[sinh(Lily)]

This is Part 1 of 2. (12 / 24 songs)

Public Review for OSC 5 DDR Bracket 2
Reviewer: Thany117 / Lilina

=====================================

Version 0,5

Warning: I really give 0s. And not without reason. Also, I round up
scores if the decimal part is 75-99.

Guys, I do NOT give 1s for no apparent reason. You really gotta watch out-- you'll find that
most of the people who get low scores had poor Light and Standard charts. I DO NOT go for the
Heavy steps alone.

Table of Contents: (Use the Find command, the enter the stuff in brackets to jump to that part.)

1. [DIMD] Dancin in my Dreams
2. [GASO] Gasolina (Delaction Mix)
3. [HSLV] High School Love
4. [INSP] Inspiration
5. [LLPR] Little Little Princess
6. [LETE] Love is Eternity (SF Synth Trance Mix)
7. [NGYM] Nagai Yume
8. [PSKY] Paranoia SKY
9. [SBRZ] Samba Brazil
10. [SPHR] Sphere
11. [WWWE] Wo-wo-wee
12. [YGLB] You give Love a Bad Name

Review Breakdown:
6 points - Stepcharts

* I will not rate beginner charts.

* I am very strict with foot-sync. Plenty of double-stepping errors can give you an instant ZERO.

* If there are Challenge charts, point breakdown is as follows:
1 pt. - Light
2 pt. - Standard
2.5 pt. - Heavy
0.5 pt. - Challenge

* If there are no Challenge charts, Heavy becomes 3 points.

4 points - Everything Else
1 pt. - Graphics and Videos
2 pt. - Song Choice, Synching and Editing (This includes your BPMs)
1 pt. - Fun Factor (Replayability)

NOTES: I will complete this by Wednesday.

==== SONG REVIEWS BEGIN HERE ====

1. SONG: Dancin in my Dreams [DIMD]

STEPCHARTS: 5.5 / 6

Light - 1 / 1

Stock Light chart. But it was executed well; I noticed a great flow in the steps, even if they were for a Light chart.

Standard - 1.5 / 2

Almost perfect, with a great variety of techniques in the song executed well. However, there was one problem-- I felt as if I'd be facing left for most of the song (which will really hurt your rating for this chart IMO). A few good rotations could have made the chart perfect.

Heavy - 3 / 3

Perfect. Flash in the Night-style, but it was executed well. You really knew how to bring out the energy of a eurobeat song. The variety of patterns was simply great, from gallops to 16-th note skips, to mini-8th-note runs, all flowing very, very well. To cut it short, I loved it. Excellent work.

EVERYTHING ELSE: 4 / 4

Graphics and Videos - 1 / 1

BG/BN were great, immediately gave me the idea it's Eurobeat; to be exact, Initial D Eurobeat. Although at first glance, the video may seem unrelated, but the scene's racing action really gave me a feel of the energy of the song. Nice.

Song Choice, Synching and Editing - 2 / 2

Granted, its stock Initial D Eurobeat, but it was a great song choice, with various moods in the song. And I see you edited it in the usual DDR/PPP eurobeat style, which is usually intro-synth-chorus-synth-ending. Great work.

Fun Factor - 1 / 1

I love Eurobeat. Add the great steps, and I'll be playing this OVER and OVER.

YOUR SCORE: 9.5 / 10

2. Gasolina (Delaction Mix) [GASO]

STEPCHARTS: 4.1 / 6

Light - 0.5 / 1

Flow was good, but there was pretty much ONE flaw with this chart: I don't think all those freezes in the slow part were a good idea, especially the isolated ones. That part felt like something straight out of Ultramix, which isn't always a good thing. Try to look for other patterns that work well with that part, and it'd be great.

Standard - 2 / 2

Great work. The chart felt energetic, and flowed very well. The jumps and 8th-note triplets fit the song like a glove, especially for a Standard chart. I doubt there's anything to criticize in this one, so I'd leave it at that.

Heavy - 1.6 / 3

Well, you managed to bring out the energy of this song. However, there were some problems in your execution. Basically, there were minor double-stepping errors, which made some of the patterns feel awkward. In addition, I don't think some of those freezes should be there, especially those that break out of 16-th note triplets. They don't go very well with the song. Still, pretty good.

EVERYTHING ELSE: 3.2 / 4

Graphics and Videos: 0.6 / 1

The banner was great, but the background graphic seemed kinda boring. Still, its not that bad.

