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22 May 2018
Project Loved: Week of May 20th
Project Loved: Week of May 20th
Project Loved is back with another round of voting! Check out the captains' picks for all four game modes and vote for your favourites!
Welcome to the second Project Loved voting round of May 2018! This week's beatmap selection includes both recent hits and old favourites; there's sure to be something that will fit your tastes! The descriptions provided below will do the explaining, but first, there are a few things about Project Loved that we need to address.
Firstly, the lineup of osu!catch captains is changing! Two of our long-time captains, Deif and JBHyperion, have decided to retire from the role. They both deserve a huge thanks for all the work they've done in nominating and reviewing osu!catch maps over the last seven months. To fill in the gap, regular beatmap description writer SartNYAN OwO xD will be taking the position. He's already been working close with the Project Loved team for quite some time, so we're glad to welcome him as a captain!
Also this week, osu!catch is changing their nomination schedule slightly. From now on, osu!catch voting will only contain four beatmaps per week, one less than the previous five. The captains agreed that if they didn't slow down the pace, they might've run out of high-quality maps too quickly.
It's still going to be a while until any of the modes clear their backlogs of wanted loved maps. However, we're almost getting to the point where we need to consider how the format of Project Loved will change as we have less and less maps to move into the category. When the time comes closer, we'll share our thoughts regarding possible schedule changes and map quantity reductions.
Lastly, if you read the last Project Loved post, you may remember that we promised the videos would be back this week... unfortunately, that's not the case. We're hoping to have our editor back in action for the next round of voting. Sorry :(
Alright, that's all for the meta talk. As always, you can vote for your favourite maps to enter the Loved category by clicking on the maps' images. Let's get into the picks!
Navigation
osu!
All osu! descriptions were written by Toy
t+pazolite - Kick-ass Kung-fu Carnival by Zapy and Backfire
The old Graveyard cemetery caretaker Zapy returns with another classic map from 2012. It was quite uncommon to see CS3 maps back in the day, though symmetry mapping was an extremely common theme apparent throughout the map. Despite what may be seen today as bland mapping, Kick-ass Kung-fu Carnival remains to be the absolute joy to play as it was 6 years ago.
Equilibrium - Wirtshaus Gaudi by Mazzerin and Milan-
Although Mazzerin may be known for his affinity for extremely intense, technical death metal songs to map, Wirtshaus Gaudi keeps the harsh vocals and combines them with a melodic jig that's difficult not to bounce along to. Matching the happy bouncy chorus of symphonic folk band Equilibrium, the kiai is full of jumps and spaced triples compared to the more streamy intro and verses. Whether you enjoy metal or not, this song is hard not to love due to how melodic it is.
Kuroneko Dungeon - Ryuu to Shoujo to Decoherence by Flower
One of osu!'s possibly most underrated mappers, Flower has created over 100 graveyarded maps, all of which continue to push the envelope of playability and difficulty in some way. In that same fashion, it may surprise you to see that Ryuu to Shoujo to Decoherence is from 2014. No ordinary 165BPM map, Flower manages to combine subtle symmetry with some interestingly devious patterns with very high speed sliders to make for a very high paced experience that matched no other at the time.
siromaru - Absurd Gaff by rustbell
Nearly everyone must be familiar with rustbell in some way at this point. High profile top player in both osu! and osu!mania along with being one of the most popular high star rating graveyard mappers out there, rustbell never disappoints in his creations, all of which have an underlying motif to the madness which stands out at first glance in his works. As intense as his maps may be, they all fit in one way or another to the music, and those patterning choices are best exemplified in Absurd Gaff. A nearly full mapset (only the Insane is incomplete) all mapped by rustbell himself, Absurd Gaff may be one of his most notable creations to this day.
Hatsuki Yura - Diabolikha by Lan wings
Similarly to Flower, Lan wings has been the unseen influence on many modern mappers, and much like rustbell, every note in his beatmaps serve to fit the music and not for the sake of making a difficult map. Sitting at an intense 7.9*, every part of Diabolikha feels warranted in this 286BPM behemoth. Emphasis within patterns is placed in all the right places and by the end you'll have forgotten that the map is supposed to be difficult and instead be in awe of how beautiful the structure of this map is.
