Arms Reviews
Arms' clever take on boxing provides a simple premise with a startling amount of depth for those who would seek to master the stretching appendages. Its rapidly evolving lobby system had me sticking around for “just one more match.” There may not be a lot worth unlocking right now, but planned free updates may just give Arms some additional legs.
Arms does for fighting games what Mario Kart did for driving games, and the results are absolutely splendid.
An accessible and captivatingly strange new breed of versus fighting game, Arms is another Nintendo knockout for Switch.
One of the most enjoyable and original fighting games of recent years, that fully justifies its use of motion controls – and it's only set to get better in the future.
Whether you're embroiled in an intense fight or participating in one of the oddball minigames, you probably have a smile on your face
Arms' unique take on fighting can be hard to adjust to, but once you do, it's a surprisingly deep fighter that has you thinking on your feet.
With a stylish, memorable cast of characters, inventive gameplay mechanics and smart use of the Switch hardware, Arms already feels like Nintendo's next great new franchise.
Arms is a one-trick pony. That one trick is polished and addictive, with deep minutia worth mastering.
Nintendo's newest IP delivers on tone and fleeting fun, but struggles to sink its hooks in.
Arms has a lot to love, and unfortunately, a lot to forget too. After a year of planned updates, I imagine the Arms we see a year from now will be a drastically different game. A more fuller one, at that. In the meantime though, while it has potential with its layers of depth, the core game simply doesn't have enough variety among its many arms and fighters to keep the experience feeling fresh for long.
ARMS is without doubt a mixed bag, but its laundry list of upside and paid-off risk-taking do render it worthwhile if you crave creative and purely fun local multiplayer on Switch. You'll want to convince your friends to go motion or button-only across the board of course, and while ARMS' online modes seem stable, somehow I suspect the Ranked Match will seed more frustration than enjoyment for most players. That is, if the formidable challenge of Grand Prix at higher difficulty is any indication.
There's a lot of personality on the surface in Arms (mainly I love that title theme song), and I hope Nintendo continues to build on it as planned. It works as a fighter, I just wish there was more to do in this debut entry -- both pragmatically in terms of modes and on an emotional level, as I haven't really connected with its universe yet despite its raw style.
Nintendo gets in the fighting genre on Switch thanks to ARMS, a new IP which brings fresh air to this genre and mixes classic gameplay mechanics with the features of Nintendo's new console.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Feels like an evolution of Punch Put series, focused on multiplayer tournaments. Fun to play and hard to master, the downside is its lack of content: characters, game modes and levels.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Bringing motion controls back with a bang, ARMS can feel surprisingly retro, yet it also fits in perfectly with Nintendo's modern twist on gaming and the Switch. ARMS exhibits Nintendo's flair for game design to its fullest, confidently taking a well-known genre and injecting it with colour and character to craft something that's inimitably their own.
ARMS is a unique, fresh take on the fighting genre that's simple to learn but tough to master. It's not going to be for everyone, but it's fun to see Nintendo try something so new.
Arms sessions are quick, fun, and satisfying. With easy-to-pick-up mechanics, solid stage design, and quirky characters, Arms genuinely feels like a fun and different addition to the fighting game genre. More than that, it feels like just the kind of game that makes the Nintendo Switch itself feel fun and different.
Behind its wacky (and absolutely adorable) cartoony appearance, with its peculiar colorful appeal, its delightful cast of characters and its rubbery animations that somehow remind you of Splatoon, ARMS has the heart - and the brain - of a pure-bread fighting game. Deep, engaging, fascinating, fast and far from trivial, this beat'em up shows however one huge merit above its many undeniable virtues: it's a new, completely unique take on the genre, one that will be enjoyable for both fans and newcomers. Another hit for the Big N, scored with a surprising boomerang-punch.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Nintendo made a fighting game with a slickness that only Nintendo can manage.