Project Loved: Week of May 5th

We're a little late, but fear not, Project Loved is still going strong! Check out the new picks that our captains have chosen, and vote for whether or not you'd like to see these maps enter the Loved category!

Welcome back to Project Loved! Every two weeks, we pick out a few beatmaps from each game mode that will get their shot at making it into the Loved category. From the maps we selected, you can now vote whether or not you want them to be Loved! Click on each map's header image in this post to be taken to its voting thread.

Starting this week, we'll list on this news post whether a beatmapset will have any of its difficulties excluded from Loved, since it's caused some confusion in the past. The captains usually exclude difficulties only if they have major problems that prevent them from being played properly, but it's also common that multi-mode mapsets will have some game modes removed, since the set isn't nominated for those modes explicitly. If any difficulties of a map aren't being included in the Loved nomination, a note will be written below the map's image here (see Ryuu to Shoujo to Decoherence for an example).

In other news, you may remember how fartownik had to take a break from captain work for a while—that break ends this round! He's back in good shape and helping choose osu! maps again.

In case you don't read to the end of this post, be sure to submit suggestions for beatmaps to be added to Loved using the Google form! All of the nominated beatmaps are chosen from submissions on this form, which you can view in the corresponding Google sheet. For osu!mania, please use this Google form and this Google sheet instead.

Navigation

• osu!
• osu!taiko
• osu!catch
• osu!mania

osu!

osu! Loved candidates were chosen by DigitalHypno, -Roxas, BeasttrollMC, Bubbleman, fartownik and waywern2012!

DJ'TEKINA//SOMETHING - Internet bitch P*Light Remix by Meg
175 BPM, 3:42 | 5.86★
description written by fartownik

"Internet lady" (as it's called in the hood) is the Meg's most popular map in the graveyard, reaching almost 200 favourites and surely not without a reason. The rhythm that Meg chooses here is simply excellent, focusing on circle-only doubles and quads in some sections to smoothly transform into cut streams in the more intense ones. The map is truly a test of finger control and is one of the most fun maps of its kind.

frederic - ONLYWONDER by n0ah
168 BPM, 4:35 | 5.75★, 5.77★
description written by fartownik

ONLYWONDER is the last remaining piece without the leaderboard of n0ah's frederic map collection. This collection features four different frederic songs mapped in a very old school, gimmicky fashion. The set, similarly to all the other maps from the series, comes with two variants: an AR5, for the hardcore readers, and an AR8 for scrubs like myself. The map itself focuses on hard-to-read patterns, using weird stream angles and anti-jumps to achieve the goal, all decorated with a semi-strict, grid-style note placement. n0ah himself says this is probably the worst out of his frederic maps, but I think otherwise—it's arguably the most fun one of them all.

Kuroneko Dungeon - Ryuu to Shoujo to Decoherence by ignorethis
165 BPM, 1:57 | 7.08★
The [Hyper] and [Taiko Oni] difficulties are not being nominated for Loved.
description written by BeasttrollMC

If you're looking for a calm and relaxing map to pass the day, you must have taken a wrong turn. Those who recognize this song from a previous Loved map by Flower will know of its complex nature and alt-styled patterns. Submitted in 2013, this map by ignorethis pushed this idea a little further, with smaller circles, denser patterns, and higher star ratings. Many players will find themselves struggling to even pass this map due to its unconventionally-angled jumps and streams.

t+pazolite - Bad Boy's missa by DoKito
200 BPM, 4:20 | 8.01★
description written by BeasttrollMC

DoKito is the mapper of the first and most popular mapset of Yomi yori, which at the time pushed the boundaries of high star rating in the Ranked section. Before this, however, he had a history of submitting maps that were common to reach star ratings as high as 8 and beyond. This map of t+pazolite's "Bad Boy's missa" is one of them. Clocking in just over 8 stars, this map became a staple amongst top players for its onslaught of full-screen jumps and extremely spaced streams. After getting more attention through impressive plays from Cookiezi and Vaxei, the map has accumulated over 70 favorites and now sits here on Project Loved, waiting for your vote. Check it out and tell us what you think!

