news
28 Sep 2021
Project Loved: September 2021
Project Loved: September 2021
With a new season comes the September iteration of Project Loved!
First of all, let us quickly remind everyone about the Project Loved concept in case someone forgot about it. Project Loved hosts community voting polls each month to decide which beatmaps get added to the Loved category. All of the maps are chosen by the Loved Captains of their respective game modes. Each banner will redirect you to the respective beatmap's poll, or you can immediately view them all on the forum here.
The voting process lasts for 10 days, so don't forget to check out the threads and get involved! You can find out more about this project over on the wiki!
As usual, we would like to thank everyone who participated in the August votes. You're helping to keep this project alive by doing so, and we appreciate it! If you would like to view the results from the previous round, you may do so by clicking the following links:
September comes with good news for Project Loved! The Project Loved website is now fully localisable into your native language. Much thanks to the contributors across the community, the website is available in Spanish, Finnish, Swedish and Turkish for the time being.
Interested in translating the website to your native language? If so, head over to the Localisation page of the Project Loved website and follow the steps there! If you wish to contribute to Project Loved, feel free to visit the #osu-loved channel in the osu!dev Discord server. If website development is your thing, you can follow the ongoing development progress on the GitHub repository.
Before announcing the picks for this month, we would like to introduce you to the new faces of the Project Loved Team and wave goodbyes to those who have recently parted ways with us. Already present with us as a metadata reviewer for the picks, UberFazz and Doomsday — long-time osu! players and contributors — have rolled up their sleeves to assist other osu! captains with Loved nominations.
And speaking of captains, we are also delighted to present you with Gamelan4, our newest osu!taiko captain, tasked with picking your favourite dons and kats. Coming from the Global Moderation Team, Zeus- takes on the responsibility of beatmap content moderation alongside Noffy and Pachiru. As for our last addition to the Project Loved Team, renowned Beatmap Nominator Hivie is here to make sure the metadata across all the nominations is accurate.
Unfortunately, new arrivals tend to bring along several departures. We have recently parted ways with X a v y and Alter-, osu!taiko and osu!mania captains respectively. Although they are no longer a part of the Project Loved Team, their contributions to the Loved scene are here to stay forever. We would like to thank them for their service and wish them luck in their future endeavours!
Alright, enough said. Let's get on with this month's nominations:
Navigation
osu!
The osu! Loved candidates were chosen by Doomsday, UberFazz and Wixonater!
TJ Davis - Super Sonic Racing by Woey
165 BPM, 3:49 | 6.16★
description written by UberFazz
You know him, you love him, Professor Woey is here to teach us about the wonders of Super Sonic Racing. This great track from Sonic R will make you jam so hard you'll barely be able to focus on the game. You'll be sure to love this map if you enjoy playing constant fast sliders and bursts at 165 BPM. EVERYBODY'S SUPER SONIC RACING, TRY TO KEEP YOUR FEET RIGHT ON THE GROUND!
Merol - Lekker met de meiden by Mijn Aim Zuigt
121 BPM, 2:09 | 6.50★, 6.50★
description written by Wixonater
What's more fun than hanging out with the ladies? Nothing, well, besides playing a fun Mijn Aim Zuigt beatmap of it.
Unfunny jokes aside, this 6.5* 121 BPM alternate map lends itself to a lot of fun. It is simply a joy to play with large flowy patterns, fast long sliders, and cross screens to finish them up. With two difficulties, an AR 9.3 and AR 8, you can enjoy reading the map your way, or like Cookiezi's godmode 2 years ago, you could use it for DT. Maybe you want to replicate that or just enjoy fun alt. No matter the reason, I hope you enjoy it!
ZUTOMAYO - Haze Haseru Haterumade by pkk
136 BPM, 3:57 | 5.82★
description written by UberFazz
After over 3 and a half years, pkk is back to the Loved section with a song that I'm sure any member of the osu! community can enjoy — Haze Haseru Haterumade by ZUTOMAYO! Originally made as a custom map for OWC 2020, this map quickly rose to popularity with its simple yet addictive alt gameplay combined with a fantastic song by a beloved artist. If you love alt maps, give this map a go!
Camellia feat. Nanahira - finorza by My Angel RangE and BadGames
225 BPM, 4:41 | 5.11★, 6.38★, 7.50★
description written by UberFazz
A newcomer to the Loved section, My Angel RangE brings us a 3-difficulty set of finorza by Camellia. This hardcore song, paired with Nanahira's deeper voice, sits at a fairly high 225 BPM and has a fittingly complex map to go with it. But luckily, as mentioned earlier, there are 2 difficulties below the highest one if you're not quite at the level of hitting the tricky high BPM bursts and tech elements present in the top difficulty. Either way, you'll be sure to enjoy this mapset for one reason or another.
