With ARMS set to release on the Nintendo Switch on June 16th, 2017, I have been spending some time with the game as I prepare to write my review. As a special treat to our PN fans, I’d like to share my thoughts on each fighter (In no specific order) as I discover how to use their unique play-style in the single player mode of the game. Be sure to check back everyday this week as I cover two new fighters a day. So, without further adieu, let’s spring into action with our first fighter!

Spring Man is the go to character for balanced play.

Starting things off, I thought that I should begin my ARMS journey with the “poster boy” of the series, Spring Man. Upon selecting him as my fighter, I was greeted with a cheerful shout of “Boing-Oing-Oing!”, and it was then that I knew I was in good hands.

Although his hair may resemble a perfect, curly blob of toothpaste, Spring Man is definitely the balanced character of the bunch. With plenty of ARMS attachments to choose from, it’s very easy to find a pair of ARMS that fit your play-style, whether you want to mix and match heavy and light attachments, or simply compensate for a lack of aim by equipping an ARM that has a wider range of attack. At this point in the game, I was still punching in the air wildly as I was learning how the controls worked, so starting off with Spring Man is a good choice if you want to quickly learn how the game plays.

Spring Man’s stage is a pretty basic square arena, but the addition of the springboards around the edges allow you to get some pretty decent height. It was really great to see Spring Man’s face lit up on a billboard as you fight, and although the fans in the stage were dressed as Byte and Barq, the attention to detail in the crowd was a nice touch. However, now that I was feeling warmed up, I was itching to try a new fighter out.

Helix’s taunts are mostly just bizarre, startled shouts, and I find them hilarious.

Resembling a flubber experiment gone awry, Helix was created to be the ultimate ARMS fighter in a secret laboratory. Out of all the fighters, when I saw the reveal trailer for Helix, I knew that he would be a character I would definitely want to check out, and I found myself having a great time with him. At only two years old, Helix has a bizarre, child-like personality, and the way he runs up to the screen during one of his victory poses cracked me up.

By now, I was beginning to learn that waving my Joy-Cons around like a fool was only going to lead to heartache and a bloody nose, so Helix’s special movement characteristics really clicked with me. While he may not be as agile as some of the other fighter’s, he makes up for this with his flexible body. Holding down the jump button will stretch his body really tall, allowing you to dodge incoming attacks by leaning your body left or right. Holding down the dash button lets you squish yourself into a puddle of goo, and this can be a great way to dodge attacks from above. It’s a play-style that takes some getting used to, but I can see Helix being popular with people who want to take the game seriously.

Part personal library, and part secret laboratory, Helix’s stage definitely has a darker feel to it. Much like Helix’s defensive fighting style, there are test tubes that you can hide behind until they are destroyed. It looks like there are other experiments within the test tubes, so it’s anyone’s guess what happens to them when the tube breaks. Despite the doom and gloom, there are still fans present to cheer you on.

With two character’s down, and eight more to go, I hope you’ve enjoyed reading my impressions on these fighters as I’ve learned how to use them. Be sure to check back in tomorrow as I continue my preview coverage, and don’t forget to be on the lookout for the full review of the game sometime next week. For now, I’d love to hear your thoughts on Spring Man and Helix. Are you interested in using them? What character is your favorite? Tell me in a comment below!