Rating Curve

dorabae-basic12 was Dorabae’s final level in the basic series, being his first attempt at a level in the new 2.0 update. This level puts Dorabae’s creativity on display more than any previous level because of his usage of the new features.

Over time, Dorabae’s basic series turned into collages of random ideas, and it is clear that dorabae-basic12 falls under the same category. The level has a lot of ideas that were very unique for early 2.0. Lots of brand new triggers were used to create cool effects, adding a lot of character to the level. For example, there is a plentiful amount of diverse movements for structures and air decoration, as well as the pseudo-rotation effect being used in almost every part. I also need to mention the robot part in the drop, being one of the most unique effect parts ever made. This part was practically Dorabae showing off, as the bricks pulsing to the song impressed so many people back then. Fortunately for dorabae-basic12, the decoration holds up very nicely with the effects. The level uses simple designs, rather than more complex designs attempted in early 2.0. The simple designs help the level, as they let the interesting ideas speak and make the level a treat to look at.

Although dorabae-basic12 is undoubtedly one of the most unique levels of 2.0, the level suffers from the same overarching issue that was found in many levels during the update. This issue is a severe lack of polish, as the look is due to the easing used on movements and the lack of blending on many colors and objects. However, the usage of simpler designs prevented this level from looking even less polished. Additionally, polishing was a foreign concept in early 2.0, so an unpolished look was expected in hindsight.

Regardless of the issue with polishing, dorabae-basic12 was a remarkable level for its time, and it is still incredible to this day. This level shows that Dorabae was very advanced as a creator, cementing him in history as one of the best.

Superopi is a household name in the creator landscape, having grown into a prominent figure during the ten months of 1.9. Apocalypse, being his last level of the update, shows his amazing creating progression throughout these ten months.

Over the course of the update, Superopi had grown a talent of creating well-composed designs, which Apocalypse reflects very nicely. The level has a plentiful amount of uniquely shaped structures utilizing slopes. The slope usage let alone makes the structures very interesting, yet the designs work with the irregular structuring. These designs are where the level truly shines, as uncommon mixtures of objects were created for a fresh twist on conventional 1.9 designs. On top of this, glow and 3D were included to elevate the designs. I think the glow makes the designs special as they add some color and brightness to the otherwise dark designs. While lots of care was put into the designs, Superopi also put the same amount of care into air-decoration and the ground-spikes. This truly gives off the impression that no aspect of decoration was forgotten about in the creation process of this level.

To top it all off, the gameplay reflects the same quality of the decoration, as Superopi had become fantastic at making gameplay during 1.9. Apocalypse has a lot of well structured free-fly gamemode sections, as well as ball and cube sections that always keep the player moving. I have always enjoyed this kind of gameplay in his levels, and it is fortunate that this level has one of the best versions of his gameplay. Superopi’s gameplay tends to have some unfairness, due to odd transitions or difficulty spikes. But fortunately for Apocalypse, there is no unfairness, making the level a fun challenge to play.

Because of all this, Apocalypse is regarded as a fantastic level of 1.9, which I cannot argue with. Superopi put all of his creating talent on display, making for a very special level by a remarkable creator.

Written on November 25th, 2024.

AutoNick is a creator that I have been a fan of for a while now, and when I heard he was making a level for the NCS x GD album, I suddenly anticipated seeing it. The next day, Geometry was released and it quickly became liked by the community for the outstanding decoration and theming.

One of the main aspects of Geometry is the beautiful city theme. In the first half, there is no shortage of cleanly decorated structures resembling city buildings. Lots of the structures are complimented with features like windows and lush plants, as well as further specialized additions like LED screens and pool features, which elevate the designs and work plenty of character into the level. Yet, the aspect which sells the theme the most are the glistening cityscape backgrounds, as these backgrounds are a treat to look at. Fortunately, these backgrounds continue into the second half, regardless of the level slightly straying away from the theme.

Another main aspect of Geometry is the colors. AutoNick chose to use predominantly yellow and teal for the pre-drop before using only yellow in the drop. Not only does this color combination propose a nice contrast for the decoration, but it mainly builds a strong connection between the theme and the song. The teal helps build the night-time city atmosphere, while the yellow has a magic to it. I believe the usage of yellow is ideal, as the positive emotions associated with warm colors perfectly complement the energetic and joyous song.

Unlike the decoration, the gameplay is not as perfect. There are a few sections of gameplay that make the level unfriendly to new players. Namely the sideways portion and the dual, as these inclusions can naturally make any level tricky. When combined with 4x speed, the dual makes for quite a difficulty spike. Regardless, the decoration and a majority of the gameplay make Geometry a fantastic level. I think this level deserved the Epic rating, claiming a spot in AutoNick’s remarkable catalogue of levels.

Written on July 19th, 2024.

Sephiroth Ultra is a level that I have known for a while now, but only recently began to love. It is an extended remake of Nick24’s old impossible level “Sephiroth.” Although Sephiroth Ultra was released 8 months ago, it was rated only 2 weeks ago. Regardless, Soup did Nick24’s level justice with the numerous clean designs and neat effects.

