Project Loved: December 2020

Check out the December picks for Project Loved! Cast your votes and get some of these bad boys leaderboards as we go into the new year.

In case you're new here: Project Loved runs monthly polls to decide which unranked maps enter the Loved category, as selected by each mode's captains. 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.

Frums - Flashbacklog by Acylica
130 BPM, 1:56 | 123.14★

The worst part about competitions is that there can only be one winner, leading many masterpieces to be simply left in the dust. This map was a high-placing entry in the 2020 Aspire competition, and despite it not winning a grand prize, we at Project Loved would like to give it the recognition it deserves by nominating it for Loved. As per the gimmick of Aspire maps, this map breaks conventions in every way imaginable, having a glitched star rating that reaches over 100 stars. This map easily deserves just as much recognition as the actual contest winners, so definitely check this one out.

Eve - Gekka*Midare Botan by Meg and Roll_Pan
200 BPM, 4:35 | 6.99★

On the other side of the style spectrum from the previous map, this collab map is a very conventional 7-star at 200 BPM. With an extremely clean style and enjoyable song to back it up, this map has attracted over 540 favourites, making it one of the most favourited maps in the graveyard. If you enjoy a simple yet challenging experience, this is a map you can't skip.

Imperial Circus Dead Decadence - Songs Compilation by Val and SinHay
210 BPM, 10:50 | 8.36★

When it comes to iconic artist names within the osu! community, Imperial Circus Dead Decadence is one of the first names many people would think of, and as with most iconic artists, there is a masterfully crafted songs compilation map to showcase all of the songs we know and love. This compilation reaches nearly 11 minutes in length and is over 8 stars in difficulty, featuring super clean mapping throughout the entire map in collaboration between Val and SinHay. This is definitely one of the most polished stream compilations out there, complete with a storyboard and hitsounds, so if challenging streams are your calling, you should honestly already be downloading this map.

RetroSpecter - REVOLVANIA by Sanzu_Alternate, GAO HAO and Isterix
190 BPM, 3:47 | 2.31★ – 7.20★

There are plenty of mapsets of Undertale songs or remixes, but few are able to rise up and enter the spotlight like this one has, having gathered over 170 favourites in the graveyard alone. This mapset features 8 difficulties reaching between 2 and 7 stars in difficulty, and the maps themselves are fairly well-rounded in the patterns that they offer. No matter your skill level, this is a great mapset to go to if you're just looking to have a fun time (or a bad time?).

inabakumori - Lost Umbrella by amanatu2
137 BPM, 3:14 | 6.66★

There's something special about maps that are made in a symmetric yet creative style, and this map captures that feeling perfectly with a catchy, 137 BPM vocaloid song. The map is mid 6-stars in difficulty and has attracted nearly 450 favourites in just a year and a half, which speaks volumes about the map's quality as a whole. If these sorts of unique challenges are what you crave, this map is perfect for you.

Neuromonakh Feofan - Remeslo by Ksardas, KeRLi_, Delette, piroshki, wenet and Frakturehawkens
175 BPM, 3:02 | 2.25★ – 7.49★

When it comes to the kinds of songs that you can find on osu!, the vast majority of maps seem to be from the same few genres. This is one of those mapsets that breaks that convention, being a Russian folk rave song with a full spread of 6 difficulties between 2 and 7 stars. The maps are quite memorable for the 1/3 jumps in the intro and the constant 5-note bursts in each kiai that make you really feel like you're moving with the music. This is an amazing map to broaden your osu! music tastes and diversify your song list, along with having another fun mapset to enjoy.

iKON - LOVE SCENARIO by Hari, FunnyA and TmacBoris
118 BPM, 3:26 | 2.19★, 2.86★, 3.49★, 3.64★

Despite being a rhythm game focused on the challenge and setting scores, osu! doesn't have to be all about the difficulty. It's healthy to have relaxing maps that you can chill out to, and this 4-difficulty mapset by Hari provides exactly that, as it only ranges between 2 and 3 stars yet provides a clean gameplay experience of a low BPM K-pop song. If you want a reminder of how relaxing it can be to just chill out and get lost with the music while playing this game, give this map a try.

