Soapbox: ARMS is the New Splatoon for the Nintendo Switch Generation

Due to the nature of the two games I doubt ARMS with be able to come anywhere close to meeting the popularity of Splatoon. Despite that, I'm still excited for it! I got to demo it at PAX, and it is a lot of fun, and if they manage to cram a lot of content in it I'm sure to get a lot of time out of it... but I feel it will still lack Splatoon's inherent replayability.

This game is like an onion? Oh! You leave it out in the sun, it gets all brown and starts sprouting little white hairs!

You're right in the sense that both look repetitious and boring at times.

This game is like The Onion, it's a joke.

I'm actually more interested in this than Spla2oon. Of course I never owned a Wii U but I did play during the global testfire.

I think ARMS will win big with the non-gamers in my household. I just hope there is true depth to it.

Not convinced ARMS will become the new Splatoon. Splatoon took the multiplayer FPS tropes and Nintendofied them, creating something that was awesome and colourful and instantly playable by everyone. ARMS looks like a fun family game but beyond some pretty cool customisation type stuff it's not something you could get lost in for hours at a time like the former...

I think the potential is definitely there with the many possible character, left and right glove combinations. The only thing that could very well keep ARMS from Splatoon fame are the motion controls which need to be precise and tight. Also, I don't think ARMS doesn't look that special and unique compared to other fighters (except that most fighters stick 2.5D), unlike Splatoon to shooters.

I'm really interested ARMS. I don't think it will be as big a Splatoon but if Nintendo market it right and there's more to the game, then it could sell pretty well. I want to see if there's some sort of single player campaign. Maybe little mac could even have a cameo.

It has all the hallmarks of a "seconds to learn, lifetime to master" game written all over it. Getting flashbacks to Virtua Fighter and Virtual On with this. It's one of the most Dreamcast-like games I've seen by Nintendo.

I've already said that Arms looks like the Splatoon devs got a hold of punch out...I'm excited. I have one semi-minor concern but I'm going to take a chance. I have it preordered.

Well, I'm still dubious. Still not certain about purchase. They should make a demo available for their games, especially those new.

I have to admit, this seemed a bit lackluster when they showed it for the first time in January, but after seeing it shown off a bit more yesterday, I'm actually quite excited to play it and I'm far more confident it can deliver.

I'm still not sold on this game, but it seems like something I'd appreciate more if I tried it out.

I can't see this one selling!

It could do worse than 1-2 switch.....

@WiltonRoots It reminds me a little of Power Stone on the Dreamcast... That game was a blast.

Arms looks like it be fun but not sure if it will be as popular as splatoon. Then again never expected Splatoon to get as popular as it did as well.

Just like a few others, I'm not completely sold on this yet. I liked the gameplay from the Direct and it seems like a fun competitive game to play online or locally with friends.

The only real issue I have with picking it up right away is I just won't find time to play it. I'm still trying to find a Switch and I'm hoping to pick one up during the first week of May when I go home for the summer. I might be done Zelda by the time this game comes out, but I feel like I will be to obsessed with Mario Kart 8 Deluxe for my multiplayer fix. Plus, Splatoon 2 will be just a few weeks away and I need to save up for that. Maybe a demo will help push the fence for me.

@Lord I see this being as popular as Punch Out, but for a new generation. It's kinda exciting and could be as popular as Splatoon was.

I would agree if it weren't a $60 retail game with another $70 tacked on for extra joy cons. Splatoon wasn't worth $60 initially, but it became more than worth it by the end of launch. This game has less than 10 characters and costs too much to get into. It doesn't have enough content to justify buying $130 worth of stuff.

Many people bought a WiiU specifically to play Splatoon. I highly doubt Arms could sell a single Switch on its own.

"It's like an onion"

What, in how it'll make you cry?

Initially I wasn't into this game. But I'm more excited now that I've learned more about it. The more I see it, the more I like it, and that it feels very Nintendo. I just want a lot of content and as many modes as they can give it, even if its down the line. I believe it has potential to be super popular. I'm pretty sold on it. Def getting day one.

