Arena fighting games are a mixed bag for the most part. Some can be amazing, but it seems that most arena fighters tend to be licensed games that do not take full advantage of what can be done. Arena fighting games are typically not well liked by the mainstream FGC as serious competition, but more as a fun distraction for a time. There were notable arena fighters though, such as Power Stone and its sequel, but the Arena fighter that really deserves acclaim as the greatest, would be Arms from Nintendo.
Arms stands out from the crowd in that its not trying to be a quick arena fighting game, but rather a unique fighting game that happens to fall into the arena fighter sub category. It has distinct and unique original characters who definitely come across as the cast of a fighting game, and has a nice comic book aesthetic to it. Characters like Min Min, Ninjara and Twintelle stood out right away for their unique designs and abilities, and the music was catchy and a perfect fit. Nintendo was trying to be different once again, and ended up stumbling upon a recipe for success that it seems others have been unable to replicate. Of course, it helps that the game also happens to be a legitimately competitive game, a fact that caught many off guard
Arms was initially written off by many as a gimmick fighting game using motion controls, but it very soon turned out to be much more than that. The game also has a very traditional control method and a skilled player can easily use it to best someone playing with motion controls. It surprised many when it proved to actually have a lot of depth to it, and the customization of add-ons for the characters also added an element of anything can happen. The stages also designed extremely well and could be taken advantage of in matches, especially online matches were you had to time yourself a bit differently.
People saw Arms for the fact that it had legitimate competitive value and it almost made it to Evo one year ( it was a vote option but didn’t win) and made it to Evo Japan in 2018. Nintendo has also been promoting it heavily as a competitive title by sponsoring tournaments of their own for the game. Arms sold over 2 million copies and is still enjoyed by many. It is the best arena fighting game to exist and it is so because it tried to be its own thing. If you have not played it yet, I encourage you to do so, as you will see how amazing the game really is.