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18 Sep 2022
Project Loved: September 2022
Project Loved: September 2022
The captains at Project Loved present to you a carefully crafted curation of classic creations — or in other words, the next round is here! Come check out the maps and cast your votes.
For those unfamiliar, Project Loved hosts monthly votings to decide which nominated maps get added to the Loved category. You can click on each map's banner in this post to go to its poll on the forums, or visit the forum for a list of all of the polls. Polls will be open for 10 days, so make sure to cast your votes in time! More info can be found on the wiki page and website!
Detailed results for the previous round can be found on the poll results page of the website or in the following forum posts:
The main updates this time around are about captain applications. First off, the osu! captains have closed their application form and decided on the next captains that'll be helping out. In the coming months, you'll get to know these fine gentlemen as they share maps here and open Loved polls:
Following the same idea, the osu!catch captains have also opened applications. Click this banner to apply if you're interested!
As always, if you want to help out with curating the maps that end up in the Loved polls, you can share maps with the captains or review them on the Project Loved website. We are also in talks about testing out a more direct means for the community to nominate maps for Loved, but no promises just yet.
Also, this post wouldn't be complete without something of a shout-out for the new faces helping around here, namely Irisu for helping me develop the website and 0x84f, dyndenial, Vysion, and Irisu for editing the captains' descriptions.
Lastly before the picks, check out these fancy banners for all of the Project Loved Discord servers made by Tanza3D, because by some arcane attention-grabbing power these generate dramatically more traffic than their plaintext link counterparts:
Navigation
osu!
The osu! Loved candidates were chosen by DigitalHypno!
USAO - Hastur by fanzhen0019
118 BPM, 1:55 | 7.49★
description written by DigitalHypno
fanzhen0019 never disappoints when it comes to unique, high-quality experimental maps, and this map from 2017 is a perfect display of how their experimental mapping has evolved over the years. This two-minute map features Aspire-like slider patterns that still pose a unique challenge to this day. If you want to dive into an older era of experimental mapping and have yourself a fun challenge at the same time, this is the perfect map to play!
DJ SHARPNEL - GATE OPENERZ by CosmicWolf
180 – 250 BPM, 4:45 | 6.09★ – 8.36★
description written by DigitalHypno
With the plethora of rate-change mapsets out there in the graveyard, few are able to stand out among the crowd. This remix of Skyclad no Kansokusha from Steins;Gate made quite the name for itself with over 66,000 plays and tons of praise from all of you. As a new staple in the realm of tapping speed and stamina training, come see what all the hype is all about, and practice your tapping skills while you're at it!
Runore - The OTOMAD Remix by popner
183 BPM, 4:45 | 5.40★
description written by Doomsday
A subgenre of music that has dropped off in popularity in the mapping scene is YTPMV mashups, and the otoMAD medleys of Niconico. They were very popular for mappers in the early 2010s, and this is a great example of one!
The prolific mapper popner put together a creation for this particular mashup, The OTOMAD Remix by Runore, in 2013. This track is crammed with so many iconic tunes and melodies of the internet that it's hard to fathom. Set at 183 BPM, it is a quintessential map for such a song style, with constant fast bursts and streams following that hectic lead. It isn't just the nostalgia factor that helps this map stand the test of time, though. The stream-heavy style still plays like a joy today, and as such, it has endured as a staple for players looking to warm up their tapping. For years, players have honed their streaming abilities using this very map.
It's up to you whether this blast from the past becomes the latest addition to Project Loved. Give us your vote!
Masa - Kitsune no Yomeiri (Cat, Sabi-tyan Cover) by Azrealy
240 BPM, 3:45 | 7.48★
description written by DigitalHypno
At over 430 favorites, this Russian cover of Kitsune no Yomeiri has captivated the favourite lists of many. The map itself is filled with super fun 7-star jumps at a solid 240 BPM, making this an awesome challenge map as well as a unique musical experience. With this map even being featured in some high-level tournaments, it's hard to overstate the popularity of this map in multiple facets of the community.
PSYQUI - Education by Krimek
180 BPM, 3:46 | 7.96★
description written by DigitalHypno
This map is basically an alt map if the sliders were on steroids, taking all the parts you know and love about alternating patterns and making them even cooler. It's got cut streams, high-speed sliders, a banger PSYQUI song, and some of the most satisfying patterns you'll find in the game. If you don't have this map yet, you're seriously missing out.
katagiri - Angel's Salad by Nathan
177 BPM, 2:16 | 7.53★
description written by Doomsday
Fresh from the mind of one of osu!'s most popular mappers of EDM, Nathan outdid himself when he was tasked with creating this fearsome breakcore map for the grand finals of The Perennial 2021. The tournament needed a control challenge that was worthy of the grand finalists, and Nathan did not disappoint.
