tetrix: 1.9 classic. vanguard of the xl progression-based 'genre', where all of the details meticulously sync to all the layers of the tetris remix, setting an insanely good precedent for how progression based levels should look, especially in the more subdued sections that allow the level to ebb and flow with the song (not forgetting the style of the first part repeating itself a few times, super iconic). even restricting itself to two main palettes, its never too much to look at and always something to be impressed by, even on the micro scale. i hesitate to call it 'ahead of its time' or similar because i think it played a pretty big role in forming the 'time' that we have today around longer levels, or at least the purposeful ones. i really appreciate this one and its important to have it experienced in its entirety

hyper fantasy: i dont have a lot to say about hyper fantasy nor do i have strong feelings towards it but the song sure says a lot by itself. given that gboy did a great job representing the song with a mix of his own epileptic decoration, a coked up remix of the can can says a lot about this levels kinetics and also the insanely pulse heavy style somewhat reminiscent of the aesthetics of mlg videos and similar, and this is i think pretty funny and makes for a good play. its very fun (in the sense that the experience of it is very unadulterated), which makes the next thing im going to say even more terrible: i think im partial to MLChristmas for amping up the fun value and being earlier to the neon party. sorry.

the place: your review put it pretty well. this was the level to really put inside on my radar when it released and ive never felt more mystified going through a coin route myself - a low barrier to entry, but something that unfolds on you as you discover just how intricately everything in the level is put together, as much as the level might want you to think otherwise. unrivalled atmosphere & does an amazing job at being the meat and potatoes of the top nomsympony path, where it seemingly branches again through an alternate path (maybe it doesnt matter tho since you die(?) at the end of the main one), and this is tangential to the level itself but it does such a good job at being a piece of a world thats so much larger than it. dont want to call anything insides best if all of its levels are fantastic but this is def a contender

given that its more interesting to have levels i want to hear more about than my favourites (although these are definitely some of my favourite levels!), here are my 3, hope theyre not too difficult:

b spr9s0 by fungifity, altergame xvii by serponge, no love by sprei (on rinjello's account)