DDR - Bracket 1.2 Reviews

[BLueSS]

SCORE CRITERIA: All scores must be whole integers between 0-max
/5 - Presentation (2 being "average")
/11 - Second Hardest chart (4-7 being "average" for a chart)
/11 - Hardest Chart
/3 - Tilt
--------------
Max of /30 points

ALL JUDGING MUST HAVE FEEDBACK ON WHY IT WAS GIVEN THAT SCORE! Judging without feedback will NOT be counted in any situation.

Everyone is free to add a Public Review (PR), which will consist of a scoring sheet (using above criteria) for each song in a sub-bracket. The PR scores are then averaged together and the top move on.
You are not allowed to judge any bracket or sub-bracket your song is in!

You must review all the files in the sub-bracket for your review to count.

[Loki]

Cheer Train 21 / 30
05 / 05 - Presentation
Its really good in all ways, Good bg, good banner, cd tittle on, all difficulties and fun video...
07 / 11 - Second Hardest chart
Its fine and fun, but maybe too much streamed for me, but it fits cause its a slow song. Too dificult at start in comparison of the major part of the rest. Good anyways but some strange, not in all as DDR feeling
07 / 11 - Hardest Chart
Remember this is not ITG do you? It's meant to play with bar? You know, in my opinion a normal DDR song should be playable with 1.5x/2x, and without bar... DDR it's for fun in much ways... Also doesnt fit as a boss song... Jumps with streams, To big streams, i would leave heavy as last dificulty... But i recognice, you did all the work, and thats a pont for you in my opinion
2 / 03 - Tilt
You worked for a great charts. In my opinion it's not exactly a winner as you say in readme... I put a 2 for making doubles

Don't Stop Believing 20 / 30
04 / 05 - Presentation
Nice banner, some overcharging maybe (i like the extra one), no cd tittle, good random videos, can't see bg, OMG you used a black one and just put the other in the file...
07 / 11 - Second Hardest chart
Someway repetitive, not really challenging if you can make the start charts, average.
07 / 11 - Hardest Chart
Some strange quarters in my opinion, also good position of crossovers but allways with the same foot :S Average
02 / 03 - Tilt
Good work anyways, you deserve something more than a 1 here, and you did a great work with videos.

Our song 21 / 30
04 / 05 - Presentation
Nice blank cd tittle using, minimalist banner but good, not all charts i readed the readme, holidays was a problem for me too.. Good video, good bg.
08 / 11 - Second Hardest chart
Nice steps, it fits fine, good as 4 foot. nothing to say. (8 cause its light dificulty)
08 / 11 - Hardest Chart
Weird but acceptable. As you said, its a little copy of breakdown, you could make a harder end in my opinion that would fit more and make the dificulty get over than at start. (Also i think i saw a strange quarter on somewhere)
01 / 03 - Tilt
You worked, also big readme but strange, good for you.

PARANOiA HRX 24 / 30
05 / 05 - Presentation
Nice banner, fits with paranoias, also CD tittle and videos(also the first double it makes it strange..., i dont really like bg (that would make a 4 but you made all charts you get a 5)
08 / 11 - Second Hardest chart
The part of jumps little repetitive as some charts, but its nice and fits fine, i miss any surprise ass all paranoias, and the charts are not at all as other ones. 8, more than average but not still enought for more.
09 / 11 - Hardest Chart
Really fits as a paranoia but too much abusing of jump, you could make that double jumps as a simple arrow and jump and it would be less oversteped.
But i liked it in some way, you did a good work. I would give you a 9.5... Really fun steps but too much jumps
02 / 03 - Tilt
I didnt gave you that 0.5 so you get it here cause i wanted a 1.5 xD... Good song in general (Not much extended readme)
Also is a good boss song. Deserves to go further.

Sai wa Nagerareta 17 / 30
04 / 05 - Presentation
No cd tittle, also you could make tittle in japan as the banner. Good video also with lyrics. Banner dont make mee feel xD No song edited at end with a fade or something...
06 / 11 - Second Hardest chart
Werid steps in some parts to play with foot. Good streams but it little fail in some moments for me... Average
06 / 11 - Hardest Chart
Some way forced steps and too close to heavy ones, still some weird. Dont like, dont like... sorry
01 / 03 - Tilt
You worked but i dont really liked... Not good as song, not solid... sorry
I give you 1 cause you deserve more total points...

ZAMURAI 20 / 30
04 / 05 - Presentation
Animated banner is good but need to see what is inside xD. Also artist name font doesnt fits... CD tittle ON, Good video but not syncked, not real bg also
07 / 11 - Second Hardest chart
Realy strange, too much speed changes but playable, average.
07 / 11 - Hardest Chart
Not playable at all, but coherent. Average, dont really like it.
02 / 03 - Tilt
You worked at all, this is just to comply with the low rated steps and recognizing your work.

Cheer Train 21 / 30
Don't Stop Believing 20 / 30
Our song 21 / 30
PARANOiA HRX 24 / 30
Sai wa Nagerareta 17 / 30
ZAMURAI 20 / 30

Overall on bracket:
Good in presentation overall.
Too much weird charts. Sai wa Nagerareta was the most disappointing simfile of all from this bracket.
Good work with PARANOiA HRX

[Timer Rabbit]

Hello again! Sorry if my review is not that good.

Cheer Train
4/5 - Presentation: lolwat @ graphics. xD But finally a Cheer Train with a video is LOVE.
7/11 - Second Hardest chart: I think the chart is okay for DDR. The song itself still doesn't feel like a boss song, but I can live with a 8-footer for Cheer Train.
6/11 - Hardest Chart: I like to play such hard charts (but not to insane-hard) on StepMania keyboard, but a song like this doesn't suit to be a boss song. Maybe on the ITG level it could have gotten a better rating.
1/3 - Tilt: Graphics still make me LOL (Now all I need is a MV for Tomas and Cheer Train!). I still like the heavy more than the Challenge though.

