Bracket 1 - Public Review

[BLueSS]

This is the thread for Bracket 1's Public Reviews

-Judge all of the files in the bracket.
-If your song is in the pack judging, make up a fake score and treat it like it was any other file. When compiling the score's I'll take it out secretly.
-6 Points are designated for STEPS, 4 for PRESENTATION.

The scores will be averaged. and multiplied by 3 before added to the judges' average after ROUND 3!
PR's are due the 15th of Sept. - I bumped it up a day.

Please don't forget to show love to files at the end of the alphabet.

THIS THREAD IS ONLY FOR THE PUBLIC REVIEWS! Comments about songs or comments about PR's goes in the main Bracket 1 Download/Discussion Thread.

[Hainaut]

9000 (REMIX)

STEPS: (0.5/6)
This was uncreative and repetitive the entire time. The patterns are boring, re-use the same ideas over and over again, suffer major placement issues, and overall don't really show any effort to be enjoyable. I strongly suggest you plan everything out far more carefully if you're to make your charts playable.

PRESENTATION: (0/4)
Let's see: Bad syncing, muffled sound quality, cut is too short, offsync video, graphics are messy, and there's not even an artist name on the banner. Honestly, just about everything went wrong here.

SCORE: (0.5/10)

ALL THE PEOPLE IN THE WORLD

STEPS: (3/6)
This chart was honestly too karaoke for its own good. The steps tended to suggest only one prevailent melody per section, generally a heavily-syncopated one. I was not really amazed by your flow, and most of this just seemed pretty obvious and boring. Awful patterns during the muted bridge before the bpm change.

PRESENTATION: (4/4)
Lovely graphics, good bg-video, and a decent song choice. I won't hesitate giving you full credit here.

SCORE: (7/10)

BOSS ON PARADE

STEPS: (2/6)
This was a shame, since your rhythmic accuracy was great. Unfortunately, the 8th streams were littered with obnoxious double-steps that made it far too difficult to enjoy the rest of the chart. At 9 feet, I don't want to move my feet that quickly just to make every step.

PRESENTATION: (2/4)
Graphics are decent, but that banner gimmick is annoying. The song works okay, but it seems way too chaotic to actually enjoy.

SCORE: (4/10)

CAFE CAFE

STEPS: (5.5/6)
You had some great ideas, including some nice, simple patterns screaming DDR, as well as an energetic chorus approach. I enjoyed this chart a lot more on a second go, and can now appreciate the double-steps used for the most part (a few of them didn't work, though). Some areas could've been slightly less awkward (I really didn't get the end of the chart, by the way), but overall I think this was a ton of fun!

PRESENTATION: (3.75/4)
The video is a nice addition, but only works for those who have already downloaded all of the video clips included. Graphics look beautiful scream DDR, but I'm a little undecided about the text layout in the background.

SCORE: (9.25/10)

CARAMELLDANSEN (SPEEDYCAKE REMIX)

STEPS: (4.5/6)
Good placement that fits the song and is enjoyable, but things became a bit too dependent on the vocals once they came in, and that didn't really work perfectly with the overall direction of the song. Still a good chart, nonetheless.

PRESENTATION: (3/4)
The song reminds me of Love Sugar and would fit Cheesemix quite well. The graphics were mediocre, with a poor font choice to bevel, but the background video makes the package a little more enjoyable.

SCORE: (7.5/10)

CHE.R.RY

STEPS: (3/6)
These were fine steps in all, but they failed to make a lasting impression on me. Most of your double-steps worked, but some felt slightly tedious to the chart's flow. For a fairly karaoke chart, these do a good job of remaining consistent, but they still seemed to drag a little.

PRESENTATION: (2/4)
The gap is noticeably early, while the graphics struck me as rather odd. I certainly haven't got a clue what Pokemon has to do with the song, either.

SCORE: (5/10)

DANCE IN MY BLOOD

STEPS: (3.5/6)
It was okay, but I found it to be slightly repetitive and somewhat uninspiring. Your patterns fit the song fine, but they lacked variety and seemed to drag as the song went on. Some of your crossovers felt somewhat random, although I can't really point out many awkward sections (I was a little irked by the syncopated bridge right before the song picked up again). The steps were fairly enjoyable, but not anything horribly fascinating either.

PRESENTATION: (1.5/4)
Graphics were marginal, with unfitting font selections to poorly incorperated text that failed to stick out effectively. The syncing was very late, and the song cut felt rather lengthy.

SCORE: (5/10)

DANZAI NO HANA ~GUILTY SKY~ (Claymore Ending)

STEPS: (4/6)
Some great ideas fit the Xepher-ish vibe of this simfile. I still think the steps are a bit overdone, as most of the crossovers felt unnecessary, while the song simply cried out for more breaks. Fun and above-average, nonetheless.

PRESENTATION: (3.5/4)
The cut's a bit long, but not too bad. Graphics are decent, if not completely memorable. The background video is a plus.

SCORE: (7.5/10)

DARK BLUE

STEPS: (4.25/6)
I enjoyed it. These types of simfiles don't generally make much of an impression on me due to the generic level they usually fall under, and while this isn't quite an exception, it was still quite decent. Most of the streams lasted too long and seemed a bit overdone, but the chart flowed well and had some occasional breaks that worked decently. Not the best in the pack, but still pretty fun.

PRESENTATION: (3/4)
Banner was nice, background didn't do much for me. Props to an alternate version as well, but this isn't an ITG contest, so it doesn't aid your score very much except for the extra effort.

SCORE: (7.25/10)

ELYSIUM (S&B MIX)

STEPS: (2.25/6)
The patterns are energetic, but don't flow very smoothly. You had some good ideas, but the fairly random double-steps seemed awkward, and the patterns are broken up at rather unusual times (I'd be more careful to level the step intensity more accurately to the music). Needs better organization and a sturdier balance of steps.

PRESENTATION: (2/4)
This entry strangely reminded of TM4. The song is good, but the .ogg quality is fairly mediocre. Graphics are decent, but the over-shadowed text blended awkwardly with the backdrop image. Nothing bad, but it could really use some polishing-up.

SCORE: (4.25/10)

GOODBYE

STEPS: (4.75/6)
The extra 16ths tied to the fainted synth backgrounds were unnecessary, otherwise this was an excellent, well-balanced stepchart with creative patterns and nice flow.

PRESENTATION: (3.25/4)
The banner does little for me, but the background is solid. It has lyrics and a Challenge stepchart (the latter seems too difficult to fit a DDR environment over an ITG one, btw), and the cut and mp3 quality are nothing to complain about.

SCORE: (8/10)

HANAFUBUKI ~KOI NI TAYUTAU AI NO UTA~

STEPS: (4.75/6)
It was great for the most part. I think the steps need to be broken up just a little more to truly stick out, but they were aesthetically pleasing to step to. The chorus was bad; the karaoke was blatant, and the freeze-spins didn't sit with me at all. A solid chart as a whole, though.

PRESENTATION: (4/4)
Everything was fine. Loved your graphics, and the random DDR clips were effective for what they were.

SCORE: (8.75/10)

INFERNO

STEPS: (4.5/6)
I have a bit of a mixed opinion about this one, but you did succeed in producing a fun, entertaining stepchart that I'm sure most people will enjoy. Some of your ideas were just awkward (i.e., the step-jumps and some of the chaos made things a little overcomplicated at times), but as a complete package, I was pretty satisfied. The steps were well-incorperated to suit the music's variety.

PRESENTATION: (4/4)
Honestly, I'm not the biggest fan of Bemani originals, but I think this song fits DDR excellently - it combines that classic TAKA essence with a variety of different sounds to make for a completely unique experience in a DDR environment. The video was a nice addition, and the graphics were solid, although I found some of the text effects slightly unusual.

SCORE: (8.5/10)

JE T'AIME JE T'AIME

STEPS: (3.5/6)
I can recognize and appreciate most of your ideas, but I can't say they all fit in. This chart was creative and diverse, and I can see why if you were trying hard to make this interesting and memorable. I think there were too many jumps for the song's own good (especially the step-jumps), and the chaos somehow didn't really sit with me. An aesthetically pleasing presentation, but the steps were overdone and didn't flow soundly with the music.

PRESENTATION: (3/4)

The graphics don't immediately captivate my attention, but they fit the song well, so I won't bug about that. For a long version, the cut isn't bad, but I still do think you could've shortened it slightly to prevent it from dragging. The song is cute, if not exactly something I'd want to play on a DDR machine. Seems like tommyfebrurary6 is stepped all the time now, btw.

SCORE: (6.5/10)

METALLIC MIND

STEPS: (5/6)
I think it's obvious that this author plays IIDX quite a lot, as this felt more like a IIDX translation than an original DDR chart. That's not to say it's bad; I enjoyed most of these steps, but at times I thought they were just slightly too chaotic and repetitive to be fun in an assumed DDR environment. Good flow, plenty of creative patterns, just a few overly-heavy attributes.

PRESENTATION: (2.5/4)
The graphics disappointed me - they were too grayish and monotone to stick out, and the background layout was unimpressive. A promising bg video is included, but I honestly can't figure out how to get it to work.

SCORE: (7.5/10)

NANO RISK

STEPS: (2.5/6)
Many areas flowed really awkwardly. I didn't hate this, but the steps became repetitive quickly and suffered placement issues with awkward double-steps and step-jumps that didn't really fit. Ultimately, I thought this was rough and uncomfortable to step to as a whole.

PRESENTATION: (2/4)
The cut seemed rather long, perhaps due to that long break near the end of the song. Despite its visual appeal, the banner is obviously a cut-&-paste of the background, not to mention the artist name (weird format, btw) isn't even visible, either.

SCORE: (4.5/10)

NETTAIYA

STEPS: (3.75/6)
Honestly these weren't too bad, but I thought they were fairly uncreative. Again, the patterns seemed overly-dependent upon the vocals, thus the rhythms didn't drive very smoothly. I can appreciate your solid placement, as some areas were quite fun, but as a whole I thought the chart was fairly repetitive, not to mention rough along the edges. It was alright.

PRESENTATION: (4/4)
Wow, those graphics are fantastic! As for everything else, nothing bothered me.

SCORE: (7.75/10)

S.U.K.I.

STEPS: (3.25/6)
Typical anime steps, with lots of steps that follow the vocals. I thought this chart was rather predictable, with a few awkward positionings. However, I also found the chart to be creative and varied for what it was trying to achieve, so it's at least a fairly memorable package, if not a perfectly-executed one.

PRESENTATION: (3/4)
The sample's in a pretty bad place, and the outer bevel on the title text doesn't work. The video's on-sync and high-quality, though.

SCORE: (6.25/10)

SHE BLINDED ME WITH SCIENCE

STEPS: (6/6)
Perfect. Energetic, creative patterns from start to finish. Nothing feels awkward, and the chart flows excellently.

PRESENTATION: (3.5/4)
Overall, the graphics look beautiful, but the white area is too imposing. The song is excellent, and I have no major gripes otherwise.

SCORE: (9.5/10)

THE ELEVENTH HOUR

STEPS: (1/6)
Not fun at all. It almost felt more like a keyboard stepchart than a pad one. The steps are horribly repetive and don't gel with the music at all and suffer placement issues almost constantly. 10's aren't always bad, but careful planning and construction is necessary to make them effective.

PRESENTATION: (0.5/4)
The bpm changes were instant murder to this file. They seemed absolutely pointless and did nothing except cause this file to be unplayable for me (hardly anyone's going to have the reflexes to read the arrows that fast without absolute memorization). You only get credit for the graphics, which were pretty good, but don't take full advantage of the image and seem cramped to the side in both pictures.

SCORE: (1.5/10)

TIME (WIDEBOYS CLUB REMIX)

STEPS: (1.5/6)
Most of this felt like copy'n'paste. The steps sorely lacked variety and seemed extremely awkward on the pad. The chaos you tried to follow doesn't rhythmically incorperate itself well, and your placement was simply all over the place. Doesn't fit a DDR environment very well at all. Ludicrously overdone and repetitive.

PRESENTATION: (2.5/4)
Again, the graphics look awfully fuzzy and unclean, as if they were pulled from a TM4 simfile. I can hardly read the artist tag on the banner, same with the background's subtitle. I do give you major props for the background videos, though. They look great!

SCORE: (4/10)

VODKA

STEPS: (5.5/6)
Has a nice balance of all major attributes of a solid eurobeat simfile. Great job with this; everything was fun and well-sorted, even if not massively unique. I think the bridge section prior to the second chorus was overdone, though (you can't go overboard when there's no beat to back up the streams).

PRESENTATION: (4/4)
I'm sure this song is just as addicting as vodka itself, and the HRG eurobeat elements make it an awesome pick. Excellent graphics, and the background video was quite amusing.

