I've always thought 2 player was an underutilized gimmick in the game, especially 2 player levels designed to be played solo, but I think First Time is the perfect application of 2 player in a solo scenario.

Considering this level is a layout (I think it goes well beyond a layout into a minimalist decorated level) I'm gonna talk about the gameplay first, since it's obviously the most important aspect. Noobypro always manages to be extremely creative with his gameplay, whether is be the addition of unique gimmicks, or general gameplay structuring, and he nails both absolutely beautifully in this level. The start of the level is a simple ship part, introducing you to the types of things that are going to come later in the level, and does a great job introducing you to what the level is going to be like. Every part syncs incredibly well, especially with clicksync, which just from watching a video is a bit difficult to see due to there being 2 players doing different things in the duals, but the click patterns are extremely fun and intuitive. After a couple attemptgs, any given click pattern is easy to get down. Obviously being a 2 player level, this is extremely learny, but that's to be expected of any level like this, and I don't think a 2 player level of this difficulty could be much more intuitive than this. The gameplay's representation of the song is also UNBELIEVABLY good, probably the best I have ever seen in the game. All the way down to the amount of clicks required for each section matches the song perfectly, with probably the best execution of intensity I have ever seen. I haven't fully beaten the level, so I don't know how fun or difficulty it is from 0, but I'll leave this part off with this: this is probably one of the most unexpectedly fun levels I've ever played, and the gameplay is extremely intense and heart rushing. The only possible issue I had with this level is that there were a few bugs that were slightly annoying, but that's not even NoobyPro's fault considering they were caused by 2.2.

The visuals of this level are obviously meant to be minimal, since it is branded as a layout, however I think this works far in the level's favor. Firstly, having the level be minimalist allows for gameplay clarity and sightreadability, which is vital in a level with this much going on gameplay-wise. Also, though, the use of minimalism creates an incredibly unique atmosphere that I don't think I've ever seen done this well. From the start the level feels super desolate, matching perfectly with the song, and the slow addition of small decoration elements (new colors, trees, moving lines, etc.) serves as a shockingly amazing buildup to the drop of the song. NoobyPro managed to absolutely nail the song rep in the visuals of this, even without using pulses in the start of the level. All of the decoration elements in this level are used extremely sparingly, but when they are used, it feels like they serve a purpose and add to the level rather than just filling up space or making it feel more overstimulating. I mentioned earlier how the gameplay matches the intensity of the song perfectly, and the visuals are no different. The usage of colors, pulses, and small pieces of decoration make the level feel incredibly intense, and to me, ultimately the level feels like it climaxes at the final dual part. The desolate, otherworldly atmosphere continually builds throughout the level, and as the song gets more and more intense and suspenseful, it feels like the final dual with the 2 cubes is the ultimate destination the level was taking you to. The usage of having multiple of your own icon spawning around you is an incredibly cool gimmick, and matches with them in the background at low opacity at the end of the part, this final part feels almost like you've reached the edge of reality. Maybe I'm overthinking it, but I just can't express enough how incredibly the atmosphere in this level is executed.

I don't know if there will ever be another layout like this. This level is a masterpiece from start to finish, and I am blown away by every single aspect of this level.

First Time by NoobyPro27 is a layout that was made for Round 7 of Skralen's Gameplay Tournament. It was the final round and there was one rule, make a 2 player solo layout. Very simple rule, a lot you can weave around with that. NoobyPro took this, and made a masterpiece.

First Time is a 3 and a half minute long layout which has some of the coolest progression I've ever seen in a layout. The gimmicks in this are EXTREMELY well made and it is super fun. One notable thing about layouts, is that you can't be carried by decoration. You can have visuals, quite a lot of them, but you can't too much otherwise it won't be considered a layout. NoobyPro has always excelled at layout visuals in my eyes, and this one is no exception. It's very simple at times, with super clean effects that dont distract from the layout and add to it. The colors are also SUPER well done, it's a genuine feast on the eyes.

