My first review here and Pump Up Kick is a level I've always wanted to write a review for. Despite it never having some big moment that puts it in the limelight for discussion, ever since beating it, I can't help but think about it every now and then.

The gimmick of this level is that the gameplay, from start to finish is entirely Cube: no orbs, no pads, no size portals. On top of that the difficulty of this level is derived from memory [gasp]. The gameplay feels uncannily similar to that of a map pack, where the memory is achieved from hard-to-read structuring, and blind jumps, but never feels derivative. But I think one would be disrespectful to disregard this level on merits of it's unique gameplay that is often dismissed as frustrating and outdated. If you open your heart to this level's unique gameplay, you'll find a level that feels scientifically optimised to maximise the particular satisfaction of hopping through this level.

To begin, the level immediately embraces it's identity of invoking older levels by primarily using blocks from older updates. It also uses plenty of pulsing air deco that are set to player colour. spark displays is clear understanding of the appeal of more classic levels while never feeling like he's forcing the comparison. Many more pulsing shapes, classic blocks and other old objects make up a majority of the decoration in this level.

On the other hand, the level happily embraces a shining brightness that was not really possible to achieve back in 1.6. Using white blending glow on brightly coloured blocks makes them feel like they're glowing with energy. The brightness and contrast between the blocks allows every block to stand out and makes the level very easy on the eyes. This level came out during the first months of 2.2 and spark is more than happy to embrace a few of the new features like the area trigger and some particle effects that really separate this level from being a simple callback level.

The use of moving objects feels very purposeful and restrained. I really like the way the objects move in like with the glowing pillars near the beginning. At the 3× section at 50% the movement of the blocks feels very disorienting with the blue blocks moving in vertically while the orange blocks move horizontally. It works fantastically in tandem with the colour contrast to set up the idea that the orange blocks are platforms to jump on while the blue blocks serve as structures to dangle spikes on, which works very effectively as memory when the level betrays the rules it's established. Finally the glowing, floating blocks at 70% float in slowly making it hard to guage if the block will get low enough for you to jump on it. This is some really lovely use of moving objects, where a tool introduced in 2.0 is utilised to create gameplay that feels like it's fron 1.7.

The level has a subtle, but very much appreciated camera usage that kicks in during the 4× speed part at 80%. The camera shifts the player back, allowing more of the level to be shown before it reaches the player making it much less difficult to sightread. This comes in extra handy because this part also has MIRROR PORTALS [UH OH].

Something significant I want to add is this level's relationship with speed portals. I think a lot of easy demons have an issue of making 3/4× speed gameplay awkwardly open and empty for balancing reasons. This level, at no point comes off as having to compromise for high speed gameplay, and in fact embraces the inherent difficulty that comes with faster speeds. The faster sections still feel like you're playing smooth and natural cube gameplay just really fast and stressful.

Finally, the song choice is pretty great. If I were to hazard a guess I think the idea for this level came before the song choice. It certainly feels like its primary goal is to effectively complement the gameplay and visuals. A song like this is fantastic for GD as bassy, mechanic music really works in GD to function as a level's sound effects. The punchy baseline give males the cube feel like it's bouncy and the low pitch synth complements the visuals with the way certain blocks shine so bright brings to mind the droning hum of many light sources. The song never has a big exciting drop and from playing other levels I had thought to myself that the lack of drop can hinder a level's enjoyment, but this level completely proves that assumption wrong.

Overall I think this level succeeds in it's goal with calculated precision. Perfecting a classic and misunderstood gameplay style and showing how to make it feel satisfying to pull off. spark definitely deserves to feel proud of this unique, yet sparklingly polished level.