Z-I-v Summer Contest 2017 [GAME OVER, YEAAAHHH]

+4 - Fake Style [DigitalBasic/Wari]
+3 - Arabian Market [chewi/tamtamino]
+3 - Invader Invader [Pie-kun/ohaiimian]
+3 - Icebreaker [Oni-91/Telperion]
+1 - REAL EXISTENCE [Gameoson/mf32892]
+1 - Shigatsu no Ame [Daffa212162/vincentw]
HM - Kirby Smash [warpdr!ve/xXMokou98Xx]
Amazing Mirage [rikame/Loodee]
"Schall" we step? [01angel/Pandemonium X]
Crescent Moon [mu-box/hiddennames]
Appaloosa [Nezemarth/CuzcoBlocko]
Dance With Cannibals [Benpai/Feraligatr]
Chronos [K-Step/KevinRocker10]
Swalla [HealingDMax300/ledgam3r1279]
Girls in Luv [SupremeX/TikalFan9000]
SAYONARA PLANET WARS [djVERTICAI/DAICHI]
Conga Feelin [NuVirus/The Legendary DJXYZ]

(8.9) +5 FAKE STYLE
(8.7) +3 "Schall" we step?
(8.6) +3 Dance with Cannibals (Auratic Remix)
(8.5) +1 REAL EXISTENCE
(8.5) +1 Amazing Mirage
(8.5) +1 Swalla
(8.5) +1 Chronos
(8.4) HM Get the Treasure!
(8.2) HM Shigatsu no Ame
(8.2) DQ Crescent Moon
(7.8) HM Kirby Smash
(7.4) 0 Arabian Market
(7.1) 0 Icebreaker
(6.8) 0 Invader Invader
(6.5) 0 Conga Feeling
(6.0) 0 girls in luv
(5.3) 0 Sayonara Planet Wars


Amazing Mirage: This was wacky. I like it, although I think the 16th footswitches may have been a bit much. When they weren't 16ths, they were solid. The gimmicks were also a great touch.

Arabian Market: Pretty nice, the usage of freezes and jumps during the chorus was cool. The footswitch opportunities during when you had to doublestep were also a neat touch.

Chronos: I actually think this is really good, definitely one of the best I've seen from both of you yet. The detail to technicality is strong and the patterns and gimmicks added to it. I've got nothing to complain about!

Conga Feeling: Something felt a little off with the rhythm choices; I think b51.75 should be moved down to b52 and maaaaybe b55.25 be moved d55.375; Same goes for the similar flourishes. The notes just feel better that way. b87.5-87.75 also seems very off. I think that passage should be 87-87.375-87.75-88. Otherwise, an alright chart.

Crescent Moon: A shame this got disqualified because this is actually pretty fun, if it loses a bit of steam near the end. I like it.

Dance with Cannibals (Auratic Remix): This is pretty good, reminds me of Retro City with the rolls and footswitches. I'm not exactly sure what the doublestep at b85.5-86 goes to, though (maybe notes with the same pitch?).

FAKE STYLE: Oh my god oh my god, this song is awesome.

Cool chart! I really like the spins during the chorus (and you can footswitch to avoid them if you wanted :P), they're pretty memorable. The break was good (fun halfturns), although during that quick burst in the song at b218-218.5, maybe you could've stepped it with a 4-note string of 24ths? I think it would be managable for players at the overall skill level the chart wants. b113-119.5 was very interesting, it too was quite memorable. Maybe the "Ratatatatatata"s could've been in swing timing (though they sound closer to 64ths than they do with 24ths, so like b156.813), but that's not a big quibble.

Get the Treasure!: Masterful use of jumps and crossovers.

girls in luv: ...wait a second. Either you moved heavy up to challenge, or you mistakenly deleted the heavy chart and left your exclusive challenge chart steps in?

As for the actual chart itself, it's pretty alright. Something I noticed is what you were doing with the freezes during b128 (accenting the vocals), but sometimes you abandon it (like at b140/141/142/143/144) even though keeping it up would be fine. Mines are kinda interesing.