Amuro vs. Killer - Mei (Camellia's "Yomigae" Remix) by RLC, captin1, Sing and winber1
210 BPM, 4:50 | 7.11★
description written by UberFazz
A lesser-known yet exceedingly high-quality map by some very well-known mappers, RLC, captin1, winber1, and Sing all hit the ball out of the park with their fantastic collab of Mei by Camellia. This map results from the combined effort of some of the best tech mappers this game has to offer. Aesthetically pleasing, creative, and undoubtedly enjoyable would describe this map perfectly. If you love tech maps and have the skill for it, I highly recommend playing this map. Be sure to watch out for the BPM increases in the middle!
daisan - -+ by Starfy, -N a n a k o-, [ Drop ], Chaoslitz, happy623, IamKwaN, Kencho, Kyle Y, Nakano Itsuki, Regou and Rizia
185 BPM, 2:05 | 1.10★ – 6.52★
description written by Doomsday
Being a massive collaborative effort between many revered mappers in the Hong Kong community from 2015, the mapset for -+ contains a set for every single game mode! Within its full 15 difficulty osu! spread lies intense stream-heavy mapping, with the most extreme difficulties retaining complex cutstream and slider stream patterns at 185 BPM. On top of that, a full suite of custom hitsounding and storyboard effects make this mapset the complete package. You'll be sure to find something to enjoy in this one!
Not only does this nomination include the osu! maps, but also the difficulties made for every other game mode in this set! Be sure to read on for the takes on this colossal project from our osu!taiko, osu!catch and osu!mania captains.
Brief & Trunks - Konbini by Gens
190.1 BPM, 3:18 | 1.92★, 2.67★, 3.95★
description written by Doomsday
A time capsule of the early osu! days that was created way back in 2011. This map was originally made as a birthday present to Larto, one of osu!'s most active mappers and community members. Packed with a tremendous fully-illustrated storyboard crammed with osu! lore, and a spread of difficulties in the classic mapping style of Gens, Konbini is an excellent tribute to the first few years of the osu! community. A bona fide piece of osu! history, this is one that every fan of the old-school style should have in their library!
MiddleIsland - Frailness by LMT
150 BPM, 3:12 | 5.97★, 5.97★
description written by Wixonater
Dance along! After all, these guitars aren't playing for anyone!
This medieval battle tune lies at 150 BPM, with more unconventional flow alt patterns and notes snapped mainly to 1/3 and 1/4. Containing cut alt patterns into spaced doubles only to be sent back again with a back and forth triple, this map keeps you on your toes, with CS 5 adding another piece to the difficulty. With two diffs for AR 9 and AR 9.5, there is some choice for how you wish to read the map. Play to the vibrant violin! Sing with the songstress! And dance with the guitar! Enjoy!
Otokaze - Saigetsu (Short Ver.) by Yusomi
102 BPM, 1:54 | 7.00★
description written by Wixonater
Yusomi is known for many unranked masterpieces, and this beautiful melody doesn't let down.
Sitting at 102 BPM, these awkward aim, variable spacing jump patterns have a texture similar to swimming along with a calm piano. This 7* is both CS 5 and AR 9, creating a challenge to both aim and reading, allowing for fun mod possibilities in HD and HR. Although simple, this flute charms my heart, captivating the essence of an enjoyable map. I hope this experience leads to be as pleasant for you as it has been to me.
osu!taiko
The osu!taiko Loved candidates were chosen by -Kazu-, Gamelan4, Horiiizon, KuroKuroKuro and POCARI SWEAT!
Terminal 11 - Counter Clockwise Chant Pattern by Xayphon
140.81 BPM, 3:39 | 6.88★
description written by Gamelan4
It has been a while since we last saw Xay, a well-known mapper and player in the osu!taiko community, in the same game mode's Loved section, and Counter Clockwise Chant Pattern by Terminal 11 is an excellent map to come back to the scene with.
Featured in the TWC 2020 Finals pool, this map is the first thing that comes up to tournament players' minds when tech is the topic on board. After all, even for an experimental song, this map has retained considerable popularity among mid-to-high-ranked players who enjoy testing themselves against others.
The usage and combination of 1/6 and 1/8 snaps with the overall patterning decisions contribute to its fun and challenging aspects and have made this map become an excellent benchmark for people wanting to test their finger control and tech skills. If you haven't tried this map yet, you should absolutely give it a try!
u's - Kaguya no Shiro de Odoritai (7_7 unko bootleg) by 7_7
320 BPM, 1:29 | 7.08★
description written by KuroKuroKuro
Remixed by the mapper himself, Kaguya no Shiro de Odoritai (7_7 unko bootleg) is made to be very fast and exhilarating, leading to a bootleg entirely different from the original. Although lasting merely for one and a half minutes, the beatmap has a high BPM and density, making it a real challenge and a thrilling experience. What are you waiting for? Go ahead and pass the map yourself... if you can!