Nah, it won't be like Splatoon popularity...Splatoon has concerts in Japan that people attend.

Splatoon 2 is the new Splatoon for the Nintendo Switch generation, duh!

I am excited for this. It's a competitive tactical boxing simulation. I can see myself taking the Switch over to a friend's and challenging people to bouts. It doesn't seem too mindless to me, and that's exciting. It's definitely not Splatoon, it's more personal than that, it relies on the player's tactical ingenuity as opposed to team synergy. It is however the Splatoon of its genre.

I've been saying the same thing since I first saw it back in January. It's going to be huge release for Switch but has been dismissed by too many on here. All of the complaints about Switch only having ports, rehashes and Mario never seem to mention Arms. Unique game play, graphically brilliant and oodles of personality and Nintendo charm. As long as they nail the motion controls and I'm sure they will,this is going to be a killer title.

Nah. Splatoon's wonderful twist on the competitive shooter was something special, primarily because it appeals to people of all skill levels. ARMS won't have that versatility.

Also, people can talk about how "deep" it is until they're blue in the face, but all I'm seeing is a goofy looking boxing game where you can mix and match different types of gloves. I mean, yes, there appears to be a lot of diversity in terms of what those gloves do, but that doesn't seem like it will be enough to keep this title from feeling really old really quickly.

It's just a fighting brawler and doesn't even come anywhere close to the scale of Splatoon.

It looks fun and all, but will become boring and repetitive quick enough.

@Nintendo_Ninja absolutely agree on the pricing, especially if you want a second pair of joy-con (though the economy of that changes if you consider them as investments for other future games too) but I've seen this leak cropping up all over that there's at least 4 more characters, which takes us up to 10, doesn't it?

@Jeronan Just like Smash Bros is a fighting brawler that is fun but becomes repetitive and boring quickly?

But I don't want a new Splatoon, I want more Splatoon.

Thankfully, the Switch has that and convinced me to buy one later in the year.

But not Arms. Arms looks like garbage.

@Nintendo_Ninja
Ya But most people won't be spending $130 for this, because most people will already have a 2nd set of Joycons (that's pretty much a must for anyone who plays local multiplayer games, and if they play local MP they're gonna need those controllers regardless of Arms)

Not to mention, you could play this game exclusively online just like Splatoon, and never touch another set of Joycons, ever.

Or, you could split the set of Joycons since the game is playable with a single Joycon. It's also compatible with the Pro Controller.

And anyone who doesn't plan on playing online who doesn't own a second set of Joycons who doesn't wanna split joycons who doesn't own a Pro controller... this might just be the extra reason they need to go ahead and get that second set. Since it'll be useful for every MP game for the next 5 years, not just for Arms.

@Amsterdamsters Classic game...I like fighting games where you can throw furniture at people.

I'm glad that there is a new IP, and I love fighting games. But I haven't seen enough quite yet to justify the price.

From a "new, hip, IP from Nintendo" standpoint, I saw "Splatoon" type potential when I saw the first footage, but I found myself saying that it needs to be more than just a whimsical style of game. After the latest footage, I see the potential depth-- Time will tell if it has the same staying power of Splatoon. It reminds me of an alternate Custom Robo in its execution-- The kind of game that will have a niche following, but not enough to turn the world on its head, but again, time will tell.

If nothing else, I think we all will easily see Ribbon Girl and Spring Man in the next Smash (If there hopefully is one that is...)

I would love to see Little Mac as a DLC character in Arms.

It seems like the previews of ARMS just focuses on the characters and the arms, so I don't exactly know how much staying power. Either way, the core games still looks pretty fun.

Interestingly, they seemed to have eased off the talk of motion controls during the Direct. Makes me wonder if they might try to shift focus to "traditional" controls as the default to appeal to the "hardcore"gamers and especially the fighting game community.

