Z-I-v Summer Contest 2020

4ÆM (Pie-kun)
I like it. I like how the different BPM sections dedicate a distinct feeling of the song (like the drum & bass sections go for a fast pace) and the stops usage were executed really effectively. Only thing that bothered me was that it could’ve started at 93 BPM, but other than that, it’s good.

AKATSUKI (JAKAZiD’s UKxJ-Core Bootleg) (SomethingRandom)
The stops fit with the song and the charts are pretty good. There are a bit of awkwardness in how the patterns flow throughout the song and the patterns itself seem like it just repeats themselves as the song goes on, but it is the nature of the song and I do like the ideas the charts present.

And It Begins (VanEden)
It’s definitely well-stepped and I like some of the ideas the chart goes for (like the BPM changes it presents throughout the song). It definitely reminds me of Fraxtil’s ITG charts (for example, Need Your Love -S_F Dubstep Mix-) and it executes well on ITG charting, patterning and gimmicks.

Angelfalse (CLOUDIO aka MEGAtive)
I’m impressed. How you used the speed gimmicks in this one… *chef’s kiss*. It fits the vibe of the song so well. And the attacks used in this are genius as well. It just comes together so easily with its patterning and rhythms, and I definitely see myself playing this one multiple times.

beta ft. Hatsune Miku (Torpak)
Not going to lie, the ending of the chart threw me off lol. Wasn’t expecting the stops to be used near the end. I kind of expected more from this, to be honest. It felt a bit understepped and while I do enjoy it overall, I can’t help but think could the notes go more to the glitching noises or use rolls to represent the glitching notes instead?

Black Lotus (Telperion)
Well… it’s a Challenge 18 alright. Okay, seriously, I do like some of what the chart’s going for and I get the warps and stops usages. It’s just not my cup of tea, really. I do like the notes fading out at the end, however.

Career Boy (Pika-Vix)
I have mixed feelings about this. It feels like the 30 BPM at the start was slapped on just to tick off a criterion for the theme. And there are double-steps that just breaks the flow and just confuse which foot are you supposed to step (at least in Heavy. Standard chart I don’t have problems with). I do like how the stops were used, especially the last one.

Concrete (Astroman)
It’s good. The patterning throughout both Heavy and Standard charts are clean and consistent to the song. The BPM changes dedicate for the arrows to follow a specific part of the song is a nice touch and give its uniqueness to each part. Really, I think it’s good.

Crème Caramel (5l1n65h07)
Well, that is certainly… interesting, to say the least. I get the speed up sections (and I do like the idea the Challenge chart is basically different just by the extra bits in the audio file), but it’s a bit brutal trying to hit the notes at a perfect timing.

Disco Nights (Haley Halycon)
The wavy gimmicks ruin what is essentially an okay chart for me. The first half of the simfile is fine with me. I like how the stops were used (although making it 512 BPM and then changing it back to the base BPM after the stop finishes is a bit bullshit) and playing the Heavy chart throughout it makes the gimmicks tolerable, but the Challenge chart makes it difficult hitting the sections where the notes just bounces back and forth (talking about ones like at m40.75-41.5). It just comes as flashy for the sake of being flashy and will just cause frustration when others play through it. Also, why is there a scroll factor at m379 when the warp would just skip over it to the next scroll factor at m380? What function does it serve there for m379? I’ll give it props to the patterning as it flows nicely and seems to fit the vibe the song goes for, but it’s not enough for me to ignore how the gimmicks were presented in this.

do the thing (forcednature)
Patterning’s pretty clean and the rhythm choices throughout it seems appropriate to the music. The gimmicks also work with the very miniscule BPM changes throughout the small hold notes paired with the brief stops. No complaints here.

Dreadnought (Daffa)
I see the ideas the charts are going for. The stops for the jump sections are nice and add a bit of flavour to the song. The sections where you hit a hold note while simultaneously attempting to hit the 8th and 16th notes (m68-68.75, for example) felt iffy for me in Challenge and I would’ve like to see roll notes incorporated into it (like maybe convert the two long hold notes at m53 into rolls so it matches with the rapid drum hits before it ends at m65). Other than that, it’s pretty good.