Adust Rain - Seven Style by soloist, 7_7, HEKUSODASU, hoku, iceOC, rezi888 and uone
280 BPM, 2:31 | 6.68★ – 7.88★
description written by -Kazu-
You have likely heard of Seven Style by Adust Rain before, as this map has been around since 2018, popping on Multiplayer lobbies often, making it a trendy speed map.
Although 280 BPM sounds quite intimidating, all these seven mappers have made sure the maps are entertaining and comfortable to play. The ones made by 7_7 and uone are quite well structured, with easy patterns that are draining but not unfair in the slightest, while the others crafted by Shallty and rezi888 are perfect examples of vocal/melody mapping, enabling players to keep up with the patterns with ease even through the chaotic streams.
Still, if you want to know what every one of these maps has to offer, rest assured, none of these maps is any similar to the other, proving that every mapper can make a unique approach to the music. Enjoy!
Official HIGE DANdism - Bad for me (Dz'Xa's Amenpunk) by KTYN and xpokn
200 BPM, 3:08 | 5.73★
description written by -Kazu-
In the same light as Itte. from the July 2021 voting, we've found those breakcore renditions of J-pop / pop-rock songs enjoyable and engaging to play. Therefore, for this round, we brought Bad for me (Dz'Xa's Amenpunk) by Official HIGE DANdism!
As expected, KTYN is good at taking these songs and converting them into absolute bangers of a map to ensure it receives the appreciation it deserves. With a map suitable for entry-level Inner Oni players, this is very likely to be one that you'll enjoy playing, as KTYN's style focuses so much on being fun before anything else. Don't miss it!
daisan - -+ by aabc271, ll-oscar, Nardoxyribonucleic, Prophecy and Skylish
185 BPM, 2:05 | 1.44★ – 5.77★
description written by POCARI SWEAT
If you played osu!taiko for a long time, you might have heard the name -+ at least once. Mapped by 5 veteran osu!taiko mappers from the Hong Kong community, -+'s osu!taiko diffs have finally made their way to Loved. There are 8 osu!taiko difficulties mapped with star ratings ranging from 1.44* to 5.77*, containing varying patterns and decent BPM structures, with the highest one serving you a pile of 1/6 patterns, albeit relatively subdued. If you're a professional player tired of playing a hell of intricate maps, or a beginner looking for a quality one to practice, this one will be a great choice.
llliiillliiilll - b feat. Hatsune Miku by maziari1105
180 BPM, 2:35 | 6.16★
description written by Horiiizon
β is a map that many of you will have likely seen, whether it's from multiplayer lobbies, being used as a NoMod in several tournaments, or most notably for winning the Vocaloid edition of Taiko Japanese Beatmap Contest. Featuring a variety of rhythm sequences and unique patterns, the map is proven to be of high quality and doesn't give up on making a delightful and memorable experience!
MARETU - Koukatsu by nananass
103 BPM, 3:41 | 6.37★
description written by Horiiizon
Given that the entire map is 103 BPM, it is safe to say that Koukatsu is anything but a typical nass map, with the SV never exceeding 0.75x and the majority of the SV values being 0.5x or lower. What's more, the map is densely packed, especially the second kiai, which consists of mostly 1/8 and 1/12 patterns. Koukatsu is sure to be a challenge even to low SV enthusiasts!
osu!catch
The osu!catch Loved candidates were chosen by Sartan, Spectator, Tenshichan and Wesley!
DM DOKURO - Outcast of The Sulphurous Seas by DakkyChan
190 BPM, 2:43 | 10.76★
description written by Tenshichan
If you've ever played a DakkyChan map, then you know: they are tough, and this map is no exception.
Do you remember AiAe? This map is basically that, just shorter. But not quite easier, I guess. You're going to have a hard time getting a decent score on this map, if at all. You just have to be fast. Like, really fast. The patterns in this map are no joke. If you survive all the difficult wiggles it throws at you, the long terrifying hyperwalk section at the end will kill you. If it does not, you are not human.
Don't even consider using mods on it. I'm serious. Anyway, put it simply, this is a map of good quality aimed towards the best of the best. Give it a try, if you dare.
schwarzekugel - $trange Attraktor by Dika312
145 BPM, 2:13 | 4.79★, 4.79★
description written by Spectator
Dika312 has recently gained fame among the players for his unique style and stylish patterns. This map, $trange Attraktor, shows the excellence of his gimmick mapping skill. The difficulty, which was used in a FreeMod mappool in AxS, is designed to pay attention to both accuracy and precision where you need to treat the slider-ticks as the notes. With NoMod and Hidden, the sliders seem relatively clean due to the use of the most excellent mapping tool of all time, the Droplet Derandomizer by Phob.
