Project Loved: October 2020

It's the Project Loved time of the month once again! Come check out the showcase of unranked maps we've put together, and cast your votes to decide which should get leaderboards at last.

If you're new here: Project Loved runs monthly polls to decide which unranked maps enter the Loved category. Throughout this post, you can click on each map's banner to go to its poll, where you can vote for whether or not you want the map Loved. Voting is open for 10 days, starting right now! You can read more about how Project Loved works on its wiki page.

Navigation

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

osu!standard

osu!standard Loved candidates were chosen by DigitalHypno! This round, all osu!standard beatmap descriptions were written by DigitalHypno.

Kobaryo - Bookmaker by Mismagius
175 BPM, 4:21 | 8.47★

Not many people would expect a 175 BPM song to support such a high-intensity 8-star map, but Mismagius seamlessly proves that wrong with Bookmaker. This map is over four minutes of cleanly mapped technical cut streams and jump streams, mostly in groups of 2s and 4s. Check this map out if you're looking for a mechanical skill cap test.

3R2 - Sudden Death by Settia, Leaf and Tsumia
151 BPM, 1:30 | 6.85★, 6.87★, 6.87★, 7.50★, 7.58★

Settia maps are known for having this really clean and pleasing style to them, and this mapset is no exception, featuring five distinct difficulties that all fall above six stars in difficulty. The song is 151 BPM and the maps feature unique alternating, jump stream, and finger control patterns that provide for a uniquely engaging gameplay experience. Each difficulty is a fun challenge of its own, so I recommend trying them all!

glass beach - bedroom community by quantumvortex and Sytho
128 BPM, 5:56 | 9.99★

Something about the number 9 seems to fit well... bedroom community is a super cleanly mapped jump marathon. Having been submitted only four months ago in June, it's gained popularity through scores by the best players. Despite being a relatively unknown mapper compared to many, quantumvortex has stunned the community with this map's quality. It's difficult to make a clean 10 star map—sorry, 9.99 stars if you want to be specific—but this map's 270 BPM jumps are so satisfying. Having been mapped by a fairly experienced touchscreen player, it makes sense that this map has no streams, just jumps as far as the eye can see. The mapset also has a "lower" 8.99 star difficulty, in case any of you want a tamer challenge. With all this talk about the map's high quality, all I can really say now is good luck.

Camellia - Upload Your Mind :: Download My Soul by Slaked
166 BPM, 4:32 | 6.36★

Slaked is a mapper that has repeatedly pushed the limits of quality and uniqueness when it comes to technical maps, and this map is another perfect display of their skill. This 166 BPM map is filled with the most unique and cleanly mapped technical flow aim and finger control sections. It's honestly really hard to overstate the amount of replayability this map has to offer. If you enjoy maps that challenge your focus and mechanical technical skills at a relatively low BPM, this is the map for you.

iMeiden - Tower Light Fireworks (feat. Rachie) (Cut Ver.) by Veto and Taeyang
100 BPM, 2:17 | 48.85★

There's something super refreshing about new 2B maps that make aesthetically pleasing patterns with the sliders, and this map executes that perfectly with the stunning display of art that's shown throughout the 2B slider patterns in this map. This is one of those maps that makes osu! act strangely with its quirky 2B behaviors, so be sure to follow the instructions in the beatmap description to get the best experience. Enjoy!

Sara - Ren Ren Ai Ai Cir Cir Cula Cula Tion Tion by pishifat
220 BPM, 1:40 | 6.47★

This pishifat map is the perfect balance between high quality mapping and comedic relief, with such a silly song being mapped in such a gimmicky yet strangely enjoyable way. Being mid-6 stars and 220 BPM, this TV size map is surprisingly stamina draining and takes quite a bit of finger control to play accurately with its frequent triples and bursts. The perfect stacks throughout the map make it a really unique challenge with the Hidden mod as well, so if that sounds like your cup of tea, you're going to really like this map.

Yunomi feat. TORIENA - Bamboo Disco by Alden, Mentai and Nagi Hisakawa
154 BPM, 3:02 | 2.12★, 3.66★, 4.69★, 5.68★

This mapset of Bamboo Disco is a perfect example of the light and clean technical style done right. This mapset features a full spread of four difficulties that caps at mid-5 stars, and the top difficulty is definitely the highlight of the mapset, featuring super memorable patterns and rhythm changes between 1/3, 1/4, and 1/6 throughout the whole map. Overall, this mapset provides an extremely enjoyable gameplay experience through both the song and the mapping, and seeing as how there's a difficulty for all skill level players, this is a mapset that all of you should give a try.