Song choice, Synching and Editing: 2 / 2

The song really felt danceable, and that slow portion really added some "suspense" to the song. Song edit was also pretty good, especially in the last part.

Fun Factor - 0.6 / 1

I'd probably play this for freestyle, but not for regular play. The great song and STD steps can't overshadow the problems with the LGT and HVY steps.

YOUR SCORE: 7.3 / 10

3. High School Love [HSLV]

STEPCHARTS: 1.5 / 6

Light - 0.1 / 1

As with the other charts, this chart seems to focus too much on the left side. I also saw an inconsistency in your patterns. I know this is Light difficulty, but please try to re-check your steps.

Standard - 0.4 / 2

Pretty boring. Faces the left side for the most part, and there seem to be way too many steps for a Standard chart. Though you managed to capture some of the energy of the song, its still best that you balance things out by omitting some of the abundant notes and by balancing the player's perspective by NOT making the player face the left side for the whole song. In addition, watch your jumps-- some of the notes (Hsplit, Hsplit, for example) didn't seem to correspond to anything in the song.

Heavy - 1 / 3

Though you got the energy of the song in a good part of the chart, it has many gaping errors. First of all, I felt as if I was facing the left side for most of the song. Balance it out by putting rotations and parts that make you face the right. Next, there were some jumps that corresponded to nothing, especially the stuff like UR, then LD. Finally, there were a few double-stepping errors, but not much. Still, plenty of room for improvement.

EVERYTHING ELSE: 2.1 / 4

Graphics and Videos: 0.4 / 1

The banner was pretty nice (the guy looked pretty good), but the background leaves much to be desired. Most of it was fuzzy and pixelated. Try to go for a sharper image.

Song choice, Synching and Editing: 1.5 / 2

Great song choice-- feels like your usual J-Pop in energy. However, that samplestart has to be edited-- its ending is too abrupt. Its the only problem in your song edit.

Fun Factor: 0.2 / 1

I'd probably check this out every once in a while. I liked the song's energy, but the step patterns could use some work.

YOUR SCORE: 3.6 / 10

4.Inspiration [INSP]

-> Titiln, Ebisumari, lrxevan, DigiJared, or SHOH, you're not fooling anyone ^__^.

STEPCHARTS: 5.8 / 6

Light - 0.8 / 1

Over-rated. The chart had great flow, but its a bit too easy to be a 4 difficulty song. Still, it was really, really good-- plenty of free-style potential.

Standard - 2 / 2

All the steps fit the song like a glove. The flow was incredible-- especially towards the chorus. A real winner of a Standard chart.

Heavy - 3 / 3

Perfect flow. The steps really fit the song, from the mini-gallops to the 8th-note runs. Eurodance steps at its finest. Nothing I can criticize here.

EVERYTHING ELSE: 4 / 4

Graphics and Videos: 1 / 1

Really pretty, and it actually fits the uplifting mood of the song. Rainbows bring hope to some, and it really compliments the theme of the song.

Song choice, Synching and Editing: 2 / 2

I doubt its Naoki (from your readme) who made this. But hey, its great eurodance executed very well. I loved the mood of the song, which seems to be based on hope; very uplifting indeed. Your song edit was also really good. Excellent job.

Fun Factor: 1 / 1

Everything about the song is incredible. Its now the first song in my Mp3 player, and I think I'll go abuse it in my Stepmania. Thank you.

YOUR SCORE: 10 / 10 (rounded up)

5. SONG: Little Little Princess [LLPR]

STEPCHARTS: 0.6 / 6

Light - 0 / 1

Man... this is more of a Standard chart. Basically, my comments for the Light steps would be similar to that of the ones for the Standard charts, except worse-- Light steps do not deserve convoluted bunches of steps.

Standard - 0.1 / 2

Ugghh... this really didn't feel like a Standard chart. To start, there were way too many steps. 300+ steps!? Not only that, but a lot of them don't fit the song, like the freezes (just like in Heavy). In addition, the steps were boring, it seemed as if I was only facing one side for most of the song. Please address these issues.

Heavy - 0.5 / 3

Needs a lot of work. To start, there are plenty of awkward runs here rife with double-stepping errors. In addition, the steps feel convoluted and boring-- just plenty of steps with barely any rest without much choice in variety. To top it all off, a lot of the steps don't fit-- the gallops and freezes, for one. Well, you might want to re-do this chart. I'm sorry for the 0.x.