If they can get this game consistently played at big name events like Evo, Apex, VG Bootcamp, etc., I think they could see some long-term benefits.

Heck, Nintendo should really invest in their own eSport endeavor. Between Splatoon, Smash, Pokken, and [ideally] ARMS, they have enough power to keep these games in the public eye.

Okay, who has ever play Punch Out ?
If you think ARMS will be bored so quickly, I think Punch Out offers less Options to enjoy the game.

In Punch Out, you CAN'T choose any character but Little Mac nor even customize his looking so detail. ARMS has some different characters to be choosen and you can change the gloves.

In Punch Out, you just only Punch and Dodge, not Moving to different position. ARMS let you moving around like Dragon Ball or Naruto or LBX fighting game. There are also different places with different conditions.

In Punch Out, you can't see the Damage points, also no Super Art to be unleashed. ARMS display damage points like RPG and Super Art like Street Fighter Alpha.

So imagine guys, ARMS has hybrid of Boxing + Action + RPG + Street Fighter and I believe you will not bored quickly once you get into the game. If you can adore Punch Out, I believe you can adore ARMS even more.

@DTFaux
Actually Nintendo can exploit Cute Boxing games like my avatar to become Massive Success game. Since Animal Boxing NDS, I have never seen any proper Boxing games with cute looking and deep features. Sadly, no developers want to continue the Raw Diamond of Animal Boxing.

@JaxonH
Eh ?
How to play ARMS without moving my arms and use Single Joy Con ?

@Anti-Matter
Buttons

I'm looking forward to this one! I hope that the controls are motion based!

I feel like the number one aspect of ARMS that can't fail is the balance system. If any characters have easy exploits then it will be a big turn off and have that Mario Kart level of unfairness. Hopefully this is the area they smash it in, right out of the gate.

Having played this at the Switch event in London, I have high hopes for this one. I think the game is much more fun and unique than it looks (and I thought Nintendo really did a good job of displaying it yesterday), and has as much depth as many fighters. The motion controls are excellent - much better than anything on the Wii.

I was quick to dismiss Splatoon until I played the Global Testfire. Thus I think it's crucial that Nintendo release a demo ahead of time to sell people on this game.

Arms & Splatoon look like something Sega would have released during the Dreamcast era. Arms especially looks like a Sega arcade game! Not a bad thing mind you

Is there online multiplayer? 'Cos I'm a lone wolf gamer and wont play this otherwise!

@DTFaux It won't seriously go to EVO but if people are playing it in their downtime that is always a plus.

@JoeDiddley Dang you are a fighting game fan too? Did someone clone me and not tell me? Wait. Stick or Pad?

I trust the word of competitive fighter players enough to have confidence that this game has depth. The question is though, will this game be able to keep players' attention long enough for them to tap into that depth? I'm not sure it has quite the inherent replayability that Kart, Smash, or Splatoon have. I just hope it's not a game that gets old and repetitive quickly for players.

Not 100% sold on it. I also think launching smack dab in the middle of Mario Kart and Splatoon 2 could hurt the game. That's 3 major 1st party titles that are all multiplayer games, and I wonder if people would rather have the two known quantities and play something else in between.

This game is like onions having layers, although that concept would be better explained by Shrek rather than people using body parts made of springs or ramen fighting in an empty noodle bowl.

They need to ditch Biff though. Get the Squid Sisters to commentate!

When I first saw the trailer for splatoon I was just on Eshop looking at newest videos. I didn't even know it was a Nintendo-made game when I watched and I thought it looked like a $14.99 game. Boy was I wrong..

@ledreppe Yes, they said online multiplayer will be a thing in I think the January Switch presentation.

I don't see it.

I hope it becomes successful. The character design gives me a W101 vibe and the gloves customization makes it unpredictable and more varied than just fixed fighters.

I have it preordered. I was day 1 for Splatoon for being a creative, new IP that deserved support and I will be here as well.