SCORE: (9.5/10)

WISH

STEPS: (5.5/10)
5's are never easy to pull off, but this was actually quite fun. I thought just about everything blended together nicely and fit the music like a glove. I do suggest a little more foot movement at some points, but overall I liked this a lot. A definite standout in BMT.

PRESENTATION: (4/4)
Graphics are effective and clean, and the background video is of high quality and adds a lot to the overall vision of this simfile.

SCORE: (9.5/10)

YAMATO NADESHIKO ~MAXXX400 INFINITY STYLE~

STEPS: (1.5/6)
I think this stepchart was really overdone. The problem is not that it's too hard - it's that the steps don't incorperate themselves with the music very well and flow poorly. The patterns were overpacked with jumps and extraneous 8ths, and in general everything just seemed to keep going on an on with no real purpose in mind except to severely challenge the player.

PRESENTATION: (4/4)
Nothing to complain about here, fortunately. Your graphics look nice, and I can't spot any technical faults.

SCORE: (5.5/10)

'T SMIDJE

STEPS: (6/6)
Wow, this was surprising! I'm usually not the biggest fan of 6/8 stepcharts, but this was somehow genuinely fun and awesome to play. This takes just about every element of a swingy chart and executes it solidly. Your flow was impecable, and everything was just really creative and rhythmically solid. I just loved the way it all came together. Awesome job!

PRESENTATION: (3.75/4)
I can't quite say this is perfect, but I will give major props to its innovativeness. This isn't exactly the type of song I'd envision in a real DDR environment, but it sure worked! I took off from the score just a little because I thought some of the elements of the graphics were fairly bland (the artist text and backdrop image supporting the partchment), but overall this was an excellent presentation.

SCORE: (9.75/10)


- BRACKET 1 REVIEWS COMPLETED -

[Spork!]

I suck at Reviewing xD

Heavy Steps Only, Oni included if included
4/presentation 6/steps
Song choice DOES matter a little bit, however, it doesn't matter as much as the steps themselves.
Doubles charts included will result in more points off me.
10/10 is the max Score.

Reviews:
9000 Remix - Dj Gotcha
First opinion: Is this a joke file?
After Playing: Way too short. Steps were very uninspired but they WERE onbeat. However, the Video made up for it
My Score Score: 6/10

All The People In The World - Safri Duo feat. Clark Anderson
First Opinion: I know this song :-O Good banner.
After Playing: I was confused fo rthe first 3 steps after the speed up, but it makes sense. The video was INCREDIBLY clear, and the steps went decently well with the whole song. A few of the notes you had to listen VERY closely to hear though.
My Score: 7/10

Boss On Parade - DJ Technorch
First Opinion: Ooh.. Speedcore Gabba
After Playing: You're my hero. This song is made of win and loss at the same time. The only problem with the steps was the like 10 second break. Other than that, the whole thing fit well and the song just makes me laugh Animated banner is good looking too.
My Score: 8/10

Cafe Cafe - Vivian
First Opinion: Dancemania One of my favorite songs off Dancemania too.
After Playing: Steps did the song barely any justice. Only part that I felt fit perfect ws the Cafe Cafe Cafe Cafe Cafe parts. Graphics are absolutely BEAUTIFUl though.
My Score: 7/10

Caramelldanser (Speedcake Mix) - Caramell
First Opinion: oooh, pretty song
After Playing: Good song cut, Great Background Picture, Great steps. I can't say more.
My Score: 9/10

Che.r.ry - Yui
First Opinion: ...huh.
After Playing: Whole song felt offbeat. The graphics were good however. I liked the steps finus the one 12th note. Pokemon in the background image was nice too
My Score: 7/10

Dance In My Blood - Men women and Children
First Opinion: Sounds live. Good banner.
After Playing: A quick F6 fixed it for me. The song felt a little long, though most of the steps fit well. Background picture wasn't the best, but still better than most of mine xD
My Score: 7/10

Danzai no Hana - ???
First Opinion: I see possibility with this song, even though it sounds like it Came from an anime.
After Playing: AAA First try. Chart fit well, though a little unnessesarily Spinny. Video made me grin, Banner was very nice too.
My score: 8/10

Dark Blue - Jack's Mannequin
First Opinion: Oh god. This song is giving me hemmorroids just listening to it. Good banner though.
After Playing: Some aspects of that song made me think it was a 9, not an 8, however, The chart made perfect sense for the rest. I love the BPM changes at the end, and the song was cut very well.
My Score: 7.5/10

Elysium (S&B Mix) - Scott Brown/Ultrabeat
First Opinion: ELYSIUM!!! SCOTT BROWN!!!! 9 FEET!
After Playing: There was a LOT that could have been better. The song itself was good, however the chrt felt like it was put together in about 20 minutes. I felt that the only really good part was the entire section with the lyrics.
My Score: 6.5/10

Good Bye - Ruby Tuesday
First Opinion: Very good song I thin because of the sample. Also, First Oni chart so far.
After Playing: Oni was well done, I thoroughly enjoyed it. Heavy was a very solid 8, and went very well with the music. My only gripe was the anime girl in the background.
My Score: 9/10

Hanafubuki ~Kou Ni Takatau Ai No Uta~ - SSD Fantastica Feat. ???
First Opinion: !!! Why am I listening to the smaple music so much?
After Playing: that BPM raped me in the butt. I approve. The rest of the chart fit very well too. The videos added in was a VERY good touch.
My Score: 8.5/10

Inferno - Caldeira feat. Kanako Hoshino
First Opinion: I thought this was Inferno from SN2 originally, not a spanish guitary Japanese song xD
After Playing: I spent a while trying to figure out how that image made since until i saw the video. The steps were amazing, everythign fit perfect. My only problem is I want an Oni xD
My Score: 9.5/10

je t'aime je t'aime - Tommy February6
First Opinion: Long song! Good banner, catchy Sample.
After Playing: I honestly got tired of the song about a minute in, and the steps DID get a little offbeat by the end, however, they made sense. I love the artwork on the charcters faces in the background.
My Score: 7/10

Metallic Mind - Dh Technorch feat. Guhroovy
First Opinion: No Oni, but an Edit of 10 feet? pfft. Loving the smaple and banner though.
After Playing: Heavy was intense, a couple spots were harder (the ending drills!) but it all fit together. The stop at the beginning felt off though. The Oni-Edit was amazinger.
My Score: 9.5/10

Nano Risk - Dayz
First Opinion: I think this is a song that is hard for the hell of it.
After Playing: Heavy was decent, but I really do NOT like the song. I barely finished the oni.
My Score: 7/10

??? - Rip Slyme
First Opinion: I see whitey Tighteys! Good Banner though.
After Playing: Good sim. Makes a lot of since, the song gets very catchy, and I was sad that it ended so soon.
My Score: 8/10

S.U.K.I. - Funta
First Opinion: Anime Girl. *cry*
After Playing: Anime Song to the side, this was a VERY solid sim. Great video (cute too) Great chart. The slow down messed with me for the first step, but I caught myself
My Score: 8.5/10

She Blinded Me With Science - Fadeinn
First Opinion: This sample really worries me.
After Playing: I am having a REALLY hard time deciding if that was a joke file or not, becaus ethe song is so bad, but the chart is so good xD The only problem I have is a few measures of the EXACT same pattern back to back.
My Score: 7.5/10

The Eleventh Hour - Id Est Corrupt
First Opinion: 10 Foot heavy, huh. 660 BPM?!?!
After Playing: OMG SPEED CHANGES EVERYWHERE!!!!!!!! After trying it again, this time NOT on 2x, I can safely say...It makes sense if you are fucking insane. I love this sim. The steps are NOT challenging, but it is so confusing and complicated. The graphics are great too:-D
My Score:8.25/10 (would have been higher if it wasn't so confusing)
[edit] AAA'd the Heavy. Took a few tries, but I figured it all out. This is so much fun for some reason xD

Time (Wideboys Clud Remix) - Speakerbox feat. Michelle Shaprow
First Opinion: Almost discoteque. Looking forwards.
After Playing: For some reason your video REALLY lags my Stepmania. Other than that, the first half of the song is pretty repetitive, but it gets a lot better further in. I like the ending sequences though.
My Score: 7/10

Vodka - Mad Cow and the Royal Eurobeat Orchestra of Bazookistan
First Opinion: That is a LONG artist name. The sample is very catchy. I hope to be enjoy.
After Playing: VERY VERY good song. VERY VERY good video. Incredible steps, not too hard, not too easy. Simply put, Up there in awesomeness!
My Score: 9.5/10

Wish - DJ Yoshitaka feat. ???
First Opinion: It's a 5. I'm happy. I was beginning to think I would only be playing 7-9s xD
After Playing: This was amazing. Simple, Very well thought out, and i ended it smiling. I'm glad someone made something easy Could have used an Oni though.
My Score: 9/10

Yamato Nadeshiko (Max 4000 Style) - ????
First Opinion: I've heard this before. I'm really worried.
After Playing: Easily one of the most offbeat sims I have ever played. I shoudl probably go in and fix that later.
My Score: 4/10 (good song, good graphics, really offbeat)

't Smidje - Lais
First Opinion: Very catchy so far
After Playing: Gallopy as all hell. Too bad if this wAS on on DDr it would be exruciatingly offbeat. I love the sim though.
My Score: 8/10




OK!

My favorites:
Inferno
Metallic Mind
Vodka

[Aki]

Okay, here's the first half of my reviews. My download didn't go as I wanted and finished at 45% of the pack. I'll try to download again (or if there's a good soul that can upload the files from Inferno and the rest, I'll gladly appreciate it =3)

anyway, the reviews...

OVER 9000 (Gotcha Remix)
This song is definitely OVER 9000 but this file isn't

-No name of artist in the banner
-VERY offsync in the intro
-bad samplestart
-very short
-Everything was extracted from youtube, even the audio
+Hilarious xD

Verdict: 9000.0033333333... I mean 4.5

All the People in the World
It's Percussion Freaks to the maximum extent lol

+Great song choice
+Nice flow of steps in the start, although it starts to get awkward in the speed part

Vertict: 9

BOSS ON PARADE
RRRRRRRRRRRRRRIIIIIIIIIIPPPYOOOOOOOOOURMAAAAAAAA!!!11111one

+Nice banner
-OVERKILL on the steps
-I know when it's a deliberate doublestep but the doublesteps here sometimes go random

Verdict: 7.5

CAFE CAFE
#BGCHANGES:29.000=Disco4.avi=1.000=1=0=1,

+I love the graphics, although i'm not a fan of the text
-Missing AVI files
+Good chart anyway

Verdict: 7.5

Caramelldansen (Speedycake Remix)
Vi sitter i Hot Seat och spelar Caramelldansen OMGCUTE!

+CUTENESS EVERYWHERE!!! XD
+Nice BG Script
No other violent Reactions
yeah, it's violently cute xD

Verdict: 9

CHERRY
So, I herd u liek pokemanz and scanlines

-Kinda dull song choice
+/-Nice chart although it gets kinda religiously karaoke in the chorus and beyond

Verdict: 7

DANCE IN MY BLOOD
Kinda reminds me of Maroon 5 for some reason

-Uhh, 2:16 is pretty long
-Very late gap by 60ms
+Decent steps
-but it gets boring as it progresses

Verdict: 8

Danzai no Hana ~Guilty Sky~
It's not Baby's Tears, dammit :p

-Feels long, even at 1:59
-Steps are awkward in the verse lines
+/-Very jump-happy chorus xD
-But it shows lack of creativity, especially with bars 64-68
-Next time use 320 x 240 for videos as it killed the framerate

Verdict: 7

Dark Blue
I think i'm gonna be emo

+Nice effort with the sync, especially with the slowdown
+Great sets of steps
+/-lol monochromatically dark blue emo BG

Verdict: 8.5

Elysium









[/i]Okay, now time for some vocals[/i]

-Pretty long intro
-Some doublesteps and turns are irrecoverable
-Kinda dull and repetitive IMO

Verdict: 6

Good Bye
It's been a while since I heard Ez2DJ tracks

-Late Gap (50ms)
+/- Everything felt like EZ2DJ karaoke-ish
-Just cut it a little shorter next time ok?

Verdict: 7.5

Hanafubuki ~Kou ni Tayutau Ai no Uta~
I swear, it's not Hana Ranman -Flowers- Part II

-The slowdown got me too in the first time I played it >=/
+ Nice BG Script
+/- Some turns felt kinda awkward, perfected it on the 2nd time I played it
+It's a solid chart. It's definitely a keeper

Verdict: 8.5


To Be Continued... Peace

[Rob00996]

Note: I review all the simfiles on pad on a judge difficulty of 7. I don't really count off for syncing if its a problem with the gap, only if it's a BPM problem. I give extra points for people with an orginal song choice but I didn't give over the max. number of points.