EVERYTHING ELSE: 0.35 / 4

Graphics and Videos - 0.1 / 1

The banner seemed haphazard, kinda boring to look at. The background seemed like it was merely taken out of a IIDX video. At the very least, try to spend some time on your graphics. They really looked boring, and they didn't seem connected to your song choice.

Song Choice, Synching and Editing - 0.25 / 2

While the song felt danceable (catchy, too), and the edit was ok-- it was the Happy Sky version, not much to criticize there, but the sudden BPM changes really felt out of place, and these really, really kill the song. They felt out of place, and seemed like they were only there to surprise the player. It'd be a lot better if you removed them.

Fun Factor - 0 / 1

Boring steps and double-stepping make for an awkward pad experience. Add the boring graphics, and now, I doubt I'll be replaying this song.

YOUR SCORE: 1 / 10 (rounded up)

6. SONG: Love is Eternity (SF Synth Trance Mix) [LETE]

-> Has Challenge charts.

STEPCHARTS:

Light - 0.25 / 1

Ouch. More than 230 steps for a Light chart. It felt really convoluted, and seemed to have been rushed. Some of the rhythms were boring-- the chorus could use a few jumps.

Standard - 0.5 / 2

Not as good as the Heavy chart. While there was a good variety of step patterns, with the 16-th note rhythms and all, the sheer number of steps doesn't go well with Standard difficulty. As with Heavy and Challenge, double-stepping errors really kill some parts of the chart, as well as the abundance of notes in the silent portions.

Also, I think this would be better suited as a Heavy chart. Some of the patterns you used, especially in the chorus, seem to bode towards Heavy charts.

Heavy - 1.25 / 2.5

Had great potential. I saw a great variety of step patterns here, from 16-th note syncopation patterns to jumps, however, the execution leaves much to be desired. First of all, I saw plenty of double-stepping errors, especially in the later portions of the song, which made the potentially fun patterns feel awkward. In addition, I felt that some parts of the song don't get the steps they deserved. I saw more notes on the rather silent part near the beginning than in the chorus. You might want to address these two issues.

Challenge - 0.25 / 0.5

Funny enough, this chart had less double-stepping problems than the Heavy chart. However, this isn't enough to cover up some of the flaws in the chart. For one, considering that this is a DDR chart, step overloads are pretty bad for 10-footers. 670+ steps is quite a lot for a DDR chart. This almost belongs in In the Groove, for one. In addition, we have a problem similar to the Heavy chart, although its a little balanced out here-- the silent parts seem to have too many steps. Please address these issues.

EVERYTHING ELSE: 3.5 / 4

Graphics and Videos - 1 / 1

Pretty background and banner. It feels the trance-ish mood of the song; pretty relaxing, indeed. Good work.

Song Choice, Synching and Editing - 2 / 2

One of my favorite IIDX song remixes. From that alone, you get points for song choice. Your song editing execution was great-- it flowed very well, and there will little editing errors. Notes were also very well synched. Good job.

Fun Factor - 0.5 / 1

I love the song, and I love the song flow. I will probably play this simfile again, though not on pad. Those double-stepping issues have to go.

YOUR SCORE: 6 / 10 (rounded up)

7. SONG: nagai yume [NGYM]

STEPCHARTS: 3.95 / 6

Light - 0.7 / 1

Typical Light chart stuff. I like how the step density builds up towards the chorus, and breaks down towards the end. And while this seemed to be the case in all your charts for the song, I only found it working well here. Good work.

Standard - 1.75 / 2

Wow. This chart felt more energetic than the Heavy chart. Although its easier, the last half had more variety in steps, and overall, there were less energy-killing freezes. However, double-stepping errors throughout the song kill what could have been a perfect score. Excellent work on this Standard chart, though.

Heavy - 1.5 / 3

Double-edged sword. Although the song's chart felt really energetic in the first half, it goes down in the second half, with all those freezes killing the energetic flow of the first half. In addition, there was a good deal of double-stepping errors throughout the whole song. You might want to check out the whole thing to see where you went wrong. Basically, add MORE ENERGY to the steps, especially the latter half. It could have been great.