Don't Stop Believing
I think this song kinda calm me down from a certain drama I have fallen into...
4/5 - Presentation: Heh. I like the BGM set-up. Not DDR-gold, but it's passable for a 4.
9/11 - About the same score as heavy. It's not hard, but the chart is pretty interesting enough. But overall i'm not feeling well so I did not focus on the wrongs on the simfile.
9/11 - I did not focus to much on the chart. But I think it's passable for the DDR arcades.
2/3 - Tilt: Pretty good. If looking for a chillax song, this one is for you.

Our Song
5/5 - Presentation: Graphics suited this song.. And the video is superb.
9/11 - Second Hardeset Chart: No Standard? Okay. Light chart is semi-weird but it's good.
10/11 - Hardest Chart: I'm tempted to say BREAK DOWN! again. Also this chart gives me happy tears.
3/3 - Tilt: Darn. I think Buono files by a certain person makes me happy on the inside.

PARANOiA HRX
5/5 - Presentation: Did I see Flandre Scarlet? Well okay. I LOVE the BGM arrangements, and I think the graphics is good for something different from the DDR originals.
11/11 - Second Hardet Chart: O. M. G. I think I found the Heavy chart more fun! If I see this on DDR, i'd so PLAY IT!!!
9/11 - Hardest Chart: Err I can't tell if I like or hated, but there are some parts I LOVE about the chart. And it's even more awesome that I don't get distracted by the epic BGM arrangement. The only thing that would make me slip is the jumps. But since i'm not a simfile maker/pro, I can't point out on the improovements. (I have to play Challenge twice for this.)
3/3 - Tilt: Good BGM arrangents, graphics (and love for Flandre, haha), decent charts, I think I would love to see this on DDR!

Sai wa Nagerareta
4/5 - Presentation: WHAT!!!! (I really did say that.) Okay. Graphics and BGMs are okay, but when I see still images, I tripped my Heavy gameplay.
7/11 - Second Hardet Chart: A bit better. There are parts I like and I didn't trip when I see "Mew is Dead".
6/11 - Hardest Chart: Kinda speachless, but I did not find any good flavors on this chart. Sorry. (And again the BGMs doesn't help but made me miss. xD)
1/3 - Tilt: God. I don't know what else to say. But the BGM is pretty funny, but not worthy to be on DDR. Sorry bro. Oh and I don't like the cut.

ZAMURAI
5/5 - Presentation: I see that the background is a simple title/logo. But with the video AND a animated banner. I like it~
8/11 - Second Hardet Chart: Not much different from the Challenge chart, only less arrows~ But still weird yet interesting. @.@
8/11 - Hardest Chart: HOLY FFF!!!! Speed gimicks! The chart is a bit funny too. But why I got a feeling that DDR will evetually make a trippy chart like this? The file is a hit and miss.
2/3 - Tilt: I can't see this on DDR. But I kinda want to see how players play this song on pad. The songs reminds me (or fitted) of a Pop'n Music song. Because you got a animated banner and a video, you get something. Oh and the steps... Again weird, unique, but if I do play it again (on keyboard), I have to use the c400 speed mod.

Total Scores:
Cheer Train: 18/30
Don't Stop Believing: 24/30
Our Song: 27/30
PARANOiA HRX: 28/30
Sai wa Nageraeta: 18/30
ZAMURAI: 23/30

Eh. I knew I like PARANOiA HRX of all the songs in this bracket. Second place being "Our Song", and 3rd being "Don't Stop Believing". Overall it's a odd bracket, like Loki said.

[Skyline]

Cheer Train - 23/30

-Presentation: 05/05
I swear to God, that face is what nightmares are made of.
More like Murderous Intent Train.
It fits well, for reasons I'm not sane enough to understand. Also, I notice that you make a lot of "song title only" banners.
-Second Hardest Chart: 8/11
The only thing that irks me about this chart is towards the end (measures 43-51), it feels like there is something missing. Nice cool-down period, but it feels a little spartan compared to the varied nature of the rest of the chart.
-Hardest Chart: 7/11
You and I seem to have the same problem with undershooting rating, more than likely due to the environment in which our charts are played and created for (arcade cab). The boundaries of what can be considered a 10 get stretched out a little further with every chart. This would have probably been safe as an 11.
Stream stream stream, and the jumps beginning on measures 11 and 27 are lots of fun.
As an aside, Starting charts with the very first measure of the music is very :I
-Tilt: 03/03
Doubles charts are where you had the most fun, and it shows.


Don't Stop Believing - 19/30

-Presentation: 04/05
Nice banner/bg. Nice placement of videos. Not a big fan of cube7.avi fade in from black when cube7.avi fade in from dont stop believing.png would have looked more natural.
-Second Hardest Chart: 06/11
The ending (measure 41 onwards) felt a little weird, because it's really easy to go into it expecting the same rhythmic structure from the start of the chart. With the freezes I was a little confused as to what exactly you were following there. Interesting jump placements.
-Hardest Chart: 07/11
Measures 7 and 8 felt off. Misread a few of those crossovers early on because I'm a dingus.
Measures 8 and 48 could have done without the 16ths following the drums.
-Tilt: 02/03
Okay all around, steps would definitely benefit from a little fine-tuning.

Our Songs - 22/30

-Presentation: 05/05
Like the video. Banner/BG ok.
-Second Hardest Chart: 06/11
A lot of auto-centering took place for this chart to not feel a bit weird.
-Hardest Chart: 08/11
Comparisons to BREAK DOWN! aside, interesting. That 16th note on measure 59 could have been left out.
-Tilt: 03/03
Although circumstances prevented you from doing a full chart set for this song, the quality of this simfile would have definitely benefited from a Standard chart. It looks like there was enough to work with. If you do end up finishing one, post it.


