A lot of Geometry Dash objects carry the unfortunate burden of historical context. Due to the lack of established names, it can be hard for me to bring up examples with text alone, but I think you know what I mean: the 1.0 objects, the 1.6 objects, the 1.8 objects, the 1.9 objects, the pixel blocks, etc. Really, the fact that I'm even referring to them based on the update they released in shows just how steeped they are in the styles of their respective updates. A scant few objects, such as the flat-colored blocks of 1.7, are free of this curse thanks to their sheer versatility, but in general, a lot of objects come with an implicit message that the creator, whether they intended to or not, is using them to signify a certain aesthetic, exemplified most clearly by the widespread labelling of any level using the 1.0 blocks as "1.0-styled", blatantly ignoring any other facets of the level, even those which would reveal the classification as blatantly wrong. All of this is why 9lives felt like such a breath of fresh air to me.

As I list out what makes this level so great, I'd like to argue a bit against the reviews which characterize this level as "nostalgic". To me, 9lives is precisely the opposite: the nostalgia of old objects is subverted as they become parts of larger patterns, contributing their superficial appearance and nothing else. Blocks from all updates share space equally as a showcase of everything Geometry Dash has to offer, without any additional historicizing. Here, 1.3 metal blocks are wallpapers, pixel blocks are ripped from their respective tilesets to become individual paintings, 1.0 blocks are used for their darkening quality alone, and the aforementioned flat-colored blocks of 1.7 are utilized as they are in many other levels—to create "new" assets—except their opacity is turned down. This normally creates an undesired effect, but here, it instead reveals their true nature, which many others would rather seek to hide. All of this makes 9lives, in my opinion, a highly futuristic work, akin to that of seefourset's city. It couldn't have been made in any update other than 2.2, where it stands out among the litany of creators vainly attempting to look back and reclaim a lost past (a cohort that, admittedly, also includes me) as a delightfully subversive work.

So steeped in nostalgia one can pick out individual influences (like Dorabae's striking color work, Yume Nikki's RPG Maker-flavored surrealism, or Magritte's unorthodox object sensibility) with presumably reasonable accuracy, and uses said nostalgia to craft dozens of immersive, memorable sequences that manage to still feel ephemeral even despite their generous runtime. That's partially because of how easily these timeless yet abstract visuals evoke specific memories - of course, the 8-bit aesthetic is reminiscent of earlier levels and games that the average GD player might have their own experiences with. The snaking robot part, for example, reminds me of a day my now-lover and I spent playing browser games in high school economics class. It's this reliance on external experiences that makes 9Lives difficult to pin down and even more so to judge. The nostalgic atmosphere is obviously intentional and expertly executed, so I'm more than willing to hand out points for my own daydreaming here, but I'm sure I'd be almost as charitable even if I were to judge the physical level's immersion alone.

Looks a bit like a tabu level if it were really long, I dont necessarily hate it

I had a pleasant time playing through this level! This is another one of those levels that basks in simplicity and it doesn't try to be overly impressive visually or gameplay-wise because it doesn't need to. I enjoyed how the level uses its runtime to try out a variety of different designs but doesn't switch them up so much to the point it feels overwhelming. The level is also very good at maintaining a calm, relaxing atmosphere and it never feels stressful despite its great length.

The only thing I don't like about the level is how it can be a bit boring to replay because of how easy it is and how it doesn't really have a strong progression in the way Scenery does. 9Lives is one of those levels where you need to be really into the level in order to enjoy it, otherwise you might get very bored and the level could read as having a lot of filler. Despite that, I would still recommend the level for anyone looking for a nice, easy XXXL experience! Despite its 8* rating, I was able to sightread it very comfortably and the raw difficulty never really gets harder than 6*.

Holy fuck thats a lot of filler

edit: did i play the same level as some of these reviewers? what old level soul magic shit is being recaptured here i do not understand LMAO

this level got some special sauce

one of the most unique ideas for a level ive seen in a long time, and fortunately it was very well executed. the gp is fun and balanced well, with no real choke points, the atmosphere is simple but still feels alive. the XL length seems like something that could hinder such a simple level, but theres alot of creative stuff that keeps it fresh. banger :)))) 9/10 lives