Babalos - Snow Crystal 185 by K4L1, Kalindraz and - Heatwave -
185 BPM, 5:17 | 6.13★, 7.16★, 7.55★

It almost feels like there's a special place for psytrance marathons when it comes to osu! maps, as these songs characteristically feature a difficult yet unique technical stream challenge throughout nearly their entire duration. This map is no different, as it sits at 185 BPM and has a star rating of over 7.5. The mapset has reached over 200 favourites, and it's no mystery why: it's one of the most enjoyable psytrance marathons out there.

UNDEAD CORPORATION - Embraced by the Flame by PoNo et al.
215 BPM, 1:51 | 2.48★ – 8.46★

It's rare to find a full, high quality mapset focused entirely on streams and stamina without throwing in a bunch of jump patterns or going too easy on the stamina. Thankfully, there are always mapsets out there to satisfy what you're looking for, and this mapset of a 215 BPM song features exactly what was described, being a full spread of 7 difficulties ranging from a low of 2 stars to a staggering high of 8 stars. Each difficulty is high quality and has a primary focus on stream stamina, making it perfect to satisfy that tapping itch.

Ayato x sak x Tajima Chigusa - Beyond the BLUE by fanzhen0019
264 BPM, 1:57 | 10.16★

The way I see it, there's a big difference between a map with 2B elements and a true 2B map. A true 2B map would be one with the gimmick defining the very soul of the map to the point where it basically feels like you're playing a completely different game. This sort of map is almost impossible to execute well, but that has never stopped fanzhen0019 from delivering a perfect execution of whatever gimmick they decide for their map. This map essentially tells an entire story with the way it's created, enriching the gameplay experience to a degree that almost no other map can do. To put it shortly, don't overlook this map, as it displays a side of osu! mapping that is criminally underrated.

osu!taiko

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

El Dipy - El Porron (Cut Ver.) by ARGENTINE DREAM, TrolloCat and Arnon
93 BPM, 1:57 | 1.65★, 2.05★, 3.35★, 4.61★, 5.70★
description written by POCARI SWEAT

Have you ever heard of this South American groove with a rather unusual style and rhythm? If you haven't, here's a map from ARGENTINE DREAM of El Dipy's El Porron. Like the song's unusual style, its unique patterns with crazy snapping can ruin your score and accuracy, which would require an extreme sense of rhythm to prevent. Seriously, can anyone SS this?! El Porron features 5 difficulties, so every taiko player could enjoy it. How about you try challenging your rhythmical sense, or just play the difficulty fitting your taste and enjoy this well-made map?

U-F SEQUENCER - Invisible -Poltergeist mix- by tasuke912
180 BPM, 2:22 | 8.83★
description written by -Kazu-

When first coming across Invisible -Poltergeist mix- by U-F SEQUENCER, you might think it'd be a chill map with its 180 BPM and rather quiet sounding mood, but then you see tasuke912 mapped it and already know this is gonna be insane. And then you see it's almost 9 stars, even though the SR change is already live and go into the map just to crash against an entire wall of notes. This map is very reminiscent of nananass' mapping style but taken to the next level: lots of 1/6 patterns in a row, lots of 1/8 patterns, some 1/16 doublets that remind of tasuke's Cranky - Ran and a double spinner that will take some serious TL beating to clear. This is truly a love letter from tasuke912 to all the aliens in our community!

Ametsuchi Enikki - Reimei Sketchbook by Y O U T A
238 BPM, 1:56 | 7.06★
description written by Raphalge

It's almost poetic how well everything comes together in this map. Once again, with the editor as a canvas, Y O U T A solidifies his status as a mapping virtuoso with Reimei Sketchbook. Thanks to their unmatched flow, playing this map feels like you're walking on air despite its density and rhythmical complexity. The map has appeared in several tournaments in both mappools and as voluntary warmups. Immortalize your love for this map today and vote to give it the leaderboard you know it deserves.

lalanoi - nil phonation by _Rise
172 BPM, 2:27 | 5.79★
description written by nyanmi-1828

Congratulations to _Rise for #1 on osu!taiko Japanese Beatmap Contest Light Edition #2!! A simple 1/4 pattern or a stamina beatmap is sometimes referred to as "rice" (a mania-specific expression?)... If we were to create a genre called "Rise", it would be a generic term for a beatmap like this one, which is the fruit of hard work and a precisely crafted puzzle. The fact that _Rise was able to recreate the difficult rhythm of this song with such precision is a testament to their mapping skill. The expression with bar lines is also a must-see here. You will be able to see the birth of the universe...

