Opinion: Upgraded For Switch 2, ARMS Deserves A Second Shot At Greatness

With the launch date of the Switch 2 now so near I can hardly remain seated on the toilet, I’ve been wondering to myself about what elements, apart from that fresh console aroma and a brand new Mario Kart installment, has got me most thrilled for my newest offspring. That’s right, my consoles are like my children. Keep off my premises.

Browsing through some of the finer pre-launch specifics, and diving into the compilation of Switch games receiving a “complimentary update” of some sort on Switch 2, I was mildly exhilarated, when all of a sudden my excitement gauge, which I carry in a fanny pack, began to throb and emit loud sounds. Which it isn’t supposed to do during the daytime.

What has gotten me so thrilled in the fanny pack? Well, it’s quite impolite of you to inquire, but since we’re here I might as well reveal that it’s ARMS. ARMS is returning! Well, it ought to be. It could be. It better be.

The official Nintendo site dedicated to enhanced Switch games (of which there are merely 11, which must signify something!) has been refreshed with additional details indicating the game is being optimized for Switch 2 via enhanced image quality and a frame-rate upgrade. They are eager to emphasize that it operates “even when playing with 3 or more players,” so it’s either going to be linked to those more intensive modes specifically or we might be looking at 120fps. Or perhaps both. If we allow ourselves to dream, you comprehend.

Alright, not precisely a complete remake for a new console generation, but there is actually positive news here. A visual enhancement, even if it’s solely a resolution improvement, is highly appreciated, but it’s the optimized frame rate that has me most thrilled. The notion of a super-smooth experience, functioning flawlessly and maybe even at 120fps (cross everything) makes me hopeful that players could engage with this game as they should have eight long years prior.

It may have had a fairly successful debut considering it was a new IP on a new console for Nintendo (and sold well over two-and-a-half million units), but it did feel, at least to me at that time, as if ARMS was a title that should have been captivating the multiplayer landscape with its slapstick 1v1/2v2 skirmishes, but wasn’t being promoted in the proper manner, resulting in the perception that it was too intricate and challenging.

For me, there’s an abundance of Punch Out’s timeless charm, but it’s the Splatoon vibe that’s the most delightful surprise.

I mean, there is a learning curve (that’s life, darling), but the general consensus on the ground at that time seemed to be that it was more perplexing than the absolute blast of arcade magic that it truly is.

Indeed, we have now arrived at the segment of the article where I must clarify why I’m droning on about an eight-year-old game featuring a bunch of characters with noodle-like arms that few really played after 2017. Well, it’s not too difficult to deduce. We did grant the title a rather impressive 9/10 at the time, with our review — quite fittingly for this piece, I might add — stating that it “establishes a solid foundation to create a favored and long-lasting series.”

Exactly! Yes. That is precisely my argument, Mr. McFerran. This should have been a platform for Nintendo to build upon for the long term; we should still be unlocking countless new arms and characters in the latest drop of hot ARMS DLC 2025, for heaven’s sake. Where’s my battle pass?

Approaching ARMS for the first time back in the olden times of 2017, there’s no doubt it was…well…a different, more labor-intensive undertaking to dive into. It’s got an entirely new — and rather physical — set of rules to familiarize yourself with. It requires you to utilize motion controls, and you actually have to ‘think’ and ‘react’ at times, or you’ll get smacked quite a lot. Right in the face, too. Oooft.

However, and please feel free to download the game on Switch and verify this for yourself right now (we must send these folks a message, capiche?), any newcomer anxiety is quickly alleviated once you dive into play.

For me, there’s a great deal of Punch Out’s timeless essence here, obviously, but it’s the Splatoon energy that’s the loveliest surprise. Nintendo once again took a very popular genre of versus action and gave it a vibrant, family-friendly makeover.

Centered around a straightforward core concept of rock-paper-scissors-styled clashes, ARMS is fundamentally a 3D arena fighter at heart. The basics are easy to grasp and enjoy. Each of the 10-member roster of fighters (now expanded to 15 through DLC) possesses the same essential moveset; a left and right punch, block, dash, and jump (along with air dashes, a special charged move, and parry/ripostes as additional intricacies when you’re ready).

This core, rather than being reset or reframed for each character within a different fighting style, is then granted to you to utilize as you prefer, in essence. From a first-person viewpoint, and employing the motion controls, you step into the arena and apply strategies that you conceive on the fly, with your own mind, to bring down your adversary. It’s liberating in the way it encourages you to tackle the challenge of, well, not getting knocked out in virtually any manner you desire within the boundaries of its moveset. Simple and profound.

In combat, you then need to consider and implement that classic rock-paper-scissors element to inflict the necessary amount of damage to your opponents. Punches defeat grabs, blocks defeat punches, grabs defeat blocks. So this is your attack triangle, essentially. Negate a grab with a single punch, block incoming punches, and handle attempted turtling and defensive rubbish with grabs. That’s right.

There are no flashy hadoukens or any of that nonsense, no memorizing more than what I’ve already mentioned, in terms of movement and basic flow of things, at least. But, of course, it’s the titular ARMS that introduce the real excitement. Instead of standing at any standard distance or throwing punches in any usual manner, what you’re genuinely doing is utilizing your motion controls to bend and target long-ranged, looping ribbons that twist and swirl and deliver explosive shots from their tips, before retracting right back to you.

Consequently, everything that you and your rival do is fairly well sign-posted. Anticipating the next strike, creating an opening for yourself, and recognizing when to dodge, air dash, or shift your position thus becomes crucial. It’s a remarkably pure form of pugilism, for how eccentric it appears.

There are plenty of arm types to experiment with, allowing for real depth in how you choose to enhance your fundamental tactics with elements such as larger fists (easier to strike with), sending fist projectiles out in spirals, numerous defensive amplifications, and even elemental factors that fit nicely into the game’s slapstick violence.

Add to this the fact that each character also contributes a touch of uniqueness, varying from the ability to float in the air while slowing down projectiles as Twintelle, to having a canine companion as Byte, and there’s a lot to explore. Then, combine this with interactive stage elements, and we have an easy-to-learn, quick-to-enjoy game, that also possesses substantial depth. Hence why it’s incredibly unfortunate it hasn’t achieved enduring popularity among the public. It took a while for a boxing reference, but I got there in the end.

Of course, this isn’t a review, so let’s conclude here; it’s an enjoyable game that I want to see receive another chance. And it seems as though the Switch 2 might be it? Please let it be. Even if this enhancement merely provides us with refined visuals, the GameChat features (will anyone truly use them?), and a higher/more stable frame rate, I’ll accept it.

I’m thrilled, too, by the possibility of my only grievance with the game — the occasional misinterpretation of my motion-controlled desires — being resolved by the console’s state-of-the-art hardware. Also, as one final point of interest, members of the ARMS team have been working on Mario Kart World, presumably full throttle, since they finished with their fighter.

So…you understand where I’m headed. ARMS 2 is practically confirmed. We achieved it, team! (Here’s to hoping).

Would you like to see ARMS revive its popularity on Switch 2? Does the notion of a sequel excite you? Share your thoughts!