ARMS Developers Want To Create A Franchise; Announced Fighters Are Just the Beginning

ARMS enters the fighting ring next to Injustice 2 and Tekken 7 within the next two months. All of these games are fighting games, but ARMS is a Nintendo Switch exclusive and offers a very different experience. The developers have high hopes that it can find itself among the fighting game crowd.

Published in EDGE #306, game producer Kosuke Yobuki said:

"It would be like a dream for this to become a franchise spanning decades, but right now, only a small number of people around the world know about ARMS: those who closely follow new games and technology. First, I’d like those people to play ARMS and have fun with it. This game offers a brand new playstyle, brand new characters and brand new strategic gameplay."

For those unaware, ARMS features fighters with extendable arms, using the Joy-Con controllers to throw punches and move around. It supposedly is easy to learn but tough to master. Design director Shintaro Jikumaru talked about the design process for the mechanics:

"I wondered if there was any way to make ARMS a little more accessible as a fighting game. Specifically, whether it would be possible to replace the elements that make up a fighting game with something more visually intuitive. For example, instead of having openings in your defense during or after an attack, we have the arm extension and retraction mechanic. And instead of strong and weak attacks, we have light-but-fast and slow-but-heavy weapons."

Lastly, Jikumaru notes that the size of the roster is actually much bigger than what's been announced. "The fighters we’ve announced are just a fraction of what’s to come. We’ll be introducing fighters all the time, with all sorts of abilities."

ARMS launches on Jun 16 for the Nintendo Switch.