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Topic: If ARMS Had a Story Mode

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slowpoke_tail

I'm a huge ARMS fan, as you've likely already noticed from my avatar. I love everything from the game's unique approach to the fighting genre to its underexplored lore. With that being said, there are a multitude of changes I'd like to see added if we ever get an ARMS 2.

ARMS—like many fighting games—lacks an extensive single-player experience. I actually had a great time working to earn enough points to unlock every piece of artwork in the game so I could read snippets of information about each character and the world they live in; however, I'd like to see an ARMS 2 go beyond this simple approach to storytelling by letting the player actually experience the characters and their world in a story mode.

One way an ARMS sequel could implement a story mode would be by letting the player play as Spring Man before he officially earns the title of "Spring Man." As we know, the Spring Man we know and love is one of three people to have held the title, and it looks like the upcoming comic series will expand on this plot (see link below). In this hypothetical sequel, the player could explore the ARMS universe as Spring Man and use his ability to help those who lack the ARMS ability in order to gain supporters and/or new ARMS. Then, the meat of the story would be about challenging other wannabe Spring Mans (Spring Men?) in order to rise in the rankings and eventually earn the title. I always like it when games offer the chance to play as a female protagonist, so it'd be even better if the player were given the option to design their own Spring Man/Woman/Person and play through the story mode as their own custom character. One potential downside I see to my proposed approach is that we wouldn't get to experience the other characters' stories if the story mode only focused on Spring Man's rise to fame.

How would you like to see a story mode implemented in ARMS? Do you think it's worth giving fighting games like ARMS a story mode? What else would you like to see done differently in an ARMS sequel?

Side note: I hope this post is different enough from the regular ARMS thread to justify its own thread. If not, don't feel bad about locking it if you're a moderator.

Link: nintendoeverything.com/full-scans-of-the-arms-free-comic-book-day-preview/

slowpoke_tail

Switch Friend Code: SW-1944-1998-2190

bluemage1989

@g_ruz I'm a big fan of the game and love playing with my wife. I've also enjoyed unlocking all of the pictures in the gallery and so far my best Grand Prix run is Level 5 (working on Levels 6/7 literally right now!!) and favourite character to use is Ribbon Girl although Master Mummy is my favourite for appearance.

I've read a few bits online about the lore of the game and it can be quite hard to piece together. Would you mind answering some of my questions??

Also would love more story content in a sequel I think anything that expands on this world would be great. I'd also be curious to see what other games could work set in the same world but in different genres.

bluemage1989

slowpoke_tail

@bluemage1989 I can sure try answering them!

It really would be interesting to see if games of other genres would work in the ARMS universe; I think it'd be a stretch (no pun intended), but the characters are definitely interesting enough to warrant entertaining the thought.

slowpoke_tail

Switch Friend Code: SW-1944-1998-2190

bluemage1989

@g_ruz what is Master Mummys background?? What's the story so far about the Spring Man title?? Would be my first two questions if you could help.

As for a genre spin off it wouldn't necessarily have to use the established characters but maybe just have future games set in the same universe like you said. I mean it wouldn't work for everything but I think the team behind Arms look like they had a lot of fun creating this world and it would be cool to see what other sports/genres they could adapt to it.

You may not have intended it but the stretch pun made me lol!!

bluemage1989

slowpoke_tail

@bluemage1989 I don't know that they've revealed a lot of info about Master Mummy. But it seems he somehow got separated from his family, and he entered the ARMS tournament hoping that the publicity of it would reunite him with them again. If you've beaten the Grand Prix with him (at level four or above, I believe), then the artwork you earn shows him reunited with whom I assume are his wife and child. Beyond that, we don't really know much about him. Like, is he actually a mummy, or just a man who dresses like that when fighting?

As for the Spring Man title, it seems that whoever holds the title represents the Spring Gym in the ARMS league. The comic preview I linked in my original post will give you a better idea of what all that looks like, but it seems the first two people who held the title both did different things to create their legacies; according to the current Spring Man, the first title-holder established the Spring Gym and stadium, while the second Spring Man popularized the title and increased the gym's numbers.

Again, we've really only been given snippets of information, but I think that only reinforces the argument for needing a story mode!

