Arms

ARMS didn’t impress me at first. Here was Nintendo with a new and exciting console, and what was its first brand-new IP? A souped-up Wii Boxing. I found the game’s motion-controlled punches difficult to land. After going a couple of rounds with little idea why my blows weren’t landing, I walked away achy and deflated.

This fighting game is unlike anything else on the market, in a good way.

Between the chunky, colourful aesthetics and madcap mechanics, Arms is Nintendo through-and-through. The motion controls aren’t perfect, but add enough fun to be worth the loss in precision, and the simple mechanics hide a surprising amount of tactical depth. How long the appeal lasts might depend on how successfully Nintendo expands the rather slight fighter roster, but right now Arms is a very welcome addition to the Switch lineup.

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.