PARANOiA HRX - 23/30

-Presentation: 05/05
Decent BG/banner, great video sequencing. Looked like there were a few mistakes in it though, not sure if intentional or not.
-Second Hardest Chart: 06/11
I kind of agee with Loki, the jump sequences starting at measure 33 could have had something added to them, at the very least freezes, to flesh out that section a little bit. The patterns that started at measure 52 did seem a little blah...something like RDR/LDL/RDR/LDL instead of RLR/LRL/RLR/LRL would have made that part a little more enjoyable.
-Hardest Chart: 09/11
Kind of the same feeling as the heavy chart as far as measure 33 is concerned, but the rest of the chart makes up for it.
-Tilt: 03/03
Nicely done. I told myself I'd be sick of PARANOiA remixes back in 2007, guess I was wrong :B


Sai wa Nagerareta - 19/30

-Presentation: 04/05
MEW IS DED T-T
Also, what was the point of dice.jpg?
-Second Hardest Chart: 06/11
Feels like towards the end the chart was becoming something completely different in ters of difficulty and structure. Some of the step positioning did feel a little awkward. If played on a pad, this would feel a little off.
-Hardest Chart: 07/11
Same kind of "off-feeling" as the Heavy chart.
-Tilt: 02/03
Having the music end at measure 101 sounded like it would have worked as opposed to the fadeout.


ZAMURAI - 24/30

-Presentation: 04/05
Video Video Video. You could have probably gotten away from using the alternate BG as the standard one.
-Second Hardest Chart: 09/11
Pretty hard 8/easy 9. I like these steps. The music itself sounds like there is a lot that can be done with it, this helps the flow of the chart.
-Hardest Chart: 08/11
Definitely a 10 in it's technicality. Would be a great hard 9 if it weren't a base speed of 200BPM.
-Tilt: 03/03
12th note clause? I really enjoyed this one.

Overall: Some nice charts here. Some a little off-kilter, yes. Some not exactly your standard DDR step pattern fare, yes. But enjoyable nonetheless.

[Miki]

Grading
Presentation - /5 - Given based on background, banner, background video if any.
Second Hardest Chart -/11 - Usually played second.
Hardest Chart - /11 - Usually played first.
Tilt - /3 - Given for extra (and good) charts, informative/funny readmes.
Comments: Has no bearing on grading. Overall impression.

Marks
+ Good things.
- Bad things.
~ Neutral things.

Cheer Train - 21/30
Presentation - 3/5
- Colorful font, but doesn't blend into Thomas.
+ Background video.
Second Hardest Chart (Heavy) - 8/11
+ Lots of variety within the runs.
- I don't really like the freeze and steps combo for "stand by to win".
Hardest Chart (Challenge) - 8/11
+ 16ths streams were kind of fun.
- A bit too freeze heavy for my taste.
Tilt - 2/3
+ Standard, Light, and Beginner charts. The Light chart is a little bit lazy, but still feels nice.
+ Doubles! Leg-splitting ones even.
Comments: I hate you Kenchan

DON'T STOP BELIEVIN' - 19/30
Presentation - 4/5
+ Background videos. Nostalgia rush.
- I am not really digging the font for the artist and how it's all squished.
Second Hardest Chart - 6/11
~ Some good parts (like DON'T STOP, BELIEVIN'), but half the time I am not sure what the steps are following.
Hardest Chart - 7/11
~ The gallops were a nice touch, but there is so much going on in the music that some parts feel understepped, especially towards the end.
Tilt - 2/3
+ Light and Beginner charts.
+ Informative ReadMe with facts and stuff. FOOOOURRRRR indeed.
Comments: The song is great but the steps just leave me feeling sad and empty and SO UNFULFILLED :<

Our Songs - 21/30
Presentation - 5/5
+ Nice banner, simple but cool.
+ Background video, but I can't stand to watch them dance anymore.
Second Hardest Chart (Light) - 7/11
~ Solid, but I think this can be a little bit harder and maybe some more jumps might be fun.
Hardest Chart (Heavy) - 8/11
~ Solid steps, fun but not very memorable.
- The ending could have been cut a bit shorter I think. The dundun dundunDUUUN JUMPJUMP thing got a bit old.
Tilt - 1/3
~ 2 pages worth of ReadMe. Also I learned the author is a troubled person. A whole paragraph on light steps!
Comments: I agree that this file is pretty safe, but it does have its fun parts and adventurous steps.

PARANOiA HRX - 22/30
Presentation - 4/5
+ Background video and changes.
Second Hardest Chart (Heavy) - 9/11
+ Starts off pretty fun and is consistent the whole way.
Hardest Chart (Challenge) - 8/11
+ The gallops and some of the runs (although none of them are very long) are nice.
~ The jumps match with the music, but felt very forced after a while.
Tilt - 1/3
~ Standard, Light, and Beginner charts. Standard and Light feels fine. I don't think Beginners can handle freezes like this though.
Comments: The steps are like the best thing ever to happen to this song because I would rather listen to the original than this. The repetitive nature of this song just leads to a lot of repetitiveness in the steps, even if they are rotated in some way.

Sai wa Nagerareta - 20/30
Presentation - 3/5
+ Background videos and changes.
- Song is not cut appropriately.
Second Hardest Chart (Heavy) - 8/11
+ Fun parts, variety in steps. Some awkward step placements though.
- Ending's the same as Challenge.
Hardest Chart (Challenge) - 8/11
+ Has decent, fun parts with lots of variety.
- Feels way too long.
Tilt - 1/3
+ WISH IS DEAD, MEW IS DEAD made me laugh really hard for some stupid reason.
Comments: The ReadMe is hilarious too (probably because it's not the author's first language), but I don't want give any more tilt points for that. THE LIGHT IS NOT SHOWN!

ZAMURAI - 25/30
Presentation - 5/5
+ Animated banner!
+ Background video. Entertaining!
Second Hardest Chart (Heavy) - 9/11
+ Quite an interesting take, well-balanced steps.
~ The 16th run is fun, but it seems out of place in this chart.
Hardest Chart (Challenge) - 9/11
+ Interesting, some fun parts.
~ The BPM halving/doubling feels out of place at a few points, but I understand what the file is going for.
- Felt too short.
Tilt - 2/3
+ Light and Beginner charts. Both are nicely done.
+ Alternate graphics!
Comments: Great presentation, it's just that some steps feel off.

Overall comments: This was a hard bracket to judge. The charts are just so different that it's hard to judge them on the same scale. ZAMURAI is definitely the most interesting file. I can see PARANOiA HRX and Our Songs moving on as well because they are more polished overall.

[Telperion]

With a tip o' the hat to Lisek for review template.

