I’ve been playing a lot of ARMS , Nintendo’s stupidly fun fighting game, since its release a few days ago. Hopping into a party lobby and having six players waiting for you is amazing and allows even a total newbie to get some real practice in. I’ve been watching streams, YouTube videos and reading reddit guides, all in a desperate attempt to finally stop sucking at a fighting game.
ARMS might seem simple at first, but playing it well requires a level of nuance that only comes with experience. I can supplement some of that time by sharing with you a few secrets I’ve learned along the way.
Don’t Grab- When you first start playing ARMS , you’ll be wagging your controller with little idea as to what’s happening. Over time, you start to develop a sense of motion, dodging and jumping to avoid attacks. If you're like me, you’ll gain a dependance on the grab, shooting both arms at a target to inflict some serious damage. A good ARMS player rarely uses this ability because it’s so easily countered. If you throw both your fists and miss, you’re wide open to a counter attack or combo that can destroy your life bar.
During one of Leafy101’s streams, the ARMS professional said: “grabbing is really punishable, any punch of any weight will break through your grab, leaving you vulnerable for a second or two. They can just continue the punch that broke your grab. You got to be really careful when grabbing because it’s really easy to counter.”
You always want to be grabbing instead of punching; one good left or right hook can deal as much damage as a lower-tier fighter’s grab.
Don’t Forget To Charge Your Arms- A simple but effective way to deal more damage in ARMS is to charge up by pressing “L” or “R” or blocking. This gives your weapon an elemental charge that can knock enemies away, stun them or throw gunk on their screen, depending on the type. When I first started, I didn’t realize the importance of charging up. Remember that if you get knocked down or your fists miss, they lose the bonus and you have to recharge them.
Play With The Joycons- I’ve tried every single controller with ARMS , from a single joycon all the way to the pro controller. I find that I get the most response and control out of two joycons using the motion controls. Without motion controls, it’s really hard to curve your punches, which is the main way to slap your opponent. Shooting your arms straight ahead is easy to avoid, it’s like a grab but with less damage.
Get Your Ass Beat Online- I cannot stress this enough: the only way to get better at ARMS is to keep playing. You’ll lose dozens (and if you're really committed, hundreds) of times before you even get a small grasp as to what the fighting game has to offer. Don’t jump into ranked right away, get some real practice against real people without dropping to the bottom of the ladder.
Party rooms are a blessing for amateur ARMS players trying to get their feet wet outside of the Grand Prix. Ending up in a random game of volleyball does suck, but it’s better than feeling a false sense of accomplishment after beating a bunch of level one bots.
Know of any other ARMS tricks I didn’t mention? Tell us in the comments.