Helblinde - Disconnected by Taikuta
What's a round of Loved voting without one mapset that's more popular for its song and jump spam? This 2014 classic by Taikuta made its rounds through the community as the ultimate jump "pass challenge", further cementing its place in history as it collected 189 favorites. Pick your poison on either AR9 or AR10, and do your best to keep up with the neverending jump spam.
UPLIFT SPICE - Omega Rhythm(BPM210.Ver) by T1Y, caren_sk and HabiHolic
Much like Disconnected, these BPM edits of Omega Rhythm also made its rounds among the 2014 community as another "pass challenge". It's difficult to explain why this map was so popular, though the 155 favorites should speak for themselves. The mapset features guest difficulties by caren_sk and HabiHolic, as well as a 240BPM edit of T1Y's original difficulty. Once you play the map at this speed, it'll be difficult to hear it at the original speed.
TheFatRat - Mayday (feat. Laura Brehm) by Voltaeyx
Okay. Actually who could have predicted this. As of writing this, Voltaeyx's Mayday has reached over 3370 favorites as of writing this when it only had 600 a few days ago. To put this in perspective, this map has amassed more favorites in a week than popular osu! staples such as FREEDOM DiVE, Can't Defeat Airman, Blue Zenith, or The Big Black, all of which hover around 2000-2500 favorites. The popularity boom behind this map is unparalleled. If you're unsure why the map is so popular, please take the time to watch this video and see for yourself.
Hopping all the way back to 2012, galvenize's Gid V was one of the most popular DnB maps of the time. It incorporates everything people love about galvenize's style and puts it to a fun, catchy Traktion track. There's very little to say about the map, aside from highlighting its popularity from the time it was submitted.
GigaP & Reol - Drop Pop Candy by - M a o n -
If it weren't for the anomaly Mayday this week, - M a o n -'s Drop Pop Candy would have had the most favorites with 244. For those looking for something easier to play this Loved round, Drop Pop Candy is perfect for you. Its popularity may stem from being one of the first maps following the release of the GigaP/Reol collab song, though its mapping should not be undermined as it matches the pace perfectly.
osu!taiko
Goreshit - Still scared of ouija boards by Backfire and -Kazu-
written by Gezoda
It may not be Halloween yet, but Backfire and -Kazu- are still bringing the ouija boards for you to be spooked! Although the song doesn't quite fit the theme, this very awesome beatmap to a great tune really brings out the best of both of these mappers. It's a good stamina and reading challenge, and it's not something you want to miss! Just, don't burn the map if you're too scared...
Chroma - sink to the deep sea world by Ulqui
written by Backfire
An extremely prolific and underrated mapper in the osu!taiko community, Ulqui, makes his debut in the Loved category! Mostly known for his use of SV in osu!taiko, we are treated to one of his most popular maps, sink to the deep sea world. Very densely packed, this map has a lot of extremely long 1/4 streams, and players might remember this map from last year's TWC as a Hard Rock pick in the Semi-Finals! Let's not let this one sink any further into the grave!
Umaru Doma [CV: Aimi Tanaka] - Kakushinteki*Metamaruphose! by -H a y a-
written by Gezoda
You asked for it; they delivered! Fun, speed, some stamina and crazy anime openings in one single set mapped by -H a y a-. Thankfully for anyone who isn't brave enough to tackle this insane challenge, this set is complete, meaning you can play at your level rather than playing something that is way too hard, and the difficulties are still solid. If you love this anime, give this map a go, and don't forget to turn on the wifi! ...Or so they say.
Rairyu - ra'am by glalucard
written by Backfire
As far as legends go, glalucard is certainly one of them. Hosting a number of maps that felt instantly ahead of anyone else at the time, at the forefront we have the infamous ra'am. A test of one's ability to play tricky patterns and at a relatively high speed, this has been one that osu!taiko players have practiced for years and years. Many will surely be delighted to see this in the Loved section!
Hommarju feat. R. Cena - Chousai Kenbo Sengen by iceOC and Gezoda
written by Gezoda
Technical map with a pinch of catgirls, Chousai Kenbo Sengen really is something you should give a try. Mapped by iceOC, an obscure Japanese mapper, this tech beatmap comes with loads of 1/6ths, handswitches as well as streams and comes with a whopping HP7 for 2,000 notes, meaning that clearing it will be a challenge. But if you're too scared of this, an easier Oni difficulty mapped by Gezoda is provided as well, but is still going to test your stamina.