Cheer Train 18 / 30
4 / 5 - Presentation
I'm kind of a stickler for song/artist banners (nice choice though lol), but the BGV was a good inclusion.
6 / 11 - Second Hardest Chart
The placement is mostly OK, but has a couple doublesteppin' fumbles that are usually only seen in copypasta goofs. Rhythms are meh.
6 / 11 - Hardest Chart
Very ITG-style, not much of a 10 except loosely in terms of stamina. Too much reliance on sixteenth note runs.
2 / 3 - Tilt
Stand by to win Wow!
I would rate your D-Challenge chart a 10-footer for tall people and a 12-footer for short people. Again, very ITG-style, and compounded by strange patterns that occasionally look like they're meant to throw people off balance :< D-Expert was tamer, but still didn't feel like it was well planned. I'll bump you up for not doing autogen.

Don't Stop Believing (Fonzerelli Remix) 17 / 30
4 / 5 - Presentation
Graphics are really nice, but the BGA sequence doesn't make any sense to me.
7 / 11 - Second Hardest Chart
It was OK. Nothing really stood out about this chart, but nothing was especially bad either.
5 / 11 - Hardest Chart
I had a lot of trouble hearing what the steps were supposed to go along with. It felt more like a seven-footer than an eight.
1 / 3 - Tilt
Interesting, but decent choice for a song. With the right charts, this'd go really far.

Our Songs 24 / 30
5 / 5 - Presentation
Eye-catching banner, inclusion of BGV, sold. Attractive flailing females didn't hurt either.
9 / 11 - Second Hardest Chart
For a four, there's a bit much going on, but it's manageable and also quite interesting.
7 / 11 - Hardest Chart
Whoa whoa whoa slow down. This chart got away from me shockingly fast, even indexing it in SM. There's a lot of sudden turning patterns, some of which are just way too hard to get back out of. Fits the music somehow, though.
3 / 3 - Tilt
Song's right up my alley. DDR needs more punk-pop, in my well-informed opinion

PARANOiA HRX 24 / 30
5 / 5 - Presentation
oh no, what happened to SAKURA girl?!...
7 / 11 - Second Hardest Chart
It's not a bad thing to have crossovers in a 7', you know. Although, in your defense, it would have pushed it over the edge of eight footers it was teetering on.
9 / 11 - Hardest Chart
OK, awesome rhythms...but it could use a few crossovers...oh look jumps! I like that! could still use some crossovers...and now jackhammer strings...where are my crossovers...yay! there they-OMGZ Afronova walk D:
I actually did like this chart though.
3 / 3 - Tilt
I like the remix! It's one of the more melodically interesting ones out there, even among the officials.

Sai Wa Nagerareta 20 / 30
5 / 5 - Presentation
Great banner/BG, well-done BGA sequencing.
7 / 11 - Second Hardest Chart
Feels better than the S-Challenge (and probably should have been the hardest chart for this song), but it's still very complicated and super-spin-oriented.
6 / 11 - Hardest Chart
Wow, there's a lot of strange spins going on here. The run in the second half went over really well, but the rest of it is going to cause frequent doublestepping. Density felt about right, though - just a bit high.
2 / 3 - Tilt
WISH IS DEAD
MEW IS DEAD
I like the song

ZAMURAI 20 / 30
5 / 5 - Presentation
Animated banner? Don't see many of those anymore, wow. BGV is very helpful in explaining what's going on, haha.
7 / 11 - Second Hardest Chart
This chart was a bit more manageable than the S-Challenge, but still awfully hard and a bit confusing.
7 / 11 - Hardest Chart
Oh gosh those BPM changes threw me for so many loops. On that note, it's a really hard nine-footer a la Heaven is a 57 on crack.
1 / 3 - Tilt
I liked the song. I want more triplet-rhythm sims!


Overall:
Cheer Train 18 / 30
Don't Stop Believing (Fonzerelli Remix) 17 / 30
Our Songs 24 / 30
PARANOiA HRX 24 / 30
Sai Wa Nagerareta 20 / 30
ZAMURAI 20 / 30

[Hainaut]

Here's the first of my reviews for this bracket. The rest will follow later.


CHEER TRAIN:

Heavy: (3/11)
Meh, I didn't really care for this. The note patterns here are totally overdone and as a result, this chart felt extremely tiring and unfun to play. There's just way too much stream overall, and I really don't think that you needed to bump up the chaos meter quite as much as you did. There wasn't really any major distinguishment between any phrases, and the note placement wasn't particularly creative or interesting. It definitely presents a challenge, but in this case I feel like the challenge was very unnecessary and completely detracted from the overall fun of the package. Not a stepchart that I enjoyed playing at all.

Challenge: (3/11)
Pretty much just a stepchart that's difficult just for the sake of being difficult, in my opinion. While the notes definitely follow the song closely, I just really don't think that this type of track really calls for such a tremendously hard set of steps. The intensity feels incredibly forced and inappropriate throughout, and the use of step-jumps is awkward and out-of-place. Fine, I guess, for someone who seeks an artificial challenge, but once again, I did not enjoy playing this chart at all.

Presentation: (1.5/5)
The graphics really don't look so hot to me. Not only is the artist name missing in the banner, the title text is incredibly overdone with the ugly bevelling and iffy usage of rainbow colors. Using Thomas the Tank Engine as the background image just completely rubs me the wrong way. Yes, he is a train, but I just don't think it's a very good idea to use a trademark character in a song with no correlation to that character whatsoever. The samplestart is not accurate. Gets a small score increase for the inclusion of a video.

Tilt: (0/3)
Sorry, but I just wasn't much a fan of this.

FINAL SCORE: (7.5/30)


DON'T STOP BELIEVING (FONZERELLI REMIX):

Standard: (9/11)
Pretty darn good, overall. The steps were smooth and well thought-out and had enough variety to stand out. Occasionally the note patterns would follow the song rather awkwardly, though.

Heavy: (10/11)
Also a very good stepchart. Though I sometimes thought the difficulty progression was a bit too stagnant, the package as a whole felt very authentic and DDR-like. I really liked the occasional use of smart double-steps to vary the chart flow a bit more.

