For our latest TB10 interview we were overjoyed to be able to get hold of ARMS artist extraordinaire Louivi, her amazing artwork is a sight to behold and is most likely adorning the Twitter icon of your favourite ARMS player. Make sure to check out her interview after the page break!
Question 1
APC: Please tell the community a little bit about yourself.
L: Hi! My name is Louise or Vela. Online I mostly go by Louivi. ^v^
I'm from Denmark and I love to draw. I'm a huge fan of video games, so naturally, a ton of fan art is born from that combination. I also enjoy photography, and of course: ARMS!
Question 2
APC: What drew you to ARMS in the beginning?
L: Anything from Nintendo automatically has my attention from the start. I was hesitant about buying it because I've never been into the fighting game genre, but something about the charming characters and aesthetic won me over.
I figured it would be an ideal game to have on my Switch on the go, as you can jump straight in even if you only have a couple of minutes.
Plus that urge to have a more complete Nintendo Switch game collection... maybe.
Question 3
APC: Out of all the new features added to ARMS post-launch which one do you like the most?
L: Aside from new characters, stages and ARMS, definitely the badges! Even if they don't do anything much, simply being able to display one for others to see adds a lot to your ARMS identity in a way. I'm also the kind of person who will bother to play 500 matches using a single Joy-Con, just for a feeling of completion.
Seeing the effect an achievement system like that has on friends just picking up the game now is great too, it helps to keep them actively motivated and coming back. ARMS can take a while to finally "click", at least it did for me, so hopefully that contributes to many new players sticking to it long-term and appreciating the depth they may not see on the surface.
Oh, and I don't miss the pain of grinding coins to unlock all ARMS before badges existed!
Question 4
APC: Competitive games like ARMS can be both mentally and emotionally taxing, how do you go about overcoming frustrations and challenges so that you can get your head back in the game again?
L: I really enjoy all the exchanges in the middle of a match, it's like dancing with someone and you just forget about everything else around the two of you for a minute. That feeling remains the same for me regardless of the outcome at the end. It's what I personally come back for time and time again, not the result. I realize that is truly a luxury of being a casual player.
For those stressed about their ranked bar, remember that's not the only "bar" at all. Imagine an experience bar right next to it. The ranked one may fluctuate, but this one only fills, maybe even more so when you lose and reflect. You always progress when you put time into something!
Don't get discouraged by other players being better at the game than you, be inspired instead. When you eventually put in the same time and effort as they did, I'm sure you'll be right next to them, but with your very own flair.
Well, that, and learning to put the game down once in a while before you want to break something haha! Let ARMS be an escape from real life, and real life be an escape from ARMS.
Question 5
APC: What attracted you to your current main and why did you stick with them?
L: I finally settled on Twintelle recently! For months I'd been learning the basics as Spring Man, but something about Twintelle's movement and aura options felt right for me.
There's something special about slapping people with your hair and casually having some tea while you're at it.
Question 6
APC: What is your favourite stage and why?
L: I want to say Sparring Ring, but then I remember Max Brass exists and change my mind. It completely depends on the opponent I guess!
Aesthetically I'll go with Via Dolce, it's super cozy and cute. If it wasn't for the constant risk of getting punched in the face as you're sitting at your table, I'd pick that for a date anytime.
As someone who works so much with colours and visuals myself, I can't help but stop and appreciate all the details on every stage. They're all beautifully designed and have very different feels to them, the music complementing that so well too.
Question 7
APC: What is your current arm load-out and why did you choose it?
L: Having played Spring Man with his default ARMS for so long, I've been using those on Twintelle lately and having a lot of fun with it.
I love to experiment and learn about all ARMS though, so that will likely change constantly.
Question 8
APC: What advice would you give to other players who main your character?
L: Vary your aura timing and patterns all the time, or you risk that strength becoming an Achilles' heel instead.
Maybe someday I’ll be the right Twintelle main to ask, but for now, I point in the general direction of more experienced players.
Question 9
APC: With so many different fighting games on the market what is it about ARMS that keeps you coming back?
L: It's the colourful charm and the fact that I just like the gameplay more and more every time I play somehow. I've embraced this new Nintendo IP completely at this point! It'll be hard to replace as my go-to fighting game from now on.
It's also the people I get to play it with!
The first time I ever visited the ARMS Reddit, the very first post I saw was a silly ARMS meme. Having that kind of inside-joke humour connecting people and just being passionate about the same thing, it's the best. The ARMS community definitely has that going for it. <3
Question 10
APC: Where can people find more about you?
L: I’m on Twitter, and probably lurking on your local ARMS-related Discord server. :]
I post my artwork on DeviantArt, Tumblr and Instagram as well.