Levels that you emotionally bond to...

[Schumi]

Hi all!

I hope that no such topic exists here (at least I didn't find one), because I would like this to be a little tribute for the forgotten levels. But not just cool and great levels, but unique and exceptional that somehow vanished in the Elma Scene, but still live in our memories.

I suppose that everyone has one or two levels in his memories, that he bonds to emotinally, and I mean hear not simple great levels. I mean those levels, that brings up memories, feelings. When you open it in Elma, it is not just a "cool-cuplev" or "awesome-designed-megatricklev". It is something special, like your first girlfriend, or dreamy childhood.

I start with a couple of levels, and I try to add a little story.

1. vario023.lev: When I first saw this level, it looked very nice. I have always liked these tiled, squared levels. But this had something special. I made so much refinement on this level, to be "perfect" looking.



2. KingC13.lev: Cup lev. But it has something uniqueness in it. A can't tell what is that, but it doesn't matter. ville_J's levels are 99% good, but with this he has just created treasure.



3. stairway.lev: This lev was originally created by CSabi around 2000/2001, and was also featured in Hungarian Cup 1 (modified by MUe). It has a special rhythm. A good höyl lev, I love so much.



4. mk217.lev: Very funny, yet a challenging lev. Those arts in 2001 were so impressive, that even today it brings back emotions from the past.



5. sc200307.lev: A level from Summer Cup 2003. This cup was organized by David and sadly, only for Hungarians. However, I think these were the best levels, ever played in a Hungarian cup. Awesome art here too, and it is so hard to get a proper run on this level.



6. ml0126.lev: This lev was featued in Hungarian Leage during the early 2000's. I love it, because back then, I höyled this to the max. Also won the current round. The uniqueness lies here in the simplicity. Love this lev...



7. julk20.lev: This is an unfairly forgotten level. Shame that this not have a finish. Even with SL!! It has though a super atmosphere. It's like Rubik's Cube. When you first look at it, it seems that there is 10000 possibilites.



8. wic10.lev: A great level from ZenitH. Was played in 2003, in the Hungarian Winter Cup. Zenith's levels are always great. But once more, it carries uniqueness, and brings back so much memories...

[Sunshine]

i dont really have levels like this except i wish that i hadnt lost my first levelpack that i made way before even learning about the scene in some 2003-2004. they were quite nab levels with lots of speedloops and even vsync cannons and thats pretty much all i remember of them but it would be nice to see them again. i think i shared them once when first joined the scene but no one downloaded it i think lol and they are with 99.999% chance lost forever, rip

[kuchitsu]

Mistr303 because it's like the only cup lev that I hoyled rather seriously in the last 10 years even though my time sucks by anyone's standards. It was really cool thinking about the route, training various parts, waiting anxiously for the win rec, etc. I'm still a bit bitter that it wasn't even nominated for GAA, ez best lev of that year imo.

Also all really big FFs that I finished, e.g. Tabi004. I can still name the YouTube videos I was listening to while playing it, I remember the experience really well. Playing without deaths for 30+ minutes has that kind of effect on me.

[iCS]

Int01

Reminds for my first elma era, Warm Up is the only level I hoyled seriously. Played in christmas lights for many hours every night during the winter holiday in 2002 (omg so long ago).

[A.K.B.]

For me, it is Eve.lev

Something about it seems very sad, yet heartwarming. Who was Eve?

[ville_j]

Interesting that you get such vibes without knowing the story. She was Olliz' friend who was found dead from a ditch. Some year later the investigations found out that it was another guy from their school who was responsible for this.

[Schumi]

Another lev: http://kopasite.net/up/0/Fast.lev

It is the best speedloop lev I have ever played. Made by royal, and back then I höyled the shit out of this lev. Since that I was not able to get anywhere near to that time. 1:36.15

Feel free to beat it

[abruzzi]

For me, it is Eve.lev

Something about it seems very sad, yet heartwarming. Who was Eve?