Presentation: (4.5/5)
Has a plentiful amount of extras, including background videos and even a DDR Universe-style banner. The background is absolutely gorgeous, although it should be visible at the start of the song and not just the end. Small point deduction because the arrows are definitely a little offsync (early).

Tilt: (3/3)
A very strong effort, and definitely something I could easily expect to find on an official DDR Arcade cabinet.

FINAL SCORE: (26.5/30)


OUR SONGS:

Light: (10.5/11)
I thought you did an excellent job here. The note patterns prevalent throughout this year have a consistent structure, yet vary throughout the song enough that they're truly fun. This is definitely a pretty difficult Light stepchart, and especially because of the fast bpm, I think the jump-hold + step note combinations are pushing the difficulty threshold just a little. Light players usually don't have the coordination to follow these types of patterns easily, and as a result I'd say they're even harder than the steps during the final instrumental phrase. Overall though, fantastic.

Heavy: (10.5/11)
I dont' really feel like criticizing this chart very much because it seems like you truly knew what you were doing with it throughout. I think that I occasionally felt that this faced forward a bit too much, and that one gallop seems rather out-of-place, but as every well-made stepchart has its own unique style, I'm not going to elaborate too much more. This works quite excellently as it is. Oh yeah, I totally noticed the resemblence to Breakdown during the chorus, as you mentioned.

Presentation: (5/5)
May as well give this a full score. The graphics are clean and simple, yet extremely effective, and the background video enhances the package even further.

Tilt: (3/3)
Probably one of the best files in the entire contest, if you ask me.

FINAL SCORE: (29/30)


PARANOiA HRX:

Heavy: (11/11)
I actually really don't have anything to complain about here. It's definitely a step down difficulty-wise from most of the official PARANOiA's, but it certainly plays just as well as those. This chart is full of smoothly-placed, well-distinguished, and interesting note patterns that work perfectly for the type of song. It pretty much deserves a full score, in my opinion.

Challenge: (10/11)
This was also extremely fun and well-done. It's definitely a great alternative for those who want a challenge that's in the same calibur as the more traditional PARANOiA's. The only major thing that I would probably change would be the frequent double-jumps. They felt very contrived for some reason, as if they should have been better led-into than they were. Also, though not as significant, I think it would've been a good idea to eventually stop facing left during the middle phrase that has lots of jackhammers, since there isn't a whole lot of pattern variety and it therefore becomes somewhat repetitive. The rest, however, worked fantastically, and I'd definitely play it again.

Presentation: (4/5)
The art for this is appropriate in following the PARANOiA theme (where's the robot, though?), but I'm really not much a fan of the glow and bevel effects you applied to the title text. The bg video clips are just taken straight from DDR, but they do at least make this package feel a little more like an actual song on a DDR machine.

Tilt: (3/3)
Wow, I gotta admit that I was quite pleasantly surprised by this entry. The steps here show clear expertise and would definitely draw me in to play it multiple times.

FINAL SCORE: (28/30)


SAI WA NAGERARETA:

Heavy: (11/11)
This was actually quite a fun and interesting stepchart. The frequent usage of doublestepping was implemented quite well and cleverly prevented this from being just another generic rock stepchart. The patterns were tricky and variable enough to keep you on your feet (no pun intended), yet clean and consistent enough that it didn't feel technically bad. This gets a full score because it definitely brings out the very best that could've been done with the song and is quite fun to step to.

Challenge: (11/11)
Much like the Heavy stepchart, this has a lot of double-stepping, but it's used really effectively throughout. I think far more fanmade simfiles should do this, as it's actually quite common in official DDR stepcharts and is honestly a lot more fun and less predictable to play. The difficulty increment from Heavy is modest, but just high enough that it delivers just enough of a challenge to please those who want to burn a few more calories. I don't think anything significant should be changed to make this more enjoyable, so once again, I'm giving this a full score.

Presentation: (4.5/5)
The graphics for this aren't quite perfect (something about them strikes me as being just a tad unclean), but they're still pretty aesthetically dynamic and interesting. Don't add background images like that, though, since it makes the package look like a joke file that isn't supposed to be taken seriously. Besides, the steps are so good that there's no way I wouldn't take this simfile seriously!

Tilt: (3/3)
I'm really quite surprised by the very high overall quality of this bracket. I usually try to be at least fairly strict with my grading because I want to distinguish the truly good simfiles from the just adequate to not-so-good ones. Once again, though, this is a truly good simfile! Great job with this!

FINAL SCORE: (29.5/30)


ZAMURAI:

Heavy: (8.5/11)
Well, this simfile is certainly anything but ordinary to me. For the most part though, I thought it was actually quite fun. The few nitpicks I'd made here would be first, to add a little more variety in note placement. It feels like this faces forward quite a lot, and as a result the steps play a bit stagnantly to me. Second, the few areas where you crammed a whole chunk of chaos into small incriments of time (I think you know what I mean) stand out a lot in comparison to the rest of the steps in terms of difficulty and therefore feel out-of-place. Overall though, this was well made, even though I feel like it could've been slightly better-polished.

Challenge: (6/11)
This is more difficult than Heavy, but unfortunately as a result, it also has more flaws. Although I still find this to be fairly enjoyable, it comes off to be as a bit too overdone and a little awkward, probably because the note patterns follow the song so directly. The frequent karaoke steps flow iffily for the most part because the rhythms or notes that they go to are so irregular. There was a little more variety in terms of step placement, but I still think that this could've benefitted from a few more crossovers to break up the forward-facing monotony.

Presentation: (4/5)
Graphics-wise, this simfile is spot-on. I love that yummy title-text, and the design is appropriate enough that it works as an animated banner. The background video is a nice touch, and there are plenty of extra charts. The reason I docked a full point from this score is due to the song length. 1:24 usually isn't too short for a DDR cut, but in this case I think that it isn't long enough to support the huge amount of variety in the track, and as a result I feel that the song ends quite abruptly and leaves me wishing for more.

Tilt: (2/3)
Not quite a perfectly-rounded simfile step-wise, but definitely a unique and creative one that I could certainly see myself coming back to in the future.

FINAL SCORE: (20.5/30)


~END OF REVIEWS~

[jammitch!]

