(This post is part of the Genuinely Approachable Sudoku (GAS) series.)
The largest numbers around some sets of cells are marked, but can those pointers show you where all the logic sits to solve this interesting puzzle that doesn’t give any very large values?

PDF

or solve online (using SudokuPad)

Theme: Quadrennial Maxis Sudoku

Author/Opus: This is the 30th puzzle from Philip Newman, part of the Genuinely Approachable Sudoku (GAS) team.

Rules: Standard Sudoku rules (insert a number from 1 to 9 into each cell so that no number repeats in any row, column, or bold region). An arrow in the grid points to the largest value in the four surrounding cells. Numbers may repeat around an arrow clue, but the largest value must be unique.
(In this puzzle, for example, R2C1 is bigger than R1C1, R1C2, and R2C2.)

GAS Time Standards (highlight to view): Two party hats (🎩🥳): 7:30; One party hat (🥳): 15:00. All other solvers earn a 🦕: August Adamantisaurus.

Thomas Hits the GAS (highlight to view): 3:16, with SudokuPad replay file shared as a download for now (requires loading via settings menu with improvements expected before people should use this regularly).

Solution: PDF and solving video with explanation from GAS team.

Note: Follow this link for other less common variations of Sudoku.

Note 2: Comments on the blog are great! For a more interactive discussion, please also consider using our Daily GAS discussion post on the GMPuzzles Discord. Not a member of the Discord? Click this link for basic access.