Interesting that you get such vibes without knowing the story. She was Olliz' friend who was found dead from a ditch. Some year later the investigations found out that it was another guy from their school who was responsible for this.

Obviously Eve.lev

I think we might say it's quite an extraordinary phenomenon, the level doesn't seem complex or technically special, yet it is recognised as mysterious, touching, even for those who don't know the story. Personally it was one of the first level i started playing when i joined in 2004, and i hadn't known the story behind it, hadn't even known that "Eve" refers to a person at the time!, until Olliz briefly rejoined for a couple of months, years later. For a sidenote i was extremely shocked when I saw the bias towards him from the scene, he is probably the most 'magic' levelmaker, who could produce natural oldschool levels with such an ease, maybe only Juble had that as well to a certain degree.

Who also had similar feeling about the level? Maybe someone can share their experience? Maybe someone can even contact Olliz and we could all see the photo of that girl...

[Grace]

Eve story was pretty well known at the time. I think I remember even talking with AKB about olliz levels in belma days so mb he knew but didn't remember.

[A.K.B.]

Interesting that you get such vibes without knowing the story. She was Olliz' friend who was found dead from a ditch. Some year later the investigations found out that it was another guy from their school who was responsible for this.

Very sad, but wow! There is something really pensive about it, perhaps the setting of the name, making it seem as if there is some special significance.

Eve story was pretty well known at the time. I think I remember even talking with AKB about olliz levels in belma days so mb he knew but didn't remember.

I don't remember ever finding out about the actual story, but wondered for a long time.

[Olliz]

For me, it is Eve.lev

Something about it seems very sad, yet heartwarming. Who was Eve?

I might aswell hijack this thread.

If you picked up those feelings without knowing the story behind it, I guess I've done a good job on the level.

When I made it, emotionally I was a total mess. She was more than a friend to me. I tried to cope by doing normal stuff I did that time. Playing elma. Making levels. This was a therapy level for me. I poured my heart out on this one. There's really nothing special about the level design. I remember I just tried to make that name look as nice as I could. That's all I could do.

We were 14 at that time. Just kids. She would have been 31 this year with her own family, I'm sure of it. Instead there's a memento on this old forgotten pc game about her. It's fucked up. We were just kids.

[A.K.B.]

Very sad stuff.

[Arzenik]

Internals:

01. Warm Up - First int that I hoyled seriously online, sub 15 felt like mega achievement. Then suddenly I was beating people all the way, burning through the milliseconds and got my first pro time with 14:15. This was sept-dec 2017. Also first leg time, but not too satisfying with pop style :/
05. Uphill Battle - This one comes from early childhood (5-10 years old). I remember hoyling it a lot with cousins and the best time I got was some 26:xx. Felt like I peaked in my elma carreer. Thankfully, I didn't.
33. Zig-Zag - 39tt limit break, the most important break for me (and possibly for a lot of other people). Also hate this lev generally speaking so that's another kind of emotional bond I guess.
39. Haircut - Was totally obsessed with this one over June and July of 2018 back when I had low activity in EOL and quitted soon after for childish reasons. I even hoyled it in front of my cousins on my yearly visit to their home.
46. Bowling - 38tt limit break, second most important. Used to hate it as well but Ramone taught me how to love.
52. Hang Tight - First world class time in march 2018. Still haven't come close it to this day, even back then I remember spending a few more weeks on it after getting 25:32 and I couldn't beat whatever miracle run that was, even though the moves were shit.

Externals:

ELMZUKE.lev - This lev introduced me to the scene basically in march 2017, at least it's where my first "major" "contribution" came from in the form of those stupid bounce recs. Still fun to play.
lagygyla.lev - As seen in zero's video with the hamster dance music in the background. My first memorable external record, in EOL at least(?)
Ong19001.lev - My first memorable battle win because I managed to beat Spef (!).
mp07.lev - Random lev from old Hungarian pack, managed to beat 10+ year old record on it with new brutal style, felt pretty awesome.