Rating Curve

you had to be there [2]

what the hell are you guys talking about!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

brilliant in so many ways, a functionally flawless execution of this seemingly simple concept that exudes beauty no matter which direction you look at it from. one of the best levels to be recently released

you had to be there

i love this level very much. most likely my biggest influence as a creator to date, and not even my favourite work from this creator. reminds me of a better time.

mrkooltrix is a creator I have 0 problem showering praises on because he's an incredibly lovely guy and I think he deserves the best. he blends unrivalled production value to each of his works (even/especially outside gd!) with the ethos of a modestly inconceited and down-to-earth persona that promotes joy and community, not to mention his consistent pioneering in art, effect and design styles among many areas of the community. his personality is important to preface the review with because wonderbop is a music themed ncs gauntlet entry that would never be possible to make without kooltrix's happy-go-lucky energy - it's infused itself into the level's soul and penetrates it fully with its theming of the joy of making and enjoying music, with 4 little mascots each representing the four main synthesizer waveforms, and a little dragon dude named razor (also a synth reference i think) that you can feed a cookie for coins. the dynamics, as to be expected with kooltrix, are second to none, this time coveted to a mirror sheen, and i'd be amiss to leave some of the minor details unmentioned: the sfx are integrated to the highest degree i've ever seen in a level, the world's length is calculated in measures, the piano track background playing the song it's part of, the practice mode and coin completion endscreens and other edits, and the list goes on (both for brevity and the fact that i've missed a lot, which speaks to the level). it's wondrous in the most sincere sense of the word, and executes it perfectly. its a shame it didn't get into the gauntlet because I think levels like these are exactly what the game needs, especially for a celebratory event like the NCS contest. one of the best from 2024, and probably the best influence i can think of for anyone growing up with geometry dash in such a developed era of the game - inspires creativity and love for music and video games, just as the creator clearly loves the artform. it's a must-play!

the world is an unfamiliar and scary place, and this level really feels like the musings of a directionless wanderer as they say a goodbye to the old and move in new directions, as is the nature of the passage of time