My opinions of the game after playing it.
- At the moment the single player is just vs the AI, training (which is very well done) and a single player mode (about the equlivelant of Melee and Brawl's classic mode.
- The core combat in the matches is very well done. It's about 1/3rd skill, 1/3rd strategy and 1/3rd reaction times (speed you hve in reading their move, avoiding it and countering with your own).
- The game is hard but not impossible. Level 4 difficulty is the middle of the road. You don't have to be korean to beat it but new people to game will be wasted by it. Takes some real skill to beat level 4, but it's achievable. I did it (was tough) and I'm not a fighting game player at all.
- The Arms getter is not getting new arms at the moment, it's just allowing you to use other characters Arms on your favourite chartacter. That's a big thing but it's not new content though.
- The three mini games are alright. Basketball is fun and easy to play. Volleyball takes a while to eork out how to win. One you do it's not that hard, it's just not fun. Hit the targets is frustrating at best. Luck based and very hard to win. You can go from in the lead to 500 or more points behind in in the span of 1-2 seconds
- I've only played it with the motion controls, I will try the pro controller later on. The motion controls are very good. They work well. Just have to remember you need a half second delay between punches or the game thinks it's both at once (ie a grab).
I think the slow defensive play is just due to inexperience with the game.
ARMS is clearly meant to be overly offensive even. As seen by Mr. Yabuki completely wrecking the "champion" with his super aggressive playstyle.
Still likely not getting ARMS... But the metagame is completely fine.
That is true but it's not being aggressive that gets you the win. It's reading the opponenent and countering their moves. Few people like attacking first in this game so you have to bait them to react with a small attack you can easily dodge out of and once they have comitted to that counter (to your weak move), you can counter their counter and wrek them. All the training sessioms within the game teach you this but there's a specific training exercise that really reinforces this. It's the last one vs Twintelle. Try to rush her in this exercise you will lose. Guaranteed. She will not attack you outright either, AI scripted that way. You have to do what I said above, counter her counters to win. It's damn hard to beat. But it's a good idea to do so as that's what being good at this game means.
However I recommend beating all the training missions in order as they teach you a lot about the game. How to counter everything. The training missions apart from the first one are all hard. Will wrek you many times, but each time you get better and better at them till you can actually beat each one.
Also don't use your special attack just any time. They will block/dodge it. You need an opening then you can let them have it. Also in matches that ate best of 3 or best of 5, the special metre carries over. So if you can win the first battle without a special, don't use it, save it till the 2nd battle or whatever. However sometimes the enemy will just not die, those last few hits are too hard to get, then feel free to use the special, sure it might only deal a little gamage before they die but without it you'd never have gotten the win.
Well that's quite off topic but I think I replied to your statement somewhere in there.