EVERYTHING ELSE: 2.9 / 4

Graphics and Videos - 0.6 / 1

Banner was pretty good, but the lack of a background file puts the score down. The loading screen's really empty without it, if you know what I mean. Thankfully, there's a great (and CUTE) bg video, which'll save your file's graphics score-- video gave me a nice, energizing feeling.

Song Choice, Synching and Editing - 1.5 / 2

Reminded me of some of the more serene (but high BPM) songs in DDR (forgot which ones, I haven't played DDR AC in a while). The song cut was great... until the last part, where the energy of the song dwindles.

Fun Factor - 0.8 / 1

The steps were pretty okay, but the real reason I'm playing this is for the bg video. Its so CUTE!!!

YOUR SCORE: 7 / 10

8. SONG: PARANOIA SKY [PSKY]

-> Has Challenge charts.

STEPCHARTS: 2.05 / 6

Light - 0 / 1

This one's more of a Standard chart. The flow could've been good, but what you placed (8th-note portions, rotations, etc.) doesn't work for Light. So, I'm really sorry, but this really isn't a Light chart.

Standard - 0.5 / 2

Flowed pretty well, but I did notice the usual double-stepping error in the chart, as well as an an over-abundance of notes. Lighten up-- 500+ steps on a Standard chart? This would have been great if it were the Heavy chart, but no. Its a bit too much.

Heavy - 1.35 / 2.5

Great potential. I liked the flow of the chart, for the most part; however, I noticed some major flaws. First of all, there were several double-stepping problems throughout the chart. I know some could easily rotate in order to hit them smoothly, but I'm expecting that THERE ARE players who don't know that yet. Next, that last part has to go (the 4th-note set of right arrows). It was a pretty lame ending to a great song. Finally, there was quite a LOT of steps in it-- try to put break down portions. 590+ steps on a 9-footer Heavy chart is kinda overkill IMO. Kinda disappointing.

Challenge - 0.2 / 0.5

Vintage Paranoia, with 16-th notes. Although the patterns were pretty good, they were killed by the many double-stepping errors. It really made a lot of the parts feel kinda awkward. The flow of the chart could have been great, especially when the steps build up in the final part.; However, what's with the last part? I don't think those right arrows were a good idea.

EVERYTHING ELSE: 2.6 / 4

Graphics and Videos - 0.6 / 1

The BN was okay, but the BG was a mere edit ripped right out of DDR, but it was edited fairly well. The BG video script was great, though.

Song Choice, Synching and Editing - 1.5 / 2

I'm no Paranoia fanboy, but I thought that your song choice really fit the steps you used. My only gripe on the song is that you could have edited it-- I'd prefer a sudden beep ending similar to the other Paranoias than that gradual ending.

Fun Factor - 0.5 / 1

It's Paranoia, and the steps could be pretty good if they weren't so abundant. I'd play this again on keyboard, but probably not on pad.

YOUR SCORE: 4.65 / 10

9. SAMBA BRAZIL [SBRZ]

STEPCHARTS: 5.2 / 6

Light - 0.75 / 1

Great flow, great step variety for a Light chart. However, there were two flaws: one, there seemed to be quite a lot of steps for a Light song, but they weren't much, and two, don't think some of the freezes were a good idea (the ones that go Right, Right Freeze). Still, pretty good work.

Standard - 1.75 / 2

Awesomeness in the form of a Standard chart. The patterns were really fun, and they flowed well. However, I don't think those 8th-note triplets at the start of the song were a good idea, since the patterns suddenly became easier on the first chorus. Close one, though.

Heavy - 2.5 / 2.5

Excellent work. The steps really worked-- from the Captain Jack style 16-th note patterns to the quick jumps. Its a high-level 8, but its great stuff. Flow was perfect, and basically, there's nothing to criticize here.

Challenge - 0.2 / 5

Flow was great, really great. However, I did notice that as you said in your readme, this could probably be for ITG, and you're right. You put way so many 16-th note runs and quick jumps that you just took the chart out of DDR territory. You still get pains, though, since I loved the step flow.

EVERYTHING ELSE: 4 / 4

Graphics and Videos - 1 / 1

Nice and relaxing. Not much I can criticize-- the BG & BN were well made.

Song Choice, Synching and Editing - 2 / 2

Captain Jack's songs have always sounded like perfect dance tunes, and you executed the song edit very well. Excellent work.

Fun Factor -
1 / 1

With a song choice that's addictive as crack, and steps that flow really well, I doubt I'll put this song down.

YOUR SCORE: 9.2 / 10