(Review written originally on Viprin+Paste)

Back when the 1.9 GDPS first began its activities, the levels that came out of it had an approach that felt similar to that of original 1.9 levels: while some of them were more innovative and implemented some artistic elements, some others stayed true to the "good old times". However, with time, a newfound use of these tools allowed the server's creators to make what essentially looked like 2.1 in 1.9, which saw the rise to fame of GrenadeOfTacos. On the other hand, some other creators kept innovating, making well-received changes and additions to styles that were around for longer. Core style in particular has been through one hell of a journey, going from the person that named it, MaJackO, through an evolution that saw it become more of an overload in details during 2.0. When I was first shown BionuclearCore, I felt a wave of warmth inside, because it felt like going through an original core style level, yet being able to see innovation without feeling overwhelmed by the combination of every detail.

The gameplay is quite typical of levels that follow this branch: cube is not present among the game modes, with the focus being particularly strong on ship, UFO and wave sections. I found it interesting, however, that the half-way and ending sections of the song that are not as "wubby", and that the level represents with these radar-type visuals, are always preceded by ball sections, and thought it was a nice touch, regardless of whether it was intentional and meant something or not. Unfortunately, with this type of gameplay, most of it ends up being quite linear, which is why a good amount of difficulty comes from the tightness of it rather than the variety of the required skillsets. The ship sections in particular are the ones that are mostly affected by this issue, which is something I personally think isn't fixable, as it would require the creator to change the entire structuring, risking to lose something on the side of the design's quality instead.

The design is also faithful enough to its origins: most of the structures are supported by the metallic blocks from Electroman Adventures and their slope counterparts, meaning that the more broadly visible bits of them are gray. However, sscyt made a wise use of that to implement slightly different hues of similar colors, which in turn made the designs unique and creative despite the 1.9 limitations. The background might look a little messy to an inexperienced eye, but every element is placed where it is while being mindful of its impact on the gameplay. However, some things clip into the block design in a more unpleasant way than others: this is the case with the metallic blocks' 3D lines, despite not being used as 3D, in the first red-colored section of the drop, because those do not in fact change color compared to the rest of the designs.

The real highlight of this level, though, are the radar-lookalike sections: while they don't go strictly by the rules of a typical core style level, they do provide with a fantastic atmosphere to match the song and convey the theme of BionuclearCore through what feels like a storyline. The first of the two sections with these visuals is probably better developed, with small bits of art implemented throughout such as biohazard symbols made with tumbleweed trees, radar screens behind some isolated floating structures, and most impressively, a figurine of a human being as shown at 0:47 of the video. The second one does have some artistic merits as well, taking some elements from the first one, as well as inserting some make-do test tubes inbetween some of the structures.

Personally, I feel this is one of my favorite levels to ever come out of the 1.9 GDPS: it's a fresh take on a way of building that some consider to be outdated, showcasing great creativity as well as being proof that no style can be truly considered "old" if it's given new life through innovation. I hold high hopes for this to get an Epic rating.

The grey-ish parts are unassuming at times, having really messy-looking colour combinations. However, they contrast extremely well with the insane-looking neon green complex biotech designs. The endscreen in particular made my jaw drop. However, the lack of complexity in the colouring across the classic core-styled parts, with all the structuring cycling through gray and green, does hurt this level a bit, although this is perfectly understandable for a 1.9 level and the end result still looks great.

Bionuclearcore only vaguely maintains its classic 1.9 feel, mainly in its structuring. While this lack of rootedness may feel like a flaw, I'd argue that this approach and execution feels transcendental of the era and its style almost, also in part due to the theme revolving around transhumanism.

The gameplay in this is an anomaly. When I first attempted this level and started doing runs on this, the gameplay felt strange. Not because it was extremely confusing or disorientating to navigate -- no, rather, it was TOO simple. Once the gameplay is unraveled the path becomes immediately clear and consists of extremely basic trajectories for the player. Almost... too basic. Almost... as if something was amiss.

Once I got the gameplay down, I played it from 0. With the path still fresh in my mind I breezed through and made rapid progress on the level, tearing through the metal foliage like it was paper. Until, it hit me. The fatigue of repetition crept in, slowly, but steadily, until the level becomes a nearly blinding, irrevocably tangled mess of edges. I still tear through the level but now, without a clear indication as to why. Every structure blends into another so much in motion with blurred vision; the visuals becoming entrancing, almost hypnotic in nature. Now, it is without a doubt in my mind that this is where the bulk of the difficulty originates:

The weakness of flesh.

unreal at times. such an awesome blending of core and art. and the gp is no slouch either- one great example being how you break the destructible boxes in beat with the snares in the last ship, such a cool detail.

my only complaints are that the faster parts are a bit messy and the level winds down in such a disappointing fashion- it does not need a title drop and a dedication, just end your level right where the “GG” is.

also, something to add on to ElectricNJ's review, I find it really cool that this level is themed around transhumanism since you can view the core style as a transcendence of traditional design levels! that gives a lot more dimensionality to this level aside from being just another core level; there is a purpose to using the style to communicate a specific theme!