DJ SHARPNEL - BLUE ARMY by caned
182 BPM, 6:28 | 6.69★
description written by DigitalHypno

There's nothing quite like the satisfyingly consistent rhythm that comes from maps of songs like this one. This 6-minute marathon by caned tests your endurance as you power through entire sections of 182 BPM streams and kick-sliders. Mixed with the occasional jump to keep you on your toes, this map has a bit of everything if you're looking to test your consistency in the upper 6-star range. With over 100 favorites on the map, you may not be the only one to find yourself playing this more than once.

Morimori Atsushi - Paradigm Shift by ninfia, Damnjelly and dracrosinos
145 BPM, 1:52 | 6.68★, 6.84★, 6.92★, 7.23★, 7.71★
description written by DigitalHypno

Looking for a mapset to train your high-end control mechanics but lost in a sea of maps that you just don't know how to filter through? Here's a great mapset to help you on your search: five separate difficulties, each falling within the high-6 to high-7 star range. There's a slightly different gimmick in each: flow aim control, jump aim control, slider control, finger control, complex rhythm, you name it, it's in one of the difficulties. Wanna see just how solid your mechanics are? Try one of the difficulties for yourself... or more than one, if that's what suits you!

Megadeth - Hangar 18 by Doomsday
162 BPM, 5:09 | 8.40★, 8.40★
description written by -Roxas

A different style of Doomsday mapping, "Hangar 18" is full of twists and turns, with the map starting off with nice simple patterns but getting progressively harder and harder, hence the map reaching mid 8 stars! With 270 BPM stamina-heavy streams and fluctuating BPM, this map will definitely be a challenge to pass. According to Doomsday, there are no passes on this map so far... will you be the first?

Imperial Circus Dead Decadence - Fusyoku ressentiment, fushiyoku no sarugakuza. by Bibbity Bill
210 BPM, 7:01 | 8.18★
description written by -Roxas

Most of you will know this song from idke's Ranked mapset, but did you know Bibbity Bill also had a version? This one reaches over 8 stars, so it's not gonna be a breeze; the map consists of high-BPM jumps as well as long streams that vary in spacing, making falling off a stream or a misaim very deadly. Try your mechanical skill with this banger of a map!

Receptor - Kislorod by Xearo
173 BPM, 6:40 | 6.09★
description written by waywern2012

You are going to need a lot of stamina for this one! This one is from Xearo, with a little of help from Azer with the hitsounds. It currently has more than 100 favourites. The map is quite straining with a lot of streams, finger control and jumpstreams. It has a slow middle section where you can regain some energy for the upcoming part with jumpstreams. The streams aren't long at most, but they require some aim and finger control to hit all of the notes. The song is 173 BPM, and pretty linear. Your fingers will truly go into hyperspace!

Kikuo - Aishite Aishite Aishite by nyu -, Rieri and _IxApplePie_
230 BPM, 3:59 | 1.25★, 2.36★, 2.53★, 4.55★
description written by waywern2012

This is a song about a girl and how she is thriving to achieve love from people. It is quite a deep one sung by vocaloid Hatsune Miku. It has four difficulties, two of which are made by the creator, nyu -. Each difficulty is made well with nothing out of the ordinary. The hardest difficulty is 4.55 stars and lowest 1.25, so it has some difficulty spread for various skill levels. It has gotten 106 favourites so far and is a fairly aged map. Give it a try and enjoy the song!

osu!taiko

osu!taiko Loved candidates were chosen by -Kazu-, iceOC, jyake and nyanmi-1828!

t+pazolite - to Luv me, I *** for u. (reprise) by Backfire and pekos
220 BPM, 4:00 | 6.42★
description written by -Kazu-

Mainly as a nostalgia pick, we bring t+pazolite - to Luv me, I *** for u. (reprise), a map made by Backfire back in 2012 and one that was heavily popular among the most insane player base. With really taxing patterning stamina-wise and a really complex kiai that remains a challenge even by today's standards, this map will for sure be a nice experience both for the nowadays best players and for those who faced this map at their first times in a multiplayer room :).

