Okay, it looks like I get to kick off the VERITABLE FLOOD of impending public reviews. I'll point out two conventions in my review: first, I didn't give a 0 unless the certain thing was missing (or in the readmes, as specified by the rubric), I gave .05s; second, I tried not to give perfect scores to things that weren't perfect, at least as far as the subjective grades go. I
still ended up giving good grades to files I didn't like all that much. Also, I added a few things to the rubric.
I hope to snot this thing works okay. And I do apologize for how the review looks; BMS apparently doesn't care to read extra spaces at the beginning of a line.
Bad Boy Bass!! (DJ Remo-Con mix)
Main Total: 4 / 10
Graphics: 1.2 / 2
-Banner: .7 / 1 : Clean and simple, but a little plain.
-Background: .5 / 1 : Again, clean, but the white background just isn't enough.
Music: 1.5 / 2
-Song Selection: .7 / .8 : Not a bad choice, though a bit light on beat in some places.
-File Quality: .15 / .2 : It's a little quiet.
-Edit Quality: .6 / .8 : I think the opening was rather long
-Sample Quality: .1 / .2 : Doesn't show a good portion of the song, there's no beat. I wouldn't want to play this file after listening to it.
Stepcharts: 1.3 / 6
-Heavy: .5 / 3 : Far too reliant on stepping every note. The constant 16th runs, even the triplets, are tiring and unnecessary. The LR 8th jump on the big hits really killed any fun inherent in the streams. And you DO NOT EVER put 16ths directly after a jump. I don't care if they did it in Dynamite Rave, that's why I hate that song, and that's why you're getting a big penalty on this score. Doesn't deserve a 10.
-Standard: .5 / 2 : Absolutely nuts. You're getting closer to having a fun Heavy chart, though. I remain nothing but irritated at the constant blue LR jumps. And, honestly, this is just way too hard for Standard.
-Light: .3 / 1 : Great Standard steps. No, really. All those stepjumps (ARGH THE BLUE JUMPS!) are just too hard for Light. The 16ths I can live with, apart from the triple. But what you've got here is a case of going too hard with your steps. Just move everything up a chart and dump the Oni, or make it an edit. And get rid of those freaking jumps, my God. -.-
Extras: -5
CDTitle: 1 : Serves its purpose.
Extra Charts:
-Beginner Chart: -1 : So I read somewhere the "rules" for Beginner charts, and now I can't look at one without thinking about them. Irregardless, I think this would make good Light steps, but is too hard for Beginner. I don't really care about the freezes, just so you know.
-Challenge Chart: -2 : I somehow passed it. o.O It's so similar to Heavy, it really wasn't worth your creating it.
BPM Hiding/Other Tricks: -3 : I don't think Heavy should be flashing, since Oni is.
Blow Me Away
Main Total: 8.85 / 10
Graphics: 2 / 2
-Banner: 1 / 1 : VERY nice! Too bad you didn't make it. :P
-Background: 1 / 1 : Again, very nice! Related to the banner without it being a copy. Cool, subtle Master Chief.
Music: 1.6 / 2
-Song Selection: .5 / .8 : Despite the fact that I really like this song, it's not DDR material. It's so slow!
-File Quality: .1 / .2 : The high-band sounds sketchy. My copy is better quality.
-Edit Quality: .8 / .8 : Well thought out.
-Sample Quality: .2 / .2 : Serves its purpose well.
Stepcharts: 4.75 / 6
-Heavy: 2.9 / 3 : Well done for what it is. You've kept some enjoyable intensity in a slow file (a la Battle Without Honor or Humanity). I do think the chorus freezes are the weakest point of the file, but the chaos rhythms you chose in the verses really make this one fun.
-Standard: 1 / 2 : They're pretty, well, standard. They do stand apart from Heavy for the most part, but they're not terribly noticeable.
-Light: .85 / 1 : I think you made some gutsy moves. This chart does bring out my hatred for slow songs, but you definitely made some good choices.
Extras: 12
CDTitle: 2 : Very nice!
Animations and/or Movies: 8 : I'm always pleased to see animations. About half the ones you chose go with the song; unfortunately, most stock DDR movies just aren't quite metal enough (well, except the B2U mech. You need more of him).
Extra Charts:
-Beginner Chart: 3 : It's hard to say what makes a good Beginner chart, but I think this qualifies. You followed all the rules, and even picked some unexpected beats to follow. Good job.
-Challenge Chart: -1 : I think it's overdone. Where it isn't, it's really similar to Heavy. You didn't need to make this chart, the file was fine with just the Heavy steps. I do have to admit liking the 16ths guitar runs. ._.
Celebrate Nite (Around the World Arrangement)
Main Total: 2.15 / 10
Graphics: .35 / 2
-Banner: .3 / 1 : Fairly basic. The red text is sort of obscured by the checkerboard background. Doesn't match the artist tag.
-Background: .05 / 1 : The goggles, they do nothing! D:
Music: 1.45 / 2
-Song Selection: .4 / .8 : Well, it works in DDR. The two songs only sort of go together.
