Nintendo Switch Hands-On: 10 Things We Learned 

Another new IP for Nintendo is ARMS, a new take on the fighting game genre. The colourful range of fighters have, for unknown reasons, extendable coils of various designs instead of arms, with different fists attached at the ends. Some characters have tightly coiled springs, others something resembling a telephone wire, and a giant mummy character makes use of his inherent bandages.

The game is played using one Joy-Con in each hand, immediately bringing to mind the Boxing game from Wii Sports. Multiplayer matches are played in split-screen mode, with each fighter’s health bar seen floating next to the character. Motion control is the order of the day, as the fighters are moved around the arena by tilting both Joy-Cons in the desired direction, with the shoulder buttons allowing jumping and ducking.

As with many Nintendo games, this one is easy to pick up, but seems like it will be difficult to master. Punches and grapples (performed by punching with both hands simultaneously) have to be timed to perfection for maximum effect, and launching punches from far away leaves you open while your arm retracts. I can see this one becoming a great party game, although time will tell if a single player mode offers as much as multiplayer.

Not forgetting, multiplayer will need a separate set of Joy-Cons, so the cost will soon start to pile up.