Set at 177 BPM, Angel's Salad by katagiri is a very intense breakcore song, and the mapper opted to make full use of it. Brutal circle tech patterns, slider tech patterns, and rhythm tech patterns permeate all the way through and will challenge even the most seasoned technical master. Handcrafted by a veteran creator of this style, it was one of the most popular custom maps to be created for The Perennial of that year. This map has since gone on to reappear in later tournaments, as well as standing alone as an infamous challenge in and of itself.
Do you think that this beast of a breakcore map deserves a spot in Project Loved? Let us know in the vote above!
MiniMusicMan - Crazy La Paint by Scrublord_old
140 BPM, 2:22 | 6.80★, 6.80★
description written by DigitalHypno
This map is a cultural icon dating back all the way to 2013, being one of the premiere "troll" multiplayer picks in the early era of osu! content creation and livestreaming. The map itself is mostly filled with symmetrical 140 BPM jumps and bursts, along with some, well, crazy patterns as well. If you're going for a full combo, I hope you're prepared for the very last pattern.
osu!taiko
The osu!taiko Loved candidates were chosen by -Kazu-, Boaz, Gamelan4, Horiiizon and Roxy-!
IOSYS - Scarlet Keisatsu no Getto- Patrol 24ji by 7_7
320 BPM, 1:37 | 7.65★
description written by -Kazu-
To start things off this round we've picked IOSYS - Scarlet Keisatsu no Getto- Patrol 24ji, done by 7_7 in a double BPM mapping style for all of us drum mashers to enjoy!
It features pretty simple patterns that focus on keeping the flow precise with the feeling of the music, making this beatmap pretty interesting to people trying to practice their speed and stamina. Make sure to check this funky beatmap out!
beatMARIO - Night of Knights by Jerry
180 BPM, 1:38 | 5.38★
description written by Boaz
Jerry joins the Loved voting once again with yet another storyboard map. In the beginning, this might look like your average Night of Knights map but don't get fooled. Sakuya will try to hinder you throughout the map making it way harder to full combo. Blocking the screen with her daggers, freezing and tilting your playfield, removing colours and changing the BPM are all things that will be used against you. Are you ready to reign victorious in this amazing beatmap? Make sure to try it out with storyboard enabled!
Kokonatsu - Kokonatsu wa Yume no Katachi by KinomiCandy
216 BPM, 1:50 | 6.12★
description written by Roxy-
Hey everyone! Do you like to play exhilarating maps? I would like to introduce to everyone to a map of Kokonatsu wa Yume no Katachi made by KinomiCandy. I hope everyone will try to play it because it has many clean patterns and is exhilarating, which is a feature of KinomiCandy's maps. Also, there are no complex patterns, so it is recommended for those who are not confident in their playing skills to practice!
Mitchie M - Seraphim On The Ring by Player0
175 BPM, 3:38 | 0.00★, 3.04★
description written by Gamelan4
Mitchie M - Seraphim On The Ring is a map that at first glance has nothing special to it. You see it on the beatmap listing with a low star rating, proper to such a friendly sounding song, but once you click on download and actually play the map, be prepared be mind-blown by how incredible Player0's efforts are. This map doesn't have such a high favorite count for nothing.
If you are familiar with the rhythm game scene, you probably have heard of Muse Dash, known by some taiko enthusiast as the "two lane taiko". It's a really entertaining game, and you really should go try it out. How? Simple, just play this map. Player0 somehow managed to convert taiko into a completely different game with their insane storyboarding skills, doing a perfect recreation of the Muse Dash gameplay and charm.
It's impossible for us Loved captains to just ignore such a map, so we are excited to bring it to you. It's a must-try for anyone who hasn't yet, so hurry up and do so!
Virtual Self - Ghost Voices by Ulqui
240 BPM, 2:27 | 6.41★
description written by -Kazu-
At this point one could say there's two major traits that come to mind every time we feature a map by Ulqui or Myckoll (and in this case, both!).
First and the most obvious is the sheer amount of SV changes (and pretty high ones at that) these two use in order to keep players on their toes and emphasize the intensity of the song through note scroll speed, almost reaching Hard Rock territory most of the time.
The other trait is the incredibly well-crafted patterning that is carefully done to represent the song in very creative ways, even sometimes straying from the song in order to create a rich layer that adds up to the song blending in really well.
Ghost Voices is a perfect example of both, so if you love Ulqui's or Myckoll's maps, then you absolutely must sign up for this double bpm reading challenge!.