9000 remix

Heavy: 0.5/6
The steps are very boring in this simfile with tons of doublestepping and unnecessary freezes. It almost felt as if the bpm synching was bad, but at least if was stable some of the time.

Presentation: 2.5/4 +1 for song choice (3.5/4)
The banner and background were nothing amazing, but
you did put in a video. The song choice was very original and I was laughing when I listened to this song.

Overall: 9004/10 - 9000 (4/10)
+ Orignal Song Choice
+ Made me laugh
- Boring, uninspired steps
- Some double stepping
? Possible synching issues? (I didn't count off points for this)


All The People in the World

Heavy: 5.5/6
The steps were very fun and interesting. There was no double stepping in the simfile that I noticed. The bpm change kind of took me by surprise and I didn't think it was really necessary.

Presentation: 4/4
The banner and background were nicely done. I liked the video. The song choice as well was perfect. This really seems like a song for a US DDR game.

Overall 9.5/10
+ Great Steps
+ Great Presentation
+ Great Song Choice
- BPM change seems unnecessary


Boss Parade

Heavy 3/6
I found the steps kind of fun in some parts. There was quite a bit of unnecessary double stepping and the short freezes in the middle of the songs were not really needed.

Presentation 4/4
The banner was a really nice touch. The background as well was pretty good.

Overall 7/10
+ Steps were fun in a good bit of the song
+ The Banner was a nice touch
- Unnecessary Freezes
- Unnecessary Double Stepping


Cafe Cafe

Heavy 5/6
The steps were consistently good and the double stepping was kept to a minimum.

Presentation 3.5/4
Nothing really wrong here. It seems like the banner and background would fit in alright.

Overall 8.5/10
+ Steps were consistently good
+ I personally liked the song itself
- Double stepping in small parts of the song.


Caramelldanser (Speedcake Mix)

Heavy 6/6
Wow! These steps were really fun. Nothing wrong that I can see here.

Presentation 3.5/4
Nice Background and Banner. The song is a bit too short though. It left me wanting more.

Overall 9.5/10
+ Really fun steps
+ Nice Background and Banner
+ Nice Song
- Song is too short


Che.r.ry

Heavy 3.5/6
The steps were pretty fun. There is a bit of unnecessary double stepping. The purple note freeze in the middle wasn't necessary either.

Presentation 2/4
The background was alright. The banner could have been a little better.

Overall 5.5/10
+ Steps are pretty fun
+ Song is nice
- Purple Note Freeze was not needed
- A little double stepping
- Banner could have been better


Dance In My Blood

Heavy 5/6
The steps were fun in this song. I didn't find any double stepping. However, there is nothing that really stands out, but I think it is consistent.

Presentation 3/4
Banner and background were alright. Song is also pretty good, if a bit long

Overall 8/10
+ Consistently good steps
+ Good song choice
- Steps don't stand out
- Song is weeee bit long
- Banner and Background could have also been a weeee bit better as well


Danzai No Hana

Heavy 5/6
These steps were really good. I liked the jumping 4th
note streams. There was alot of turning in the song, which really takes a toll on you on a song this speed.

Presentation 3.5/4
The banner fits well and so does the background. I liked the fact that you added the video.

Overall 8.5/10
+ Good steps, especially the jumps
+ Good banner and background
+ Good video
- perhaps a few less turns


Dark Blue

Heavy 4/6
First off, I steps for beginning part of the song are
perfect. I also enjoy the steps in the bridge with the freezes. The chorus steps could have been a little better, and at the slow down, I think you should have taken out that last 8th note.

Presentation 3/4 + 1 for song choice (4/4)
Nice background and banner. I would have never expected Jack's Mannequin to be stepped so I have to give you credit for choosing this song.

Overall 8/10
+ Great steps during beginning and bridge
+ Original song choice
- Steps could be better in chorus and end


Elysium (S&B Mix)

Heavy 3/6
To be honest, I didn't really enjoy the steps at the beginning at all. It then started to become better at midpoint of the song with fun streams, until the end where the stream patterns seem to repeat.

Presentation 2/4
The banner and background were average to me. The song choice as well, but I'm not taking points off for song choice.

Overall 5/10
+ Streams were fun in the middle
- But the streams then lost momentum in the end
- Beginning was not good


Good Bye

Heavy 3/3
The steps on heavy mode were well made. I enjoy the gallop part during the guitar solo.

Challenge 3/3
I've played the other boss songs already and I have to say this is the best one out of all of them. Everything was fun, and this song is a blast to play with no bar.

Presentation 4/4
Banner and Background fit well. I like the song as well.

Overall 10/10
+ Great steps
+ Best DDR style 10-footer simfile I've played in a while
- Well..... Nothing that I can find, maybe a video for the song?


Hanafubuki ~Kou Ni Tayutau Ai No Uta

Heavy 4.5/6
Not bad. The steps were fun. The turn freezes could have been better placed, and the BPM change definitely is unnecessary.

Presentation 3/4
Not bad either, presentation looks like something from Ultramix or Supernova to me. Still, nothing amazing.

Overall 7.5/10
+ Good steps
+ Good presentation
- Turn freezes could have been better
- No need for a BPM change


Inferno

Heavy 5.5/6
The steps were really good in this simfile. I especially during the parts where you have five 16th notes for the build up of the song instead of a 16th note stream. There could have been more steps instead
of the two jump freezes when the song slows down in the middle.

Presentation 4/4
Great presentation. Nothing wrong here.

Overall 9.5/10
+ Great Steps
+ Well placed 16th notes
+ Perfect Presentation
- There could have been slightly different steps during the middle of the song.


Je t'aime je t'aime

Heavy 4.5/6
The steps were good throughout most of the song. There could have been a little more variety in the steps. There was also a small bit of double stepping.

Presentation 2/4
The banner and background here were nice. The problem
here was that the song was too long. I like the song though.

Overall 6.5/10
+ Steps were good throughout most of the song
+ Nice Song
+ Nice Background and Banner
- Song is too long
- Steps could have had a little more variety
- A little bit of double stepping


Metallic Mind

Heavy 5/6
The steps were pretty good throughout most of the song. There was a good bit of variety with the steps that made the song not drag on.

Presentation 2.5/4
The banner and background were kind of dull. But nothing too bad.

Overall 7.5/10
+ Good variety of steps on Heavy
+ Steps didn't make song drag on
- Dull banner and background


Nanorisk

Heavy 3/3
Hey! the steps are actually pretty fun on heavy. Nothing wrong here

Challenge 1/3
These steps, unfortunately were not fun. I hate 16th note triplet jumps, especially if you have the jump first.

Presentation 2.5/4
Banner and background are good. The song could have been cut shorter and differently.

Overall 6.5/10
+ Fun Heavy steps
- Not so fun Challenge steps
- Song is a bit on the long side


Nettaiya

Heavy 3/6
The steps here were very average. They weren't bad by any means, but they have had a little more variety.

Presentation 2.5/4
Background and Banner were good. Nothing else that is
too bad.

Overall 5.5/10
+ Good Banner and Background
- Steps can have more variety
- Nothing really stands out


S.U.K.I.

Heavy 5.5/6
These steps were really fun. There could have been a few more different patterns. I actually saw the BPM change coming.

Presentation 4/4
Nice Banner and Background. I liked the fact that you
added the video to this.

Overall 9.5/10
+ Really fun steps
+ BPM change worked
- Could have been a few more step patterns


She Blinded Me With Science

Heavy 4/6
The steps were good. A little more variety could have helped.

Presentation 4/4
Wow, the song choice is really wierd, but original so I give you credit for that.

Overall 8/10
+ Good steps
+ Original song choice
- A little more variety with the steps.


The Eleventh Hour (Clockwork Revelations)

Heavy 3.5/6
The only real problem with this simfile is the crazy amounts of BPM changes. The steps are really fun though when played on C300

Presentation 3.5/4
The banner and background nicely done as well. Even though there is no such thing as an 11 footer in DDR,
I still think it is cool how you made it an 11 footer
to go with the name of the song.

Overall 7/10
+ Fun steps with C300
+ Nice Background and Banner
- No need for all of the BPM changes


Time (Wideboys Club Remix)

Heavy 2/6
The steps really disappointed me. I was expecting steps like something from an earlier DDR mix that has fun steps to freestyle with (It feels like a song that's perfect for freestyling), instead the steps are very boring and repetitive. There was very little variety with the steps.

Presentation 2/4
The banner and background are okay. I like the song at least.

Overall 4/10
+ Nice song
- Boring, repetitive steps that could be so much better


Vodka

Heavy 6/6
The steps were really fun and they fit the song perfect. Good job man

Presentation 4/4
I would give a +1 for song choice but, the score is already maxed out. The video is hilarious, the background and banner were perfect.

Overall 10/10
+ Awesome steps
+ Great video
+ Original Song choice
? The possible winner of Best Mix 1 ?


Wish

Heavy 5.5/6
Even though I found the song way too easy, the steps fit the song nicely, but there could have been parts where the steps could have matched the beat of the music instead of the vocals.

Presentation 4/4
Nice background and banner. I like the video as well.

Overall 9.5/10
+ Fun steps for an easy song
+ Good presentation
- Steps could have matched beat in some parts instead
of matching the vocals


Yamato Nadeshiko (Maxxx400 Infinity Style)

Heavy .5/3
Keep in mind, I'm not taking off points for the gap. The steps were very boring and they weren't fun at all. The 2 stops in around the beginning of the song were pointless.

Challenge 0/3
These steps weren't any better either. Same problems as heavy. The steps in challenge were basically a harder version of heavy with freezes.

Presentation 2/4
The banner and background were alright. I song just makes my ears hurt.

Overall 2.5/10
+ At least the BPM wasn't off
- Just about everything except the banner and background which were okay


't Smidje

Heavy 6/6
I'm glad someone did a song with gallops. This song is just fun to play and you did a good job with the step variety with what the song allowed.

Presentation 4/4
Nothing wrong here.

Overall 10/10
+ Gallops!!!
+ Good job with steps variety with what the song allowed


Well, that's it for the reviews

Bracket 1 Average - ( 7.48 )

Top 3 files for me (not by score but by preference)
1. Caramelldanser
2. S.U.K.I.
3. 't Smidje

[Snapps]

Too bad grading is like this. A lot of things should get better scores than others, but due to presentations, they don't get the credit they deserve.

Over 9000
Steps: 1
Presentation: 2
Overall: 3/10

All The People In The World
Steps: 4
Presentation: 4
Overall: 8/10

Boss On Parade
Steps: 3
Presentation: 3
Overall: 6/10

Cafe Cafe
Steps: 3.5
Presentation: 3
Overall: 6.5/10

Caramelldansen (Speedycake Mix)
Steps: 5
Presentation: 3.5
Overall: 8.5/10

CHE.R.RY
Steps: 4.5
Presentation: 2
Overall: 6.5/10

Dance In My Blood
Steps: 3.5
Presentation: 2
5.5/10


Will edit in with rest when complete.

[BLueSS]

Please don't forget to show love to files at the end of the alphabet.

Everyone seems to like starting at the beginning, so maybe whoever's next should start from the end of the alphabet.

[Rainbow]

These reviews are best read with a huge in mind
(09/09: 9000 Remix (Gotcha Mix) has a new score)

't Smidje – Laïs

'Heavy'-chart could have used more variety in step patterns, rather than the typical "gallop gallop revolution" that seems to dominate the chart. 'Light' and 'Standard' are very good, though. Graphics are beautiful and you got the lyrics correct as well.

Steps: 4.6
Presentation: 4.0
Total: 8.6


Yamato Nadeshiko (Maxxx400 Infinity Style) – Riyu Kosaka

So I changed the offset as requested; the file still seems offsync though (or is it just me?). 'Light' is the only chart I'm somewhat satisfied about. 'Standard' has very short holds that could just easily be regular steps, but more importantly: too many spins. 'Heavy' looks just like a bunch of streams starting with three consecutive 8th-notes and ending with a jump. A little more creativity would be appreciated Like I said before, graphics are okay. How about adding the lyrics or a 'Beginner'-chart next time, to earn some more points next time?

Steps: 2.9 (0.5 was taken off for the gap problem)
Presentation: 2.4
Total: 5.3


Wish – DJ Yoshitaka feat. Sugimura Kotomi

I think you could have been more creative with the 'Standard'-chart; now it just looks like you took 'Light' and made it slightly harder. 'Light' and 'Heavy' are very good. Also, nice graphics and a very nice video make this sim a very enjoyable one.

Steps: 4.7
Presentation: 4.0
Total: 8.7


Vodka – Mad Cow & The Royal Eurobeat Orchestra Of Bazookistan

'Light' and 'Standard' are excellent. The 'hold spin' in 'Heavy' seems to be forced when compared to the rest of the chart though, but that's the only real complaint I have regarding the steps. I think it's obvious why this file got all points for 'Presentation'...