Chart grading standards:
11 - Flawless chart. Floors me nonstop beginning to end. Unlikely to ever be found.
10 - Exceptional chart. Displays technical excellence along with engaging, interesting and creative patterns throughout.
9 - Excellent chart. Displays strong technical expertise with a few nitpicks. Patterning is entertaining, but may have brief periods with room for improvement.
8 - Great chart.
7 - Good chart. Technical aspects are generally good with a few noticeable flaws. Patterning is generally entertaining, but may lack creativity or interest at times.
6 - Above average chart.
5 - Average chart. Technical aspects may have some noticeable flaws. Patterning remains fun enough to be worth playing, but may be overly predictable and have significant room for improvement.
4 - Below average chart.
3 - Poor chart. Technical aspects may have some significant flaws. Patterning is bland throughout, or actively un-fun in parts, to a degree that would discourage you from playing the chart.
2 - Bad chart.
1 - Awful chart. Technical aspects may have severe flaws. A chart that is not fun from beginning to end; an incoherent, rambling mess.
0 - Severe technical errors that make a chart unplayable.

Presentation: 2 / 5 is average. Extras and attention to detail move that up. For example, a 5 / 5 file might contain a full set of single and double charts, good art, a lyrics file and a CD title. A 0 / 5 file breaks several rules regarding minimum presentation standards.

Tilt: At my whim. Most files get 2 / 3 unless I really decide I want to tilt a file. Mostly, I use this to single out music I hate :)

Most files will score between a 15 and 18 overall; a really good file will crack 20.

======================
DDR B2
======================

Cheer Train: 13 / 30

Challenge: 4 / 11
* The opening runs are pretty good, but the breaks in measure 10 have some filler notes, and lead into measure 11 backwards.
* Continuing with that theme, the step-jump part is pretty scattered; there's a lot of places where you either have to do a severe spin or shuffle over quickly.
* The runs in 15-19 are a bit bland, and where's that 12th note come from in the break? It's a 16th everywhere else, as it should be.
* Short freezes remain a personal pet peeve.
* The chorus is uninspired; the patterning just feels thrown together without coherency.
* I like the freeze taps. Unfortunately, the rest of the end repeats a lot of the same mistakes as the first half. There's definitely a few opportunities for variation (e.g. the "mmm"s) that you didn't

capitalize on.

Heavy: 5 / 11
* Right out of the gate, an ugly double-step in measure 5.
* I find measures 11-19 a good improvement on the challenge chart, although again with that rogue 12th note.
* The chours patterning is again rough, relying on the slow pace to make it playable... but that doesn't make it fun.
* The double-taps are again fun, but it's really not much different from Challenge.
* This song is at its best in the 8th runs/16th bursts. The chaos parts just aren't polished enough.

Presentation: 3 / 5
* OK art; no artist name in banner
* IIDX video
* IIDX song, no cut
* Five charts
* Random sample
* CD title

Tilt: 1 / 3
I don't feel this chart does the song justice at all.

----------------------

Don't Stop Believin': 18 / 30

Heavy: 6 / 11
* I'd definitely say this is a 7. Even with the few complex crossovers, it's pretty simple, and pretty slow. Without the crossovers, it'd probably be a 6. (Yes, a 6 can have gallops - see My Generation.)
* The patterning is generally fine, but the rhythms are pretty dull, truth be told. It's OK as a warm-up/cool-down song, but I can't give it much more than that.
* I'm not sure about the 16ths at the end (I think the beginning is fine).

Standard: 6 / 11
* The first four measures are going to way too subtle parts of the music; I really think they should follow the beat here.
* There a few parts that use prior foot placement to force crossovers/double-steps, which I'm not sure is the best idea in Standard, but it is one way to push it up to a 6 despite the steps being more of a

5.
* Once again, I just find the rhythms kind of dull and the patterning a bit scattershot.

Presentation: 4 / 5
* Art's a little busy for my tastes, actually.
* Random videos
* Good cut
* Four charts
* Good sample

Tilt: 2 / 3
I don't feel like putting much effort into tilt, so 2 is the default unless I say otherwise.

Other thoughts:
* Makes me excited for hockey season, as this is played at every Red Wings game due to the "Born and raised in south Detroit" line.
* I could definitely see this song in an old-school DDR mix... as one of the songs I just skip over. Sorry :(

----------------------

Our Songs: 15 / 30

Heavy: 5 / 11
* Even if each pattern is OK, there's very little flow between patterns here. It comes off as a sloppy, second-rate Break Down.
* At measure 34, after the step-jump the player is pseudo-galloping backwards and you never unwind them.
* I found the opening and closing rhythms a bit dull. The middle had better rhythms, but again, the patterning left a lot to be desired.

Light: 6 / 11
* Measures 36 and 37 set up a crossover any way you slice it, which is kind of a no-no on Light.
* The patterning is still somewhat sloppy. It matters less on light due to the speed and the way beginners play, but it would be a good idea to try to get them to alternate feet.
* The rhythms are fine, but nothing too interesting. I find the beginning and end a bit odd due to waiting three full beats for the blue notes to pass. I'd probably have used the middle one (x-x-x--X--x-x-x

-) myself.
* All in all, a passable Light chart, but not impressive, even relative to the limited range Light affords (which works against you from the get-go).

Presentation: 2 / 5
* OK art
* Video
* Good cut
* Two charts
* OK sample; drags a bit
* Blank CD title?

Tilt: 2 / 3
I don't feel like putting much effort into tilt, so 2 is the default unless I say otherwise.

Other thoughts:
Ah, decorative Engrish. Clearly an appropriate shirt for a teeny-bopper to be wearing.

----------------------

PARANOiA HRX: 18 / 30

Challenge: 7 / 11
* Early on, the patterning's a little basic and tends to not turn as much as it probably should.
* You beat so heavily on the jumps early on (too much, in my opinion), and then when the rhythm changes in measures 26 and 27, you abandon them when they'd be a nice change of pace.
* Starting at measure 33, there's 16 straight measures without a single shift in body position. The jacks are pretty Paranoia-y, but seriously, you need SOME movement. You can't win on nostalgia alone [TM4

notwithstanding :)]
* On the other hand, coming out of it I like the gallop/Afronova combo, although I wish you dropped the gallops when you dropped the Afronova rather than carrying it for 16 measures again.
* Even with the 16ths, this is probably a 9.
* I still generally enjoyed this, and it has high potential, but it needs a lot of polish to get there. Maybe even some *intentional* flow breaks, which are common to aggressive songs like this in general

and Paranoia in specific.

