Skip to main content

Long read: The beauty and drama of video games and their clouds

"It's a little bit hard to work out without knowing the altitude of that dragon..."

If you click on a link and make a purchase we may receive a small commission. Read our editorial policy.

Arms' latest update brings replays and a badge-based achievements system

But who is this mysterious interloper?

Nintendo's superb fist-banger Arms has received another sizeable update, this time adding a Replay feature, and a mysterious new challenger in solo mode.

Arguably the most significant addition in Arms' 3.2 update, however, is the new achievements system, which unlocks new badges once you've performed certain feats in-game.

Arms doesn't reveal its unlock criteria upfront, so you'll need to figure out feats for yourself - which seems like a slightly missed opportunity to add a bit more guided structure to the single-player experience - but unlocked badges can be displayed alongside your avatar in online matches for a welcome touch of personalisation.

Watch on YouTube

Badges also reward a decent amount of in-game money when acquired, which is handy for hoovering up new Arms, and many (but not all) are unlocked retroactively based on your pre-3.2 achievements. If you're trying to get the entire collection of badges, there's an ongoing attempt to compile a complete list over on the Arms Reddit page.

Elsewhere, the new Replay option keeps track of your five most recent matches, so you can play them back at normal speed or in slow-motion, freeze-frame the critical moments for closer scrutiny, and even adjust the camera angles.

Last but not least is the arrival of new, and tough, Grand Prix mode interloper, Springtron. This Springman-like robot fighter, teased by Nintendo a few weeks ago, will occasionally highjack Arm's single-player Grand Prix mode at level 4 or higher, and apparently only when you near the end of a run without losing a single round.

All in all, update 3.2 offers a strong suite of new features for an already excellent game. The full patch notes, which include a number of additional tweaks and balance changes, can be found over on Nintendo's website.