Dstrov (talkion)
The warp at the beginning felt sudden and I know the mines are marked out to know what the notes are coming up (and maybe because I’m a bit of an idiot), but it kind of felt unfair. However, the rest of the chart is pretty tasteful. The attacks used in here are nice and enhances the steps, and using speed gimmicks as stops is pretty good. Honestly, the use of split timing is used at its full potential and paired up with the patterning and rhythms, it is good.

DUE TOMORROW (Peterw9000)
No. It’s not good. I have nothing positive to say about this. The Challenge chart came off to me as a keyboard chart with the spamming of jump-jacks in Challenge and the inconceivable BPM speeds (at 400) makes it not fun and bullshit. At least a brief slowdown was nice for the player(s) to take a breather before the next part of the bullshitery happens. I imagine if people were playing this on an actual pad, their legs would be sore and cramped just by playing one of the harder charts. I’ll just quote Yahtzee Croshaw to sum up my feelings on this.

“In the world of difficult games, there exists a hypothetical line, which I like to call the Tropic of Fuckabout. It is defined as the point where high difficulty stops being a stimulating challenge and becomes merely fucking me about.”

Dum Tek Tek (t7r)
So good. Hitting the jumps as the stops occur feels satisfying to hit, even with the spike difficulty in the BPM change. The patterns in this are also good and how it flows throughout the song is really good. Again, so good.

EGOISM 110 (SupremeX)
The patterning feels messy. It seems like after you hit the jumps, one placement of the next note alters how it flows and doesn’t pay off. A bit of an odd choice to hit 880 BPM for the jump holds at b78.5 then slowing it down to 110 BPM as it reaches the next note. The stops during the end portion of the chart, I dig. Although I would’ve make the BPM where the last two hold notes are to be half the base BPM (which would be 55) to fit with the last airhorn noise.

Fanfare (mf32982)
It’s tasteful. I like how the stops were used, albeit a tad long. And the BPM changes throughout it are executed very well. The rhythms are clean and fit with the nature of the song.

Feelsleft0ut (about:blank)
Oh, the gimmicks use throughout this one is interesting. The shifting BPM in some sections of the song, the attacks and stops in Challenge, they’re executed really well, although a little bit distracting. How it ends felt like you’re just standing there, holding the long notes with both feet on each respective arrow, but considering it uses attacks at the end, I guess it makes sense why it’s done that way. A bit of a shame the Heavy chart doesn’t share some aspects of the Challenge chart. Like, I would’ve love to see BPM changes incorporated in Heavy and have something more to step at the end of the chart, because as it stands, it felt unfinished when the two hold notes just end off at m76.

Hallucinate (DDRDAIKENKAI)
I like it. The patterns throughout the song aren’t bad, and how it flows feels connected to the vibe of the song. The attacks and scrolls are tasteful as well. A little confusing, but doesn’t wear out its welcome.

HOT RIGHT NOW (feat. Rita Ora) (tamtamino)
It’s alright. The BPM changes fit and I get the repeating of patterns within the context of the song. The crossovers work surprisingly well and the brackets aren’t too bad to hit. Although I feel like you could’ve match with the build-up more at b36 and b136 with a stream of notes, for a 12, it works.

Jazzy Glitch Machine (Gameoson)
Hmm… I don’t know how to feel about this. I get why the gimmicks were used in that way and it does fit with the song (hell, just by looking at the title and see the indicators for the chart, you know what you’re getting into for the most part), but I just feel like it didn’t click with me. I get the ideas, but I don’t know about the execution. There is nothing wrong with patterns, from what I can tell, they’re fine and fit with the song nicely, but it’s just something about how the stops and BPM shifts were used that rubbed me weirdly. It does give off ITG vibes just based on how the gimmicks were used and the patterning layout of the notes, but that isn’t inherently bad in of itself.

Jettison (HDM300)
I like both of the charts presented in the simfile. I like that there are small differences between the two charts with how the gimmicks are used and the patterning throughout both charts are very good. This is honestly your best one I’ve played throughout the contests I participated in with your files.

Karn Evil 9 (Jared)
Well the important thing is, at least you tried. In all seriousness though, while I get the song is essentially live BPM, it still felt off in terms of its sync. The patterning also felt inconsistent and has a weird abrupt flow due to some double-steps presented in some sections of the two charts I’ve played through (Standard and Heavy). It also felt like the patterning just repeats itself throughout the charts, even with the constant shift in BPM.