Heavy: 6 / 11
* The opening has nice rhythtms, but I'd like to see more movement; the patterns stay in one orientation too long and are a bit basic.
* The middle is even more dull, with the same 4 jumps repeated 8 times.
* And the ending is again repetitive... the same rhythms for another 16 measures with only minor patterning changes. It's still somewhat fun, but it's quite formulaic.

Presentation: 3 / 5
* Good art
* I don't like random movies in the first place. (Trying to score points with an "extra" that distracts me from the notes and requires no real work? No thanks.) But I think they're used particularly poorly

here. Cutting back to the BG is distracting. Except measure 49, which is quite well done.
* Good cut
* Five charts
* Sample ends randomly
* CD title

Tilt: 2 / 3
I don't feel like putting much effort into tilt, so 2 is the default unless I say otherwise.

----------------------

Sai wa Nagerareta: 12 / 30

Challenge: 4 / 11
* Measure 23 doesn't really fit the flow. Quarter notes are not necessarily a license to throw double steps in unless you have a purpose. Despite some nice crossovers, I find the flow starts to degrade right

around here.
* The up arrow is severely neglected in the vicinity of measure 60.
* There are some redeeming parts; the long runs are the best part because they actually flow. The rest of it needs severe polish. Rhythms are OK if not particularly interesting, but the patterns are all over

the place.

Heavy: 4 / 11
* Way too similar to Challenge; they even have the same step count, and while there's minor variations in rhythm, they're just that - minor. I can flip back and forth and find large chunks untouched.
* Because of that, I have basically the same thoughts - some good ideas slapped together haphazardly.
* Measures 63 and 64 had some nice crossovers.

Presentation: 2 / 5
* Good art
* I don't know if the BG animations are trying to be funny in an animutation sourt of way, but they aren't.
* Good cut
* Two charts
* Random sample

Tilt: 2 / 3
I don't feel like putting much effort into tilt, so 2 is the default unless I say otherwise.

----------------------

Zamurai: 20 / 30

Challenge: 7 / 11
* There's not much to complain about from a technical aspect. I might question some of the odder rhythms, a few double steps in the gallops, or the last little burst at the end, and there seems to be a bias

towards facing left, but it's not huge.
* That said, even though I can't find much to really complain about, I'm still not a huge fan of it, but I can't put my finger on why. So I'm going to cop out and give it a "good" rating.
* I do know I'm not a fan of the fast burst in the slow part. Too much, too quickly, too unexpectedly.

Heavy: 7 / 11
* I don't have much to add for this one either. It's a technically sound chart (as far as I care to dig into it) that just doesn't reach the next level for me. I do think it's a little bit better than the

the challenge chart though - probably because the rhythms are simpler, and thus easier to pick up and get into.

Presentation: 4 / 5
* Animated banner (never been a fan)
* Movie
* Extra graphics
* Uncut?
* Four charts
* Sample runs on forever
* CD title

Tilt: 2 / 3
I don't feel like putting much effort into tilt, so 2 is the default unless I say otherwise.

[The Period]

Sai wa Nagerareta: 12 / 30

Challenge: 4 / 11
* Measure 23 doesn't really fit the flow. Quarter notes are not necessarily a license to throw double steps in unless you have a purpose. Despite some nice crossovers, I find the flow starts to degrade right around here.
* The up arrow is severely neglected in the vicinity of measure 60.
* There are some redeeming parts; the long runs are the best part because they actually flow. The rest of it needs severe polish. Rhythms are OK if not particularly interesting, but the patterns are all over
the place.

Heavy: 4 / 11
* Way too similar to Challenge; they even have the same step count, and while there's minor variations in rhythm, they're just that - minor. I can flip back and forth and find large chunks untouched.
* Because of that, I have basically the same thoughts - some good ideas slapped together haphazardly.
* Measures 63 and 64 had some nice crossovers.

Presentation: 2 / 5
* Good art
* I don't know if the BG animations are trying to be funny in an animutation sourt of way, but they aren't.
* Good cut
* Two charts
* Random sample

Tilt: 2 / 3
I don't feel like putting much effort into tilt, so 2 is the default unless I say otherwise.

I'm really proud of those runs ans crossovers.
My sample was not random.
And finally someone who liked my cut. This song was really HARD to cut.

I WISH someone realized that the WISH IS DEAD thing was featured on Best-Mix 1.

Overall thanks for your appreciation... there will be vids?

[Lisek]

I still generally enjoyed this, and it has high potential, but it needs a lot of polish to get there.

It is 100% Polish.

[will-i-am]

I WISH someone realized that the WISH IS DEAD thing was featured on Best-Mix 1.

Yeah, caught that. But you weren't around for BEST-mix #1 (I think) so that was kinda weird to see.

Don't Stop Believin': 17 / 30

Heavy: 6 / 11
* I'd definitely say this is a 7. Even with the few complex crossovers, it's pretty simple, and pretty slow. Without the crossovers, it'd probably be a 6. (Yes, a 6 can have gallops - see My Generation.)

It is a 6. It's in the Read-Me. The 8 is the X rating of the chart. Juku forgot to change that before submitting, but I could see that chart as a 6 or 7 on a regular scale so I don't really mind that it was submitted as an 8, considering most of SuperNOVA 2's charts were 8's even though they consisted of what should've been some pretty hard 9's and some really easy 7's.

Presentation: 2 / 5 is average. Extras and attention to detail move that up. For example, a 5 / 5 file might contain a full set of single and double charts, good art, a lyrics file and a CD title. A 0 / 5 file breaks several rules regarding minimum presentation standards.