単純な1/4パターンや高速な体力譜面を"rice"というジャンルでくくったりしますが（mania特有の表現？）...もし"Rise"というジャンルを作るのであれば、この譜面のような、「努力の結晶」、「精密に作られたパズル」のような譜面を総称していうでしょう。この曲の難解なリズムをここまで精密に再現出来ているのは、最高峰のマッピングスキルを持っている_Riseだからでしょう。音取りだけでなく、小節線での表現も必見です。あなたは、宇宙の誕生を見ることが出来るでしょう...

osu!catch

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

Masayoshi Iimori - BREAK OVER by GiGas
150 BPM, 2:09 | 7.29★
description written by Wesley

Looking for a challenging map that'll give you a run for your money? Look no further, BREAK OVER by GiGas will give you just that! Once you start the map, you will have to go fast from the get go, giving you barely any time to breathe until the spinner in the middle. While the start is very intensive, fast-paced and hard to hold accuracy (or even combo) on, the ending calms down a bit making it quite a good map that will help you control your nerves. The map was featured in the osu!catch World Cup Finals in 2019, so give it a try and see if you could match their scores!

Camellia - Exit This Earth's Atomosphere (Camellia's ''PLANETARY//200STEP'' Remix) by Ascendance, Emiru, Sinnoh, autofanboy, Deif, Minato Yukina and Kyuare
200 BPM, 6:42 | 7.66★
description written by Sartan

Well, ain't that an incredible collab! Here we have Ascendance and co. inviting us to exit the "atomosphere", and we are happy to accept the invitation! This map has been used as a CWC Grand Finals tiebreaker, which is probably enough to tell the story about its difficulty. It is fairly hard, for some even really hard, but really interesting nonetheless. There are 8 mappers involved in this project, and the playstyle between parts differs quite starkly, which can be seen as a sort of discontinuity, but also as a challenge. There is lots to be told about the map, but I'd rather keep it a secret, as you should discover it yourself for maximum enjoyment! So enjoy this monstrous collab, let us know what you think. I really hope you have wi-fi in space to tell us the story!

Flypie743 - Jackhammer Madness by ExGon
200 BPM, 0:57 | 13.78★
The [Cup], [Deluge] and [AUTO CAN'T FC THIS EASY DIFF] difficulties are not being nominated for Loved.
description written by Tenshichan

Jackhammer Madness by ExGon: a rather short but insanely hard map that was thought to be near impossible to FC, at least until recently, when ExGon himself managed to achieve an SS on it. If you want to have a chance on this map, you definitely need a lot of speed and stamina. The long 200 BPM wiggles and the fast tapping you need to catch some of the patterns make sure to drain all of your energy. The fact that the map is HP10 and thus leaves only very little room for error makes it even more unforgiving to play, unless you are a god like ExGon. Is he going to be the only one to have ever conquered this map, or will we see some more insane plays soon? If you dare, give this map a try.

xi - Akasha by Yumeno Himiko
185 BPM, 4:15 | 6.54★
description written by Spectator

Yumeno Himiko's Akasha offers an impressive gameplay experience with great flow. In addition, Jemmmmy's piano keysounds blend with the map, allowing you to experience something you've never seen before. The seemingly easy but short dashes in between 1/4 pose an interesting challenge to the map, especially the wiggles that fit perfectly with the latter part of the map are something that lots of top players might enjoy.

Gigabanana x Yasuo feat. Kagamine Rin, Kagamine Len - Electric Angel by rew0825
150 BPM, 3:08 | 2.98★, 5.07★
The [IMT Oni] difficulty is not being nominated for Loved.
description written by Wesley

This week, we have one extra mapset going for Loved, featured in one of the osu!mania picks! rew0825 is mostly known for their mapsets that have a full spread and the occasional map targeted for the higher ranked players. While this mapset doesn't have a full spread, it still has two difficulties, a Platter and a Rain! Both difficulties were mapped back in 2014, giving it a whole different vibe compared to the current Platters and Rains. Because of this they will give you some trouble because of how the mapping scene has evolved to this day.

osu!mania

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

evOKe - Edison by Elekton
146 BPM, 2:51 | [4K] 4.65★, [4K] 5.02★, [4K] 5.42★, [4K] 5.62★, [4K] 5.82★

