ON THE FACE of it ARMS is a motion-
controlled boxing game. But then, so was the
pugilistic part of Wii Sports. Not all motion-
sensing boxing games are created equal, and
ARMS is a number of classes above Nintendo’s
previous attempt.
Visually, it could be a kids’ title, with bright,
primary colours, bizarre-looking cartoon
characters and in-your-face visual effects. But play
it for a while and it begins to reveal a huge amount
of depth. There are a vast number of different
controller options, but the best way to play is to
hold a Joy-Con in each hand — tilting them to
move around, and punching with them to, well,
punch. But it’s not just a game of frantic punching
and flailing arms — there’s so much more to it
than that. You can curve punches by twisting your
hands, button presses allow you to jump or dash
in whatever direction you’re moving, and
punching with both hands simultaneously triggers
a grab. ARMS, it’s fair to say, doesn’t subscribe to
the Marquess Of Queensberry rules.
There are 10 characters to choose from, each
with a different set of “arms” — extendable limbs
each with different characteristics, from standard
boxing gloves to mallets (good for going over the
top of incoming attacks), to triple-rockets
(slow-moving but incredibly destructive) and even
parasols (useful for blocking). It’s vital to learn
how your opponent moves, then use that
information to attack them in the right way.
It’s as much a game of tactics as it is timing.
And the more you jump, dash and successfully
land punches, the more your flurry meter builds.
When it’s full, a tap of either trigger lets you deal
a super-fast burst of punches which cumulatively
cause of a lot of damage and set you on your way
to victory.
Structurally, however, is where ARMS is
slightly lacking. The Grand Prix mode is the
closest thing the game has to a single player
campaign (although it can also be played by two
players). It involves picking a character, then
making your way through a series of bouts. There
are some mini-games chucked in along the way,
but essentially that’s it. You do earn money to
spend on new arms for your characters, but it’s
more a means to learn the game than anything
that could be considered a meaty solo experience.
It’s online where the game shines. There are
two modes — one for general fun (where it doesn’t
matter if you lose) and the more serious ‘Ranked
Match’, which is only unlocked when you’ve
completed Grand Prix at difficulty four (of seven).
That’s where the serious players will spend their
time, and it hints at ARMS’ future in the eSports
arena. Not only is it vastly more interesting to
watch than the likes of League Of Legends, but
pretty much any sentient being can easily discern
what’s going on in front of them.
As it did with Splatoon two years ago,
Nintendo has proved it can still launch new
franchises and make them as relevant and vibrant
as Mario, Zelda and its other old faithfuls. And
after the disappointment of the Wii U’s sales
figures, ARMS is yet another boost for the Switch
— a sophisticated console, but one with the same
party-gaming spirit as the original Wii.
STEVE BOXERVERDICT Classic Nintendo — simple in concept,
easy to pick up and play, but really tough
to master. Sure, it’s missing a coherent
single-player campaign, but it’s still an
utterly beguiling experience.CRASH BANDICOOT N SANE TRILOGY
HHHHH
OUT NOW / FORMAT PS4
DIRECTOR DAN TANGUAY
CAST JESS HARNELL, LEX LANGCRASH BANDICOOT DOESN’T get nearly the
credit it deserves — a pioneer of 3D gaming,
it pushed the original PlayStation to its limits.
But that was 21 years ago — time for
a spruce-up. This HD remake collects the first
three games together and adds new features.
The time trials introduced in the third title
Warped? They’re now in all three games.
Despite its age, the gameplay still holds up,
with a mix of level types that sees Crash
moving away from you, towards you, or
side-to-side like a 2D platformer. And it’s still
as maddening as ever (just try getting through
the Native Fortress stage without screaming in
frustration), with that rare quality that draws
you back in for one more level or to try to
collect every single box. Now, isn’t it time for
a Crash Team Racing remake? JPARMS
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OUT NOW / FORMAT SWITCH
DIRECTORS KENTA SATO, MASAAKI ISHIKAWA, SHINTARO
JIKUMARU / CAST MOMOKA KAWASAKI, YU KOBAYASHI
PLOT Two contestants stand opposite each other
in brightly coloured arenas and (when given the
go-ahead) they fight with long, extendable arms.
So not much in the way of actual story, but then,
it’s not that type of game.
MICRO MACHINES WORLD SERIES
HHHHH
OUT NOW / FORMATS PC, PS4, XBOX ONE
CHIEF GAMES DESIGNER GAVIN COOPER
CAST BRIAN BLESSEDHITTING CULTURAL MASS during the
16-bit era, the Micro Machines games
were tricksy and fast-paced, ideal for
frantic multiplayer races, with four people
gathered round a flickering CRT television
as their vehicles skittered across kitchen
tables or workbenches. World Series doesn’t
mess with the formula too much — the cars
are small, the race tracks are made of
household items and multiplayer is the
focus. But instead of everyone crowding
in front of one screen, the bulk of your
time will now likely be spent online, both
in races and the new battle modes. It’s every
bit as fun and chaotic as it used to be and
retains a lot of its charm, but unless you’re
willing to commit to playing online, it won’t
have the longevity. JP