Lucky Strike (Dreamcatcher version) (ledgam3r)
The gimmicks in this one are executed nicely. I like how the patterns are laid out and the use of mines in Challenge are good. It’s very consistent and the gimmicks are a nice add-on to the package.

Oboro (kamone sano Remix) (vonafroa)
It’s pretty good. The BPM changes are consistent with the song and complement the steps. The speed up during the last hold note is also a nice touch as it reaches its climax. I have no complaints here.

Paradinha (chewi)
This is so fun. The jumps and stops complement each other. The patterning is also really good and fit the vibe the song is going for. Sometimes simplicity is best when it doesn’t necessarily follow fully to the music and this one exemplifies that.

Pegasus (PenTA_)
Interesting. The changes in BPM are executed well and the patterning is really clean for a 17. I feel like the stops could’ve been executed a bit better because it felt like it just freezes when the next set of notes is just about to be in the hit area of the notes. Still, it’s an overall good chart and modern DDR fans would be happy to play through this.

Rings of Rainbow (Tony Akita)
This is such good shit. The speed gimmicks are done masterfully, especially matches with the bouncy nature of the song. It has so much life and you can tell it was made with love and care just by playing through the charts. The patterning and rhythms in it are also clean paired up with the gimmicks.

Seasons (Silver Spirit)
I like the ideas the chart presents. The BPM set in this one makes sense and I like how the rhythms flow with each other. I feel like you could’ve added a bit more notes at the beginning so it goes along to the intro a bit more, but considering it begins at 44 BPM, I guess it’s fair why you didn’t add in 32nd notes in there.

Shufuku no shikisai wa omoi musubu kimitachi made (dj VERTICAI)
This is good. I like how there are dedicated sections where the BPM follows a specific part of the song (like at the 120 BPM section where it follows the pianos) and the patterning is very consistent and makes sense with the song. Also, the attack usage at the beginning is a nice touch, much like opening a toy box and hearing what it has to offer.

So This is Love (Nezemarth)
That was very messy, I’m going to be blunt and honest here. I see where you’re trying to go with the constant changing of BPMs throughout the chart, but paired up with the confusing patterning throughout it, it’s just end up being a convoluted mess, while also feeling like the sync is wacky. I’ll give you props for trying, though. Songs like these are hard to make steps for and with how slow it goes, it’ll take a lot of thinking to make interesting variations of patterning in order to make it effective and fun.

Swag (shortysnmn2010)
Some of the stops in this simfile could’ve been done better. With the stops at b22, for example, paired with 1760 BPM, unless you’re trying to treat it as a pseudo warp, it's frankly bullshit. The patterning and rhythms in this were fine, it’s just the gimmicks could’ve been done better. I do like the last set of stops at the end, however. That’s a bit of a nice flavour added to the charts.

The Ghost (KevinRocker10 aka Pilgrimsito)
I like it. The gimmicks are perfect for this song, and they don’t outstay its welcome. The footswitches in Heavy are also great and the patterning is clean. I feel like that one mine in Heavy at b81 (and some of the mines in Standard, for that matter) felt redundant to me, but I get it’s marked to signify a BPM change. The speed changes at the end is a nice touch.

Thunderbolt (Rock Disband)
Good shitpost, mate. 10/10 would play again. As a fellow Aussie, having Land Down Under as a bait-and-switch made me laugh.
My skin is clear, my crops are thriving, life has never been better.

Yi Jian Mei (Czery)
Well, this is definitely a meme chart. That’s all I can say about it, I guess.

You Are the Only One (hooky)
It’s not bad. I feel like the 192 BPM start felt out of place compared to the rest of the chart. I guess if you want to tick of the min-max BPM quota, it works in theory. I do wish the holds section (b209-218) follow to the piano instead of the strings.

Zettai Yoiko no Etc (DJXYZ)
Yeah, paired up with high speed BPM and a bunch of stops not only it made it challenging, it also made it unfair to hit the notes at the right time. The jumps between b287 and b291 in Heavy are pretty unforgiving to hit them at 364 BPM and I feel like it’s not warranted for them to be jumps instead of just a set of single notes (maybe turn them into a crossover or a stream). There are some ideas I get (like the long jacks section paired up with a hold and a series of stops in Standard (like ones at b241-247), but the execution is just not there yet, I feel.