ARMS hasn't even been out two weeks and already Nintendo is bolting on some new content. The most recent patch for this unique take on the fighting genre actually adds some new ways to experience the game.
While this first update to ARMS doesn't add in any new fighters, arenas or extreme new game modes, it does include a couple of nice touches that should make playing with friends more enjoyable.
According to an update from Gamespot, the first big change to ARMS' offerings is a new mode specifically for folks playing locally with some pals. It's called Arena Mode, and it's a heck of a lot like the Party Mode already available for online play. Rather than simply fighting one-on-one, this mode allows up to four friends to join a local lobby. You won't all be duking it out, though. Instead, two players will be fighting while the other two have the ability to watch the combat unfold. It's a nice touch that will keep players from having to cram in next to their pals when they're trying to orchestrate a local tournament.
Also included in this update is the LAN Mode Nintendo touted before ARMS' release. Leading up to the launch of ARMS, Nintendo made it known that they wanted the game to be taken pretty seriously by the fighting community. To that end, they wanted to bake in every feature necessary to set up and enjoy organized play. With this mode, up to eight consoles can be linked together for combat, only you'll be enjoying the more stable structure of a LAN connection. Otherwise, all options from the online lobbies will be present. Keep in mind that up to two players can be logged in on each Switch when playing in LAN mode, so that allows for events to include 16 competitors.
Of course, no update to any game would be complete without a round of tweaks and bug fixes. While ARMS hasn't been out in the wild long enough to receive balancing updates similar to what we see with games like Street Fighter and Injustice, Nintendo has at least fixed a few issues such as a text issue in the Grand Prix mode a problem with the hitbox detection for Ribbon Girl.
You may recall that our review for AMRS was pretty favorable, pegging it as a solid fighter from a developer who isn't exactly known for the genre. Nintendo put its unique spin on ARMS, and folks seem to be taking to it quite nicely. Seeing patches so early has us hopeful that the developer will stay dedicated to their spring-powered brawler and continue to support the Switch exclusive.