I decided to check Standard too just in case challenge is, in fact, Tikal's doing only (but in that case shouldn't it be a DQ?). And unfortunately, while it does a good job at avoiding doublesteps, the rhythm choices are kind of a mess; There are certain places where you follow the vocals but ignore everything else (sometimes even getting the vocals wrong) and... it just didn't work.

Icebreaker: Interesting BPM changes. It seems like you guys were limited during any section of the song that wasn't the chorus, but I think you gave it justice. For standouts, the "Frooooooozen water" bits were pretty cool.

(tries to stiffle back laughter)

+5 Get the Treasure [DDRDAIKENKAI X ddrstepper]
+5 Amazing Mirage [Loodee X Rikame]
+3 Appaloosa [CuzcoBlocko X Nezemarth]
+1 Dance With Cannibals (Auratic Remix) [Benpai X Feraligatr]
+1 Swalla [HealingDMax300 X ledgam3r1279]
HM: Conga Feeling [NuVirus X The Legendary DJXYZ]
HM: Kirby Smash [Mokou98 X warpdr!ve]
HM: Icebreaker [Oni-91 X Telperion]
HM: Crescent Moon [hiddennames X mu-box]
FAKE STYLE [DigitalBasic X Wari]
Girls In Luv [SupremeX X TikalFan9000]
"Schall" we step? [01angel X Pandemonium X]
Chronos [K-Step X KevinRocker10]
Arabian Market [chewi X tamtamino]
Shigatsu no Ame [Daffa212162 X vincentw]
Invader Invader [ohaiimian X Pie-kun] - p.s. I'm mildly annoyed that you left out the best part of the song.
Sayonara Planet Wars [DAICHIIKAMUZU X djVERTICAI]

Amazing Mirage- Overall amazing charts, but targets a very... narrow difficulty level. I thought that the challenge chart's footswitches were interesting, though some were a little fast for my tastes. Personally, I would have appreciated a level 9/easy 10 chart- similar to heavy, but with the long 16th streams toned down.

Arabian Market- The basic chart does seem very chewi-like. It's strangely formulaic nature does create some interesting chart patterns, but also doesn't seem to have too much care put into it, which is understandable. The pattern induced doublestep near the beginning of this chart isn't a huge issue, but it's a niggle I feel would be better rectified.

The standard chart is pretty good, but I feel that beats 68, 69, and 70 would be better off as down arrows than as right arrows, and I feel that the 8th patterns from beats 84 to 106 should have been a little more complex.

As for the heavy chart, there seems to be an awkward spin-induced doublestep personally, I would change the freeze arrow on beat 128 into a down arrow. Other than that, the chart is pretty nice and has moments of splendor, though personally I would have like to have seen the potential for entertaining 8th note runs entertained more fully.

Chronos- While the chart is fair enough on its own (rhythmically accurate and no doublesteps I could find), the arrow placement in the beginning portion seems to not have too much thought put into it, and the gallops that appear starting in measure 13 were a little strange. (Admittedly, the music was beginning to seem repetitive.)


Conga Feeling- Great beginner chart!

The basic chart was also very nice! The only nitpicks I have here would be the jump on beat 156 (I would make the left arrow on beat 155 a freeze and merge it with freeze on beat 156), as well as the last two triplets, which felt a tad unnecessary.

The standard chart was also very nice, in my opinion, and displays a wonderful combination of interesting rhythms and restrained 8th patterns.

The heavy chart was also a wonderful delight, though beats 45.75, 46, and 46.25 seem unneccesary.


Crescent Moon- The heavy chart is fun for the most part, but it has a few problems. For one, the freeze arrow on beat 67.5 was very unfitting for the abrupt sound I corresponded to; if it was meant to correspond to the vocal garble, then it would have been better to simply use mines. For two, the 16th pattern on beat 312 is very jarring, both its mere existence and the complicated pattern which it has. Other than that, I like this chart.

The challenge chart is fun, but what on earth are the notes from beats 263-264 doing here?


Dance With Cannibals- A nice chart, though some of the rolls felt a tad inappropriate for their corresponding sounds, where normal freeze arrows would have been better.


