Arms Reviews

Arms is ranked in the 75th percentile of games scored on OpenCritic.
85 / 100
Jun 16, 2017

Is ARMS a game that I should recommend to the owners of a Nintendo Switch? Yes. In terms of gameplay there is nothing to worry about: its controls are responsive, it weighs just 2.2GB, its load times are minimal, it looks fantastic with 1080p and 60FPS in TV mode (720p in portable mode), its themes Musicals are very sticky and they range from the samba to proposals more rockers and it feels like something completely Nintendo.

Review in Spanish | Read full review

7.8 / 10.0
Jun 12, 2017

ARMS is a lot of fun in a party setting, but playing alone gets boring quick as there isn't any other mode to play solo besides the super repetitive Grand Prix.

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Jun 15, 2017

There's something to be said about Nintendo throwing curve balls to keep players from becoming complacent.

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8 / 10.0
Jun 14, 2017

Arms is a zany, promising new IP from Nintendo that exudes confidence in almost everything it offers. The fun garnered from its gameplay mechanics and enjoyable multiplayer modes is enough to make it feel like a worthwhile package, even though it's currently a bit light on content.

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8.5 / 10.0
Jun 9, 2017

ARMS is another great new IP from Nintendo that shows their growing commitment to robust, competitive online games. Its elegant flow of fighting is supplemented by numerous options of continued experimentation, with a strong suite of game types to keep you playing for hours on end.

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Unscored
Jun 9, 2017

I'm nowhere near ready to take on the game's hardest difficulty levels, but "Arms" is the first fighting game to pique my interest since "Super Smash Bros" in 2014.

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Daily Dot
Top Critic
Jun 7, 2017

Overall, ARMS is a solid foundation for a game of its kind. Nintendo has already confirmed post-launch support in the form of new fighters, stages, and modes. With simple menus and bright colors, the presentation here is immaculate. After playing over 30 hours of ARMS, it is hard not to be excited to see where the community grows from here. Still, players need to understand that they are coming in on the ground level of an experimental fighting game that will only feel more rewarding as time goes on.

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8.8 / 10.0
Jun 8, 2017

Creative, unique and just plain fun first-party games continue to be the best reason to have a Switch. This is the beginning of a new franchise, and an excellent starting point for this fresh new idea. "Arms" is poised to appeal to kids who are new to games, experienced gamers and can even support a competitive esports scene. There's room for "Arms" to grow, but this is already the new big thing for the Switch.

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Will Greenwald
Top Critic
Jun 7, 2017

ARMS is an exciting, offbeat Nintendo Switch game that takes the tournament fighter genre and gives it a Splatoon-like quirky twist.

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8 / 10.0
Jun 7, 2017

Oraoraora! ARMS is a fresh and welcome entry in the arena fighting genre that features interesting characters, solid fighting mechanics and one of the best implementations of motion controls that I've seen for any system. Admittedly, the campaign mode could have benefitted from a more robust story and the inability to remap your buttons is a bit frustrating. Despite its issues, however, ARMS is a wily knockout fighter that dishes out lots of fun and entertainment for the young as well as the young at heart.

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Jun 7, 2017

ARMS is a unique-feeling brawler with a surprising amount of depth. It also looks great, combining a colourful flair with some of the most realistic environments and characters the big N has made for some time. Its motion controls are also a resounding success.

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Emma Schaefer
Top Critic
8.5 / 10.0
Jun 7, 2017

A world where people fight with ramen noodles, DNA, and snakes shouldn't be this much fun. It may take a while to get the hang of the controls in Arms, but the wildly inventive characters, catchy theme music, and unique gameplay style offer enough to capture the attention of casual and competitive gamers alike.

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7 / 10
Jun 7, 2017

ARMS takes a fresh look at the old fighting game. By giving it the twist of friendly Ninteo games, it allows everyone to enjoy its new way of fighting each other. However, its roster of look-alikes make us think that the game certainly won't last long for the most demanding players.

Review in French | Read full review

Jun 7, 2017

'Arms' brings back the fun of the Nintendo Wii, but it's most fun if you don't take it too seriously.

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9 / 10
Jun 7, 2017

ARMS is polished, addictive, immensely rewarding and - perhaps most important of all - establishes a solid platform to create a popular and long-running series.

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7.5 / 10.0
Jun 7, 2017

ARMS is Nintendo's first new intellectual property on the Nintendo Switch. I'll be honest, when Nintendo first unveiled the title I wasn't too interested. The motion controls were a huge turnoff to me. I thought the years of waggle were through — unfortunately, they are not. As expected, the motion controls in ARMS just aren't very fun; definitely not my preferred way of playing the game. Luckily, ARMS allows you to play with traditional controls, and that's where the fun begins.

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8.8 / 10.0
Jun 7, 2017

A beat'em up of its own kind: ARMS is more than a motion controlled fighting game; is a brilliant new IP, an original take on the genre, and yet another impressive game for the Switch line-up.'Some extra game modes would have been appreciated, but we remain quite confident about the post-launch support.

Review in Italian | Read full review

4 / 5.0
Jun 7, 2017

ARMS might not exude that same ‘hardcore' draw that other fighting games have, but it's the very epitome of the well-worn phrase, “Easy to pick up, hard to master.” There's something for everyone here, and it's certainly a unique gem of a game that Switch owners would be remiss to pass up on.

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Jun 7, 2017

What Arms lacks in personality and content it makes up for in raw joy and a best-in-class motion control set-up that feels both comfortable and natural. Arms showcases once again that Nintendo is peerless when ti comes to subverting genres without sacrificing what makes them great. Time will tell if Arms has legs to match Splatoon, but the early round scoreboards are certainly swinging in its favour.

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8 / 10.0
Jun 7, 2017

As one of Nintendo's first truly new IP for the Nintendo Switch, ARMS‘s first impression might lend itself towards being no more substantial than the games we saw in Wii Sports: fun for short bursts of play, but lacking in substance. Instead, the game manages to make that simplicity its greatest strength with surprising levels of depth on top of it. More often than not, ARMS pulls no punches in being one of the standout titles in the Switch's early lineup of games for the summer.

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