With ARMS, Nintendo hopes to do for boxing what Mario Kart did for racing

With ARMS, Nintendo hopes to do for boxing what Mario Kart did for racing

With Mario Kart, Nintendo put their own twist on racing games, making them both accessible and competitive for a variety of player levels. With Splatoon the publisher took on competitive shooters, often the arena for realism and mature battles, by replacing bullets with paint and making it easy for many to enjoy as well as engage in dedicated competitions. Now, the company wants to do the same for boxing.

ARMS, the next pop-infused multiplayer sports game from the company, aims to create a level of competition beyond the simplistic WiiSports mini game or the rhythm-based battling of Punch-Out! that it could have easily become. Yes, there is still wild flailing of fists that are gripping a pair of motion controllers, but instead of just jabs and the occasional uppercut, ARMS mixes in special moves and customization, not to mention unique non-Mii characters.

In the game, players grip one Joy-Con in each hand, mimicking the punches of a boxer. They select their characters — each with unique moves, strengths and weaknesses — and define which “arms” they will use. The arms (more like fists, really) have their own abilities, whether they be faster, slower, harder punching or better for combos.

The battles take place in arenas, complete with obstacles, noisy crowds and all the glitz and glamour of a championship bout in Vegas. As the battle rages on, players move back and forward, extending arms or punching up close, before hopefully landing final knockout blows.

It’s a dance that mixes punching and shooting, and covers it in style.

Game modes will include single player, online multiplayer, and local multiplayer, with the latter taking place via split-screen.

Motion isn’t the only method of battling, as Nintendo revealed that traditional button-based controls are also an option.

ARMS launches exclusively for the Nintendo Switch in Spring 2017.