It's a bit of a riddle, a little bit of a predicament / A bit of a pickle to get rid of all the bitterness / If you're cynical, sentimental, or mental: be invisible / The minute is critical; the consequences are visceral

We're starting off with an instant classic: Elekton's Edison. This chart has been well-known particularly for the song, an intense rap with memorable lyrics. But that's not to say that the map doesn't have something to offer that is equally as brilliant; the map is a challenging test of speed and consistency, with three minutes of long, difficult and uncomfortable streams without giving any breaks. This mapset also includes rates up to 1.3, which allows this map to be more accessible and provides a greater challenge to higher level players. In addition to its popularity in the community, Edison was featured in the MWC 2020 finals mappool on the 1.2 rate. As such, this map has earned a well-deserved spot in the Loved section.

Gigabanana x Yasuo feat. Kagamine Rin, Kagamine Len - Electric Angel by [13] BECK and puxtu
150 BPM, 3:09 | [4K] 1.19★, [4K] 1.75★, [4K] 2.88★, [4K] 3.26★, [4K] 3.92★
The [IMT Oni] difficulty is not being nominated for Loved.

Electric Angel is a name that may spark many memories of those who have been playing osu!mania for a while. The chart is nearly 7 years old, and was a big point of interest in the community when it was made and for many years after it came into the limelight, being thrown around in multiplayer lobbies consistently and garnering more and more interest as an approachable yet fun experience. Not only does it have a long history of enjoyment through the community, but it also is showing to continue to be played, even despite the long time that it has been uploaded. The longevity of the chart, matched up with its simplicity and approachability make this a wonderful pick for Loved to cater to newer players and older players alike.

Sota Fujimori - Move That Body -Extended Mix- by juankristal and _underjoy
196 BPM, 4:01 | [4K] 5.20★

juankristal has been a staple in the osu!mania LN scene for years now, and one of his most well-received and popular charts is a cooperative effort with fellow LN fiend _underjoy, Move That Body -Extended Mix-. This marathon of an LN chart is an extremely dynamic release-based experience that will truly test your coordination, finger independence, and LN reading skills. It is split into a few sections, each marked by the letters JK (for juankristal) or UJ (for underjoy) to denote who mapped them, and to mark where distinct changes in the style of the map are going to start. Even with this back-and-forth of styles, the LNs themselves flow very well between each of the sections and represent the different sections of the music very well. This being the case, it's no wonder that it's gained so much renown within the LN community and that it has been used in many community and official tournaments. The range of people that this map has reached out to and been enjoyed by make it a shoe-in for the Loved section.

cosMo@BousouP - Oceanus by Abraxos
196 BPM, 4:03 | [4K] 3.84★, [4K] 4.77★, [4K] 4.82★

It's about time this iconic song from Deemo got a Loved mapset. A beautifully crafted set by Abraxos, Oceanus is filled with flowing streams and comfortable patterns, making for an all-around enjoyable experience throughout the entire set, with a lot of variety and gratifying patterns, and something for everyone. Overall, its general accessibility is its biggest selling point, as it has multiple difficulties that broadens its target audience to a wider range of players. It's clear that this map fits right in in the Loved section.

KPOP - Flexo123’s Pack by Flexo123
172 BPM, 4:25 | [7K], 6.30★ – 8.68★

As contrast to last round's rice wave, prepare for some good old fashioned noodle mapping. Standing right now as one of the most played 7K packs outside Loved, Flexo123's K-pop pack will surely satiate those noodle cravings. Inversions and LN chordstreams are commonplace here mostly playing around 125 BPM with some of the songs going well up to 194 BPM. There's a bit of something for aspiring noodle mains and seasoned players as well, so do check out this pack!

Beltaine - Rockhill by Jinjin
140 BPM, 1:47 | [7K] 6.89★

If you like your noodles with an extra kick to it, Rockhill comes at you fast with one goal: testing your releasing ability. Having been featured in both the osu!mania 7K World Cup 2019 Semifinals and 7K LN Dans, Rockhill has earned its status as a tastebreaker when it comes to trying out different kinds of LN notecharts The main patterning generally revolves around a chordstream base with occasional large chords but with a giant emphasis on using different snaps as an additional challenge.

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, including how to submit maps for consideration in the future. See you next year!

—clayton