Rating Curve

Dog butterfly gif

Pretty much perfectly executed until the last two parts unfortunately

(written on 2/18/25)

This level just released yesterday, and it caught my attention due to its use of the "tech" design style that I haven't really seen used in the past few years. I think that this is a phenomenal execution of that style, although it is lacking in intensity in some parts, primarily due to how desaturated the colors are. Despite the strange balancing, this was overall really fun to beat, and I would definitely recommend trying it yourself if you have the skill. Every part feels so unique from one another due to the variety of gameplay gimmicks they use. I'm hoping to see this level get the attention it deserves, since it clearly had a ton of care put into it, and it stands out from everything else I’ve seen recently.

(written on 6/21/24)

Out of all the levels that were released in 2023, Fake A Moment is definitely one of my favorites. It's also one of the most enjoyable extreme demons I have ever beaten. I originally had no plans to beat this, but I thought it would be funny to just grind it out. It took me less than two days to learn and beat this level, and while there are some inconsistent spots in this level, it was so much fun to figure out all of the silly ways it tricks the player. I find it so impressive that LunarSimg made this entire level, the song, and verified it all by himself. That makes this the hardest "fully solo" level by far, and I wish more people recognized it for that. Despite Lunar having not touched GD for many years, he did not lose any of his skill in creating or playing. This level feels very much like it was made right after 2.1 released, while also using many design tropes from 1.9 and before. This gives the level a very unique look that I, personally, find a lot more appealing than most people do. My favorite part visually is probably the 4x speed cube at 86% because it executes this unique style very well. I would probably place this level at Insane tier on the NLW spreadsheet. It ended up being way harder than I expected because Floofle told me it was a very low-end extreme (shoutout to him for helping me learn the level by the way)! If you use a video for reference on how to learn the parts, it isn't too hard to figure out all the fakes. I would definitely recommend this level to anyone who enjoys memory levels, especially if you have beaten either Fake A Doom or Fake A Might. I haven't actually beaten either of these, but I plan on doing so in the future. I really hope this level gets rated someday, as I think it should be way more appreciated than it is.

(written on 7/7/24)

AMELANCHIER is hhxa23’s first level of 2.2, and it really did not disappoint. I first discovered hhxa23’s works about 2 years ago, when a friend showed me his unrated level “seismic”. While that level was weakly executed, I saw a ton of potential in his creating style. It seems that I was right to have this thought, as AMELANCHIER is a masterfully executed five minute level that takes you on a journey through many unknown factory environments. While a level with this theme sounds like it would be unsettling, the song, Adrift by Cursedsnake, gives the whole experience a very soothing feel. The gameplay is also super well made, and is very relaxing to play. This vibe carries on until around the halfway point, where the level picks up and becomes much more chaotic, with tons of debris flying across the screen. I love the UFO part here with all of the road signs scattered around the screen in particular, as it makes for a great tonal shift while still retaining the style of the previous sections. The level eventually winds down and ends with everything fading away. Due to its length and overall learny nature, I would probably say that this is a low-end Insane Demon. The level also contains a complex coin route that requires you to explore many different areas to destroy assorted fuse boxes. It was a really fun experience finding all of these spots, and I recommend doing so if you have the patience. Overall, AMELANCHIER is a level with fantastic progression, and I would honestly say it’s one of my favorites to release in 2.2 so far. I think this level deserves a Legendary Insane Demon rating. I hope to see hhxa23 soon receive the recognition he deserves for this masterpiece!