Silent Siren - Hachigatsu no Yoru by suni
written by Backfire
With over 30 favorites and a great grasp of rhythm and just the right amount of challenge to keep most players entertained, you would figure this wasn't suni's first map but, you'd be surprised to find out that it is! For a first map, Hachigatsu no Yoru is certainly impressive. With its fun variety of patterns and infectiously catchy use of vocal mapping, you really can't go wrong!
Hapi - THE MEDLEY OF KIRBY SSDX by alecreit et al.
written by Backfire
This one was for the ages. Featuring a list of over 30 incredible and noteworthy Japanese mappers, this is their biggest and best collaboration. A 15 minute medley of Kirby music and an epic collaboration of mappers can only equal pure unadulterated joy over the length of your play. Between the storyboard and the music, this is one huge nostalgia trip for taiko nerds all around the world. Names that you may recognize, names you may never have seen before, one cannot help but feel happy for the joy that osu!taiko brings to the Japanese community, and we all get to celebrate it with this map!
osu!catch
nanahira - Francium by Yami Shoujo
written by SartNYAN OwO xD
Here we go back in time to experience some nostalgia with Yami Shoujo's take on nanahira's Francium. This map is very well known for people that played lots of multiplayer in the past, being very popular and liked back in the day. It contains various interesting stream patterns which compliment nyanyahira's song very fittingly. The map is not too difficult, which makes it accessible to most people. So to anyone who enjoys either Yami Shoujo's or nanahira's work: rejoice! It is now your chance to possibly get this the love it deserves.
seiya-murai feat.ALT - Sumidagawa Karenka by Gommy
written by SartNYAN OwO xD
Gommy's Sumidagawa Karenka is one of the most soothing cross screen jump maps from the past few years. The map being as soothing as it is doesn't imply however that it is also easy to play, as there are very few people capable of passing this let alone pulling off a full combo. Altogether this makes for a very fun experience with tons of replayability that can be done, so check it out!
Akiyama Uni - Kanpan Tasogare Shinbun by Kyptoric
written by Tenshichan
Similar to the standard equivalent of the song Kanpan Tasogare Shinbun this map starts out rather slow. That is until the kiai kicks in and you get confronted with a bunch of fast sliders and more tricky movement. Kyptoric has done a really good job in bringing the intensity of the kiai into a catch specific version. It is kind of a challenge yet it doesn't feel overdone in the slightest. A great mix of nice pattering and good difficulty scaling makes this a map which can be appreciated by the majority of the community.
kradness&Reol - Okochama Sensou by Emiru
written by SartNYAN OwO xD
So here we have a pretty recent map from Emiru, making its way into the loved section. This map contains quite a handful of sliders with hypers integrated within them, some streams as well as occasional jumpy sections. The map should not be too challenging to pass, especially thanks to the 2.8 HP it bears, but getting a solid score could prove quite challenging as you need to be very consistent. Overall a very solid map with well integrated gimmicks!
osu!mania
Hilight Tribe - Free Tibet (Vini Vici Remix) by Jole
written by Shoegazer
A fairly known chart in competitive circles, Jole gets his second nominated chart for the Loved section with Free Tibet (Vini Vici Remix). Psychedelic trance is a genre that is extremely undercharted in osu!mania, and this chart is every bit as mesmerising and psychedelic as its accompanying track. The chart is extremely jack-heavy, utilises a substantial amount of repetition, and is captivating in a way that differs substantially from your typical blood-boiling sprint.
Billx - LA MD by Wh1teh
written by Kamikaze
Next up we have a chart that's a very popular chart in the community for a long while: Wh1teh's rendition of LA MD. This chart is very widely known in the 4K community as a standard stamina tester, running at 190BPM, it has fairly consistent patterning with straight, not overly dense jumpstreams and some sporadic rolly bursts, it's fairly approachable difficulty is a big draw for players looking to test their physical limits. Not to mention that the song is an absolute banger!