Edited on by slowpoke_tail

slowpoke_tail

Switch Friend Code: SW-1944-1998-2190

JasmineDragon

@g_ruz Personally I find Spring Man the most boring and annoying of all the ARMS fighters. I get that he's supposed to be the Everyman character (and Ribbon Girl the Everywoman) but he just does not appeal to me at all. So a story mode that focused on him would not be my personal choice.

Aside from my personal preferences, I doubt that anyone would want a story mode focusing on one character. The whole appeal of ARMS, and most fighting games, is being all these wild characters.

I think if Nintendo wanted to make ARMS a fuller experience for single player it would not have been that hard to add short campaigns for every fighter. It wouldn't take much, and not every round would have to be wildly different. For the most part you'd just be fighting the other regular fighters. But maybe there would be a few rounds where you had some story-related objective. Maybe Mechanica is scrounging for parts and she has to fight off a bunch of mook-level robots in some kind of junk underworld level, and she starts off underpowered but becomes stronger every time she eliminates one of them. Kid Cobra is fighting a gang of snakeboarding punks on the streets. Ninjara has to do some kind of obstacle course as part of his training, and Twintelle has to fight some ninjas from Ninjara's own school who were hired to sabotage her latest movie.

These stories are terrible, of course, but if they were played humorously they would be enough to hook people and get them more involved in the gameplay, which is fantastic.

Throw in a little dialogue, even if it's just static images of the characters talking, and an emerging story about how these guys get drawn into the ARMS league. That would already be more interesting than the Grand Prix concept.

I think Nintendo just skipped this because they wanted ARMS to be purely multiplayer. But it was a mistake in my opinion. ARMS is a great game, but even a basic single-player campaign would have helped it.

Switch FC: SW-5152-0041-1364
Remind yourself that overconfidence is a slow and insidious killer.

bluemage1989

Ah cool I'll give it a look didn't notice in the OP first time. I'd love to know more about Master Mummy as a character for sure I really liked his design and he's a cool fighter to use. I couldn't agree more about the need for a stronger story mode in Arms 2 (fingers crossed well see it some time in the future!!) However how would you feel about something like the Octo expansion but for Arms a paid add on that maybe could set some of the groundwork for a future story mode?? Maybe when the comic gets its full release. In the short term I'd love some more images for the gallery with the little bits of info they bring. I do wonder if part of the reason there wasn't more story from day one is because they weren't really sure what direction they wanted to take the story. The only upside I think to all of this is that it's been kinda fun slowly learning more about the world bit by bit but yeah I think its time to do something more substantial. @g_ruz

bluemage1989

bluemage1989

@JasmineDragon while Ribbon Girl is my favourite character to use play style wise I have to agree that Spring Man and Ribbon Girl lack the charisma of say Helix (who i find hilarious), Max Brass or Master Mummy. If I had to choose an all round least favourite though it would have to be Dr. Coyle.

bluemage1989

Anti-Matter

@g_ruz
I would like to see ARMS 2 if it really happens.
Would like to see more muscular fighters + Mii / own avatar to customize.
Oh, btw. I have some Chibi ARMS from my deviantart.
I'm sure you will like it.
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Edited on by Anti-Matter

Anti-Matter

Dogorilla

I'd love to see a story mode with full cutscenes and similar production values to SSBB's Subspace Emissary, but I think that will remain a mere pipe dream for now... I think JasmineDragon's ideas are good though, as they'd give an equal showing to each character and a variety of interesting scenarios, but I also like OP's idea of Spring Man's storyline focusing on him earning his title. However they do it though, the ARMS universe has some very intriguing lore and I'm hoping they flesh it out more in a potential sequel.

"Remember, Funky's the Monkey!"

Funky Kong

Heavyarms55

@g_ruz The lack of any real single player, or exploration of the world/lore is a big part of why I quickly lost interest in Arms. I always compare it to Overwatch, where, even lacking a single player and having the lore be in the game itself, Blizzard put a lot of effort into making the characters and world feel fleshed out. Nintendo gave us comparatively little effort with Arms. The cast of Arms is bright and colorful and looks very interesting, but largely stops there. They all look interesting, but they only look it.

In a potential Arms 2, we need that lore developed, and I would prefer it in some kind of single player adventure.

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