96-glass - Shiawase ni Nareru Kakushi Amenbreak ga Arurashii by applerss
284 BPM, 3:42 | 6.75★, 9.28★
description written by Horiiizon
To finish this round is applerss' map of Shiawase ni Nareru Kakushi Amenbreak ga Arurashii, arguably one of the hardest maps ever put up for taiko's Loved voting, coming in at a massive 9.28 stars!
This map is 284 BPM, features heavy and complex 1/6 usage and offers very little breathing room when it comes to rest moments, making it a challenge for even skilled players to just pass the map. Not to worry though, as if you are in the large majority of people who can't pass the Broken difficulty, the Cracked difficulty is significantly easier, containing only 1/4 and much more simplistic patterns.
Do you have what it takes to pass the top diff?
osu!catch
The osu!catch Loved candidates were chosen by Sartan, Tenshichan and Wesley!
t+pazolite - Tempestissimo by Bunnrei
231 BPM, 2:15 | 7.52★
description written by Wesley
This might be a short map, but man is it a banger. But hey, what else can you expect from Bunnrei? The map starts out slowly but quickly turns it up a notch as you can imagine with a song like this. It has a bunch of very quick sliders combined with some stair-esque patterns later on which could throw you off quite easily. To top it all off at the ending, there's just one final slider that will ruin your full combo if you're not paying enough attention!
Hatsuki Yura - Kaguyahime by Kukkai
154 BPM, 4:21 | 6.18★
description written by Tenshichan
Kaguyahime is a mapset which has been in graveyard since October 2019, which is a shame because it contains a really clean and well-done catch difficulty mapped by Kukkai.
Compared to last month's selection of maps this one is way easier to play but still requires a good amount of consistency and speed to be able to get a full combo. It has a lot of fast-paced patterns which may catch you off guard if you aren't ready for them, especially the later half of the map, which could mark the end of a lot of good runs, because that's where it gets increasingly difficult.
All in all this is a fun and neat practice map for aspiring players who want to challenge themselves, but also a playground for top players to see how they'll fare with HR.
Hommarju & Dollscythe - Flashes (Hommarju Remix) by Fauzan 2000
175 BPM, 2:35 | 8.11★
description written by Sartan
WUB WUB WUB and other things! You heard that right, we are throwing Flashes by Fauzan 2000 into the loved section — another mapper with their first entry into Loved!
This is a fairly difficult map, containing many jumps and moderately large sliders that accentuate the aforementioned "WUB" quite well. It is just really satisfactory to indulge yourself in the song — perhaps even putting your audio system to daringly loud volumes and enjoying the intense electronics making your fingers dance. Want to throw in a mod or two? That should be doable for the upper echelon of players, without busting the entire experience.
Tomoya Ohtani - Crisis City (SoInhumane Remix) by Sutavv
181 BPM, 4:07 | 11.21★
description written by Wesley
Hyperwalk enjoyers, rejoice! This week we have another wild map that is filled to the brim with hyperwalks everywhere. This map very much gives me the vibes of Obsidian which was Loved about a year ago, with calm patterns here and there followed by immediate hyperwalks and insane patterns.
Let go of that dash button once in a while and try to catch some of the hyperwalks that are probably too fast to be human. Enjoy!
osu!mania
The osu!mania Loved candidates were chosen by _underjoy, -NoName-, kadoen, Paturages, RandomeLoL and stupud man!
Slax - Too Much Loli by NikoSek
190 – 266 BPM, 3:05 | 4.88★, 5.24★, 5.65★, 6.02★, 6.39★
description written by kadoen
Did you not have enough loli last time? Well, you can have some more... But be careful, as it may now be too much!
In all seriousness, the wild popularity of Nikosek's approachable charting is too much to ignore, so it's time for the second part of their "lolilogy" to enter Loved voting. You know the drill: lots of jumpstream, some jumptrill, and a few breaks between them, all combined to create a very fun experience accessible to a wide audience.
Whether you're trying for a pass, an S, or an SS — on any of the rates — click on that banner just above and make your vote count!
Carlito - Who's That Boy by Evening
120 – 216 BPM, 3:15 | 5.22★ – 8.47★
description written by RandomeLoL
He's Carlito. Yes I've just spoiled it to you. That Boy is Carlito. But crappy jokes aside, Evening's Who's That Boy has finally been nominated! We hope that both fans of the patterning and people who just want to have a laugh will enjoy this chart as much as we did.