To start with, Sephiroth Ultra features some amazing 1.9 decoration. Most of the designs in the level are rather basic, but Soup pairs the designs with beautiful effects. For example, he gave the blocks in the ship at 9% a neat waving effect with glow pieces. There is another example in the ball at 48% where the basic block designs are enhanced with beautiful pulses and the pulsing hexagons throughout the entire part. However, the best example of Soup’s effects bringing the part together is in the part at 90%. The structures in the part are made out of the transparent blocks, but Soup made a beautiful pulsing glow pattern that was made to fit within the structures. Soup was not afraid to fill this level with wonderful effects, making this level very special.

Additionally, Soup paired the excellent decoration with incredibly fun gameplay. The level was intended to be Extreme Demon, however the gameplay seems a bit too easy for this difficulty. There are some challenging parts, and they are not too difficult. However, the gameplay is still incredibly fun. I personally think Sephiroth Ultra is one of the most fun levels in the game as I cannot stop replaying the level.

Soup truly outperformed himself with both the decoration and gameplay in this level. Sephiroth Ultra has some of the best looking decoration and some of the most fun gameplay that the limitations 1.9 can give. I am ecstatic that this level has finally gotten the rate that it deserves, and I am excited to see what Soup26 makes next.

Written on July 12th, 2024.

For as long as I can remember, Taman has been one of my favorite creators. He is the mastermind behind timeless classics such as Motion, Paperworld, Badland, Acceleration, Endorphin Rush, and many others. Yet, I am always surprised that nobody ever mentions one of my favorite levels from him. The Problematic, a 2.0 non-demon that has fantastic decoration and gameplay, is a classic example of Taman’s brilliance in the editor.

The major reason why this level is one of my favorites is the decoration. The level features classic 2.0 designs that you would see with almost any other level at the time. These designs are primarily composed of older blocks from before 2.0, as well as occasional 2.0 blocks. Although the level features standard decoration, Taman executes this decoration phenomenally. He enhances the simple designs with numerous effects and movements that make this level feel alive. In almost every single part there is a new effect that brings the part together, whether it be something simple like the pulsing blocks at 7%, to the custom-made lasers at 2% and the endless amount of movements in parts like the one at 45%. This level truly displays that Taman was not afraid to show the world his knowledge of movements and effects. I personally love the movements in this level a ton, as he uses them very tastefully to create a very dynamic level.

Although the decoration is fantastic, the gameplay also speaks for itself. The Problematic features classic Taman gameplay that is incredibly fun, and also easy to sight-read. There are still some difficult parts like at 45% and 68% that are created by Taman’s teleport portal usage. However, if these parts are practiced even a little, they become significantly less challenging.

Taman was one of the most talented creators in 2.0 and this level proves it. His master-class usage of movements and effects in The Problematic creates an experience that is loved by many. Additionally, his perfectly flowing gameplay helps tons of people be able to enjoy this level. With this, The Problematic will always be one of my favorite Taman levels, and I would love to see Taman make more levels in the future.

Written on July 2nd, 2024.

Arctic alpine is a level that I’ve been waiting for ShadowIan to finish ever since I met her a few months ago. I’ve heard about ShadowIan previously and truly recognized her as a creator to watch when she released EPILEPSY WARNING, being her first epic rate. However, with arctic alpine, she has really proved how excellent of a creator she is.

To start off with, the decoration is fantastic. Arctic alpine revolves around a theme of being in the peaks of mountains and pulls off this theme fantastically. Every part has uniquely crafted designs themed around the snow and rocks you would find on the peak of a mountain. However, ShadowIan takes other measures to keep the theme and the decoration interesting. She has a very colorful decoration style, and she was not afraid to use it in this level. Almost every part has beautiful rainbow colors and pulses, mainly starting at the ship part at 0:35.This is where the color usage really comes into play. After you pass the dark cave part at 0:51, you are blasted with color for the rest of the level. The parts after feature a lot of individual assets and detailed backgrounds, such as the foliage and clouds at 0:59, and the massive mountain background at 1:08, that flawlessly utilize the rainbow colors. These assets and backgrounds use lots of vibrancy and different hues to build upon the outstanding color usage. Overall, the masterfully crafted designs, excellent theming, and exquisite usage of colors truly cements this level as one of the best in the game.

Additionally, arctic alpine has extremely fun gameplay to complement the perfect decoration. The gameplay also maintains a cool Easy Demon difficulty throughout the level. Unfortunately, there are a few tricky spots that can be confusing for some people. Later into the ship part at 0:35 there are a few yellow orbs that you have to avoid hitting. Additionally, the ball part at 0:51 has a few unclear timings of when to switch gravity off of the rolling minecarts. However, if these few tricky bits can be remembered, then this level is truly a fun experience to play.

Without a doubt, arctic alpine excels in every aspect of decoration and gameplay. ShadowIan has legitimately outdone herself with this level and I think the Legendary rating was deserved. She is definitely one of my favorite creators as of right now, and I am very excited to see what she makes next.