Fake Style- A fun chart; some parts were arguably overboard, but I quite enjoyed myself with the footswitches.


Get The Treasure- Great beginner chart!

The same can be said with the basic chart!

And the same can be said with the standard chart.

Pretty much the same can be said about the heavy chart, though the fact that the 12th pattern from beats 149.67-151 is a little different from the other similar patterns bothers me a little.

The challenge chart is also very great.

An overall great simfile!


Girls In Luv- Ehh, the beginner chart is okay, but it doesn't seem sure on what it wants to be. It's especially noticeable when it changes its mind on its attitude of 8th notes in the middle of the song in such a sudden manner.

The basic chart is quite a bit better, and is clear from any problems.

The standard chart flows well enough, but the steps at parts seem unsure, somewhat like in the beginner chart (especially during the beginning...).

The challenge chart feels a little overstepped, especially with the 16th jack. Also, I'm not too sure what's happening with the mines...


Icebreaker- Nice beginner chart!

As for the basic chart, I thought that the beginning was a little weird- beats 2, 17, 33, and 49 all deserved freeze notes- but otherwise also nice. (Also, more of a three footer in my opinion. One final nitpick- personally, I feel that using up/down arrows for beats 206/207 would be nice.)

The standard chart also has a weird beginning, but is otherwise stepped well.

The heavy chart was pretty good, but I find it a little inconsistent that beat 31.5 is a single arrow, while beat 63.5 is a jump. Also, I feel that the inconsistency in the 16th gallop patterns, particularly the jacks at the end, weren't completely justified.

As for the challenge chart, the beginning was overstepped (before beat 64), but otherwise was stepped well. (beat 207.38 may have deserved a note, though.)


Invader Invader- The beginner chart was very enjoyable.

I feel that, in the basic arrow, the freeze arrow on beat 24 is a little too ambiguous, and would be better changed into a left freeze arrow. Other than that, the chart is quite interesting.

The standard chart was very nice- nothing to say about it.

The heavy chart was also nice, albeit a little too similar to the standard chart in some places (for instance, the patterns in beats 60-72 and 92-104). The doublesteps are a little strange, also, and I felt that the first one was especially a little unforgiving and even perhaps a hindrance.


Kirby Smash- Unfortunately, Stepmania 5 bugged out on me at this point, so I had to play this on Stepmania 3.9.

The basic chart was nice, though more of a 3 footer.

The standard chart was nice, though more of a 6 footer.

The heavy chart was quite nice.

The challenge chart was a similarly nice alternative, though beat 95's freeze arrow should only be half a beat long.


Real Existence- Great beginners chart!

The basic chart was also great, though the part with the jacks was a little strange.

The standard chart was also very nice!

Great expert chart!

The challenge chart was also quite nice!


Sayonara Planet Wars- The chart was fine, except for the step fart on beats 381-386. It was a little difficult, though- lower level difficulties would have helped out a lot in this case. Also, the speed gimmicks were a little haphazard and unpredictable, particularly the 896 BPM freeze (which I didn't feel was quite warranted).


“Schall” We Step?- The beginner chart was quite nice.

The basic chart was delightful, though perhaps a 5 footer. Personally, I feel that beats 208.5 and 210.5 would be better off as right arrows than as up arrows.

The standard chart was similarly great.

The heavy chart was also nice, though I felt that beats 149, 1151, 153, and 155 deserved notes.

The challenge chart felt a tad overboard with the 12th notes at places, but otherwise was an even better fit to the song than heavy was.


Shigatsu no Ame- Nice beginner chart!

The basic chart was also quite nice.

The standard chart was also similarly nice.

The heavy chart was quite interesting.

Challenge was fine, but a little overboard.


Swalla- The beginner was good.

The basic chart was quite nice, and had some interesting patterns, but definitely at least a four-footer.

The standard chart was also nice, if a little spin-heavy.

The heavy chart was quite nice, and I like the 270 degree spins.

The challenge chart was also very nice, and I enjoyed the footswitches.