Still, with the addition of HardRock you'll see many wacky slider paths, so you should be prepared for a further accuracy challenge if you ever plan to conquer the map with the HardRock mod.
goreshit - Satori De Pon! by TenyO
235 BPM, 2:22 | 9.42★
description written by Wesley
An all-time classic, Satori De Pon! by goreshit created by none other than TenyO. You might not know TenyO right off the bat; however, if you have played osu!catch, chances are you have played some of their maps (such as Der Wald and Lone Digger).
Many of TenyO's maps are pretty challenging, and as the difficulty name of this map might suggest, this is no exception. Tenyo's Fruitcore 2015 (CTB Survival) is a map that will test your osu!catch skills to the max, giving you a variety of patterns ranging from jumps, hyperdash chains, zig-zags, and of course, an all-time favourite, pixels! Now, the hp drain is relatively low, but do not let this fool you. If you miss one of the more packed sections of the map, you'll quickly see that the hp drain feels much higher.
Imagine Dragons - Warriors by Minato Yukina
156 BPM, 2:44 | 1.41★ – 7.19★
description written by Sartan
Fun fact: 78% of osu! players have played League of Legends at least once in their life! 63% of those people have reached at least level 10, and 84% of those people have reached level 30. Cool right? I made all of that up :). Though one thing I cannot lie about is this map and its quality!
Once again, we have Minato Yukina with an incredible full set on this beautiful song — Warriors. As you might expect, it is quite a meta-esque beatmap, without any sort of out-of-the-world gimmicks to be found, primarily emphasizing the 1/4 rhythms. Despite this, there is plenty of fun to be had, especially considering this map is generally well-received in the osu! community. The difficulties go up from Bronze to Challenger, so as you might have guessed, there is something to play for everyone, woo!
Anyway, here we are, don't turn away now, and go vote!
daisan - -+ by autofanboy
185 BPM, 2:03 | 3.91★, 5.45★
description written by Tenshichan
This mapset was initially nominated for osu!, but it has osu!catch difficulties of good quality on it, so it would be a shame to exclude those. The mapper of these is autofanboy (formerly known as alienflybot), and if you are familiar with their mapping, you know that their maps are usually very clean and have a nice flow. The same goes for these diffs. They are not difficult at all, and most people should be able to FC the Overdose rather quickly. The best feature is the clean, streamy patterns with a fantastic flow. I highly recommend trying them out, for they are super entertaining.
osu!mania
The osu!mania Loved candidates were chosen by _underjoy, -mint-, Kawawa and Penguinosity!
StudioEIM - Crescent Moon Island by Shoegazer
172 BPM, 2:09 | 5.14★ – 6.66★
description written by _underjoy
You've waited long for this one, and here it finally is, one of Shoegazer's most demanded charts to appear in the Loved voting so far. Crescent Moon Island is one hell of a chart. Released in 2016, it quickly became popular, especially when it became the tech map in the infamous Delta Dan on 1.05x. The song screams BOSS MUSIC, and the chart reflects its intensity outstandingly well. It starts out relatively quickly, with dumped 1/6 jumpstreams with tight, tricky patterning, some bursts and flams, and jacks. As the chart continues, it becomes more and more relentless, as there are almost no breaks, and the patterns get progressively taxing and exhausting.
Shoegazer's style is obviously very well pronounced in the chart — it contains lots of carefully placed trills and anchors as well as lots of intertwined 1/4, 1/6, and 1/8 snaps that just don't let the player rest. The flammed 1/8 chords in the middle section are also great for accentuating the main melody and playing exceptionally well. I think the main reason this chart is famous is that, apart from being showcased in a Dan course, its challenge aspect, as both the song and the map are perfect for someone trying to play something very hard and feel like it's hard for a reason. Enough talk, as everyone knows what this map is about anyway, so be sure to support Crescent Moon Island in the voting!
Various Artists - arpia97's Vibro Anthology by arpia97, [Crz]Player, frolica, Nihilese, SMOC_Hyeon, Staravia and Topovn
122 – 268 BPM, 4:07 | 6.14★ – 16.75★
The [Pocari Sweat (Marathon)] and [do you know da wae (Marathon)] difficulties are not being nominated for Loved.
description written by Penguinosity
BEFORE YOU VOTE, LISTEN TO ME, PLEASE! Alright... so let's get this out there. Vibro, to many in the VSRG community, is one of the most divisive skillsets. It's a skillset solely dedicated to a player's ability to absolutely brute force their way through patterns that, to an average player, look ridiculous, to say the least. This preface is essential to set the tone, as we aren't totally confident in a vibro-centered map/set's ability to pass the voting since charts in this vein have shown to perform shoddily in the past. However, I think it's time to give it another shot. arpia's Vibro Anthology over here is by far the most well-known pack on osu! dedicated to this skillset, and honestly, I think it's for a good reason.
