I bashed this game on it's initial reveal under the misconception that it was yet another instance of Nintendo sacrificing good game design for the sake of motion controls. That was pretty stupid and dumb of me as I now love the game, so to make up for that here's a thread highlighting how great it is!
First of course we have the tried and true gameplay. Yes tried and true, because the simplest way to describe the gameplay is 3D Smash Bros. Not at all the same as I'll get to later, but they have significant similaritys. The whole Attack/Guard/Grab triangle, movement n spacing being key with jumping n dodging/dashing, having a variety stages that play differently from one another, a variety of game modes beyond straight up fighting, and both games despite being Fighters still manage to be very accessible yet have deep gameplay, following the easy to play, hard to master mantra.
A big difference in ARMS compared to other fighters is well, the arms, duh! They're like projectiles, so you don't have to be right up in the opponent's face to punch em, however the farther away you are the more time the opponent has to react. I really like that as it makes the game more reactive when other fighters are more about reading your opponent. Also significant is the farther your punch travels, the longer it takes to get back, so anyone thinking they can blindly button mash, or in this case, randomly flail about and achieve victory is in for a rude awakening hehe.
Okay I'll finally get to the elephant in the room, the motion controls. They're actually good here! Enhancing the gameplay by giving it another unique mechanic, the ability to curve your arms. This gives somewhat of an aiming element to punching. The destination of the punch will always be the opponent, but you can change the trajectory, useful for preventing your punch from being stopped by obstacles or the opponent's punch, as well as catching the opponent trying to dodge. Standard controls are still and option, but like Splatoon I feel motion controls will be the ideal way to play.
Lastly, the customization n strategy and how there's a ton of both. There's 10 characters to start with, and despite being very unique and distinct characters, yeah that's not a whole lot. However, that doesn't prevent the game from having plenty of variety still, as there are a ton of different arms, and all characters can use all of them. This leaves so much room for experimentation, and even if two players are using the same character, they could have completely different arm sets and playstyles from one another. Oh yes, sets because you can't use all arms at once of course, but in a loadout of 3 different ones to choose from when you enter a match.
This is where the strategy begins, even before you get into a match! Gotta decide which 3 arms to bring in, which you can of course do based on what playstyles and combos you like, but also to counter the metagame as it develops. For example, lot's of Ribbon Girl players staying airborne alot? Equip an arm that's good at hitting high up. Too many players using Guardians (the shield arm)? Bring an arm that's good at curving around it. The strategy doesn't stop there though, as yet another unique feature of ARMS is changing your equiped arms inbetween rounds. In the first round, you could be playing the zoning game, but in the next, you go all out rush down. Figured out your opponent's gameplan? Switch to a set-up that best counters it. Heck even using the same set as the previous round but switching which arm they're on could throw off your opponent.
Oh and as everyone can plainly see, the presentation is top notch! Game looks great, sounds great, runs great, and just plain is great! Nintendo has done it again!
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