For the unaware, this is a heavily anchor-focused chordjack chart. Its uniqueness comes not only from the song choice (which is already a plus), but rather the way it uses said anchors advantageously. Other than that, you should expect an unrelenting chart that's not going to hold any punches with its constant barrage of chords. So expect your forearms to be a little sore after trying this out.
With all of that said, we hope that this legacy map piques an interest with both people who already played it and those who have yet to try this masterpiece.
Zekk - Skrillexore by Azubeur
175 BPM, 2:37 | 4.62★
description written by RandomeLoL
It's been quite some time since they've been under the spotlight ever since USAO - Dynamite was first featured, but Azubeur is back with Zekk - Skrillexore!
An old-ish chart of theirs that has amassed a small following, the chart offers a variety of wacky patterns for each of the remixed songs in the mashup. Definitely a fun challenge for those who are just starting to play at this difficulty! Just be wary of the stream bursts in between, some minijacks here and there, and an ending segment that's comprised of every patterning concept seen before it as a test of your resilience. For those seeking for a greater challenge, we're planning on adding rates to sap its competitive potential at higher leaderboarded difficulties!
I genuinely would vouch to at least give this chart a shot. It definitely was a good experience back when it was first introduced to me, and seeing more people get to enjoy it for the first time would be phenomenal.
Gram vs. Camellia - Ragnarok by eZmmR
234 BPM, 5:20 | 8.49★
The [- -] difficulty is not being nominated for Loved.
description written by -NoName-
eZmmR returns to the Loved voting once again with his chart of Ragnarok!
While this is an older chart, it was well-known for its LN difficulty back then. However, the community has advanced very far in LN proficiency since 2018, and many more players are capable of playing this than before. We believe this chart should be given a fair shot at voting due to its legacy in that regard.
If you want to see Ragnarok in the Loved section, don't forget to support it in voting!
Moe Shop - Audiovisual by Paturages
128 BPM, 1:49 | 3.22★, 3.23★, 3.23★
description written by -NoName-
Our very own Paturages is overdue for a Loved nomination, and one of his SV works, Audiovisual, is finally entering the Loved section!
I hope you are familiar with swing rhythms, because there are plenty of those to go around. This chart is heavy on memorization, so if you want a good score on this, be prepared to practice it for a while. If you're not a fan of the SVs, there's still the NSV difficulty for you to simply enjoy the song with.
Support Paturages and vote for Audiovisual if you want to see this mapset in the Loved section!
Chaos City Niigata - Ukiyoe Yokochou by Imperial Wolf
192 BPM, 2:04 | 4.81★
description written by _underjoy
Imperial Wolf is primarily known for his 6K charting, but here we see an impressive jazzy 7K map from him: Ukiyoe Yokochou.
Although not very dense, this map is very fast-paced and certainly interesting when it comes to patterning. There are numerous swing rhythms and uneven chords that are intertwined by rolly chordstreams and doublestairs. There are also some minor LNs that, while relatively easy, cannot be ignored and will definitely challenge the player's ability to get good accuracy. The whole map is a quick and intense mid-level experience that may be quite hard to high score on — but very rewarding to those who can accomplish such a feat.
Be sure to check this great chart and cast your vote on Ukiyoe Yokochou!
Sangatsu no Phantasia - Pastel Rain by quicalid4
135 BPM, 3:15 | 8.13★
description written by _underjoy
quicalid4 is known for his smooth and effective charting of 7K LN maps, and Pastel Rain is one of his more popular and well-regarded works.
The map holds a rather steady level of difficulty for the most part, featuring relatively dense and constant LN chordstreams and inverses at 130 BPM. Because of this, it's a great test of finger control and consistency. The difficulty ramps up near the end, as more minijacks are introduced into the mix, and the density of LNs also increases. The whole map is neatly wrapped up with some bursts, and there's really nothing that's out of place.
Vote for Pastel Rain to help to deliver another great LN map into the Loved section!
Camellia - Flamewall by Leeju
300 BPM, 6:47 | 9.55★
description written by -NoName-
Leeju returns to the Loved nominations with his chart of Flamewall!
The star rating combined with the song looks very intimidating, but don't be fooled — it is not as hard as the star rating suggests. The patterning here is much more approachable than meets the eye. That said, don't be caught off guard either as this is a hybrid, so this chart will test your dense chordstreaming, delay, jack, and LN abilities all in nearly 7 minutes.
Leeju did a phenomenal job making a high-quality chart that should be voted into the Loved section. Remember to vote for Flamewall if you want to see this chart in the Loved section!
From everyone working on Project Loved, 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 and website. Stop by the #osu-loved channel of the osu!dev Discord server if you have any questions, concerns, or are interesting in helping out.
See you next month!
—clayton
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