There are 37 difficulties and a wide assortment of different songs for keyboard smashers of all kinds. Although, it must be said with heavy hearts that the incredible "do you know da wae" must be excluded due to length reasons. Aside from that, though, there's a good assortment of songs here that are all varying in length, all making sure that those who decide to play them can hit vibro walls. From the endless quad barrages of ATTang's Electric Butterfly to the 372 BPM LN bursts of Promise, names are sure to be taken in the process of people playing these maps.
There isn't a lot to say past that, as these maps speak for themselves. arpia has been a long-time creator and player of vibro content, and we genuinely believe that this pack more than deserves to be in the Loved section. However, if you are not a vibro player, we implore you to consider those who are, as giving this pack a chance would be some validation that their niche means something. Alright, LET'S VOTE.
DJ Sharpnel - FUTURE DOMINATORS by IcyWorld
210.3 – 294.42 BPM, 5:17 | 5.77★, 6.25★, 6.76★, 7.25★, 7.74★
description written by Penguinosity
FUTURE DOMINATORS IS HERE! This is one of IcyWorld's many infamous and classic maps, and it dates all the way back to the end of 2013, which means we are coming up on the 8th anniversary of its creation. A short piece of trivia that I think many of you may not be aware of is that the version we know and play today is slightly different than the first version that Icy put out to the public. To anyone curious, you can find a video along with a link in its description to check out that first version. It was very similar to the final rendition; however, the second half contained some tricky minijacks, which were later changed up.
With a bit of that history out of the way, let's talk about the map itself. At 210 BPM, you will be experiencing the handstream and roll patterning right out of the gate that Icy has been trademarked for. Honestly, the first couple of minutes can be called pretty tame compared to what the chorus sections offer. Coming off of the more tame intro, the chorus smacks you with an unrelenting, full-density handstream that sees you transitioning from hand to hand with these heavy anchors and splittrills.
After that first chorus is completed, DJ Sharpnel was kind enough to lead into a break, and if you ask me, that break is needed for what's to come. The final 2 minutes of the map give you no rest whatsoever as it's a complete splittrill, handstream, and jumptrill hellfest, which has managed to push the stamina and explosivity of players of all kinds for all of these years.
Keep in mind that this is all just on 1.0 as well. As is tradition with Icy's content and many charts in this vein, rates are provided. We go from 1.0 up to 1.4, which sees the BPM stay at a constant 294, meaning that the 1/8 bursts on 1.4 are approaching nearly 600 BPM. Well, alright, that's just about all I have to say regarding this legendary map. Best of luck to all players, and we once again thank Icy for the vast and imperative content that he has created over these years. Thanks, Icy.
PSYQUI - Hysteric Night Girl feat. Such (android52 Edit) by Evening
140.8 BPM, 5:00 | 4.67★, 5.06★, 5.48★, 5.83★, 6.23★
description written by Penguinosity
Evening makes their way back into Loved, with their ever-popular chart of Hysteric Night Girl!
If you're an osu!mania player who has been in the community for more than a few minutes, you know who Evening is. They're a veteran of the community who has put out some of the most influential and groundbreaking content over these years. From Singularity and Backbeat Maniac's visual spectacles to maps that were once and still used as benchmarks of a player's physical abilities, such as Tengaku or Meikaruza, Evening has no shortage of meaningful content. With so much content over such a long period, it's easy to look from back then to now and see how their charting style and quirks have developed over the years. One such development is the maturing of Evening's ability to create impactful and fun dump charts such as Hysteric Night Girl over here.
The term "dump charting" can mean many things to a lot of different people, but I'll leave it simple and just say that in the case of this map, Evening chooses to express the sounds in this song through exaggerated methods. In the chorus specifically, you'll find a plethora of stream patterning that constantly shifts between 1/6 and 1/8 snappings, all being tied together by hands. All three choruses employ this structuring; however, they all slightly vary in how they're patterned from each other, which lends to the experience constantly feeling interesting. Outside of that, there's some very tasteful usage of longjacks, LNs, and anchors. It's no wonder why many people have come to enjoy this map, and we love it too. Let's all show our appreciation for what Evening's done over the years by supporting this great map!
Goreshit - Satori De Pon! by Loebad434 and Meggumi
235 BPM, 2:22 | 1.49★ – 5.94★
description written by Penguinosity
Loebad's set of Satori De Pon! is finally making its way to the Loved votings! This set gained popularity pretty much immediately after it was uploaded over 5 years ago. Many people should be familiar with Ar3sgice's multi-mode set for this song that was put into Loved back in 2018, along with qodtjr's 7K set that joined Loved in the same year. Satori De Pon! has certainly seen no shortage of Loved real estate.
