One thing I've noticed about the bigger Space Gauntlet Contest submissions is that they're all failing to successfully convey what they're trying to represent. I already mentioned in Final Orbit that the flashback concept was extremely flawed and it felt too artificial for me to even feel a single drop of emotion from it. Given the way the start and ending are tied together in this level I'm fully certain that this has a deeper meaning that I do not see unfortunately.

I've followed kira since... their very beginnings I think? I remember playing Temple Ruins right as it got rated and liking it a ton. I think it displayed some creative ideas with a very simple and direct execution. And I can't lie, kira's evolution felt very natural, but I can't help it but feel some nostalgia to some of their older and less ambitious works. WANNACRY grew on me, but it just felt like a major showcase of all the tropes and ideas kira had already been showing since Weirdcore. And Alien Dream Emulator is just more of the same.

Sometimes I wonder if the "big creator" syndrome is a real thing: when small unknown creators suddenly become big and start making masterful visuals do they just forget that visuals and gameplay aren't the only thing a level needs to be good? Clearly the wider community disagrees; I really don't expect casual players to be able to artistically dissect and analyze level compositions. But it's great that this level reviewing site is full of people who can actually do that.

Now, to the level. First off: I don't really get the Space theme from anywhere in the level, other than the level having the word "alien" in its name, or the meteor part at the drop (which I actually do like a lot), or the final act of the level where you drop down from space (although I can't tell when I got up there in the first place). Despite not really being able to tie itself well to that theme, I did enjoy the first half quite a bit. The swing part, for instance, had a really pretty and glowy color palette that I am a fan of.

One major flaw of this level is the sound work. The SFX sound horrible and out of place wherever they're used, and the way the song suddenly cuts off at the end to give way to a very chill piece of music as you're descending to Earth at terminal velocity is so comically offputting.

I disagree with flash and agree with PAHC about the "Emulator" part, which seems to be where the name is taken from. The emulating other people's styles for a level like this just... fails, in concept. To me it feels like kira got too confident about placing in the NCS contest and they're BEGGING for the judges to include the level as a finale for the gauntlet since it "wraps up" all the other non-last minute entries that could potentially place in this contest as well. Genuinely scummy to me, but I'm glad the people that were emulated did appreciate the part, from what I've seen.