The first 40 seconds of the level is used to get you used to what you're going to see within the level. It starts off with an alternating dual ship where you play one at a time with different keys, it shows you from the very beginning that you're playing a 2 player level. The next parts are very slow and relaxed, using fake player colored blocks in the background and saw decorations to enunciate the long and extended notes of the song. The moving blocks are a very nice touch and makes the gameplay feel very floaty, it's slow and calming. You then hit a green dash orb and expect to go into a ball part, but you go straight down instead, into the next part.

This part has a very unique style, it uses very stylistic greenery around, only being made out of thin colored lines, as well as these extremely cool blue moving blocks. The visuals are very simple within this part, the only colors on your screen being the blue blocks and the green vines, yet they're used so tastefully that it still feels like a complete part. It uses glow to it's absolute max capacity and feels like a dream almost!

Then the build up happens, the blocks become wavy, a mountain appears in the background, you see other versions of yourself appear on other paths, spikes surround you as you're floating. You enter the UFO part and rocks start to fall behind you, it seems you're entering somewhere you shouldn't, and yet, you do.

You get thrown into the first 2 player dual with a super cool gimmick of how you need to break your player color breakable block with that dual, it's very simple but super effective! The decoration is also quite simple, yet it gives a slight temple aesthetic which I really like! The glow bars on the ship paths in the second half of the dual is EXTREMELY well made, and I'm honestly not sure how he masked it that well LOL. You progress further and make it to this super cool spider dual where one has to press all the square orbs to keep this spike wall from reaching you. The colors are barebones, only having orange and red spikes and the rainbow spike wall. It's a high intensity part that is REALLY fun to play. You then move onto this dual UFO where one is stuck at the top and must hit certain square orbs to move the platforms of the one below. You can't just focus on one though, you still have to play with the bottom one, it's super cool and VERY satisfying to pull off.

The level then slows down slightly, as the song does, but then the gimmick from before comes back and you enter the wrong breakable block with Player 1, sending the level into a burning FRENZY. This dual has the AWESOME gimmick of having half the blocks attached to one of the players. It makes it super vibrant and moving and the pulses do a great time of accentuating that. It's just a super well made part, and I especially love the chain that follows Player 2 because it genuinely feels like the blocks are LATCHED onto it.

The level then takes a drastic turn and throws you into this SUPER cool ship and cube part with these super mountains structures that remind me of -Sirius-. It fits the song in a way that I can't even describe and makes you think that "Oh, this level is serious wtf". I couldn't put into words why I love this part so much, but just watch and you'll see what I mean. It feels like you're ASCENDING.

You then enter the build up for the last quarter, everything is moving, the vibe feels much different then any part before, it even brings back the gimmick from the first part! I love the little monsters as well, it adds a lot to it. You then start riding up these yellow pulsing slopes and it feels like it's building up to something insane, and then...

FOCUS!

You are thrown head first into this rapidly changing sync based layout which feels like it's changing every second, moving toward you perfectly in beat with the song, going upwards as the song ramps up at the same time. This part's progression is absolutely insane, using different types of gamemodes and sections to perfectly match the song. There's so much going on that I couldn't even hope to explain everything, but it all works in perfect sync. The second half of the buildup hits and you can see copies of yourself in the background once more as the level seems to be nearing it's end. You enter this rapidly ascending and descending corridor, hit the last dash orbs to go up the ramp, and HOLD up with the ship and then...

My favorite part by far, copies of your icon scatter across the screen in succession, changing based on which icon needs to jump, and as you click to the sync you jump out of the fake icon. Then they combine and now you jump from either one or both. It's a super simple gimmick, but it's pulled off so effectively that it's stuck in my mind since the 2 years ago that I first saw this. You enter the final dual as the fake cubes rotate in the background, then the background flashes at you rapidly as the song finally comes to a close.

This layout is PERFECT and I don't think I did a great job at explaining how good this level is. This level actually introduced me to one of my favorite EP's 'MULATO TRAGIDY' because it uses a song off of it, "My First Time Dying". It is an insanely good song and the level uses it perfectly. Absolutely insane layout and I highly recommend it.