Let's talk about the set in front of us, though. There are 8 difficulties here, seven 4K and one little lonely 7K difficulty. All of them follow a very similar structure, just with different levels of difficulty. Starting with the easier diffs, the 4K EZ and NM, along with the 7K HD, are all pretty toned-down maps that provide some mellow patterning for anyone who is either new or looking for some easy accuracy patterning.
Moving on to the more challenging things, the 4K SC is a reasonably dense jumpstream map that will put your stamina to the test. The SHD and Meggumi's Lunatic are both difficult handstream-based maps that are a definite step up from SC because of their heavy and relentless anchor usage. There isn't much more to say here, as this set is very straight and to the point, much like this classic goreshit song. Show your love to the set by sending your vote!
Knapsack - difficulties of getting out of bed by Parachor
74 BPM, 3:21 | 3.36★, 3.63★
description written by _underjoy
We also have something nice for all SV enthusiasts (and people who don't like getting up early in the morning)! Parachor's map of difficulties of getting out of bed is one of the more popular SV charts, gaining significant traction through the two years since its release.
As far as SV maps nominated for Loved go, Parachor's map is one of the less intimidating ones. The cozy and calm intro drops right into the main reading section with easy minijack patterning. It doesn't take too much time to get used to, but the main difficulty of that part is the occasional SV traps that can net a miss or two. Said section repeats at the ending of the chart, and there's also a neat memorization part in the middle of the chart that might be quite a surprise during the sightread!
Overall, the song is well accentuated with clean and straightforward LNs guiding through the guitar and vocals, and the quality of refinement is honestly impressive. This map is excellent proof that an SV map doesn't need to be hard to be fun, so go ahead and vote for it right now, especially since it's Parachor's first map nominated for Loved!
nonoc - Relive by Ticle
196 BPM, 3:56 | 7.15★, 7.16★
description written by Penguinosity
Let's all welcome Ticle back to the Loved votings with their hugely popular LN-based map of Relive! Created in 2019, this map showcased, especially at the time, the creative approach that Ticle tends to take with their pattern layering. Much of the LNs here are staggered onto 1/6 and 1/12 snappings, so whether you're in the eclectic and dense chorus bits or the more mellowed sections of the song, you will always be finding that your ability of releasing the notes accurately is tested. However, a bone is thrown to the players with the low OD values of these diffs at 6 and 5.5, leaving a good amount of leniency to the timing of these releases (on ScoreV1, that is).
We should also talk about the slight differences between the 2 diffs here, which are largely minuscule. Memory Snow was Ticle's original OD 5.5 diff. It contains largely identical mapping, apart from some visual gimmicks that are removed in the other diff. For the Snow Thaw difficulty, I'm sure that a good number of players are familiar with this chart due to its inclusion in the MWC 2020 Finals mappool. The use of ScoreV2 in tournaments for a chart of this kind caused it to be ferocious to accurately time, and I think all players of that tournament would undoubtedly agree.
Many people struggled to be consistent on this chart, and for that reason alone, it's certainly one of the more memorable picks from that entire tournament. Outside of that context, however, I can say what's here is a very soundly made and enjoyable LN experience that a big community of people has come to enjoy. Let's all give our thanks to Ticle for the maps they've created over the years!
Slax - Sugar Loli by NikoSek
205 BPM, 2:29 | 4.85★ – 6.33★
description written by Penguinosity
The hugely popular Sugar Loli by Nikosek has arrived! Nikosek is a mapper who needs absolutely no introduction, as their reach and appeal over the years have extended farther than almost any other charter in the mania sphere. We only recently put up his first map into the votings, Colorful, and here we are a few months later with another entry. Sugar Loli is one of a few maps that Niko has created from the artist Slax, and the reason why we've decided to put this map up first was for its popularity. In only a year and a half, this set has managed to amass nearly 45,000 plays. For a spread containing a single difficulty just on 7 separate rates, this is pretty much unheard of and absolutely no small feat to accomplish, especially for mania.
Now, what about the actual patterns in this map? At a runtime of about 2:30 on 1.0, this chart contains much of what anyone familiar with Nikosek has come to expect. The patterning is ergonomic and especially friendly to uprates. There's a good amount of downtime to allow players to conserve stamina. All sections of the map try to diversify the patterns to not become boring. The first minute of the chart is tame, containing some broken-up stop-and-go rice patterns, which then lead into the super comfortable and short jumpstream-filled chorus. This chorus is then followed by a breakdown with some jacks and then into another chorus.
Rinse and repeat until the end, and what you have is a friendly and well-constructed map to a catchy, high-energy song. We're glad to bring this map to the votings, and we can't wait in the future to get more of Nikosek's content into the Loved section.
