Nintendo’s newest multiplayer game ARMS is slated to hit the new system worldwide on June 16th. The unique multiplayer game pits two players against one another in what’s essentially a massive match of Rock ‘Em Sock ‘Em Robots with special attachments and unique characters.
The Nintendo Direct last week did a good job of explaining what to expect from the game, so if you missed that presentation, be sure to check it out below. We’re going through some of the details revealed by the Japanese website that’s now live, so if you’re curious about the game here’s everything you need to know.
ARMS Nintendo Direct Presentation
ARMS Controls
The controls for ARMS are pretty interesting, since they use the motion control detection of the Joy-Cons in order to work. You can use the Joy-Con controllers in any configuration, including a single Joy-Con, attached to the Switch unit, inside a Joy-Con grip, or with one Joy-Con in each hand. The latter is the most common way to play the game.
Here’s a quick rundown of how to control the game using the Joy-Con in each hand setup.
- Punch – Move the Joy-Con forward according to which hand. You can add a twist to the movement to curve your punches and make them harder to predict.
- Move – You move around the arena by tilting the Joy-Cons left or right. Pressing L will dash you in the direction you’re moving, while pressing R will allow you to jump in that direction.
- Grab – Moving boy Joy-Cons forward at the same time lets you execute a grab on your opponent.
- Guard – Moving your Joy-Cons toward you executes a guard to protect you from punches, but it also charges your arms.
- Charge Attack – After your ARMS are sufficiently charged from guarding, you can press ZL or ZR to execute a special attack.
ARMS Fighters
While the game is slated to be released in June, Nintendo has only given us a small peek at some of the fighters that will be available. This last Nintendo Direct presentation revealed Minmin the Noodle Girl, so it’s likely we’ll see even more characters revealed before the game’s final release date gets here. Here’s a short list of all the characters we know about so far.
- Springman
- Ribbon Girl
- Ninjara
- Mister Mummy
- Mechanic
- Minmin
ARMS weapons
Your main weapons in ARMS are well, your arms. You can mix and match any combination of weapons depending on the fighter you’re using and if you decide you don’t like the combination you started with, you can change it up in-between rounds. Additionally, each weapon has an elemental attribute that can be activated by charging it beforehand. These attributes include fire, ice, electric, explosion, blind, wind, and stun.
- Toaster – These arms cast fire that burns enemies and knocks them down when charged. Good to use against enemies that spend too much time guarding.
- Boomerang – These send your enemies flying with the power of wind when they’re fully charged. You can also guide them around obstacles to hit enemies behind walls and pillars.
- Trident – You can perform quick attacks with these ARMs.
- Sparky – Sparky works similarly to Toaster, but instead it emits electricity that can shock your enemies.
- Pop-Star – A quick-firing ARM.
- Slapamander – Allows you to perform whip-like punches that cover wide areas and can deal with enemies who are trying to get away with you. When they’re charged, they also deal fire damage.
- Chakram – These arms get bigger while they’re rotating, increasing the size of your punch when you finally send it out.
- Megaton – These are big, slow, and heavy to use. Charging your punches makes them even bigger and they can’t be knocked off course from your enemy sending out his/her punches. They can be used as effective shields.
- Dragon – These arms shoot lasers.
- Revolver – These ARMS have three projectiles when you use your punches. When they’re charged, you can use them to stun your enemies. While the weapon may sound over-powered, the projectiles are very easy to knock off-course.
- Lock-On – These ARMS are designed for players who have trouble aiming. Any punches you throw will automatically lock-on to nearby enemies allowing you an easier time to hit them.
Will you be getting ARMS when it releases in June?
[via Japanese ARMS site]
ARMS – $59.99