Various Artists - Firce777's Stream Compilation 2 by Firce777
155 BPM, 16:25 | 7.70★, 7.84★
description written by jyake

This week I picked a type of map we haven't had loved in a while—a compilation. Firce777's Stream Compilation 2, as the name suggests, consists of many different and interesting types of streams filled with Firce777's very unique patterns. Through the 16 minutes of the map, the difficulty increases as the BPM increases. See how far you combo to test your stream skills!

Feint - Tower Of Heaven (You Are Slaves) by Kagami Yuki
175 BPM, 2:34 | 5.73★
description written by iceOC

Tower of Heaven is a classic stream map that I'm sure many players hold dear to their hearts. The song's emotional melodies paired with the complex streams add to create this unique atmosphere that makes this map extremely enjoyable. I definitely recommend this for the fun patterns but also the whole experience.

UNDEAD CORPORATION - Flowering Night Fever by Ekoro
290 BPM, 3:52 | 8.24★
The [Electrical Freeze] difficulty is not being nominated for Loved.
description written by nyanmi-1828

This week, we have a high-BPM map that even the best may stumble at. This map, which offers many streams at 290 BPM, whittles at the player's stamina without giving any time to recover, making speed and stamina very crucial. Many players use this map for multiplayer and set passing it as their goal. I think all of these aspects make this map one of Ekoro's masterpieces.

osu!catch

osu!catch Loved candidates were chosen by Sartan, Tenshichan, Wesley and Yumeno Himiko!

Masayoshi Minoshima - Bad Apple!! feat. nomico (Nardis Remix) by [-naniwa-]
150 BPM, 4:56 | 5.92★, 5.92★
description written by Wesley

This is the song probably every osu! player knows, "Bad apple!!", only it is remixed by Nardis. [-naniwa-] has made quite a few maps over the years they have been playing, and this is the first of their maps being nominated for the Loved category. The map consists of two difficulties, where the only change is the approach rate. The difficulty with the lower approach rate might be more accessible to toy around with some mods such as Hidden and DoubleTime. If you're not very adept with mods, the map will still be a fun challenge to either just pass or go for the full combo.

osu!mania

osu!mania Loved candidates were chosen by Shoegazer, Lenfried-, Pope Gadget and Toaph Daddy!

IOSYS - Endless Tewi-ma Park by arcwinolivirus
128 BPM, 2:10 | 4K 3.97★, 4K 5.35★

A song known pretty much by everyone who has ever picked up osu! before, Endless Tewi-ma Park by arcwinolivirus is a bouncy, energetic and fun chordjack experience with two difficulties to appeal to multiple skill levels. Both difficulties are meant for chordjack practice, and as such do much with varying pattern types: longjacks, dense chordjacks, and anchors being some of what you would expect. The chart does what it intends to quite well with this variety in jack patterning, but also brings with it an intense amount of popularity that comes from the bounciness of the chart that fits the bouncy nature of Tewi-ma as a song. This gives it plenty of reason to be nominated for the Loved section.

ASA-CHANG & Junray - Hana by Xay
139 BPM, 6:30 | 4K 3.80★

Hana. It's difficult to describe Hana and its appeal because Hana's appeal doesn't just come from the chart. The chart is mostly sparse chords and LNs for about 7-8 minutes with occasional faster spurts of chordjacking, bursts and rolls, but the chart is accompanied with a minimalistic yet mesmerising and tragic percussion-based remix of Hana (Aku no Hana's 1st ED). In a sense, Xay's Hana is less of a standalone product and more of a product that enhances the listening experience of its complementing track like not many charts can. This enhancement has definitely been noted by several circles in the osu!mania charting community, given Hana's praise in those circles.