3R2 - The Truth Never Spoken by [Crz]Rachel
153 – 198.9 BPM, 2:29 | 6.05★ – 7.64★
description written by _underjoy
Finally, every chordjack enthusiast was waiting for this moment: we're nominating The Truth Never Spoken by none other than [Crz]Rachel! Their chordjack maps gather a lot of popularity, and so is the case with this one — that's why we're happy to put this up, and there will surely be more Rachel mapsets to follow in the future!
Now onto the chart itself, this 153 BPM chordjack features relatively light but relentless and draining patterning compressed into two solid sections. Although the density is respectable, the lack of longer anchors allows for some speedjacking strats that make this map viable on higher bpm — that's why rates up to 1.3 were added and HP was decreased. This goes up to almost 200 BPM, which is a challenge for even the best jack gorillas out there, but we're sure every adept jack player will find a good bpm range to practice.
The patterns in The Truth Never Spoken are clean and comfortable — the main difficulty comes from the bpm itself as well as the length of the runs. What is there more to say? Check out the map, break your fingers, and vote for [Crz]Rachel's map!
Haruna Luna - Kimiiro Signal by Pikobaka and Myzki
164 BPM, 4:37 | 5.63★, 7.28★
description written by Kawawa
Us, the osu!mania captains, have been wanting to prioritize bringing new faces to Project Loved in the recent waves, and we are excited to welcome to everyone the first map from Pikobaka!
Kimiiro Signal is a very comfortable LN chart that mainly focuses on chordstream patterning and LN stairs. It starts off relatively tame, but the density increases gradually at the refrain section. Everything here works powerfully, and I am sure this will be a good starting point for those players who are newer to LNs but are looking to at least give their readings a challenge. The 4K chart here by Niima requires a specific technique that includes minijacks and whole LN skill, especially into the second half of the chorus, which becomes noticeably harder. Please be careful of the mini LNs, as they will strictly test your accuracy.
That's all I have to say, we hope everyone has fun with some noodles accompanying this catchy song, and we are happy again to bring you all the first nomination from Pikobaka!
Camellia - Galaxy Burst by Wonki, Jakads and Turrim
201 BPM, 4:01 | 3.65★, 4.94★, 6.55★, 7.41★
description written by Kawawa
We have decided to bring you another set from Wonki this round with some strong community demand. Galaxy Burst is targeted at skilled players who are used to playing SV and can keep their stamina under control. Heavy chords are the general approach taken on this chart, which at over 200 BPM is no joke, and the SV included makes them feel even heavier. These dense patterns are happening even before you reach the climax, where you will truly see why this song is titled with "Burst" in the name. You will see a 1/8 snapping hellfest that will put even some of the best players' physicality to the test.
Also, to everyone playing, don't forget to check out the lower difficulties! Turrim offers a pure rice chart, and Jakads made a unique map in which all notes are LN. Although it is technically biased to rice skill, the accompanying LN tails will heavily test your accuracy abilities. The Hard diff here is even providing some surprisingly tricky patterns for the audience that it's targeting. Please give your support to what everyone has done on this popular set by sending your vote!
DJ.Kurara - Japanese Transformation by Yuko-
260 BPM, 3:44 | 8.41★
description written by _underjoy
Yuko-'s Japanese Transformation is probably one of the most iconic 7K rice charts out there. Back when it was uploaded, it was one of the charts that only the legendary ETs could play, and even now, after 5 years, it still presents a formidable challenge to anyone daring to try this monstrosity. At first glance, one can already see the whopping 8.44 star rating — a pretty rare sight, considering this chart contains no long notes. However, patterns used by dreammaster are way more comfortable than they would seem. The most challenging aspect of Japanese Transformation is its BPM of 260, going well beyond anything commonly found in the 7K realm.
The map starts with a relatively easy intro section, quickly becoming a fury of fast and unforgiving chordstreams. Luckily, as mentioned before, the patterning is friendly, which helps manage the blazing pace of the chart, and multiple handtrills help in conserving stamina and HP. After the initial impact, the middle part consists of some basic chordstream and chord smash section, which, albeit still rather difficult, is breathing room for what will come up next. The finale of the chart is the last chorus that contains extended and increasingly dense chordstreams with bursts and trills scattered everywhere.
All of this comes neatly wrapped up, with every pattern being perfectly understandable, and nothing is out of place. This chart has been executed very well, which is not easy to do at such a difficulty level. That's why advanced 7K players should find this pick very enjoyable and competitive. Vote on this and get yourself a nice place on the leaderboards to assert domination!