Hm, I don't get this. Can't a file with a good banner, a good background, and a good overall presentation with the required materials get at least a 4 in this area? You're basically hurting files for not including extras, something that was not required. Your expectation of a 5/5 Presentation score consists of everything that shouldn't have to be included in the simfile, except the artwork. I guess there's just a lot of ways to interpret the Presentation category as a whole, but to me, a file like MAYBE with fantastic art and a good sample does not deserve an "average" Presentation score if it weren't for its extra charts.

[Hainaut]

Hm, I don't get this. Can't a file with a good banner, a good background, and a good overall presentation with the required materials get at least a 4 in this area? You're basically hurting files for not including extras, something that was not required. Your expectation of a 5/5 Presentation score consists of everything that shouldn't have to be included in the simfile, except the artwork. I guess there's just a lot of ways to interpret the Presentation category as a whole, but to me, a file like MAYBE with fantastic art and a good sample does not deserve an "average" Presentation score if it weren't for its extra charts.

QFT

[jammitch!]

Don't Stop Believin': 17 / 30

Heavy: 6 / 11
* I'd definitely say this is a 7. Even with the few complex crossovers, it's pretty simple, and pretty slow. Without the crossovers, it'd probably be a 6. (Yes, a 6 can have gallops - see My Generation.)

It is a 6. It's in the Read-Me. The 8 is the X rating of the chart. Juku forgot to change that before submitting, but I could see that chart as a 6 or 7 on a regular scale so I don't really mind that it was submitted as an 8, considering most of SuperNOVA 2's charts were 8's even though they consisted of what should've been some pretty hard 9's and some really easy 7's.

Okay... I remember someone saying that, but I didn't remember which file, and I've already spent probably 6 hours this week on these reviews and I really don't want to spend any more. I don't think it changes my rating though. And I didn't really punish anyone for ratings this time - there were a lot of songs I'd say were a foot off, but nothing much more than that.

Presentation: 2 / 5 is average. Extras and attention to detail move that up. For example, a 5 / 5 file might contain a full set of single and double charts, good art, a lyrics file and a CD title. A 0 / 5 file breaks several rules regarding minimum presentation standards.

Hm, I don't get this. Can't a file with a good banner, a good background, and a good overall presentation with the required materials get at least a 4 in this area? You're basically hurting files for not including extras, something that was not required. Your expectation of a 5/5 Presentation score consists of everything that shouldn't have to be included in the simfile, except the artwork. I guess there's just a lot of ways to interpret the Presentation category as a whole, but to me, a file like MAYBE with fantastic art and a good sample does not deserve an "average" Presentation score if it weren't for its extra charts.

There's no point in grading everything a 3 or better on a 5-point scale. I know my numbers seem harsh across the board when I didn't give any file better than a 22, but it doesn't matter how my ratings compare to other people, only how they compare within my ratings, and even then it (hopefully) only matters within each bracket - so long as I'm consistent, fair and reasonable on that scale, math should even everything else out. (If the cross-bracket ratings are used at any point, then I could affect one bracket more than another, which would be unfair unless the reviewer averages were normalized too.)

The way I see it, you get a 1 for doing the bare minimum within the rules, and we go up from there. I'm looking for things, big and small, that show care, attention to detail, effort and polish. And given that the minimum requirements for this competition are so low (which I do think is a positive), I think there should be more room for people who do go above and beyond.

I think I'd set the ceiling for a requirements-only file at 3 / 5. At that point, all I can really evaluate are graphics, sample, readme and a few other nitpicky details. That puts extras at maybe 7% of the score. I don't think this is out of line with previous tournaments, when these were explicitly given bonus points. A full compliment of single charts would earn you a 4, and full doubles would earn you a 5. Doubles take more than twice as long as singles in my experience - if someone wants to add 10 hours of effort to their file for one additonal point, I think there should be a way to reward them. (The only problem here is that I'm assuming they aren't total crap, but again, I've already put six hours into these, which is three more than I'd like to.)

Meanwhile, 70% of the score is still in the two main charts, where I primarily operated on a 3-9 scale.

I don't think I'd agree that good art should be worth 2 points. Just about anyone can go onto sxc or dA and find something interesting, and get their buddy with GIMP to put some nice text on it.

Regarding samples, there were an awful lot of songs that neglected it. A bunch set the start, but didn't bother with the end. And Maybe had a decent sample, but it should have been a bit shorter so as to loop cleanly. It's easy to forget, but it's your first impression, and it's something the player may have to listen to a few times while they're getting set, so it should be good.

I'm going to give credit for extras somewhere. If I gave everyone two more points of presentation - but took it away from tilt - and then judged the extras with tilt, it wouldn't change the scoring at all. (It's tilt - since all the current 4 / 5 files have 2 / 3 tilt, I could finagle it so that it was 5 and 1.)

One other comment on extras: I actually hate random videos, so I'm not exactly in the business of giving out points for that. Original scripted BGAnims are a big bonus if done right though.

With all that said, presentation was done last, way after review fatigue set in. I'm not going to rework the grading scale, but looking my numbers and what I wrote above, I'm going to re-evaluate the files with a more consistent set of criteria in mind. A bunch of them may go up one point.

Once again, even though my numbers are relatively harsh, I think I applied them consistently. The best way to protest my (admittedly unusual) opinions is to add your own review and water mine down (assuming that you haven't yet).

My sample was not random.

Listening again...
I can tell where you were trying to start, but it comes in partway through a beat, and it doesn't end on time. It's not a very good sample, I'm sorry.

Overall thanks for your appreciation... there will be vids?

Unfortunately, probably not this time. With only the top two charts counting, there's an awful lot of songs my fianceé just can't play, and I don't want any more drama.

[will-i-am]

Okay, I know you weren't being harsh. Just wanted to let you know how I personally felt about that, but thanks for explaining and writing up all those reviews. Hope you're not too burned out. ;)

Unfortunately, probably not this time. With only the top two charts counting, there's an awful lot of songs my fianceé just can't play, and I don't want any more drama.

Yeah, I was wondering why, too, but then I realized the two chart thing and your fiancé usually plays standard and yeah... lol :P

[BLueSS]

All scores counted, rounding #Infinity's scores down because he didn't use whole integers.

No more reviews will be scored for this sub-bracket.