Steps: 5.8
Presentation: 4.0
Total: 9.8


Time (Wideboys Club Remix) – Speakerbox feat. Michelle Shaprow

Spins, spins, everywhere. The spins in the 'Heavy'-chart were the least disturbing. Actually, I think 'Heavy' is a pretty good chart. Both 'Light' and 'Standard' suffer from spins but they feel like it's the same chart all over again. In fact, it is, which can be seen in the step editor (of particular note are measures 43-46). Also, some nice graphics and video and a fair enough 'Beginner'-chart. (By the way, this is one boring song)

Steps: 3.4
Presentation: 3.5
Total: 6.9


The Eleventh Hour (Clockwork Revelations) – Id Est Corrupt

Apparently, it is an unwritten rule that all songs whose titles involve something with time or clocks should have excessive use of spins, because they are here, too. 'Light' suffers the least, in fact it turned out to be a very fun chart to play (thank you C400). 'Standard' is not really fun because of the already mentioned spins. 'Heavy' is somewhat better and turns out to be a steady 10 (once again, thank you C400) if it weren't for the BPM changes. This file would be so much better if you left the BPM fixed at 330. Graphics look nice, but add a 'Beginner' or 'Challenge'-chart for perfect presentation next time!

Steps: 3.2
Presentation: 3.0
Total: 6.2


She Blinded Me With Science – Fadeinn

'Light' didn't really stand out. It wasn't horrible, but neither really good. 'Standard' has some spins at a certain moment (I'd rather see them appear through the whole chart instead of all within a few seconds), but further appeared to me as uninspired. 'Heavy' is a very good chart, though. Graphics are nice, so you get full points for presentation. (Also, another boring song)

Steps: 3.6
Presentation: 4.0
Total: 7.6


S.U.K.I – Funta

First things first, that BPM change was unnecessary. 'Light' was okay, 'Standard' didn't get the creativity it wanted (mostly 4th-notes), but 'Heavy' was much better. Background was nice, video is very <3, but keep that ugly... thing away from your banner, next time. Also, there was nothing wrong with the lyrics-file

Steps: 3.8
Presentation: 4.0
Total: 7.8


Nettaiya – Rip Slyme

'Light' is very good. 'Standard' could probably be a bit more creative. 'Heavy' is extremely fun, even though the chart itself is not that special. Graphics are okay, as is the 'Beginner'-chart.

Steps: 5.4
Presentation: 4.0
Total: 9.4


Nanorisk – Dayz

This file has two problems: the song is too long and the part without arrows is also too long. 'Light', 'Standard' and 'Heavy' have "meh" written all over it: not great, but not horrible either. 'Challenge' is something I can only describe as Nanorisk PhoeniX (less jumps won't kill anyone). 'Beginner', however, was a nice chart. The graphics are very nice.

Steps: 3.0
Presentation: 3.5
Total: 6.5


Metallic Mind – DJ Technorch fw. Guhroovy

'Light' and 'Heavy' are very nice charts. 'Standard' is not that bad either, but it feels like the same three patterns over and over again. 'Beginner' is also good and 'Challenge' is... well, definitely a challenge (pretty good chart, too). The graphics are... gray. The bg-animation is very minimal.

Steps: 4.1
Presentation: 4.0
Total: 8.1


Je t'aime je t'aime – Tommy February6

This song is long. Way too long. 'Light' was not that great, I've seen better, I've seen worse. 'Standard' indeed needed some reviewing... from my side. It actually turned out to be a very fun and very good chart, after trying it a few more times. I played 'Heavy' many, many times, but I didn't come to like it more than I already did. The chart itself, however, was pretty nice, although there is one nasty turn that just messed the flow a bit. Graphics are nice.

Steps: 3.7
Presentation: 3.0
Total: 6.7


Inferno – Caldeira feat. Kanako Hoshino

Suddenly, a great simfile pops up out of nowhere. I loved the stepcharts, although the jumps that appear mid-stream in 'Heavy' were not really my favorites. That's probably the only negative thing I can think of. Graphics and video are very nice.

Steps: 5.5
Presentation: 4.0
Total: 9.5


Hanafubuki ~Kou Ni Tayutau Ai No Uta~ – S.S.D. Fantasica feat. Yukko

What to say, what to say...? This file is not bad, but it's definitely not the best of the bracket. 'Beginner' and 'Light' are my favorites, 'Standard' gets a bit tricky, but it's still okay and 'Heavy' is technically okay, but lacks a fun-factor. Also, that BPM change is unnecessary and doesn't make sense anyway. The graphics are nice and the video give the file that extra touch.

Steps: 3.7
Presentation: 4.0
Total: 7.7


Good Bye – Ruby Tuesday

First off: this is a great song. 'Light' and 'Standard' are very good. Also very good is the part from 'Heavy' starting with the words "I say goodbye" all the way to the end. The first part of 'Heavy' was not my favorite, and feels too difficult compared to the rest of the chart. I could definitely see 'Challenge' appearing in ITG (not like it will happen... ever), even though it's not my favorite kind of steps, they are good. Graphics look nice and the lyrics seem all right to me.

Steps: 5.4
Presentation: 4.0
Total: 9.4


Elysium (S&B Mix) – Scott Brown/Ultrabeat

'Light' is the only chart I really enjoyed. 'Standard' is not really that bad, even though there were some steps following not-so-easy-to-hear music elements. 'Heavy' is where you really went bananas (those turns!!), and it spoiled the fun (at least the final run was enjoyable). Graphics are nice, but not "P-p-p-perfect", so throw in a 'Beginner' next time

Steps: 3.3
Presentation: 3.0
Total: 6.3


Dark Blue – Jack's Mannequin

'Light' and 'Standard' are pretty good, but 'Heavy'... I don't know. It's pretty
weird because some parts are pretty hard while other parts seem really easy (try to get that more balanced next time). The banner is very nice, but that background... it's just dark blue and emo galore, and doesn't have that same feeling to it as the banner does. Too bad.

Steps: 4.4
Presentation: 2.8
Total: 7.2


Danzai no Hana ~Guilty Sky~ – Riyu Kosaka

'Beginner', 'Light' and 'Standard' are pretty good charts. Especially the first two were extremely fun to play. 'Heavy' is just that, actually. The chart itself could use a little less spin and/or jumps (measures 64-67) as those took away some of the fun. Graphics and video are very nice.

Steps: 4.6
Presentation: 4.0
Total: 8.6


Dance In My Blood – Men Women & Children

'Light' didn't do much for me; it's an okay chart, but not really special. 'Standard' felt very uninspired (repeated use of patterns). 'Heavy', however, turns out nicely. Banner is nice. The text in the background however could have been better: now it appears to be just slammed onto the background. Also, this song (although it meets the generous standard) is quite long.

Steps: 3.7
Presentation: 3.0
Total: 6.7


Che.r.ry – Yui

Me sees doublesteps, but with a song as slow as this, it´s not a real problem. The charts were quite good, but not really phenomenal (I think the whole file has this problem). Background is nice, and I'm guessing there are Pokémon in there because the whole file screams <3. Banner could be done better, but the lyrics make up for it (partially).

Steps: 3.9
Presentation: 3.5
Total: 7.4


Caramelldansen (Speedycake Mix) – Caramell

This file is just one big <3. About the steps, what I was afraid of while playing 'Standard' became true in 'Heavy': karaoke stepping. It probably doesn't matter that much for a song like this, but it's a bit of a shame when you realize that 'Heavy' doesn't offer much besides that. The other charts are excellent, however. Graphics look cute, and together with lyrics and bg-videos you get full points for presentation. Also, how do you pronounce ^_^?

Steps: 5.3
Presentation: 4.0
Total: 9.3


Cafe Cafe – Vivian

So, 'Light' could be a 'Standard' and 'Standard' could be a 'Heavy'. Maybe include a readme next time and explain why you chose to do such intense stepcharts 'Beginner' and 'Light' are very fun charts. 'Standard' has some patterns that seem uninspired to me (measures 35-40), and some tricky spins, but further seemed to be okay. 'Heavy' is overdoing those spins. And the streams during the "Cafe Cafe"-part feel too forced. Graphics are beautiful, although the text in the background could have been better. Also, don't leave bg-scripts in, if you're not including the videos with it.

Steps: 3.2
Presentation: 3.8
Total: 7.0


Boss On Parade – DJ Technorch

'Light' was surprisingly fun. 'Standard' is less fun, I think the doublesteps and turns packed within such an intense chart made it more frustrating than fascinating. 'Heavy' is... damn... seriously... it's just too intense to actually like it (I'm sure there may be people who liked it, but I'm not one of them). Also, those holds (you know which ones) could have easily been regular steps. I'm very curious as to know what you would have done for the 'Challenge'-difficulty, though. Banner is nice and the background is too. However, they don't have much in common (except for the title), which is a pity.

Steps: 3.8
Presentation: 3.8
Total: 7.6


All The People In The World – Safri Duo feat. Clark Anderson

Whoa, another huge surprise for me. I thought Inferno was going to be the hidden gem in this bracket (for me), but this is another hidden gem. The steps are excellent. Even though them BPM change is justified, it still feels awkward to have a BPM change mid-stream (see 'Heavy'). Graphics look very nice and the video is good, too.

Steps: 5.6
Presentation: 4.0
Total: 9.6


9000 Remix (Gotcha Mix) – DJ Gotcha

(The worst part is that I have to treat this file as if it were a serious entry)
First, all of the stepcharts start off-sync. 'Light' just seems to be random streams put here and there, 'Standard' is not even that bad, though, although it could have been a bit more creative. 'Heavy', however, blew it all. Those small holds could have easily been regular steps, but more importantly: this chart was no fun at all (that's a big problem, because this file is a joke entry). Banner and background are not aesthetically pleasing, and the video could have been better, too. Also, the banner is missing the song artist and the title on the banner is not the same as the music wheel tells me.
(I originally gave this a 2.2 but bumped it to 2.5, because I didn't think there would be other sims with such a low score and nobody would mind me doing so. However, after reviewing NB Rangers Returns, I feel I have to undo bumping the score to stay fair to everyone)

Steps: 1.2
Presentation: 1.0
Total: 2.2


This bracket's average is: 7.6

If you disagree with me, you could either ask me for further comments (don't break the 'anonymous rule', though) or just keep me on your bitch list, so you can tell the whole world you hate me once the tournament is over.

[vjgyo]

Okay here are my thoughts and opinions on the first batch. I'm not going into detail too much, just wanted to touch on the most basic things. Overall they were all pretty good and fun Nothing killed me.... yet!

Over 9000 -
The notes in the beginning didn't go to much... and the song felt offsync. Is this a joke? But umm great video, haha.
5.0

All The People In The World -
I had fun playing this. I'm still deciding if I liked the BPM change. The video was a nice addition. Graphics were good. Overall it felt like a genuine DDR song.
8.5

Boss On Parade -
Why in the hell is the banner shaking ohh man! DJ Technorch is amazing. The background looked like the title was just slapped on it. I didn't like the turns/doublesteps on this song AT ALL.
6.5

Cafe Cafe -
Catchy tune with a fun chart. The background was simple and pleasant but could have had more done to it. Overall very good, no qualms about it!
9.0

Caramelldansen -
Where have I heard this song? There's an AMV i saw of it somewhere, I swear...! Lyrics and video were nice. Background and banner looked nice as well. I guess my only gripe is that I wish the Heavy chart had more substance to it.
8.5

Cherry -
Simple. Fun. There's nothing wrong with it, but because it feels like a generic song with a generic chart, this entry may not get the credit it deserves due to this factor.
7.0

Dance In My Blood -
Felt slightly offsync. With that fixed, it was a fun chart. Graphics were simple but fitting.
8.0

Danzai No Hana-
Good video. The notes went to the song very well. Minimal doublestepping. 8.5

Dark Blue -
Graphics were fitting. Chart was fun. No major issues.
9.0

Elysium -
The beginning of the Heavy chart was in the 'lacking' department. Background looked like some brushes were taken to it in Photoshop and that was about it. Otherwise, okay.
6.5

Goodbye -
Yay fun graphics! Near the beginning, the notes felt awkward because the notes went to parts of the song I didn't feel were prominent/easy to hear.
8.0

Hanafubuki -
Video went to the song nicely. I felt the Heavy chart could have been something more, though.
8.0

Inferno -
Background was good, as it was from the video so it was fitting (doh!) Some notes in the beginning-middle felt weird, most notably a down arrow freeze with some notes... I don't know. It stuck out in a bad way. Otherwise, the IIDX was very nice to have in the background!
9.0


Metallic Mind -
omfg more DJ Technorch! I liked it a lot! The Oni felt a bit too hard, though. It felt like I was playing this on IIDX near the end.
9.0