I'm rooting for ARMS, but I probably won't buy it. I've never been very into 1v1 games or fighting games in general (not even Pokken Tournament really changed my mind). Splatoon on the other hand is right up my alley and I'll be having withdrawls until July.

@Nintendo_Ninja it's not even out yet... How do you know it will have less than 10 characters?

It looks pretty good, but I don't think it's gonna be the new Splatoon. Of course, I'll need to see more, but I don't think it's gonna be as different in the fighting genre as Splatoon was in the shooter genre, and I don't think it will have anywhere near the same replayability or general appeal. Who knows, though.

Yeah...I don't think so

"It's like an onion"

Whatever way you slice it, it makes you cry, because both ARMS and Spla2n have been delayed by a month?

@JaxonH man, the only thing your post reminded me of is just how expensive and confusing an investment the Switch really is.

Arms looks like a silly game. It will be forgotten faster than Wii Play.

Mmmh like an onion? So when we open the box and cut it, it brings tears to our eyes lol!

Splatoon was creative and complex in a sense (turning into a squid brought a lot of tactics/fun) but it really boiled down to 80%+ of people online choosing a fast-firing gun and camping...so yeah...tons of complexity there.

I'm more hopeful for ARMS after playing the Splatoon 2 Testfire. Splatoon will be more of the same (not a bad thing), but I was getting tired of the gold/zapper/etc. camping that dominated Splatoon in it's later years (and in the early moments of the new game). I'm going to enjoy the early days of ARMS before everyone figures out the cheeziest characters and tactics that people already have down in Splatoon.

Don't get me wrong. Cheeze isn't cheating or anything (it's fair game), I just always lose interest when everyone starts using the same characters/weapons/tactics in a game.

@Ryu_Niiyama a more causal version perhaps (pad). Or watered down photocopy, like the film Multiplicity 😉

I like rhythm games, fighting games etc, even though I'm not that skilled in either! I chose this avatar when I joined this site in '09. But since starting a family In '14 I don't get much time to play 'em so I buy and play less these days.

(Also I love 2D platformers, which I understand aren't so much your thing?)

@gatorboi352
It's as simple as playing the thing everyday and having a blast. And honestly I haven't had this much fun with a console in a long long time. It might be expensive, but video games are expensive. Any video games. When I was a kid that was a problem but as a working adult it's pocket change.

I had another coworker decide to buy a Switch today. He offered to give me the money up front because he knows I keep tabs on stock. That's the 3rd person in a month now, and counting. We were playing Fast Racing RMX in tabletop mode. Had one of our process Engineers walk in while we were playing, and he was asking how much it cost... I've got a feeling he might be number 4 soon enough, him or any one of the other 5 people asking questions like he is. Seems like everyone who sees or plays Switch, wants a Switch. Because it's as simple as having fun playing the thing everyday.

Nothing confusing about that. Play! Have fun! Life is too short to wallow in misery.

@JoeDiddley That's cool, I don't judge. gotta play what makes you comfortable. I prefer fightstick; HAPP when playing SF II but sanwa for everything else. I swear if the switch wasn't portable I wouldn't have much time to play so I have no idea how those with families get anything done. Good on you. About the only taiko playing I do is my daily practice (I'm sure my neighbors hate me) which sucks because I have gotten nowhere on the latest wiiu Taiko no Tatsujin game....maybe I should just play the songs on my taiko and call it a day.

Yeah I'm not a 2d fan personally...too many bad memories with mario as a kid I guess. I love action platformers though like old school ninja gaiden and shinobi. I got to the point I could play several levels of Shinobi III with my eyes closed and just use the music as a cue.

My mom used to do my hair while played and I've got thick hair and a sensitive scalp, so half of it was spent trying not to cry...and killing ninjas...lol. I like 3d platformers but I do find some of the current ones play havoc with my lack of depth perception. Thank goodness Nintendo does accurate shadow work. Makes it easier for me to approximate things.

@Ryu_Niiyama yeah I like linear 2d style games because I get frustrated getting lost (especially if you are repeatedly killed without progressing). Hence the style of games like fighting, puzzle, rhythm and platform. The objective is always clear and tangible.