The track itself is extremely freeform; you would normally expect notes to land on nice fractions of beats: 1/1, 1/2, 1/4, 1/6, you name it. Hana, on the other hand, has practically **zero** sounds that land on whole beats. This forces players to pay full attention to the sounds that Xay has layered throughout—usually the combination of percussion and vocals. This hyperfocus, with the track's offkey vocals, mesmerising percussion, melancholy violin, and sparseness of the chart, creates an intimate atmosphere that feels impossible to steer away from. Given the chart and track, Hana feels a lot less like a 6-minute marathon and more like a 3-minute navel-gazing session. The track also has many repeated rhythms littered throughout, which Xay captures in the chart wonderfully—creating not only an immersive but also a chart that feels gratifying to play through.

There will be very few charts like Hana. Songs as unique as Hana are difficult to come by, and charting it would require a fairly freeform approach (but still somewhat stringent) to charting that is very slowly dying off. This is not a chart that I'd suggest players necessarily to play just for a high score—I would suggest players to play this chart casually. It's almost absurd to think about how an "easy" and somewhat freeform chart can create an enriching experience, but Hana, miraculously, pulled it off with the highest of merits.

Silentroom - Nhelv by Guilhermeziat
175 BPM, 2:36 | 4K 5.96★

If you're a high-level osu!mania player, you know this chart. Guilhermeziat's Nhelv is among some of the hardest charts that are currently and frequently played. The chart contains extremely fast bursts (with hard patterns!), fast minijacks, fast grace notes... all sandwiched between 175 BPM chordjacking. The chart doesn't relent either. Other than a small 10-second break, you're bombarded with nothing but inhumanly fast chordjacking and difficult burst transitions. The chart is absolutely not for the faint of heart.

In addition to being relentlessly difficult, Nhelv is also fairly unique. Most hard charts today are fairly jumpstream-, handstream-, chordjack- or stream-focused. Nhelv, on the other hand, is antithetical to those labels—a technical/chordjack hybrid, and a fair technical/chordjack hybrid at that. Most technical charts at this level are extremely spiky. Nhelv's difficulty, in contrast, is like a flat surface. A very elevated flat surface, but a flat surface regardless. With a combination of uniqueness, execution, and current recognition, it's worth a shot if you're a top player.

Yanagawa Kazuki, Asano Hayato, Daisuke Achiwa - Stella ~Part 1~ by Kruzon and Kaito-kun
95 BPM, 3:11 | 9K 1.12★, 9K 1.62★, 9K 2.07★, 9K 2.40★, 9K 3.02★

We have another 9K pick for this round! This time, it's Kruzon's Stella ~Part 1~! Primarily functioning as a lower-difficulty spread, Stella is a fairly fast-paced flute instrumental with a top difficulty that features large chords, generous LN usages, and occasional symmetry with varying snap usages. It's quite simple, but most definitely fun! Anyone who's tried out 9K should definitely give this set a shot.

sakuzyo - Kronos by aya
156 BPM, 3:10 | 7K 7.71★

Get ready for some noodles because we're coming in hot with a very difficult O2Jam chart. Kronos, mapped by aya, comes in at 156 BPM with some very aggressive patterning featuring two main sections. The first section contains a simple LN layer coupled with some bracket- and anchor-heavy chordstreams, which leads up to more dense chordstreams and tighter 1/4 LN usages. After a generous breather, the chart finally fires up hotter in classic O2Jam fashion with a second iteration of the first section, but this time with the LN layers gradually being introduced with 1/4s and overextensions until it goes into a full inverse section! The final section reverts to the a dense LN and rice section while throwing in 1/8th length LN brackets! This is not for the faint of heart. Good luck!

From everyone on the Project Loved team, we hope you enjoyed this week's selection, and are looking forward to the next! The winning beatmaps will hit the Loved beatmap listing sometime next week and will be announced via @osugame on Twitter.

In addition to all of the Loved captains that choose the maps and write the descriptions, make sure to thank Toy, Noffy, ThatsNotAName, huu and Ephemeral for their miscellaneous help in managing Project Loved.

If you have any suggestions for beatmaps to be added to the Loved category, please submit them using the Google form! You can view the current submissions on the corresponding Google sheet. For osu!mania, please use this Google form and this Google sheet instead.

—clayton