NanoRisk -
The gap near the end was too long. I was wondering if the song was over until I looked at my score. Oh well. Difficult chart that seemed to fit the song well.
8.0

Rip Slyme Song -
I'm digging the background and catchy song! It was a fun and easy song. One of the best entries in here.
You would get a 10 except.... it felt like the gaps inbetween some of the lyrics could have had more notes or even a freeze arrow once in a while! ;(
9.5

SUKI -
Chart went with the song and video nicely. Very fun!
9.0

She blinded me with science -
Are the notes syncopated to the 8th notes? It looks like it. I won't take it into account though. Nothing stood out too much, and like I said about a different entry, the genericness doesn't make this entry very memorable.
7.0

Eleventh Hour -
First off, there is nothing more annoying than unnecissary BPM changes. Second, there is nothing more irritating than a song that is unnecissarily fast. This contains both. The only thing going for this is the song and the background.
3.5

Time -
Good video. Background and banner felt a little too plain. Some of the notes had a 16th note or a jump in an awkward place.
7.0

Vodka -
I had a hard time playing this without laughing. Great song, video, background, chart, everything. One of the best entries so far.
10.0

Wish - Beautiful background image. The video is always a plus. I know this is only a 5 on Heavy (which by the way had good, fitting steps!) but could you include an oni and make it a 6 or 7 or something? It feels kind of empty.
9.0

Maxx4000 style Song-
This wasn't synced right. Even still, the random freezes felt... well, random. At least the background and banner did the song some justice.
5.0

't Smidgje -
A little too gallopy. The beginning 16th note runs felt a bit off. Otherwise, it's pretty fun
7.5

[GenoScreams]

Here it is: My opinions, live, from the beginning! x+x=MY SCORE

9000 Remix - Short, repetitive, poor quality video. I'm going to go out on a limb here and say it's a joke song. 2+1=3
All the People in the World - One of the better songs in this pack. Pretty good steps for the most part (though some of the freezes feel weird to me) and the video was a good touch. Also, the BPM-increase did fit in nicely. 6+3=9
Boss on Parade - I really liked this one, though I think it would've worked better as a boss song (boss is in the title, the graphics and song itself make it seem kind of chaotic and evil like a boss song should feel). Still a good file though! 6+3=9
Cafe Cafe - Another weird song. The steps seem offical, even though the song does not. 5+3=8
Caramelldansen - This one follows the song nicely and also feels a lot like an official DDR song (especially with that background video). 5+3=8
CHE.R.RY - Nothing really wrong with the overall file, but I personally thought it was too easy. Didn't really grab my attention much. 4+3=7
Dance in My Blood - Pretty good file, though it was a little off-sync. Of course, that's a really small issue that I could easily adjust. The steps could have been repetitive, but you did a pretty good job of switching them up. 4+3=7
Danzai no Hana - I personally like this one as well. It feels very complete with its nice steps and background video. 5+4=9
Dark Blue - You made the steps nice and difficult when they could've been pretty boring to play. My only nitpick is that the second-to-last arrow doesn't seem to not fit in. 4+4=8
Elysium - I love anything Elysium, so of course I love the song itself. I do think you picked an odd starting point though. Steps were alright. 3+3=6
Good Bye - Very good file. It was a little off-sync for me but I easily adjusted it for when I played the challenge steps. Great difficulty on both heavy and challenge, and good job keeping it varied throughout. 5+4=9
Hanafubuki - Expertly done file. The background video fits nicely with the music, the steps are nicely done and the little slow-down fits in nicely. Feels like an official DDR song as well. 6+4=10
Inferno - Another expertly done file. The video is a good bonus and the steps fit quite well. 6+4=10
je t'aime je t'aime - The only long version in this pack! Luckily it's a good one. Good song, nice difficulty (especially for a slower song). 6+3=9
Metallic Mind - I like the song, but the audio sounds like poor quality to me. Synced surprisingly well, though a few arrows felt out of place on challenge (edit steps?). The steps were good for the most part, though. 4+2=6
Nano Risk - Didn't really like the song or the part with no arrows, but that's just me. The steps on both heavy and challenge were nicely done. The BPM was also handled well. 4+3=7
??? - Don't care for the song itself (and don't know what the title is), but it is synced well. Steps felt like official DDR steps. 5+3=8
S.U.K.I. - Another song that feels official. The freezes in the beginning were pulled off nicely. Solid file. 6+4=10
She Blinded Me With Science - I wasn't expecting much of this one, but I ended up enjoying it a lot. Well-synced, nice difficulty. 5+3=8
The Eleventh Hour - This one felt really off-sync, but it was still easy to adjust. It does fit as a boss song, but it would have worked much better without the BPM changes, focusing more on the steps. 3+3=6
Time - Some of the steps felt out of place, but it wasn't that bad. The graphics weren't good though. 4+3=7
Vodka - Very interesting file, to say the least. The song is energetic (and weird), which I liked. The steps fit very well, and needless to say, so did the video. I also liked the BPM pause. 6+4=10
Wish - Too easy for my liking, but that doesn't mean it's bad (didn't really like the voice either). Steps were pretty good, though I thought the freezes felt weird in the beginning. The video was also a good touch. 4+3=7
Yamato Nadeshiko - Very off-sync, but unlike the others, I couldn't figure out how to adjust it until after reading what it should be. The difficulty of it (especially challenge) was also too high, making it feel too much like a rushed keyboard file. 3+2=5
't Smidje - Despite being a strange, foreign, pirate-esque song, I... dare I say it, liked it. A lot. Call me weird, but this was actually one of my favorite songs in the group. The steps fit very nicely and it was just fun to play. And kudos on the lyrics! 6+4=10

[ranatalus]

--over 9000: 0/10

gj with wrong bpm. graphics were pretty terrible too. I love starting the comp out with a joke entry!

--all the people in the world: 6 /10

good graphics. bpm double was kind of unneeded; i can see why you used it, but it would probably have been better without it. steps didn't really feel like they had an identity; they kept changing. i'd give a bonus or something for the bg movie, but you just took the music video and put it to it, which really isn't indicative of any creativity. doubles steps were ok.

--boss on parade: 3/10

animated banner. weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee. i mean the banner itself was fitting i suppose. i'm assuming those were supposed to be white-boys and not just really unneeded spins? the freezes that you don't have to hold at all probably shouldn't be there. the long area in which there are no steps and little music probably could've actually USED a freeze. the beginning of the song in which you had 1 step each measure you probably could've just cut out.

cafe cafe: 3.5/10

so-so banner and background. the text stands out too much. the long runs during the chorus don't really fit. some of the steps feel like they're there solely to make the song harder. a lot of the doubles steps were awkward/uncomfortable

caramelldansen: 7.5/10

same graphical problem as cafe cafe: text stands out too much (specifically on "caramell"), and the graphics themselves aren't GREAT. the steps were ok, but you karaoke'd a little too much (and by "a little too much" i mean "every single step went to some exact part of the song and there weren't any notes that were unaccounted for") nice bg scripting. some parts of the doubles steps were awkward

che.r.ry: 7/10

it should probably be a 6. it was fun though. banner was pretty mediocre. background was cute. i appreciated the lyrics file.

dance in my blood: 6/10

felt really long. banner and bg were ok. steps near the end felt out of place in comparison to the rest of the song.

danzai no hana: 5.5/10

this felt REALLY long and the steps felt totally unrelated. this would probably be better as a 7 similar to baby's tears from supernova (except, with good steps). doubles steps felt intentionally awkward and not fun.

dark blue: 7.5/10

why were those 16th bursts there? they didn't really fit. i liked the banner/bg. the steps overall weren't bad.

elysium (s&b mix): 6/10

it was a little inconsistent in difficulty, and you seemed loathe to put a crossover in your long runs, or even change the direction you were facing/moving during the runs. banner and bg weren't that great.

goodbye: 5/10

really inconsistent in difficulty. the 16ths (especially the purple-blue-purple bits in the middle) were a bit much for an 8. i noticed plenty of copy/paste mirror action. banner and bg nothing special.

hanafubuki: 4.5/10

forced spins (from freezes) are not cool. the slowdown was dumb. nice background movie. banner and bg were fitting.

inferno: 3/10

those 16ths and those jump streams are unneeded in the song. as it is, this could be a 9. something looks wrong with the letters on the banner, i can't exactly figure out what.

je t'aime: 0/10

try cutting the song to ddr length next time; maybe i'll play it. HTTP://WWW.GOLDWAVE.COM

metallic mind: 3/10

heavy is a 9, not an 8. banner and bg pretty uninteresting.

nanorisk: 2/10

sooooooooooo longgggggggggggg. the steps weren't bad for the first 2/3 of the song, although you did a lot of copy/paste/mirror. end run was stupid, as was the gap before it.banner and bg look like you took them from something else.

nettaiya: 6.5/10

i really liked the banner and bg, and the song itself had a lot of potential. however, you squandered that potential by following the vocals and not really doing much else. this could've been a great file.

s.u.k.i.: 6/10

i wish you had done more than just matched the vocals for the entire song, because it would've been fun. what you did have was good, but when there were no steps after the "s-u-k-i, love" parts because there were no vocals, that is a problem.

she blinded me with science: 6/10

just look at the last two reviews, same damn thing.

11th hour: 5/10

tempo changes were dumb. last i checked, ddr only went up to 10 on the rating scale. without speed changes that might be a cool boss song, but you changed it into one giant supernova gimmick. good job!

time (wideboys club remix): 4/10

1,2,3,4,THAT WAS BORING. BANNER AND BACKGROUND REALLY WEREN'T GOOD. 5,6,7,8, BAD FONT. kidding, it wasn't that bad, you just used that one pattern WAYYYYYYYY TOO MUCH

vodka: 8.5/10

even though this also karaoke'd a lot, it at least had A FEW PARTS in which whoever wrote it went "you know, doing something slightly different would actually make this better" and THEY WERE RIGHT. bg movie was amusing.

wish: 9/10

those freezes were REALLY long. this might actually be a 6, but maybe not; after all think ya better d is a 5, haha.

yamato nadeshiko max style: 9/10

good job having the gap way the hell off; it took longer to sync this than anything else. i was able to see the stops coming since i'd heard the song before. i liked the banner/bg being similar to max300. the oni steps are fucking RETARDED hard; i'd say they're probably around the same difficulty of felm oni/hdv oni. also good job on having 573 steps. doubles was fun except for oni JESUS CHRIST waharrwahraawrawhrawrkwrhskh


't smidje: 7.5/10

it felt like it drifted in parts, but it sounded like a live song so that is probably the reason. other than the two long strings of steps, it was good. the banner and bg were ok.

[cpubasic13]

I am playing all these sims 1x keyboard. I start with the easiest difficutly and work my way up. If something seems too familiar like the previous difficulty its getting knocked off points. So... if you started with Heavy and Light/Standard were too much like it, oh boy you are going to be hurting.
----------

Over 9000
---
Light: Oh god. The jacks were unneccesary and the steps did not flow well at all. It seemed like double-stepping is a requirement to this file, which is bad in how it handled it. 0/2
Standard: Same as above. The jumping parts were probably the only thing that was good. 0.5/2
Heavy: Glaring problems include lack of creativity and double-stepping. 0/2

Steps: 0.5/6
Oh god these steps were awful. It'd require a complete rehaul of the file before it becomes remotely good.

Presentation: 1/4
The preview for the song revealed absolutely nothing. The background video was ok, I guess. Song is too short and too repetitive for its own nature. A joke song this is.

Overall rating: 1.5/10
Final Judgement: Guessing from the readme this is a joke file. In that case A+ COULDN'T DO BETTER MYSELF!

----------

All The People In The World
---
Beginner: It was a beginner file and it shows. Excellent.
Light: It was varied enough to not bore the player at least. There are times I say include 8th notes in Light, and this didn't feel like it was right.You already had a bit of variety in it without doing offbeat notes. That's my only gripe. 1.5/2
Standard: This was done very very well. The variety from Light to Standard shows and it does a great job following the music. 2/2
Heavy: Whoa, either Standard copied this or this is too much like Standard. There could have been a lot more variety here and it disappoints me that there wasn't much else from Standard other than the slow part. 1/2

Steps: 4.5/6
Not bad, but Heavy was the one that should have been varied a bit more the second half. It was way too much like Standard.

Presentation:
The video went with the song of course and it wasn't really bad quality. The song was catchy and the preview captures the player to try it out. Graphics were ok, but didn't need coloring to differentiate itself. 3/4

Overall rating: 7.5/10
Final Judgement: Its an alright chart for Heavy, but Standard stuck out more to me, really. The song isn't one I'd play often either, so while its a decent sim its not one I'm going to play often.

