Rating Curve

Don’t have as much to say about P NP as I expected but everything is done really well for the contest. With how Flash’s music is everything has to be just weird enough to have that rough and amorphous vibe while also remaining polished and P NP nails it. Some things in the level are pretty blind but after a practice run it’s totally fine, and the coins are all pretty good in their own way. 7ak epic rate 2025

Thomas Kinkade

There's something to be said for copy-pasting a ton of the same object for structuring. There's a ton of different use-cases for building levels out of mostly blocks or orbs or lines, and as such many different kinds of levels have employed the technique, but it always makes for a very uniform style that absolutely doesn't deserve the label of "object spam" or the like. In the case of levels like Uniformity or this level it can make for some very interesting gameplay that I would consider pretty much always worth looking goofy or unpolished. I don't think hhhhheeelllllooo is the best example of that or anywhere close but it still had a fun little vibe going on that I liked. Also a good sightreading workout

There's a certain kind of level I'd consider untouchable, where any attempt to directly bounce off of it is likely doomed. Contrary to a level like Nine Circles or Windy Landscape, which could be used as templates (of sorts) to hopefully recapture the essence of an original work, some levels aren't really definable in structure. Despite frequent efforts, you can't really recapture the magic of a level like Death Moon, Lonely Travel, or High Life while going about things in the same way. I suppose the existence of Future Funk and Reanimation (for example) might prove the validity of edge cases, but I don't think they really feel the same like two Nine Circles levels might.

All of this is to say that High Life is one of a kind, and if there's a reason it has earned its status as a classic I wouldn't say it has anything to do with length or visual fidelity. Instead, each part of High Life feels indescribably self-confident, like it somehow knew that even the many parts with only one main effect or detail to offer wouldn't be seen as iconic rather than obsolete as time passed. Migueword was far from a new creator by the time High Life came out, but it has that aura of ignoring all concern of what more could be done to fill things out. I love when 1.9 levels make the most of their effects and designs, which usually makes for a much more polished and timeless product, but I've always admired High Life for keeping things simple just because that was the vision. I'm sure that High Life was considered very impressively constructed at the time, but its legacy has proved to be as an inspiration, to not worry about cramming a level full of things as if the action had its own inherent value.

To be clear I'm not the biggest High Life enjoyer or anything, I just think it's a really cool level to think about as it ages

It feels wrong to criticize levels for being too short since length is usually a decision informed by the song used, but Aster definitely doesn't make the most out of its scant 60 second runtime either. Everything in Aster is structured very loosely, which is something that works best if it's in service to a broader characteristic, especially in demon levels. Although this might be an unfair comparison, one very successful way this might be accomplished is with a gesture towards awkward or open-ended design, like in Hollow or Grebeworld respectively. In Aster, this awkwardness is definitely present, but the sort of friction it adds lends more to flimsiness rather than memorability. The gameplay in Aster is definitely a contributor, with a lot of things that look outright arbitrary until you realize skipping them leads to dying to invisible objects, but the visuals are arguably just as flimsy in execution. There's undoubtedly a theme running, which is beautifully established in the first ship (by far the best part), but considering how few foreground objects there actually are Aster feels simultaneously aimless and busy. I actually thought I ran into an unavoidable bug towards the end because of how little direction to the player Aster bothered to offer. Polarizing has taken this sort of effect work to much better applications, especially in 2.2, so with how undercooked Aster is I'd mainly refer to it as a relevant creative milestone.

I don't often appreciate Echonox as a pioneer of early effect levels as much as I should but in retrospect it's INSANE that stuff like this was being made in 2.0. Obviously the shading on the cubes looks great but I think the essence of experimentation is what makes Echonox levels so consistently great. Love them or hate them, everything they put out is so obviously the product of a flash of insight, in this case likely consisting of making a few 3D assets and just running with it. I really love the tone the beginning sets, especially since a song like Lets Bounce by Shtriga is already a little bit out there for Echonox, but it doesn't hold at all throughout the (very very long!) first ship part, even if the effect it showcases is cool. Vertex is definitely a landmark effect level and is still fun to play through, though definitely not Echonox's best like some of their 2.1 levels.

rate this map!!!!!!

I'm hopelessly surrounded by people who like this level even more than me but Afterlife stands far above a set of levels that failed to garner much lasting attention, the discord gauntlet levels. I think this is for a reason, too - after all, Nasgubb seems very in tune with what people should feel playing Afterlife, in both paths no less. Since both paths - which are definitely distinct from one another - mostly consist of a single gamemode, all the focus is rightfully put on the environment, and in turn the emotional progression that doesn't feel possible from a level that's not even two minutes long. I've never been compelled to say a GD level has such a positive outlook on the world as with Afterlife, and I think any player can experience that message without thinking about things too literally. The two journeys this level offers are vastly different in tone and storyboarding, but they both offer that same uplifting outlook and I think that's adorable. Anyway check out Drawing Circles by Elisione it's the other best discord gauntlet level but like no one knows about it lol

Overpass isn't the most noteworthy level ever made or anything but I still do appreciate what it does offer. The middle parts are definitely my favorite, with a great set of colors that sells a stormy environment even without rain and lightning. The final space-ish part leads me to think that Overpass features a progression of rising into the clouds, but I honestly don't see it very well and it's a fine enough section to close everything out anyway. Ninkaz is often strong in gameplay and Overpass is a good showcase of that, as a nice and chill experience that lets the player take in the landscapes and vibes. Again not a spectacular level or anything but I enjoyed it

Had I not seen this level in the GD awards I would have assumed it was much older, since it feels like this is the kind of thing that was starting to fall out of style at the tail end of 2.1. Either way, B Spr9s0 has a very quirky and fun presentation with a few welcome variations within itself. My personal favorite part is the first wave, which seems to be a relatively unanimous take given the thumbnails made for the level, but each part has its own shtick going on that keeps the style fresh and definitely earns its place in the Strange Gauntlet. I also like the secret cutscene that was later added by clicking the fake orb in the ball part; it's not really conducive to anything else but it was fun to stumble on regardless. Other than that, the gameplay is serviceable and usually pretty fun for a 7 star, though the ship parts at the start and end play a little weirdly and I'm wondering if they follow the player at all. Solid level in any case