Carlito - Go Go Carlito (Who's That Boy?) by saggi, - Sana - and -NeBu-
120 BPM, 3:11 | 8.47★

There seems to be this sort of formula: a catchy song plus flowy, spaced jumps equals a super enjoyable map. Either that or saggi is just a really good mapper. Actually, that might be more likely. Either way, this map is basically what I just described: three minutes of 240 BPM jumps that scale up to reach mid-8 stars. While this might sound like any other map, this map in particular manages to stand out from the pack through fulfilling that formula I mentioned above to such a high degree.

Toto - Africa by Kyshiro
93 BPM, 4:04 | 1.38★, 2.19★, 3.23★

Nothing screams "classic" like Toto - Africa, and thankfully, this mapset by Kyshiro does the song so much justice with its high quality all around. As a breath of fresh air for the Loved category, this mapset features three maps that are all low in star rating, all being below three stars. In all three difficulties, the mapping can be characterized by the uniquely shaped sliders, but they're surprisingly satisfying to play despite not being super difficult. Overall, this is one of those maps that you almost feel obligated to add to your collections. Definitely check this one out.

osu!taiko

osu!taiko Loved candidates were chosen by -Kazu-, D3kuu, nyanmi-1828 and Raphalge!

katagiri - STRONG 280 by KTYN and X a v y
280 BPM, 4:14 | 8.06★
description written by -Kazu-

This month we have katagiri's STRONG 280, a highly requested map by KTYN and X a v y, who managed to blend their styles together perfectly for an incredibly comfy 280 BPM map. KTYN is already known for these types of maps, so this stands out more for its stamina-heavy patterning that drains you throughout the whole song. It also helps a lot how catchy the song is and is a nice surprise to see a breakcore-ish song have a stamina-based style rather than a tech focus, so while this is definitely a difficult map for most players, it's also one of the most fun maps we've had a chance to feature in Loved.

Various Artists - VTuber MADs by X a v y
98 – 280 BPM, 4:09 | 3.19★ – 8.19★
The [spinner] difficulty is not being nominated for Loved.
description written by Raphalge

Everyone's seen them... you, your friends, your mom, probably your dog... I don't know your life. Well, no matter your opinion one thing is clear: VTubers are here to stay. They're all over your Twitter feed, in your Discord chats, and maybe there's even one behind you right now! With outdoor activities being discouraged, I suppose the virtual world takes over. So... why not spread the VTuber craze over to osu! too?

Funny you should ask, because it seems our friend X a v y has gone above and beyond in doing just that! With a compilation mapset of 50 different VTuber MAD songs, they've got 99% of the playerbase set up with difficulties covering 3* and everything up to 8*. Looking at your already overwhelming support, you've clearly shown us that you love your VTubers. How about showing it again?

kawaii amen girl - issyogaii by hoku, KTYN, HEKUSODASU and Socus
230 BPM, 2:49 | 6.67★, 6.88★, 6.97★, 7.06★
description written by D3kuu

Have you ever wondered why Breakcore mapsets are so popular among osu!taiko players and mappers? To easily understand this just look at kawaii amen girl - issyogaii, mapped by hoku, with three guest difficulties from KTYN, HEKUSODASU, and Socus.

This mapset, with its impeccable flow and a similar (but at the same time unique) flair on each difficulty keeps it fresh and embodies the very soul of breakcore. If this isn't enough to make you interested, should I mention the challenge this mapset offers? All the difficulties, with their cleverly placed high BPM bursts and the streamy patterns, can be a real challenge even for experienced players, without sacrificing any fun or playability thanks to all the care put on each difficulty.

What are you waiting for? Go play this masterpiece! With names like hoku, quality is the first thing that comes to mind, and for very good reason.

LSD - Stimulant Beatmaps by maziari1105
212 – 284 BPM, 2:57 | 7.36★, 7.97★, 8.52★, 8.80★
description written by nyanmi-1828

Finally, finally, the time has come. It's time for an awakening! The beatmap is, as the name implies... a mapset with a difficulty level that goes beyond crazy. This beatmap is well-loved. It's always been a goal for top players, and the feeling of accomplishment when you complete it is stimulating. People used to debate about who would be able to complete this set, but the times are catching up, and we want to give this a leaderboard to see who will lead on a new generation of players!

