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ARMS Direct Lands A 1, 2 With The Details

Luke Henderson

Nintendo hosted another Direct this morning, this time focusing on the upcoming motion fighting game, ARMS. The event, which you can watch below covered a host of details, including announcing the remaining fighters that will launch with the game.


Previously we had been introduced to Spring Man, Ribbon Girl, Master Mummy, Ninjara and Mechanica, with Min-Min and Helix being announced recently. Now we can add Kid Cobra, Byte & Barq and Twintelle to the mix, with each of the 10 announced fighters having a range of default ARMS for use in battle. Here is the official fighter description for all 10 of them:


  • Spring Man – This passionate fighter’s bouncy hairstyle might look fake, but his passion for fighting is definitely real.
  • Ninjara – Using his nimble movements and ancient ninjutsu, Ninjara can disappear and warp somewhere else even in mid-air or when guarding.
  • Master Mummy – As the only character that can restore health while guarding, Master Mummy is a force to be reckoned with.
  • Min Min – With her ramen noodle arms, Min Min’s spin kick and throws are deliciously powerful.
  • Kid Cobra – A fan of selfie sticks and livestreaming, this hip fighter pounces on opponents with a charged-up dash.
  • Ribbon Girl – Possessing next-level jumping skills, Ribbon Girl violates the laws of physics with her unbeatable power.
  • Helix – Who is Helix? He’s an experiment gone wrong, that’s who. His springy body lets him move in unpredictable ways.
  • Mechanica – This mechanical genius dons a homemade power suit that can hover above the competition.
  • Byte & Barq – Two fighters in one! This robot fighter and his robot canine companion battle together to unleash devastating combo attacks.
  • Twintelle – As an A-list actress, Twintelle uses her celebrity status to render her opponents utterly star struck as she walks the red carpet to victory.
In addition to the fighters, the direct went into more detail about each of the ARMS elemental types, as well as the weight class for the ARMS themselves.


Fighters who equip light ARMS will be at a disadvantage power wise, compared to those who use medium or heavy ones, but the trade off is that the heavier your ARMS, the slower your attacks. Each of the ARMS that you can equip, will come partnered up with one of seven elements, each element has a bonus attack, charge up with fire and deal some damage, or maybe use blind and restrict your opponents visual range, letting you land some blows.

ARMS Weapons


They also detailed the games single player mode, as well as multiplayer, both online and offline. Players will have the option for one on one fights, both open and ranked battle, as well as co-op battles where players are tethered together.


If you wanted something a little crazier, there are a host of mini game matches, including volleyball and basketball that you can play as well. Volleyball, known as V-Ball here is similar to volleyball, but much more awesome. V-Ball is a sport that involves knocking an explosive ball into the opponent’s court.

Hoops, the basketball style game, will have you grabbing your opponent and shoot them into the net (or even dunk them for extra satisfaction) in this hard-core game of ARMS-style basketball.


Players will also have a chance to enjoy fighting int he 1-on-100 mode, where you have to fight 100 enemies back to back, in order to win, plus with the addition of a host of training modes and skillshot there is a lot to take in.

For those that want to play against other people, you can enjoy other modes online, or locally. Here are the multiplayer modes:
  • Party Match – By connecting the Nintendo Switch console to the internet, players can battle with up to three other ARMS players at a time that are in the same lobby as them. One lobby can hold up to 10 systems, but with up to two players per system, 20 players can potentially get together in the same lobby.
  • Ranked Match – In this time-honored coliseum, players compete online in 1-v-1 battles. By winning a match, a player’s rank goes up, while, conversely, losing will make that rank go down. While waiting to play a Ranked Match online, players can participate in any other mode to pass the time (and tighten up their skills).
  • Local Wireless Mode: When playing in Local Wireless mode, up to eight players with eight separate systems in the same room can gather in an in-game lobby and battle up to three other players at a time like in Party Match.

ARMS is set to launch on June 16th, with players able to test it out ahead of time with the ARMS Global Testpunch, the online beta that Nintendo will run over the course of the next few weeks. Here are the current dates, with the local times below.


Week One                                         Week Two
May 27th 10am AEST                      June 3rd 10am AEST
May 27th 10pm AEST                      June 3rd 10pm AEST
May 28th 4am   AEST                      June 4th 4am   AEST
May 28th 10am AEST                      June 4th 10am AEST
May 28th 10pm AEST                      June 4th 10pm AEST
May 29th 4am   AEST                      June 5th 4am   AEST


With more content coming post launch, Nintendo seem to be putting a lot of force behind this new series, something that is good news for those who want to invest into it.