Hatsuki Yura - The Clockwork Rose -Tokei Shikake no Bara Shoujo- by Gekido-
written by Shoegazer
Gekido- gets his first nominated mapset for the Loved section with The Clockwork Rose. This chart infuses heavy LN-oriented and chordjack layering with substantial elements from ""technical"" conventional charting, and the chart infuses those two typically incompatible concepts in a fairly cohesive and effective manner. What you get is a chart that is not only an extremely viable chart for competitive play, but a chart that is notably structured, aggressive, progressive, and, most importantly, memorable. This LN mapset is certainly far more technical and mixed than most LN charts, for it is notably more technical than most LN charts, but it is a mapset that, I feel, is something that should not be overlooked by LN chart (or even technical dump chart) enthusiasts. It most certainly helps that the accompanying track is quite catchy in its own right.
This chart is also notorious for its difficulty -- it was used in the Finals stage of 4K MWC 2017, and it was considered to be one of the harder charts of the mappool. Additionally, for the very best LN players, there are 2 sped-up versions (1.1x and 1.2x rates) of the same chart in this mapset. If you truly believe that you are a True LN MasterTM, give this mapset a whirl.
Suzumu - Kakumeisei ousama densenbyou by Zenonia
written by aitor98
We've already talked about Zenonia's maps in the past, and here we are again to talk about his map, Kakumeisei ousama densenbyou by Suzumu. This map is very Long Note heavy apart from being 200BPM, which is pretty fast for Long Notes. This map is not friendly at all due to the kind of patterning that it shows, featuring Inverse Chordstreams, a few light chordstreaming sections, and some rolly Long Notes every here and there. This does not look something comfortable to play, right? Well... The ending is basically a mix of everything I mentioned before plus extremely tricky shields will force EVERY SINGLE PLAYER to combobreak, no matter how good you are.
Even though this map sounds like hell, there is something "positive"! Due to the low Overall Difficulty that this map is set at, the Long Notes are a little bit easier to hit, therefore your score will not be as bad as it could be.
Hino isuika - Dreamin' attraction!!(Extended) by qodtjr
written by aitor98
Please, give a warm welcome to qodtjr (also known as baengseok) and his map, hino isuika – Dreamin' attraction!!. Being featured in the 7K osu!mania World Cup 2017 Finals/Grand Finals mappool, this map brings us a unique BMS experience with mid-high density chordstreams, light jacks and light Long Note sections during the first half. After that, we can appreciate a small break to rest our hands and prepare to the upcoming section.
If you think, the first half is hard enough, well.... The second half is almost the same, but having a noticeable density increase that will make everyone suffer, especially stamina wise. Definitely a map worth enough for Loved.
UNDEAD CORPORATION - Seven Colors by Nwolf et al.
written by aitor98
Being a multimode set, Seven Colors by UNDEAD CORPORATION brings us a really good 7K difficulty set made by LordRaika and Arzenvald. It mostly features a good mix between low-mid density chordstreams and Long Note sections, followed by sightreadable Scroll Velocities throughout the entire map at 200BPM for almost 3 minutes and a half, which means two things, stamina and consistency.
This map was also featured in the 7K osu!mania World Cup 2018 Quarterfinals mappool and it is good enough to give it a shot at least. Good luck!
Bill wurtz - outside by Nivrad00
written by Kamikaze
Our last chart in the list, comes from the charter that at this point, everyone knows. The most unique persona in osu!mania's charting scene - Nivrad00. This time we are featuring one of his works made specifically for this year's 7K osu!mania World Cup - Outside.
This jazzy tune by even more unique artist - Bill Wurtz is complimented incredibly well by the tasteful and silly usage of SV gimmick, including some funky white line gimmicks and fairly artistic patterning, combining abrasive LN patterning with wide variety of rice including weird bursts and tough to read minijacks. It's really going Outside the boundaries of conventional charting and as such deserves a spot in the Loved category!
From everyone on the Project Loved team, we hope you enjoy this week's selection, and look forward to the next! The winning beatmaps will hit the Loved beatmap listing sometime next week and will be announced via @osugame on Twitter.
If you have any suggestions for beatmaps to be added to the Loved category, please submit them using the Google form!
—clayton
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