ついに、ついにその時がやってきてしまいました。今こそ、覚醒の時です。この譜面は、その名の通り...とある違法的な薬物のように狂っている難易度（曲も例外ではないですが）のマップセットです。それでもLoved Projectにこのようにしてノミネートされるということは...。そう、この譜面は、愛されています。昔からトッププレイヤーにとっての目標であり、クリアした時の達成感はそれこそ、刺激的なものだったでしょう。もちろん、そもそもこの譜面を出来る人が存在するのか？と、昔だったら議論になったことでしょう。ですが、時代はこの譜面に追いつきつつあります。そして、あなたが時代を築く第一人者となることを期待しています！

osu!catch

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

xi - Last Resort by Zyzyx
252 BPM, 2:00 | 7.74★, 8.59★, 9.07★
description written by Wesley

So this month we have yet another map created by Zyzyx, who is fairly known for their challenging maps that will test your consistency, speed, and ability to combo under pressure. This map is by no means an exception; it consists of three difficulties each having their own variants of patterns. The map has a BPM of 252, you have no chance to catch a break (outside of the actual break of course) to calm down your nerves, and there's basically no dull moment in any of the difficulties. With the three difficulties in this mapset there will be at least one difficulty you will like, so read no longer and try it out!

storyteller(cosMo x GAiA) feat. IA, Kagamine Rin - Anti the EuphoriaHOLiC by Memoriola
180 BPM, 4:11 | 7.92★
description written by Tenshichan

Does this map remind you of something? If you have déjà-vu right now, don't worry, you are not crazy. Anti the EuphoriaHOLiC by Memoriola is the sequel to ANTI THE infinite HOLIC, which was Loved in the beginning of 2019.

Not only are the titles of the songs similar, the maps are similar too: if you are familiar with Memoriola's already Loved map, then you know what to expect. There's fast but really creative patterns that are tricky to read and play, which makes getting an FC, let alone a good combo, very hard. The AR being 9.8 also tests your ability to read and react to these insane patterns in time. Overall, this is a really fun map and a nice challenge mostly for experienced players, but that doesn't mean that aspiring players can't have fun with it too!

Make sure to give this map a try!

Nekomata Master feat. Hayashi Momoko - Rainbow after snow by Nakano Ichika, SUBSTAC9 and GAMI
179 BPM, 2:02 | 1.51★ – 4.94★
description written by Sartan

Do you ever have those moments when things hit you and remind you that 2015 was five years ago? If not, here you go! A nicely sized mapset created by a few less-popular, yet absolutely capable mappers. The essence of this song and map are very calming, and truly just a pleasure to play at your leisure. Thanks to the fairly large size of this mapset, there is something to play for everyone here, and if the map feels a little too easy for you pro players out there, you can always go ahead and give it your best shot with HardRock or DoubleTime! There aren't really any gimmicks in this mapset, so the gameplay will be fairly standard, and close to what is mapped in today's meta. Let's just hope that we can find a beautiful rainbow after the snow of 2020 too!

Remo Prototype (CV: Hanamori Yumiri) - Sendan Life by rew0825
227 BPM, 3:52 | 5.64★
description written by Spectator

Many players have enjoyed the map for a long time in multi and solo, and now it's time for it to be in the Loved section. This map has a neat style that would have been easily ranked if it had the proper spread. The style of rew usually comes with a high tempo selection, and this map shows off their style well with 1/4 chain-hypers and clean distances. If you haven't played such a clean yet intriguing map, I strongly recommend you to play it now and vote on its poll!

ginkiha - Starlight Express by Equim, Xinely and JBHyperion
200 BPM, 1:36 | 2.25★, 3.49★, 3.93★, 6.03★
description written by Yumeno Himiko

This time, my pick is a great map from underrated old mapper Equim. ginkiha is a well-known artist in osu!catch community, and the song Starlight Express is also one of his most famous tracks. This map is clean and fun to play, and requires a bit of technical movements for catching the patterns. The map may not be hard as hell by 2020 standards, but it is still an interesting map to enjoy. Welcome aboard Starlight Express, and have fun with the fruit journey!

osu!mania

osu!mania Loved candidates were chosen by -mint-, Abraxos, lenpai, Pope Gadget and Toaph Daddy!

The Ghost of 3.13 - Forgotten by Shoegazer and Zyph
250 BPM, 2:42 | [4K], 4.50★ – 5.92★

În micul orășel, uitat de lume. Contrary to its name, this chart has hardly been forgotten—the Collab difficulty by Shoegazer and Zyph, mapped in 2015, has garnered quite the popularity, being featured in both Shoegazer's 10th Dan v2 and the infamous Epsilon dan (sped up by 1.4), as well as the finals pool in MWC 2015. It is a very heavy technical map with harsh bursts, rolls, and longjacks, and its ecstatic patterning throughout the entire map keeps players on their toes for the duration of the map. It also has very light stutter SVs which might trip some players up if they aren't careful enough.