-File Quality: .05 / .2 : The two songs are different volumes, I think, both sound tinny and they really don't mesh well. It's not your fault, of course, but you could have chosen a better song.
-Edit Quality: .8 / .8 : The edit is fine, and I actually like the ending.
-Sample Quality: .2 / .2 : Gives a good indication of what the song is like.
Stepcharts: .35 / 6
-Heavy: .2 / 3 : Lots of the same thing over and over again. Watch those hands, there are at least three freezes that end too late. The freezes also don't fit the song very well.
-Standard: .05 / 2 : Mind-numbing, with a few steps that are awkward to dance. This REALLY needs some spicing up, use some other patterns!
-Light: .1 / 1 : Like the rest of the charts, it's the same thing OVER and OVER. There is a saving grace in the speed of the steps, which keeps the energy up for your typical Light player; of course, a couple of pauses in the notes killed that. And what's with that last freeze?
Extras: -2
Incorrect Difficulty: -2 : Light should be a 4.
Doctor Pressure
Main Total: 7.85 / 10
Graphics: 1.5 / 2
-Banner: .7 / 1 : Very clean graphic.
-Background: .8 / 1 : Again, very clean and not bad at all.
Music: 1.85 / 2
-Song Selection: .75 / .8 : I've never liked this mashup, I really prefer Drop the Pressure, Mylo's original song. However, it's a great tune for DDR, either way.
-File Quality: .2 / .2 : Sounds perfect.
-Edit Quality: .6 / .8 : All right.
-Sample Quality: .1 / .2 : Doesn't loop very well.
Stepcharts: 4.5 / 6
-Heavy: 2 / 3 : Fairly low-key, with some interesting rhythms. I do have a definite pet peeve about multiple hits on the same arrow.
-Standard: 1.9 / 2 : They fit the song very well!
-Light: .6 / 1 : Fairly mediocre. I really don't know about those triples.
Extras: 3
CDTitle: 1 : Unusual, almost gets lost against the banner.
Extra Charts:
-Beginner Chart: 2 : I don't know how it's possible to enjoy a Beginner chart, but this just kept getting better as it went.
Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger
Main Total: 4.05 / 10
Graphics: 1.7 / 2
-Banner: .7 / 1 : Kinda blah, but okay.
-Background: 1 / 1 : REALLY nice.
Music: 1.35 / 2
-Song Selection: .8 / .8 : A good choice, of course.
-File Quality: .2 / .2 : It sounds a little off, but I think the song is supposed to sound like that.
-Edit Quality: .2 / .8 : It really needs more editing. The intro is way too long; hell, the whole song is too long. Did you have to use this much?
-Sample Quality: .15 / .2 : Odd fadeout, but otherwise fine.
Stepcharts: 1 / 6
-Heavy: .3 / 3 : Repetitive to the FAXX. I'm sure many of the myriad HBFS simfiles that I'm sure are out there have steps similar to this. There are some odd spins, and the jumps in the stream add nothing but hassle. If you're going to step a whole song, you've GOT to keep things interesting.
-Standard: .5 / 2 : The final verse sort of picks up the fun level, but this remains mind-numbing like the other charts. Have I used the phrase "mind-numbing" enough yet?
-Light: .2 / 1 : Long chains of the same note... HAVE I USED THE PHRASE MIND-NUMBING ENOUGH YET?
Extras: 1.5
CDTitle: .5 : Big 'n blocky.
Extra Charts:
-Beginner Chart: 1 : 2 feet for the length, right? This is otherwise pretty mind-numbing, but it does follow all the rules.
-Challenge Chart: -3 : The gallops give it some character. Otherwise, it's like Heavy: same patterns, same repetition. I can pretty much say the same things about the two charts, except that you put even more annoying spins into this.
Improper Background Formatting: 0 : If you hadn't said anything, I wouldn't have noticed. It's fine to me.
Ichirin no Hana (Huge Hollow mix)
Main Total: 8.05 / 10
Graphics: 1.6 / 2
-Banner: .8 / 1 : Well-made.
-Background: .8 / 1 : Kinda weird, but nicely made.
Music: 1.3 / 2
-Song Selection: .1 / .8 : Can we say "My ears are bleeding"? It's like someone took a perfectly good J-pop song and stabbed it repeatedly with red-hot nails. And raped it when it was a child. And killed its dog. And locked it in an oubliette and left it alone with no sunlight until a tip from a nosy neighbor brought the police to kill its captor right in front of its eyes before saving it from its nightmarish ordeal. Yeah, something like that. The beat's not that great, either.
-File Quality: .2 / .2 : Hard to tell. I guess it's fine.
-Edit Quality: .8 / .8 : Again, it's hard to tell, but it's a good length at least.
-Sample Quality: .2 / .2 : Gets the job done.
Stepcharts: 5.15 / 6
-Heavy: 1.9 / 3 : A big section of just LRLR. It's not quite as ludicrous as Oni, at least. You make good use of certain parts of the song.
-Standard: 1.3 / 2 : Not too bad, though it does suffer from the same LRLR section. Challenging chart!
