default configuration is imprecise, but has a flavour that endears the game in a way that using the face buttons lacks. Precision over fun is a seemingly unfair trade-off, but a necessary one if you want to progress through the game. Hovering around my screen doing air punches is infinitely more fun than Ultra Street Fighter 2’s Way of the Hado mode, but once I started taking the game seriously, I switched to buttons and did not go back (unless I play with my niblings and don’t mind losing).

Like so many Nintendo games, the high difficulty curve is masked by cutesy graphics, and I found myself stumbling a lot of the time. I eventually picked up that it’s just an elaborate game of rock, paper, scissors underwritten by timing. The game has a cadence that you must respect, and mashing buttons will not get you far (sorry Eddy Gordo players).

The 10 fighters have innate abilities so while I could count the roster on both hands, I never felt like there were too few combatants. Also, being able to swap out arms (with different abilities) adds an additional layer of depth. Sadly, the game lacks Overwatch’s approach to lore, and I was left clamouring for more info on the fighters.

Single player content is a little thin, even though Grand Prix has a ‘one-more-go’ feel to ensure I returned. The game really shines in multiplayer, both offline and online, with the mini-games (V-Ball, Hoops, 1 vs 100 and Skill Shot) being much more than simple palate cleansers. I particularly like V-Ball, an explosive mix of volleyball and hot potato. Offline multiplayer is great fun, both on the couch and on the go. I also enjoyed the lobby for online play (Hardly played online because I had so much fun playing with friends offline).

The shelf-life of this game will ultimately come down to post-release support. Here’s hoping Nintendo take a page out of Overwatch and Rocket League and provide a fair amount of post-release content, along with compelling paid DLC (I would spend a little cash to play as a classic Mario character).

The Switch does not have a lot of third-party support so while we wait for that killer title, it’s good to know that Nintendo is constantly releasing quality titles that continue to make the Switch a compelling purchase.

Closing off my 'winter of fighters' is the ridiculously fun Arms. I was reticent going in, fearing that Nintendo's new IP would simply be a child of Boxing from Wii Sports (an occasional escape from the vastly better tennis, baseball and bowling mini-games). However, the house that Mario built has confidently delivered a fighter that shows off all the best features the Switch has to offer, with a lot of opportunities for future enhancements. Nintendo is often accused of relying on older, albeit bankable franchises instead of taking more risks, and while I have no issue with this (Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is a masterpiece and Mario Odyssey won IGN's coveted E3 Game of Show), it is refreshing to immerse yourself in something that doesn't have a barrier to entry like other Nintendo games - I assume one of the reasons why Nintendo games aren't as popular in South Africa is because most gamers skipped three generations of Nintendo consoles between the NES and the Wii, and as such, have not grown up with the franchises. My wife dismisses Mario Kart, which while criminal, is almost understandable given that she never dedicated months to Mario Kart 64. Almost understandable. She doesn't have the same bias for Arms (and hogged the game this past week). Parallels to Mario Kart are evident, with Nintendo's take on boxing likely to do for the genre what Mario Kart did for kart racing. While less gimmicky than Wii sports, I found the input lag to be a little problematic - default configuration is imprecise, but has a flavour that endears the game in a way that using the face buttons lacks. Precision over fun is a seemingly unfair trade-off, but a necessary one if you want to progress through the game. Hovering around my screen doing air punches is infinitely more fun than Ultra Street Fighter 2's Way of the Hado mode, but once I started taking the game seriously, I switched to buttons and did not go back (unless I play with my niblings and don't mind losing). Like so many Nintendo games, the high difficulty curve is masked by cutesy graphics, and I found myself stumbling a lot of the time. I eventually picked up that it's just an elaborate game of rock, paper, scissors underwritten by timing. The game has a cadence that you must respect, and mashing buttons will not get you far (sorry Eddy Gordo players). The 10 fighters have innate abilities so while I could count the roster on both hands, I never felt like there were too few combatants. Also, being able to swap out arms (with different abilities) adds an additional layer of depth. Sadly, the game lacks Overwatch's approach to lore, and I was left clamouring for more info on the fighters. Single player content is a little thin, even though Grand Prix has a 'one-more-go' feel to ensure I returned. The game really shines in multiplayer, both offline and online, with the mini-games (V-Ball, Hoops, 1 vs…

Video Game Review: Arms

2017-07-04

MJ Khan

A fresh take on boxing

Total - 8.5

85 8.5

Another strong reason to consider the Switch, Arms allows you to take the fight wherever you are

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MJ Khan

Gaming / Entertainment Author at Geek Node

A veteran gamer and award-winning strategist, MJ enjoys eating chocolate eclairs and watching WWE. He completed his Masters coursework on videogame theory and enjoys writing about representation in games.