The Big 10 #9 - Valentine (Ninjara)

For this week's TB10 we were finally able to track down a player as elusive as the character she mains. So put on your chainmail glasses, pour yourself a nice hot cup of tea and check out this week's interview with Ninjara main Valentine!

As always you can find the full interview after the page break!

Question 1

APC: Please tell us a little about yourself?

V: Hey all! I’m Valentine, or just Val for short. I’m an aspiring writer from Alaska, and a big fan of philosophy. My favorite thing to do is to sip a good cup of coffee on a cold, gray morning. 

Question 2

APC: When would you say you fell in love with competitive fighting games/eSports?

V: When I was about 15 I used to go to a card shop on Saturday afternoons to play Super Smash Bros. Melee with the guys. It was just for fun for about a year, but we started to realize the amount of depth the game had and all decided together to become dedicated to being the best. That moment remains momentous and inspiring to me, that’s when I became a competitor. 

Question 3

APC: What gaming achievement are you most proud of in your career so far?

V: Unlike my friends, I’m not as much of an avid tournament-goer. So my favorite achievement is how much of a hype rallyer I’ve become. Back in the day, everyone was dying to see my next match. I would generate crowds just by playing friendlies. I inspire people to play to have fun, and they even pick up the characters I play as to learn more about them! It’s really flattering to know how much of an impact I have in the fighting game community, even if my tournament records are bare bones.

Question 4

APC: What was it about ARMS that made you decide to take it seriously on a competitive level?

V: At first I was drawn to ARMS simply because it was a new Nintendo IP, and I adore the creative genius of Nintendo. After the Nintendo Direct exclusively for ARMS, I was sold on this game, admiring all the different elements that go into a fight and personality the characters and locales bring. Finally getting my hands on the game during the Global Test Punch, I realized immediately this game is going to be deep. I absolutely love the constant neutral game and focus on mind games it brings. Everything is a commitment, a punch is always earned. It’s brilliant and innovative, I enjoy it even when I get destroyed! More fighting games should be centered around maneuvering instead of combos.

Question 5

APC: What made you pick your main over the other characters in the game?

V: Before the game released I was dead-set on playing as Byte and Barq, because I love the goofy character design. But once I got around to playing as them, they felt like they were holding me back with their more set-up oriented playstyle. I needed speed, someone who takes risks. I like the silent type, so Ninjara was my second choice. Let me tell you, playing as Ninjara is the adrenaline junkie’s dream! His way of dancing around the stage with warps and carrying momentum all over the place is exhilarating. Ninjara can turn on the aggression at any point you want while still constantly gaining the upper hand in stage position. Every move you make is a huge risk, it really gets the blood pumping. It’s like playing as an action hero in a movie, defying the odds with pure blinding speed and the will to succeed. At least, that’s how I feel playing as Ninjara. 

Question 6

APC: What is your favourite arm loadout & stage. (Please explain why)

V: It’s a bit of an odd set, but Retorcher, Slamamander and Sparky is what I’m currently working with. It’s built to stay aggressive and keep chasing the opponent, not surviving well in a typical passive Ninjara playstyle. It’s a very pressure oriented loadout that covers tons of out of shield options and punishes hard for bad decisions. Any one blow can combo into another arm, or in the case of Sparky and Slamamander, even a guaranteed rush. I just love how it makes their wakeup and shield options feel hopeless and allows me to stay in their face. Sure it’s not very powerful defensively, but that just isn’t my style, haha. As far as the stage goes, I think my favorite is Mausoleum. It’s a small, perfect circle, ideal for me to continuously follow people and keep up the pressure with no worry of them finding a safer ground or suddenly discovering myself with my back to a corner. 

Question 7

APC: Thoughts on custom vs standard arms for tournaments.

V: I am an advocate for customs personally, as I think the available variety will help the longevity of this game in the sense that you don’t have to learn a different character to adapt to the current meta. Even if right now it seems like a select few arms are dominating, there’s always going to be an answer in this very adaptable game. This is a very heated and circular debate right now, one that frankly gets on my nerves. Neither side is inherently false in their position, each brings a certain level of class to ARMS as a spectator sport. I have no quarrels playing or watching in a default setting, and I sympathise with the viewpoints of those who push for a default meta. Though truth be told I can’t stand playing as default Ninjara (my default main Master Mummy isn’t too bad).

Question 8

APC: What advice would you give to someone just getting into the game?

V: This game is fun! Don’t feel like you need to be the greatest ever, and certainly don’t beat yourself up for a loss. Embrace the wackiness and immerse yourself within the community, these guys are in it to have a good time. If you go into this game thinking you’re in it to win it and nothing more, you will leave feeling discouraged, and I don’t want that for anybody.

Question 9

APC: What are your hopes for the future of ARMS?

V: At the time of this interview, it would seem silly to say ARMS is going to be big. But Melee didn’t become what it is overnight. ARMS is genuinely fun and deep, I can see it being a staple addition to big tournament series in the future. I have faith in the ability of the ARMS community and the development team to make that happen because what we have here is massive potential. Maybe not now, maybe it will be a future sequel to ARMS that better accommodates customs and camera issues. But I do know this: ARMS isn’t going away anytime soon. 

Question 10

APC: Where can people find out more about you?

V: I’m not really big on social media, but I am active on Discord. I am a member of the moderation staff on the main ARMS Discord https://discord.gg/G9HmFTV and the administrator for the Ninjara Discord https://discord.gg/9eUXdKu. Come say hi! I love talking with this community.