The second round of DLC is upon us, and it starts with a treat for Nintendo fans – Min Min from the seemingly forgotten fighting game ARMS. Let's face it: few characters will live up to hype gamers create around each Smash reveal. And Min Min is certainly no Sora or Dante. But she is a solid first-party addition to the cast, and a good sign to ARMS fans that Nintendo hasn't forgotten the game.
Min Min Takes Up Arms
Min Min 🎃comes from a fighting game, so her moveset isn't really a surprise or a novelty. Her attacks consist mostly of throwing out her long arms and poking foes from a distance. What is interesting about this is that it technically makes her a ranged fighter, although a very different one than Mega Man or Samus. She's not as susceptible to reflectors as other ranged fighters because her arms are still body parts. This is, however, balanced by her commitment to long animations. Online Min Min players are seeing success right now by just throwing out their arms༒, but this won't fly once people get more used to her timing.
As can be expected from Sakurai, Min Min has some great references baked into her design. Her basic attacks control one arm, and her specials the other. This mirrors how ARMS itself lays out separate buttons for each arm. Her up-smash kick has reflector properties, just as her kick can block opposing arms in ARMS. Overall, Min Min is true to her original design even if that makes her a middle-tier Smash Bros. fighter.
Don't Up-Smash In Spring Stadium
The stage accompanying Min Min's release is Spring Stadium. Visually, it's not the most interesting choice, although that makes some sense. ARMS' stages are meant to be viewed from the inside, with varying verticality and obstacles included. Translating that to a fixed horizontal arena was going to mean sacrifices. Still, there are some small variations that make Spring Stadium a f🐭un play.
Small helicopter drones drop items, just like in ARMS, and spring pads flank each edge of the stage. But the most gameplay-affecting part of Spring Stadium is the ceiling. It will often send up-smashed fighters crashing back down, making side smashes a better choice. While this isn't revolutionary by any means, it does give Spring Stadium some sense of unique character. It also makes it pretty much ineligible for competitive play, which seems to be true of all DLC stages. That's not necessarily a condemnation, it's just interesting to see that the divide betweenꦍ Sakurai's design priorities and competitive's wants is still strong.
Even In Smash, The ARMS Theme Slaps
The last big addition of Challenger Pack 6 is 18 songs from ARMS. Essentially, it's every stage theme from ARMS. There's also a remix of one the best, and criminally underrated, Nintendo songs of all time: the ARMS theme. This alone makes the music part of the DLC worth it, alt🔯hough the 18 songs are a plus.
Overall, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Challenger Pack 6 is a fairly low-key start for an entire round of DLC. Min Min will surely please ARMS🍒 fans, as will the banger of a remix. But Min Min's moveset and stage don't particularly wow. Considering that the pandemic likely inflicted a delay on the next fighter, it will truly need to be someone special tﷺo deliver on the massive hype that will brew in fans' minds.
3.5 out of 5
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