----------

Boss On Parade
---
Light: You had the right mindset but the execution was a little off. It was a tad boring, mainly for a lot of places with a lack of notes. The steps were also awkward for this fast paced a song. 0.5/2
Standard: Better, but double-stepping killed it for me again. It was slightly more varied though. 1/2
Heavy: This would have easily been my favorite... if there wasn't any double-stepping. This also didn't vary it up much either. Seemed to concentrate on the same things Light and Standard did. Sad, really. It would have been more fun. 0.5/2

Steps: 2/6
Too much awkwardness and double-stepping for it to be considered a pad file. A few rearrangements of the steps as well as overhauls at certain parts would make this an excellent file.

Presentation:
The banner and background did not fit together well at all. The animation was useless in that sense then. The cut was good and you did make me appreciate that I have the full version sitting here on this computer (that I never listened to before). The preview was a bit long. The readme was also very nicely arranged. 2.5/4

Overall rating: 4.5/10
Final Judgement: The steps just killed it for me. Otherwise, would have become my favorite, since I'm a big hardcore/gabba fan when it comes to Stepmania sims. Least it wasn't ultra bad, just needs a few step arrangements before I pad this beast.

----------

Cafe Cafe
---
Beginner: I dunno whether to take points off on this or not. It wasn't really... eh, fun for a beginner's chart.
Light: Whoa, can I bump this up to Standard? It was not a good Light at all. Beginner made a good Light. There was no need to make this a 5 at all. It didn't sound like it needed such a hard chart like this at such a lower level stage. 0/5
Standard: Same glaring problem as Light: too hard for its own good. Many of the parts here were also uncreative and the steps were awkward with either fast spins or just double-stepping. 0/2
Heavy: So I play through the hell charts to come to an 8? Doesn't make much sense. The steps here had more glaring double-stepping issues and the steps again were very very uncreative. 0/2

Steps: 0/6
Sounds harsh, but really, you get an easy sounding song like this and try too hard to get it to be challenging and it just doesn't turn out well.

Presentation:
No readme. Graphics were ok, but why did it fade-out at the beginning? Was there a video to go with it? Preview does its job, at least. 1.5/4

Overall rating: 1.5/10
Urgh. Too many problems with the steps. It was made way too difficult for its song genre. Needs an overhaul to get it right.

----------

Caramelldansen (Speedycake Mix)
---
Beginner: Good, I guess.
Light: There is one thing that 4 2 6 step patterns make, and those are crossovers. You used them in a way where double-stepping was needed to pass. For a fast song like this its... eh, ok. Just those 426 steps make it harder than it should be. 1/2
Standard: Ok, not as bad. A few minor awkwardnesses, but so far a lot better than the Light. 1.5/2
Heavy: Right mindset, focusing on the eurobeat parts and vocals. The execution was slightly ever so off. Slight step issues are the only thing that get me. 1.5/2

Steps: 4/6
Not bad, but slight errors cause this to be less than great.

Presentation:
The song felt WAY too short. I was just getting in the groove of things and it ended. Also, your readme makes it seem that you want us to compare this to the other DDR songs instead of on its own. Unfortunately I can't do that. It had simplistic graphics that worked and the videos/lyrics were nice touches. 3.5/4

Overall rating: 7.5/10
Final Judgement: Eh, not what I was hoping for. A bit short for much fun to be had.

----------

CHE.R.RY
---
Light: This felt very repetitive and I really could not tell what I was supposed to step to. It also seemed to lack a lot of patterns. 0/2
Standard: There was awkwardness in the steps. Some of the spins I kind of liked though. 1/2
Heavy: Ok, not bad. However, double stepping occurs a lot here. 1/2

Steps: 2/6
Not total crap with the steps, but mostly just double-stepping the deciding factor.

Presentation:
The graphics were horrible. The artist in the banner made it seem the song wasn't called CHE.R.RY. Also, Pokemon? What the hell did they have to do with anything? The lyrics were good. Preview seemed ok. 1/4

Overall rating: 3/10
Final Judgement: There needs to be a lot of work done on this for it to get better.

----------

Dance in my Blood
---
Light: This only had VERY few flaws with a few of those crossovers. Otherwise, great chart. 1.5/2
Standard: It was ok, although lacking enough variety for a lot of fun. 1/2
Heavy: Wow. This was definitely good. It had nice turns, crossovers, and variation to enjoy playing. 2/2

Steps: 4.5/6
Not perfect, but pretty damn close.

Presentation:
Preview grabs you to try the song. Graphics work for the song. Bright and dance-like. 4/4

Overall rating: 8.5/10
Final Judgement: A good file. Not entirely perfect but oh so close. I'll play it from time to time.

----------

断罪の花~Guilty Sky~ (Danzai no Hana)
---
Beginner: It was rated a 2 footer, but the patterns were so simplistic as to be a 1. However, for Beginners, its varied enough to keep them entertained while easy enough to manage.
Light: One issue I had here was how religious the steps went to the vocals and when there were no vocals they went to the guitars. Otherwise, simple. Could have thought of alternative patterns that didn't try to go to the vocals, though. 1/2
Standard: Beginning seemed awefully familiar to Light. Plus, while fitting, did the same thing Light did, which was go to the vocals and guitars with a bit more variety. However, I'm a bit concerned about those jump streams. They don't seem that much fitting with the rest of the song. 1/2
Heavy: Oh boy. There were a few awkward steps there, and again, focused primarily on the vocals and guitars. While the guitar sections were ok, the vocals... well, could have focused elsewhere for a change. Despite those it was decent, but nothing I'd want to play again, unfortunately. 0.5/2

Steps: 2.5/6
The big problem with them was the variety. In each and every one they went to the same parts of the song. Not necessarily bad, but it lacks variety to where I'd want to play it all again.

Presentation:
The text looks awfully out of place in the background and banner. The ending of the song keeps the video going instead of fading back to the background, so I can't see how it ends since this theme cuts off to white right afterwards. Seeing as it is a different cut of an anime ending I'm glad to see someone not simply doing the TV cut of these songs and still managing to make a BGA that isn't just the opening/ending. Albeit the videos seemed random, they did work for the song parts, so that is good. 2/4


Overall rating: 4.5/10
Final Judgement: It would have been a good file if only it varied it up a bit. Sure anime songs are well known for their vocals but that doesn't mean every sim needs to go ONLY to the vocals and if there are no vocals to the next best thing. Variety is key.

----------

Dark Blue
---
Beginner: Felt a bit awkward...
Light: Wasn't bad. However, a few minor step issues. There didn't really seem to be much of a pattern as there should be. 1/2
Standard: Steps felt awkward and a lot looked like Light. Again, lack of varying patterns make this subpar. 0.5/2
Heavy: Um... wow, a bit too karaoke for its own good. Overly complicated for the genre and moodset. Too many jackhammers as well that just didn't fit.

Steps: 1.5/6
Urgh. It was made harder than it should have been. Lack of good patterns also hurt it.

Presentation:
Somehow, I think the BPM is doubled of what it should have been. The entire sim was made harder than it sounded, the same issue with Cafe Cafe. Graphics don't at all fit together. The BPM changes seemed highly uneccessary to me. 0/4

Overall rating: 1.5/10
Final Judgement: I can sum up this file like I did with Cafe Cafe: doesn't sound like it should be hard at all. Perhaps getting steps that went well with the song would have been better, as steps that flow with the song are better than those that are purely karaoke to the song. Save those types of steps for Oni.

----------

Elysium (S&B Mix)
---
Light: YES! This is a good Light. Lots of variety, not too hard yet perfect for easy-going players. 2/2
Standard: Other than slight repetitiveness when the vocals are in play, excellent. 1.5/2
Heavy: Hmm.. not the best. Some of the steps seemed awkward in motion and some of the patterns made little sense. Not that its a bad file, just needs a bit of a tune-up before being great. 1/2

Steps: 4.5/6
Taking a repetitive in nature song and giving it variety is what made this good. Heavy was a bit lacking, though.

Presentation:
The text seems to blend in on the background slightly. Banner looks ugly with that black text. The song was repetitive feeling but the overall design made it not seem as such. Preview caught my attention too. 3/4

Overall rating: 7.5/10
Final Judgement: Other than a few problems, it was actually decent and well done for a Scott Brown song like this.

----------

(Am working one at a time on these. Expect more edits within the next few days)

[Raf]

Over 9000
Steps:[0/6]
Save joke entries for joke contests. Thank you.
Presentation:[1/4]
One point for having a video.
Total: [1/10]

All the People in the World
Steps:[6/6]
Very amazing file right here! Nothing to bitch about. This is 100% quality. I'd love to see more by this author.
Presentation:[3/4]
The graphics are great although the artist on the banner could be more visible.
Total:[9/10]

BOSS ON PARADE (DJ SHARPNEL REMIX)
Steps:[3/6]
I can see what you were thinking when placing the steps although there is quite a bit of whiteboying in here. Not too overly so. I understand that Hardcore songs have the right to have steps that are somewhat out of the norm (i.e. Daikenkai, HVAM). I didn't care to much for the 16th note gallop to freeze arrow. It could have done without that.
Presentation:[1/4]
Animated banners do not impress me so much. Good graphics do. Your text could have been much more inspired. Black and white is just the tier of defaultness. You also realize that this is the sharpnel remix. Try doing something to your images to make it your own instead of just slapping text over an image you found online.
Total:[4/10]

CAFE CAFE
Steps:[5/6]
A touch of old school to the competition! Really makes you think 4th mix. Steps are beautiful and I wouldn't change anything. It seems as if the song goes offbeat just a tad toward the end. This may be due to a cutting error? I'm not sure but I've had my share of those too and it was a bitch fixing them. We're all human so don't feel too bad about that.
Presentation:[4/4]
Now here's someone who knows what they are doing! Pay attention all of you guys! Nicely recreated VIVIAN logo and crisp graphics all around. Good work. Is there supposed to be a video? The screen starts to do a bg change but nothing appears.
Total:[9/10]

Caramelldansen (Speedycake Remix)
Steps:[6/6]
Well I was pretty surprised here as I've played W1p3out's version of this song. Yours is a lot better. Great fun steps to such a cute speedy song. I'd like to see more from you in the future.
Presentation:[1/4]
You tried, but the graphics could be a lot nicer. Keep practicing. You'll get it eventually.
Total:[7/10]

CHE.R.RY
Steps:[6/6]
Wow you are gutsy picking such a nice slow song. I always have respect for slow songs as long as they are done right and you have done so, my friend! Props.
Presentation:[0/4]
Scanlines are such an overly used effect nowadays and it's just not needed for a song like this. Your images are rough around the edges as is the text. I would suggest downloading some program that isn't called Paint Shop Pro.
Total:[6/10]

Dance In My Blood
Steps:[6/6]
Very fun and what a great song choice! Steps are amazing. Great job.
Presentation:[2/4]
Not too shabby. Text could use some work in the background. It's crisp and stands out from how blurry the background image is.
Total:[8/10]

Guilty Sky
Steps:[6/6]
Ultra fun steps right here. I like the parts that make your feet cross over facing away from the screen (left foot on right arrow and right foot on left arrow). Just like in A Stupid Barber. Nice work.
Presentation:[2/4]
I'm beginning to wonder if this video is related to the song at all. Your graphics are pretty but could be a little more sharp.
Total:[8/10]

Dark Blue
Steps:[4/6]
Steps aren't bad but they just feel a little to overly done. A few triplets at the end are unnecessary.
Presentation:[3/4]
Graphics work and they are good enough. Nice job.
Total:[7/10]

Elysium (S&B Mix)
Steps:[3/6]
The flow of the patterns is not very solid. I recall one part near the beginning that has the dancer facing backward for a very long time. The part in the middle with freeze arrow followed by one step bugged me. The freeze was unnecessary.
Presentation:[1/4]
Solid font color, inner bevel, drop shadow, DONE!! It just screams default. At least try to use a different color or font between the artist and song title.
Total:[4/10]

Good Bye
Steps:[4/6]
Songs like this with 10 feet steps get automatically ignored. It's not a hardcore song so 10 foot steps are worthless. This is a ddr contest not in the groove, remember that. As for the Heavy steps, you followed the beat and vocals way too much. There are also too many of those runs. Needs to be toned down a tad.
Presentation:[2/4]
Nice looking graphics. Very cutesy and fitting.
Total:[6/10]

Hanafubuki
Steps:[5/6]
Not too bad, eh. I'm impartial about the circling freezes. Over all it's kinda fun.
Presentation:[1/4]
Your graphics are SO bland. Is today SOLID COLOR DAY? Seriously. Paint Shop Pro, long time no see. The one point is for including background changes that work.
Total:[6/10]

