I previously said ARMS would be Nintendo’s next Splatoon-like success, and Nintendo has backed my claims with the recent ARMS Nintendo Direct: The ARMS Global Testpunch is copying the Splatoon Global Testfire, but improving on the concept by adding more dates where players can test the game out. On top of that, ARMS will receive free DLC after launch, including new fighters, stages, and weapons.

The original Splatoon’s demo and DLC combo changed the game for Nintendo. I still remember how exciting it was to play Splatoon after each new content addition. The game stayed fresher for longer, and people couldn’t forget about the game, because news sites were mentioning Splatoon every couple of weeks thanks to the latest DLC. There’s nothing wrong with copying that winning formula.

The characters and weapons look great. ARMS may only have 10 playable fighters at launch, but thanks to the mix and match nature of the weapons, and the ability to upgrade them by finding duplicates, there are thousands of viable combinations possible. There were also glimpses of boss characters, but who knows if and when said characters will be made playable.

Fear not, ARMS has plenty of fun looking game modes.

The ARMS Nintendo Direct helped assuage fear about the limited game modes. There will be single-player content, like an arcade mode and 1-on-100 mode. There are even volleyball and basketball modes, which require players to to become skilled at striking (volleyball) and master throws (Basketball) to literally slam dunk opponents through the hoop.

Overall, the broadcast was put together well, with little to no needlessly wasted time. It’s nice to see that Nintendo has refined their unique delivery system into a n art form. Hopefully the E3 Nintendo Spotlight will continue this trend of excellence. If you haven’t seen the ARMS Nintendo Direct yet, check it out below, but don’t forget to watch until the end, as it closes with some pretty amazing Splatoon 2 single-player content.