The last quarter of Cycles is one of my favorite sections from any RobTop level.

As a kid I hated Cycles but the level has really grown on me. The song is the first of many “moody” slow burner songs that would become popular through this game.

I always found this a weird choice because it introduces the first new game mode since Stereo Madness - the ball part. I would have expected a glorious symphony to introduce this new game mode similar to Stereo Madness, Theory of Everything, Blast Processing, Fingerdash, and Dash, but no, in this level you just get a moody drop part. This subversion of expectations makes the level stand out to me as one of the more memorable RobTop levels.

Aside from the constant triple spikes and the first ball part in GD history, another highlight of this level is the ship part with all the gravity portals. This part was so hard for me as a kid even though it’s really just the same pattern over and over. It gives you enough flexibility to play with the ship while also training you to learn ship control.

Finally, the third coin of this level is incredibly designed, it’s one of the few coin routes in the RobTop levels that feels like a true extended secret path

Overall, this level is an acquired taste but one of the better OG RobTop levels imo