INFERNO
Steps:[5/6]
Some parts had me wondering how to step correctly. Almost whiteboying for a bit. The jumps at the end that appear throughout are interesting.
Presentation:[4/4]
Crisp, clean graphics to the max! The background resembles the video nicely although it isn't just a frame cut from the video. Awesome work.
Total:[9/10]

Je t'aime Je t'aime
Steps:[5/6]
I was reluctant to play this at first because I really don't care for long versions, but this song is really cute. The steps flow nicely. No problems.
Presentation:[4/4]
Very cute and sparkly graphics! It works very well.
Total:[9/10]

METALLIC MIND
Steps:[6/6]
Such an awesome work right here! If Konami did this song, I would imagine the steps just like this. Very fun and interesting.
Presentation:[0/4]
Graphics are pretty bland and ugly. A brain layered on top of some static. Very nasty. Ew.
Total:[6/10]

NANO RISK
Steps:[4/6]
The steps fit the song although it could have used a little less freeze arrows. The one part with the 20 second break of just nothing kind of makes you lose interest. I'm not saying that it would have been good to put something there, I'm saying that this part of the song should have been cut out. About the 10 foot oni...keep that crap over in bemanistyle.
Presentation:[3/4]
Not bad. You've tried which is obvious. Nice.
Total:[7/10]

Nettaiya
Steps:[6/6]
Truly amazing steppage you have shown us! It fits well and there are no issues at all. I loved it.
Presentation:[4/4]
Ladies and gentlemen, this is a perfect file. Graphics are supremely done. The only thing i don't like is the CDtitle. It's a big box.
Total:[10/10]

S.U.K.I.
Steps:[6/6]
PERFECT COMBO! Man, this is one great file. Very cute and very fun. The BPM change was a nice touch, but all you guys reading this don't get the wrong idea. BPM changes aren't always a GOOD thing, but it works here.
Presentation:[4/4]
Very cute video. Graphics are cute and they work. Cheers.
Total:[10/10]

SHE BLINDED ME WITH SCIENCE
Steps:[6/6]
Very fun song. I actually thought about stepping this song myself, but there is no need now. You've done so well on it. Great job.
Presentation:[4/4]
Amazing graphics. I was really expecting the artist logo for FADEINN to actually FADE IN. :o
Total:[10/10]

The Eleventh Hour
Steps:[0/6]
Don't ever do that again. I guess you're steps are so bland that you have to add in BPM changes to keep the player's attention. Well get this, that song does not change BPMs so don't use it so freely. I would bet that this entry is by Dark Link or whatev.
Presentation:[3/4]
The graphics are kind of futuristic and nice to look at. I guess that is from the all so ever popular and trendy scanline effect you have going on.
Total:[3/10]

Time (Wideboys Club Remix)
Steps:[3/6]
The 16th note jumps up to the middle of the song can really be thrown out. No need for that. It would be a lot more fun without them.
Presentation:[1/4]
PAINT
SHOP
PRO
Total:[4/10]

VODKA
Steps:[6/6]
Great fun for the whole family. This is one solid file all around. Nothing to improve upon but I do wonder why the freezes at the end are like 1/16th too long? Why did you feel the need to do that?
Presentation:[4/4]
Video is amazing and fits perfectly. Graphics are of a high quality which needs to be seen a little more in the sim community. Awesome job.
Total:[10/10]

wish...
Steps:[5/6]
Nice and fitting although the part near the beginning that was predominately freezes needs to be overhauled. I'm sure something better can be done.
Presentation:[3/4]
Your graphics are amazingly smooth. One thing that bothered me was the video starts way too early giving the player half a second to see your background. Cut your videos.
Total:[8/10]

Yamato Nadeshiko (Maxxx400 Style)
Steps:[2/6]
Ok you are really going to have to fix the offset on this file because I can't even figure it out and it looks like you just threw anything anywhere.
Presentation:[2/4]
Is that MAX 300? The text is pretty nice, but trying to be way too much like MAX 300.
Total:[4/10]

t'smidje
Steps:[4/6]
Not too bad for a song that has a very apparent beat. There's not really any room for creative steps in a song like that.
Presentation:[3/4]
Very old world feel to the graphics that fits the song nicely.
Total:[7/10]

[Lisek]

9000 Remix (Gotcha Mix)
Steps: 0.5
They are really boring, joke file, right?
Presentation: 1
There is a video
Total: 1.5

All the People in the World
Steps: 4
Too much 1/16ths, but other than that it is very good.
Presentation: 3.5
Text on banner is hardly readable (artist), you could get better quality video (without VIVA logo). It lacks lrc. Double steps (+0.5)
Total: 6.8

BOSS ON PARADE
Steps: 3.6
Too much ds/fast turning. It would be fun without them.
Presentation: 2.6
Nice idea for banner, but it makes it unreadable.
Total: 6.2

CAFE CAFE
Steps: 4.7
Very nice steps, found something that I didn't like, but overall the best so far.
Presentation: 3
Nice looking banner and background, but nothing more. It should have bg changes, but why they are not icluded? It should have lrc. Double steps (+0.5)
Total: 7.7

Carmelldansen (Speedycake Mix)
Steps: 4.8
Good solid steps.
Presentation: 3.8
It's cute as hell. Lyrics included, random bgs, nice bg and bn. Double steps (+0.5)
Total: 8.6

CHE.R.RY
Steps: 3.7
1/12th was used wrong. It really lacks harder heavy or oni.
Presentation: 1.5
bg and bn are bad. Title on BG is under the arrows and bn is unreadable. The lrc saves the points.
Total: 5.2

Dance In My Blood
Steps: 3.1
Nice steps, but big offsync.
Presentation: 3.2
Ok bg, ok bn. Double steps (+0.5)
Total: 6.3

�*罪の花~Guilty Sky~ (Danzai no Hana)
Steps: 2.5
Dunno, I totally don't feel those steps.
Presentation: 3.7
Nice quality video and graphics. Double steps (+0.5)
Total: 6.2

Dark Blue
Steps: 5
Fun steps.
Presentation: 3.7
Graphics are nice. Double steps (+0.5)
Total: 8.7

Elysium (S&B Mix)
Steps: 4.4
Just solid steps. Nothing special - nothing bad.
Presentation: 2.6
Everything feels ok.
Total: 7

Goodbye
Steps: 4.9
They are nice, DDR like steps.
Presentation: 3.1
Maybe that anime girl could be exchanged for something else. Otherwise, this is nice.
Total: 8

Hanafubuki ~Kou ni Tayutau Ai no Uta~
Steps: 5.8
Very good usage of turns.
Presentation: 3.6
Really nice BN and BG. Pretty good random bgs.
Total: 9.4

INFERNO
Steps: 5.6
Very good steps.
Presentation: 3.5
Very hq bg and bn. Nice video.
Total: 9.1

je t'aime je t'aime
Steps: 3
They are ok, but boring.
Presentation: 1.5
-1 for long. Nice banner, but bad background.
Total: 4.5

METALLIC MIND
Steps: 5.1
Really fun steps.
Presentation: 3.5
Everything is ok. Double steps (+0.5)
Total: 8.6

Nanorisk
Steps: 3
Steps could be better.
Presentation: 2
BG and BN are ok.
Total: 5

Nettaiya
Steps: 5.9
Steps that I really liked.
Presentation: 3.4
Super graphics.
Total: 9.3

S.U.K.I.
Steps: 5.7
Really good flow. They are easy but really fun.
Presentation: 3.7
Everything is on place. Maybe video could be in a little better quality.
Total: 9.4

SHE BLINDED ME WITH SCIENCE
Steps: 5.4
Very fun file.
Presentation: 3
Very nice BG and BN. They are very readable.
Total: 8.3

The Eleventh Hour (Clockwork Revelations)
Steps: 2.5
11? This is DDR competition. The steps are pretty bad and there is offsync at the end.
Presentation: 2.4
BG and BN are nice.
Total: 4.9

Time (Wideboys Club Remix)
Steps: 2.5
Pretty boring steps.
Presentation: 2.3
Ugly bg, bn but there are some bg videos. Double steps (+0.5)
Total: 4.8

Vodka
Steps: 5.7
Really good and fun file. But for me it lacks something ...
Presentation: 3.8
Good lrc, great video, nice banner and bg.
Total: 9.5

wish
Steps: 4.8
Nice steps, but totally too easy.
Presentation: 3.4
Nice bg, nice bn, good quality video. But missing lyrics.
Total: 8.3

Yamato Nadeshiko (Maxxx400 Infinity Style)
Steps: 0
The offsync is too big. The file is unplayable.
Presentation: 2.9
Nice bg and bn. Double steps (+0.5).
Total: 2.9

't Smidje
Steps: 5.1
The steps are really fun. Too bad that it doesn't have oni or beginner.
Presentation: 3.4
lrc, good banner and good bg.
Total: 8.5

Top3 by scores:
1. Vodka (9.5)
2. S.U.K.I. (9.4)
2. Hanafubuki (9.4)
3. Nettaiya (9.3)

Top5 by fun:
1. Nettaiya (9.3)
2. Cafe Cafe (7.7)
3. Caramelldansen (8.5)
4. 't Smidje (8.5)
5. Vodka (9.5)

[TakeWalker]

I'm sorry, but I'm only reviewing Heavy and Oni charts. I don't know how much time I'll have to be able to do these, so I want to ensure I get around to saying at least something about every song.

9000 Gotcha remix
STEPS: 2.5/6 Generally uninteresting. The long streams were very repetitive, while the freezes are extremely difficult to pull off. They lack a good deal of polish. Things like the freeze triplet just scream "amateur".
PRESENTATION: 1/4 I realize you got the video from YouTube, which isn't the best, quality-wise, but... maybe you should have just stepped something else. The quality of the video affects the graphics, too, not to mention it looks like you threw them together in under a minute. This feels overall like a joke file, from the song to the graphics to the readme, and not something you'd want to enter in a contest, especially not one with a real prize.
TOTAL: 3.5/10

All the People in the World
STEPS: 4.5/6 I know I've seen this one before, but it's been so long, I have no idea where from, who did it, and I forgot about the speedup. Safri Duo songs, including this one, are good for step charts because the percussion always presents interesting rhythms, and you take advantage of those. Some of the pure 16th runs feel a little sparse, and could have used some intervening steps to carry the beat. The ending falls a little flat, meandering like you didn't know exactly what to do.
PRESENTATION: 3/4 The text in the graphics is a little flat, but otherwise looks good and uses stills from the video in a refreshing way. The video itself is well edited and good quality.
TOTAL: 7.5/10

Boss on Parade
STEPS: 4/6 Not my favorite, but far better than many hardcore/gabber charts I've played in the past. I wouldn't want to play this over and over, let me just say, but I think it has some technical excellence nevertheless. The long strings of freezes feel gimmicky, and the big gap near the opening just sort of made me wonder, "Why?" It's not the biggest flaw in the chart, for sure, but a sticking point nonetheless. I suppose my main gripe, then, is that, at these speeds, most of these steps are extremely difficult to dance. I know, I'm going to sound like a pussy for the rest of these reviews, but there's only so much 200+ BPM whiteboying I can handle.
PRESENTATION: 3.5/4 Bizarre damn song. The graphics are wonderful, and that shuddering banner is sweet!
TOTAL: 7.5/10

Cafe Cafe
STEPS: 4.5/6 Very enjoyable, though I liked the final chorus and ending best. The steps show a lot of technical prowess, though the use of repetition becomes a little overwhelming during the verse. Lots of good streams, and some pleasently surprising 16ths thrown in.
PRESENTATION: 3/4 Good graphics, but no readme? Well, I guess they weren't required... The file overall says to me that you put a lot of time into it. You definitely shouldn't add a place for random background vids on a contest entry if you aren't providing the vids yourself; I hate watching the background fade out, only to see it pop back up again.
TOTAL: 7.5/10

Caramelldansen
STEPS: 4.5/6 It really does feel like those other charts that you mention in the readme, and that's good, because the style fits the song very well. Energetic, though a bit reliant on karaoke steps that keep the chart from flowing well. Certainly a strong chart nevertheless, with nary a misplaced step.
PRESENTATION: 4/4 The background is very fuzzy, and made me think it was a video capture. Not seeing a dedicated video disappointed me, but the animations you used work perfectly with the song. Overall, a very polished and enjoyable file.
TOTAL: 8.5/10

CHE.R.RY
STEPS: 3/6 The steps are, I don't know, plodding is the word that comes to mind. And no, not LOWBPM2EZ, just... There are a lot of interesting vocal artifices that you could have taken advantage of, but didn't. Further, the steps kind of lurch from one section to another, there's no flow in between phrases.
PRESENTATION: 3/4 Pokemon lol. The background's not very imaginative, per se, but the graphics are all right. That lined effect is interesting.
TOTAL: 6/10