-Light: 1.95 / 1 : A great example of KISS technology in action.
Extras: -2.5
CDTitle: 2 : Very nice.
Extra Charts:
-Beginner Chart: .5 : From what I've heard, you're not supposed to have two quarter notes one right after the other unless they're on the same arrow. It's a very challenging Beginner chart.
-Challenge Chart: -2 : It wasn't that bad on the whole, but it was fairly sloppy. The 16th triple at 200 BPM was not appreciated. Neither was the... what was that, a 32nd triple? All the 16th triple runs are just ludicrous, honestly.
BPM Hiding/Other Tricks: -3 : Some very dirty tricks pulled with the BPM.
Karma (DJ Remo-Con mix)
Main Total: 9 / 10
Graphics: 1.95 / 2
-Banner: .95 / 1 : Very professional.
-Background: 1 / 1 : Busy, and I really dig it.
Music: 1.95 / 2
-Song Selection: .8 / .8 : This is a mashup? I've never heard either of the original songs, but these were meant to go together. Amazing work, let me tell you!
-File Quality: .2 / .2 : Fine.
-Edit Quality: .8 / .8 : Just fine.
-Sample Quality: .15 / .2 : A little wonky on the fadeout, but otherwise fine.
Stepcharts: 5.1 / 6
-Heavy: 2.4 / 3 : The beginning is a little weak, and I don't think 200 BPM gallops were the best choice. Otherwise, the rest is well balanced, minus a section in the middle with the same pattern repeating a few too many times. This is really a fun chart.
-Standard: 1.8 / 2 : I don't think it's too over the top. You pick some unusual parts of the song to follow near the end, in delicious opposition to the "Heavy with less stuff" opening.
-Light: .9 / 1 : A fairly difficult Light chart; I might have called it a 5. Overall, there's not really anything wrong with it. Good job.
Extras: 10
CDTitle: 2 : Well-made, of course.
Extra Charts:
-Challenge Chart: 8 : Some great patterns, which overshadow the not-so-great ones. This is seriously better than the Heavy steps, despite the double-stepping and the crazy 12th mess at the end.
-Edit Chart: 0 : Per your instructions, not counted.
Kiss Kiss- Akira
Main Total: 8.7 / 10
Graphics: 1.85 / 2
-Banner: .9 / 1 : Looks good!
-Background: .95 / 1 : Rather moving, I daresay.
Music: 1.85 / 2
-Song Selection: .8 / .8 : Good choice. Fits DDR well. What do you call this, unhappy hardcore?
-File Quality: .2 / .2 : Sounds fine.
-Edit Quality: .65 / .8 : I think the final chorus run was a one-too-many. Otherwise, fine.
-Sample Quality: .2 / .2 : Very well thought-out, cycles beautifully, but it's kinda long. Forget that, I could sit here and listen to it all day.
Stepcharts: 5 / 6
-Heavy: 3 / 3 : Wowza. I don't think there's a misplaced step in here.
-Standard: 1.5 / 2 : Feels a lot like Heavy, watered down. The two sets of runs that start with 8ths towards the end really fall flat.
-Light: .5 / 1 : It would have been better without the 8ths, concentrated solely on following the beat.
Extras: 17.5
CDTitle: 1.5 : All right.
Animations and/or Movies: 12 : Great selection! The first one really caught my attention.
Readme Extras: 4 : Duh, wow. o.O Readmes are supposed to be text, but you went the extra lightyear, so I'll overlook it.
Know Your Xenemy
Main Total: 8 / 10
Graphics: 1.8 / 2
-Banner: .9 / 1 : Very nicely done!
-Background: .9 / 1 : Not bad at all, and nicely removed from the banner.
Music: 1.6 / 2
-Song Selection: .4 / .8 : The big problem is Xenon sort of gets swallowed up by the other song. Or maybe it's the other way around. Whatever, the end result is really complex, and hard to dance to. That opening sounds great, and then it kind of goes downhill once the melody hits.
-File Quality: .2 / .2 : Sounds just fine.
-Edit Quality: .8 / .8 : This is probably the whole song, and it works fine.
-Sample Quality: .2 / .2 : Works well.
Stepcharts: 4.6 / 6
-Heavy: 1.8 / 3 : There's not much wrong with this, but it doesn't have a lot of character. c.f.: Song Selection for the rest of the problem. Namely, most of the 16ths just don't feel like they go to anything.
-Standard: 2 / 2 : Good balance, flows well, lots of fun!
-Light: .8 / 1 : Kind of reminds me of Xenon.
Extras: 15.5
CDTitle: 2 : Really cool!
Animations and/or Movies: 5 : A nice addition.
Readme Extras: 1 : Points for extra effort and thoroughness.
Extra Charts:
-Beginner Chart: 1.5 : Well-balanced, and it follows all the rules.
-Challenge Chart: 6 : Actually, this is really good, and covers up some of the problems Heavy faced with the song. Some great patterns, twists, all that sort of thing. The steps keep the energy level going strong, and keep the fun level up.