Camellia vs. Tsukasa Kaminose - Gunkyouzouteki Soseiriron by _Stan, [Emiria], biemote, Kyousuke- and Penguinosity
160 BPM, 4:40 | 5.48★, 5.55★, 5.57★, 5.88★, 6.20★
description written by Penguinosity
_Stan makes their first appearance to Loved, with their 5-diff collaborative set of Gunkyouzouteki Soseiriron! Stan is a hardworking charter, which I'm sure many people who keep up with ranked charts should be familiar with. From the eclectic unapologetic patterning of Dream to Nightmare to the creative and diverse hybrid charting of Luin of Celtchar, Stan has proven to be an essential member of the community over the years and has even contributed to Ranked standard sets! To any unfamiliar, this song is a chaotic and intense piano-based track based on Camellia's Xroniel Xero album and features a collaboration between him and the equally legendary Tsukasa Kaminose.
Onto the set, which as a chart for a collaboration between these two artists should be, is a full collaboration between a myriad of different charters. Those charters include _Stan, Kyousuke-, biemote, [Emiria] (otherwise known as victorica_db), and myself. Besides all of us simply having GDs on the set, the catch is that each of the 5 difficulties is of a different key count. These diffs go from 4K up to 8K, and all of what's here will give players a different experience from one map to the next. From the full rice approach of the 8K to the hybrid centered patterning of the 7K and 4K, each approach to the song brings something distinct to the table.
Seeing a well-constructed key-spread is rare enough these days, let alone one put together in a way that's been done here. We're thankful for Stan's contributions to the community over the years and look forward to what they have to offer in the future!
Arise - 7K Endurance and technical training pack by Arise
144 – 250 BPM, 4:07 | 4.97★ – 7.09★
The [Mirror went] difficulty is not being nominated for Loved.
description written by _underjoy
Most of 7K players probably have played a chart from this pack at least once in their osu!mania career. Arise's 7K Endurance and technical training pack (also known as Xcaliboor, especially in the 4K community) is a seasoned classic gallery of relatively standard chordstream charts with some LN sections here and there. The choice of difficulties ranges from averagely hard (like "Midnight lighting bolt" and "Sister's noise") to very challenging ("Aim burst" and "Love is war").
Although the pack's name mentions technical patterning, its theme is focused on endurance, and there's a tiny technicality in the charts apart from some sparse LN sections. Now a word of warning: the patterning of chordstreams used is very basic and doesn't stand out for the most part. The quality of some charts isn't stellar, but the pack never was about following the music as closely as possible.
As this is the Endurance pack, its main focus is stamina, and playing these charts is an excellent way to improve the 7K muscles and get used to chordstreaming on many different levels. We hope you will warmly welcome Arise's pack as there is a lot of content to set a score on!
osu!mania 7K Dan Course - LN Dan Phase III by Jinjin, _Kobii, Kim_GodSSI, Pengdoll and Toaph Daddy
167 – 198 BPM, 8:13 | 9.79★, 10.48★, 11.76★, 12.29★, 13.26★
description written by _underjoy
There it is, the final exam of 7K LN abilities and the last part of revamped Jinjin Dans that go up into the Loved voting — LN Dan Phase III! There are 5 Dans in this pack: 9th, 10th, Gamma, Azimuth, and Zenith. Since all of you probably know what they are about, I'll keep this short. Dans are sets of 4 songs played consecutively with small breaks inbetween. Each piece is focused on a different aspect of gameplay; in the case of the LN Dans, there are general, tech, inverse, and LN release maps. Passing the course with 95% or more counts as a clear.
If you want to know more, be sure to check the mapset's description. These courses are a way to track your progress in the LN department and act as a standard of difficulty for other maps to compare to. Be sure to vote for the last remaining puzzle in the 7K Jinjin Dan set, and good luck with clearing some of the hardest 7K LN courses osu!mania has to offer!
daisan - -+ by hokin1995 and pwhk
185 BPM, 2:05 | 1.20★ – 6.44★
description written by _underjoy
hokin1995's 4K difficulties on -+ are rather simple, with a simple chord and jumpstream patterning accompanied with a few LNs and easy bursts. There's nothing much to say about them other than that they're a decent choice for beginner players.
On the other hand, 7K difficulties made by pwhk are much more challenging. While lower difficulties resemble the 4K portion of the set, the highest two introduce a lot of complexity to the gameplay. The patterning is based chiefly on chordtrills and doublestreams, some of which are rough in terms of patterning as this map is quite far from modern and resembles BMS style. Some occasional bracket sequences also transition into difficult minijacks on the hardest difficulty. The main meat of the charts are the very fast stair bursts in the middle section followed by an even harder buildup into the somewhat tame chorus, which then again gains on intensity. The chart ends with a dense chordstream and a calm outro.
-+ is a pretty fun legacy pick and a remnant of an older era, and it's time it got Loved alongside other game mode difficulties.
From everyone on the Project Loved Team, we hope you enjoyed this month's selections and are looking forward to the next! The favoured beatmaps will hit the Loved beatmap listing shortly after the polls end. Until then, make sure to enjoy the picks and cast your votes!
—Pachiru
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