You can imagine Breath Of The Wild is blowing my mind. Yes, played mostly when settling my boy to sleep!

Some of these comments make me laugh. People were saying EXACTLY the same stuff about Splatoon before its release: too cartoony; too simple; too shallow; not enough content; too kiddy; "it's for non-gamers" (a personal favourite)...

I really hope it is, but I'm not convinced yet. It did, however, take me a while to come around to Splatoon--it was once I saw the single player that I became more interested--so ARMS could still work its way into my heart.

@JaxonH "When I was a kid that was a problem but as a working adult it's pocket change."

You're also in a very unique situation around here (and in general). If I understand correctly, you pretty much own all the systems, and not just this generation either. That's atypical.

@gatorboi352
That's true.

But one system isn't much to spare for a hobby. I mean, video games cost money. The cost of playing I guess. Game systems run a couple hundred bucks, but hundreds of millions of people still manage to buy them.

Kids and minors too young to work will have to rely on their parents at Christmas time. But everyone else shouldn't have much issue, aside from people out of work or people really struggling. Guy here called TeeJay, he works min wage at a bakery, and pays for his own apartment... he scraped together for a Switch cause he really wanted one. Took every spare dime he had cause he lives paycheck to paycheck, but he did it.

Most of my expense doesn't come from owning all the consoles. That's actually a very small part of it. It's buying every single game worth owning on release day for every single console. That's the expensive part. The last several years I averaged about $5000 at Best Buy. But when you think about it, what's a couple thousand bucks a year on a hobby. People who use drugs spend every dime they have, and people who gamble. If a couple thousand dollars is the cost for entertainment year round... I can live with that.

This is definitely a deep fighting which will appral to all different kinds of people.

I do expect this to be as big Splatoon.

It is also releasing 7 weeks after Mario kart 8 Deluxe so people will want a new game and is also coming out before Splatoon 2 so they don't get addicted to that game first.

This game is going to be hyped up a lot by Nintendo and that should tell people that it is going to be a great game.

There is a lot more content to show and will be doing so all the way up until it is actually released.

@Ralizah
So a Punch-Out Mix 'N Match
But for me I'm gonna wait until there's some evidence of this "depth" before I make a verdict

I like the idea of getting out my frustrations on the kids and giving them a good virtual beating. So locking forward to see arms. Not going to order before reviews though due. Nintendo pushed 1-2 hard and that has been panned. I always understood that what made Nintendo different was any in-house game they pushed could be counted on as being polished. 1-2 cleared that misconception up. I don't let my 11 year old play normal shooters but he and his friends all seem to be pumped for Splatoon so again its just a maybe for me

Comparing ARMS to Splatoon? I usually would say something to the effect of "to each his/her own" but are you off your rocker man? When I first saw Splatoon I knew it was going to be a blast to play and it is in my top two favorite games for the Wii U currently and one of the few reasons my Wii U is still connected to my television. I don't get that same impression from ARMS. I hope I'm wrong because who doesn't like a good game?

Demo! Demo!

@JaxonH

So you are equating gaming to drug addiction?

@k8sMum
For myself? Absolutely. Gaming took the place of drugs in my life so yes I'm making a direct comparison.

Is, that a problem?

Like others, still not 100% sold. Waiting for reviews and player impressions before dropping the cash. As some mentioned, a demo might definitely help.

@k8sMum

No problem, was merely asking a question. I have dealt with a loved one with addiction issues and they cover many things. Often one addiction gets replaced by another.

Someone living paycheck to paycheck who spends money on drugs, a game system or anything else worries me. I've seen what it can do and it's heartache for everyone.

You are a bit unique in your available money flow. Not many of us are in your financial league. That is not a critique in any manner, just a fact.

Anyway, anything I say today is going to come out wrong; I'm in a strange mood. Peace.

Online?
Pro controller support?
Voice chat?