The newer difficulty, Extra, is a significantly lighter but no less technical approach in comparison to the Collab difficulty. Mapped in 2020, Extra emphasizes musical accuracy and detail, which it is able to accomplish because of its lighter nature. It features many two-handed trills, rolly bursts, and short anchors. The mapset featuring rates of this difficulty up to 350 BPM (1.4) leans itself to be a more approachable chart for players of a larger skill range, though still being a great challenge for all. It was already fairly popular even prior to its usage in MWC 2020 and continues to be played frequently among competitive players within the mapset's skill range.

Both difficulties are very well representative of the erratic character of The Ghost of 3.13's signature breakcore style, and are both greatly popular in many circles of the rhythm game community. As the map continues to prove itself a steadfast pillar in the altar of high-level technical maps, with it cast into the fate of the community in voting, this map henceforth shall never be forgotten in the Loved section.

goreshit - slavik goblins by stankill and Quick Draw
270 BPM, 2:43 | [4K] 3.84★, [4K] 6.27★

slavik goblins is a chart that will give an immediate image to anyone who has been around osu!mania for the last half-decade: unbelievably fast bursts, blistering and dense jumpstream and handstreams, and little to no break to speak of aside from the transition just after the first half (if you could even call that a break).

It got its massive reputation simply by being an extremely difficult, yet doable, challenge, and even today is marked as a skill-check map for stamina, fast jumpstream and handstream by a multitude of high-end players. The added MX difficulty by Quick Draw gives it some appeal to lower-end players as well, and allows for this to be a set accessible set for many players. The map would certainly live up to its expectations as a Loved nomination.

Nishizawa Shiena - FUBUKI by Myzki
180 BPM, 4:07 | [4K] 7.04★

A true relic of its time, Fubuki's a jam-packed LN fiasco, with ridiculous bursts, wacky LN chordjacks/graces, and overall fun, tappy inverse streams. Though the spiciness of the bursts might look scary, the low OD and the nostalgic, catchy tunes are sure to turn any seasoned LN player's head. Just beware of the tricky transitions and spikes—as with any Myzki (formerly known as Niima) chart—and let your fingers jump along on the ride.

Frums - Wavetapper by -mint-
112 BPM, 2:41 | [4K] 2.34★, [4K] 2.50★

Night and day is one way you could compare this nomination with -mint-'s previous nomination, Arche. If that was a was a jam-packed, speedy, brute-force, all-rounded marathon experience, then her map for Wavetapper could be considered more of a calm, short and sweet, and tricky test of a particularly niche skill set, SV memorization and accuracy.

The song itself is quite light, and mint was able to take advantage of that with her light approach to the note layering throughout, giving way for many SV effects that are not only difficult to learn and satisfying to play, but effective in matching the tone and sounds presented within the song. Its popularity as an SV map and use in so many community tournaments (and most recently, even in the 2020 osu!mania World Cup!) is a no-brainer given its simple setup and tricky learning curve, making it the perfect addition to the Loved nominations.

Nishikino Maki (CV: Pile) - START:DASH!! (Prepro Piano Mix) by Julie
150 BPM, 1:48 | [7K] 0.77★, [7K] 1.20★, [7K] 2.09★, [7K] 2.53★

For this month, 7K gets all the low SR goodness that failed to grab the limelight over the entire duration of Project Loved. No SVs here! You may put your guard down. START:DASH is piano oriented keysounded chart heavily geared towards low difficulty for a wide audience to enjoy from beginner to hard difficulties. It's as simple as it gets—a neat little mapset to look at for any keysound enthusiasts!

*namirin - Mawaru Sora Usagi by SurfChu85 and Koibenii
120 BPM, 2:50 | [7K] 1.27★, [7K] 1.67★, [7K] 2.48★

For those looking for a little more challenge from the previous set, we have Mawaru Sora Usagi! This mapset is LN-oriented and also has keysounds. What makes this particularly interesting is that despite its low SR and fairly unknown origins, the mapset managed to gain lots of attention from the community during its peak, and it still sees some play today. Does the set hold up to today's audience? You get to decide!

From everyone on the Project Loved Team, we hope you enjoyed this month's selection, and are looking forward to the next! The favoured beatmaps will hit the Loved beatmap listing shortly after the polls end. More info about Project Loved can be found on its wiki page.

—clayton