Dance in My Blood
STEPS: 3/6 The first half of the Heavy chart is very uninteresting. The second chorus is pretty good, though the instrumental before it gets repetitive, but the third chorus and the ending just feel like you ran out of ideas. This is one of those charts that makes me start complaining about "character".
PRESENTATION: 3/4 I like the feel of the graphics, they fit the nu-disco indie crap train wreck that is this song. I think you could have put a bit more work into the file, though.
TOTAL: 6/10

Danzai no Hana ~Guilty Sky~
STEPS: 2.5/6 The steps aren't very interesting. Fast, varied, but often meandering off on their own, regardless of what the song is doing. Not that this song was a good choice to step, either. The steps aren't memorable. I'm sitting here, trying to recall what, exactly, might have gone wrong or right with this chart, but I honestly can't remember.
PRESENTATION: 3.5/4 Where'd you find an ending video without credits? That's pretty awesome. Also, Claymore is freaking sweet. The background is awesome, the text in the banner is a little wispy. I do feel like a lot of work went into this one.
TOTAL: 6/10

Dark Blue
STEPS: 4/6 Good steps, considering. I mean, nothing about this song would make me think that it was a good choice to step, not even after having played through it just now. It's a fantastic song, but it's just not DDR material. So there's this very strange disconnect between the music and the steps, I feel. It was like I was playing some other (pretty darn good) stepchart that was inexplicably laid over this awesome song by Jack's Mannequin. There are some flaws in the steps (like every single 16th note), but some good spots too, like the long sections with lots of freezes. The ending is a strong technical point. Lots of quick twisting and turning necessary, making for a fun challenge, but not a unified step-related experience.
PRESENTATION: 3/4 The graphics are a little flat and monochrome, especially the background. I mean, dark blue, who knew, right? The readme made me laugh, though, and was, if nothing else, unique.
TOTAL: 7/10

Elysium (S&B mix)
STEPS: 3/6 So, my big complaint about this chart would be that it's not unified, but that's not a good way to put it. You've got a number of very distinct sections in this chart, and that's the problem: they're all very distinct and don't transition into one another very well. And, of course, not every section is equally good. I'm going to take this into edit mode and go through everything. First, starting with a pair of 8ths would have helped to get into the melody; the first step feels abrupt. The concurrent triples pattern in the next section doesn't actually work very well until the beat takes over; the first two triples, separated by an adjoining quarter note, flow much better. Then, at measure 20, you break back into the 8th jumps, and that absolutely kills the energy the chart acquired to this point. The freezes in the vocal section again break up the chart, as if you'd cut it in half with an axe, and kill the energy. But the part immediately after the freeze section doesn't fit the song well; after the next freeze, at measure 40, the steps get back into a groove with the beat and bassline. I don't like the forced spin at 46. But from the end of that double freeze to the end of the song, the steps work great and use repetition well. I'd have liked to see more of that, because this is literally the best part of the file.
PRESENTATION: 4/4 I think you deserve full points on the presentation, given that the graphics are stupendous (I appreciate that the text is different on both), and there is a lot of work in the steps, regardless of the outcome. The readme is likewise informative and easy to read, and that's a nice CD-Title.
TOTAL: 7/10

Good Bye
STEPS: 4/6 The Heavy chart is... interesting. The chart starts off rather energetic, then slows down. The start of the verse is like "step... step... OMGWTF". It has consistency relative to itself, but could have stood to be smoothed out overall. The 16th triples in the middle of the file are actually very interesting and clever, add a lot of character, and are pretty fun. I didn't find the chorus to be completely satisfying, but the steps are technically very good. I do like the "oo-yeah-yeah-yeah" parts. The solo 16ths near the end weren't a good idea, and become confusing when coupled with the 12ths (well, I guess only if you play on Solo like me). Rating: 2/3. Oni presents a lot more of the consistency I was looking for in Heavy, but with its own problems. The 4-note 16th bursts in the verse work MUCH better, especially given that you only place them where they actually occur in the song, instead of just at point along the way. But then there are the long 16th runs that don't fit anywhere but in the bridge between choruses. Actually, the bridge just sort of falls apart in this, and goes to back how Heavy handled it, only with more stuff. Then the ending is inexplicably far easier than the rest of the chart. Of course, the overall chart is too much for my tastes, and I really think it should be rated an 11, but there are at least some sections (bounces lol) that I enjoyed. Rating: 2/3
PRESENTATION: 2.5/4 What's with the random anime girl, and why is she squished? Also, the banner gives far more attention to the artist than the song title, and this despite having enough room to expand the title text more.
TOTAL: 6.5/10

Hanafubuki
STEPS: 4.5/6 Wow! Fun, energetic steps with good use of freezes. Yet not without problems, because I think that slowdown was misplaced; earlier in the verse where the beat cuts out would have been better. As it is, it has nothing to do with the song and stands out because of that. A disappointing mistake.
PRESENTATION: 4/4 You know, this is the first song I've noticed that has a very well-constructed samplestart. Far too few people actually put any effort into those, and I appreciate those who do. Your graphics are beautifully constructed. The videos feel so natural, I almost didn't recognize the first few as being DDR vids.
TOTAL: 8.5/10

Inferno
STEPS: 4/6 The steps are enjoyable, but not perfect. The multiple jumps were a little silly, and the 16th runs tend to stand out awkwardly. I think you could have handled the bit right after the break a little better, i.e. with a few more steps than just two long jump freezes. There are some very good rhythms and patterns in this nevertheless.
PRESENTATION: 3.5/4 The graphics really surprised me, the background especially, since they have nothing to do with fire and more fit the feeling of the song genre than the title, as I would have expected. Of course, being derived from the video, they make sense, and that's perfectly okay. Good quality video, btw.
TOTAL: 7.5/10

Je t'Aime Je t'Aime
STEPS: 3.5/6 Are long versions allowed? I think I'll leave that judgment to the actual judges. The steps lack character, and just sort of move in occasionally interesting ways to the music. The 16th runs could all have been cut in half, they really stand apart from the rest of the chart.
PRESENTATION: 2.5/4 Random big-eye anime people with some otherwise not too bad graphics. But no video with the hot Tommy February6 girl? A tragedy. D: (No, I'm not taking off points for that, before you ask.)
TOTAL: 6/10

Metallic Mind
STEPS: 5.5/6 Haha, that ending is awesome! These are great steps! The chart feels very much like some of the crazier old-school DDR Heavy charts. You might have gone a little overboard with the 16ths, and I find myself wondering whether this shouldn't have been a 9. That aside, technical excellence shines through and makes for a very enjoyable chart. I won't include the edit chart in the score, but I will comment on it. Surprisingly enough, I really enjoyed it. The only thing that I think was a little too much were the long 16th runs that went with the vocal bits. The ones after those I didn't mind so much.
PRESENTATION: 3.5/4 Oh, I wish I'd read the readme first so I could see the bg animations the first time through. Because, uh, whoa. That's awesome. Text in both the banner and background are a little understated, but that's about my only complaint. Well, that and maybe your choice of background picture isn't the most original, but that's offset by the uniqueness of the animation.
TOTAL: 9/10

Nano Risk
STEPS: 3/6 Heavy is a little minimalistic for my tastes. There's a lot of technical prowess in this, but I didn't find it quite so enjoyable. The long slow break near the end was a bit too long. I do like the energy of the final streams however. Rating: 2/3. Oni feels like a big mess. I mean, it's nice that you were inspired by DJMax or whatever, but the massive number of jumps is bad enough with going Dynamite Rave on us constantly. I don't like it, no sir. Rating: 1/3.
PRESENTATION: 3/4 The graphics are nice. That's about all I can say.
TOTAL: 6/10

Nettaiya
STEPS: 3/6 I can just barely hear what those 5-note runs are going to. But otherwise, there's not a lot in this chart that feels like it belongs completely to this song. As I said about a previous chart, it just feels like I'm moving to the music in no particular manner. Somewhat enjoyable, but lacking in character.
PRESENTATION: 3.5/4 Excellent readme, top notch, perhaps the best in this tournament, including all the files I haven't played yet. Bravo, good show, pip pip and all that! Oh yeah, yer grafix r purty. :B
TOTAL: 6.5/10

S.U.K.I.
STEPS: 5/6 I really like the opening. It's got character and it's a good method of A) just marching to the beat and B) using freezes to fill space yet keep the steps interesting. The four-step phrases in the "puru puru" and following sections broke the flow a little bit. I just feel they didn't work as well as they could have. The steps rely perhaps a little too much on karaoke, that part included, but are otherwise a lot of fun to play.
PRESENTATION: 3/4 I haven't been mentioning song qualities so far, but OMG WHY IS THE BASS SO LOUD? @.@ File abounds with uber-cute. The video is very good quality (is it an ending video sans credits? My God, where do you people get these?) I cannot, however, look at the background without thinking "She's riding a giant cock." Maybe that's just my repressed desires coming out of my subconscious, I dunno.
TOTAL: 8/10

She Blinded Me With Science
STEPS: 3.5/6 I think you could have stood to play around with the beat a bit more. The steps stick very closely to the melody and sometimes are a bit lacking. A good bit of character in this chart, which I like to see. Steps are otherwise on the "above" side of average.
PRESENTATION: 3/4 Any way you slice it, this is a crappy remake of a good song. -.- I give you major props for the edit, however. Once the second verse or bridge or whatever started, I was hoping it would do something like that. Reminds me of old DDR songs. Graphics are all right, though a slightly less intense color for the artist text on the banner would have fit better.
TOTAL: 6.5/10

The Eleventh Hour
STEPS: 2/6 Yeah, uh, no. BPM doubling, quadrupling, equal egregious ten footer. At these speeds, I don't like to see jump-step jump. I also don't like to see these speeds. I've seen good 600+ BPM sections in stepfiles before; this is not one that has that. I flat out didn't like it, bottom line. It would have been better if it was on-sync, too.
PRESENTATION: 2/4 Going for the OMG IT MUSST B HARRRRDDDD approach leaves a sour taste in my mouth. Graphics are just all right, fairly generic.
TOTAL: 4/10

Time
STEPS: 2.5/6 Final freeze is a little on the long side. I didn't like the section that follows the instrumentals at the end (asymmetrical 16th triples). Most of the song feels like the same thing over and over, and it's not even that enjoyable a thing.
PRESENTATION: 3.5/4 Animations are fitting and good quality, but made my arrows all jerky. ;_; I won't penalize you for that, because it's probably just my system, but I'm just saying.
TOTAL: 6/10

Vodka
STEPS: 4/6 I did enjoy the steps, but I don't think they're the best that could have been for this file. Nevertheless, very enjoyable overall.
PRESENTATION: 4/4 AHAHAHAHA. CHEESEMIX IS OVER LOL. The animation reminds me of Zuppe Italiano or whatever that old Cheesemix song was, except I think ditz did that one, and these don't feel like his steps. And he said he wasn't able to get his submission in this time. OR WAS HE? Speculation is for a different thread! Anyway, I can't think of a reason not to give you a 4.
TOTAL: 8/10

Wish
STEPS: 5/6 Some very surprising steps for a 5! I have to say I like this, and I can't really explain why. I can only see about one place where you could have added in a significant number of steps, and that would have stood out and been bad bad bad in comparison to the rest of the chart. You took some risks with this (not the least of which is entering a 5-footer, eesh!), but I think they all paid off.
PRESENTATION: 3/4 Banner and background are high quality and work well together. I think the video is off-sync, though. I mean, she doesn't move her mouth often, but I think I could see at least one spot where it was very off-sync.
TOTAL: 8/10

Yamato Nadeshiko
STEPS: 4.5/6 I would like to point out, for comparison's sake, that this is NOT an egregious ten. Heavy appeals to my need to pound my fingers on my keyboard in exuberant frustration. I mean that in a good way. Rating: 2.5/3. Oni appeals to my need to scream, "OH GOD WHY CAN'T I PLAY THIS SONG?" and then beat my head against my desk until I cry and cry and cry and hyperventilate and black out. Rating: 2/3. I mean that in a good way.
PRESENTATION: 3/4 The graphics are not great, really, but they do fit the MAX style, and the text is nice and clean.
TOTAL: 7.5/10

't Smidje
STEPS: 3/6 Unfortunately, being a folk song, it's all just gallops and jumps and the occasional ever ridiculously longer 12th run. In short, predictable, and I didn't enjoy it as much as I could have.
PRESENTATION: 3.5/4 FLEMISH. No wonder I thought it was Dutch. Obviously a language I need to study up on more. I, too, like the graphics quite a bit.
TOTAL: 6.5/10

Overall, I'm a little disappointed in this bracket, though there are at least a few good files. Current favorites:

Caramelldansen
Hanafubuki
Metallic Mind
S.U.K.I.
Vodka
wish
Yamato Nadeshiko

I think that's reflected in my scores, too. For once.

EDIT: 4 + 4 does not equal 4. D: