[GD 2.11] RANKING All 75+ Gauntlet Levels

[@DubstepJoltik]

Huge wall of timestamps below................................... INTERMISSIONS Thoughts on Gauntlets Conceptually (12:45) Thoughts on Normal Contest Gauntlets [Crystal, Doom, Monster] (30:42) Thoughts on Unique Contest Gauntlets [Magic, World WIP] / Accessibility (43:47) Resolution (1:05:21) FIRE GAUNTLET OuterSpace (39:03) Overture (09:54) First Race (18:31) Shock (08:45) Magmatic Sanctuary (32:43) ICE GAUNTLET Amplification (16:43) Skyward (12:05) Carnation (27:54) GeoBound (10:57) Polihedral (05:21) POISON GAUNTLET Acid Factory (11:29) Beast Mode Full (08:33) Ground Zero (39:51) Shrimp (15:31) Generation Retro (23:45) SHADOW GAUNTLET Spooky Light (50:26) Ominous (23:00) GhostTown (21:01) Fear zone (53:06) Infusion (10:29) LAVA GAUNTLET Infernal Arena (49:45) ichor (21:20) Frontline Full (11:50) Fire Aura (48:22) Danger Zone (40:30) BONUS GAUNTLET Chambers (17:15) Rising (17:35) Battletown (10:08) Crazy Ball (08:59) Payload (08:20) CHAOS GAUNTLET Anubis (09:10) Scarlet Surge (02:31) Drippy Dub (09:41) Kappaclysm (11:10) dark drop (57:00) DEMON GAUNTLET Sidestep (55:30) Traction (10:18) Mechanical Showdown (49:14) Vibration (03:45) HeLL (36:12) TIME GAUNTLET Mind Control (34:15) Silence (14:00) Timeless (42:13) Half Past Twelve (41:33) Rose (57:43) CRYSTAL GAUNTLET Lustre (1:00:24) Crystal fusion (04:23) Sanctuary of Light (23:17) Prismarine (42:42) Crystal Essence (29:23) MAGIC GAUNTLET Schade (18:53) Aquarius (54:07) kalaxian (10:37) Odyssey (27:09) Empyrean (43:16) spike GAUNTLET Victim (07:18) Pureland (08:12) Tenebris (09:23) Desert Bounce (33:42) Powerful (17:59) MONSTER GAUNTLET Slam (1:01:32) OMG Aliens (22:18) Monster Mischief (59:12) Mechanism (51:04) HellGate Menace (37:05) DOOM GAUNTLET Extinction (41:03) Buried Angel (58:23) Shrill Hallway (29:58) Nowise (21:42) Darkness Keeper (35:21) DEATH GAUNTLET Ghoul (54:42) Shuriken (28:41) Predator (34:36) Adust (19:24) The Behemoth (1:03:26) EXTRA LEVELS Blade (52:10) Vulgarity (06:20) Dangerous Spikes (38:26) phew i'm tired

[@lucanubis4119]

Mad respect

[@ItsTi0]

Thanks! By the way I didn't skip to the end part I love the video you should make more like this!

[@ianteberovira8097]

Scarlet surge is a good level it just hard for some, why no one can understand it?

[@ItsTi0]

@@ianteberovira8097 I love Scarlet Surge and I dont care that people are gonna hate me

[@ianteberovira8097]

@ItzNeow no one is gonna hate you for what you like or what you don't

[@MathGeniusGD]

This video is CRIMINALLY underrated. I can’t imagine the amount of time you spent on the script, finding clips, and editing it all together. And this did not feel like an hour at all, I loved it! 💙

[@player-he6dm]

69 likes LOL

[@usibistro]

​@@player-he6dmleave it like that

[@GDColon]

good video!! honestly i really like your justification for the placement of generation retro, it's a bad level when it comes to gameplay and overall execution, but its super charming regardless. it's fine as a level but a terrible fit for gauntlets, oh well. that being said, putting odyssey and empyrean above it is the real crime LOL

[@DubstepJoltik]

Honestly a good point at the end there lmao those two levels were so hard to find a good placement for. And yeah, I'm really happy that Gen Retro has been getting so much positive attention lately. I've admired it for its intentions and creativity, which I think are really underappreciated aspects of creating. It's okay not to strive for perfection, and a level that is interesting and memorable despite not being conventionally good is amazing proof of that. It's the type of philosophy I wish I had when I first started building levels, so seeing people more appreciative of that now makes me excited for what creators do when the barrier of entry is lowered all the way to the ground in 2.2. Ty for the comment and for your Gen Retro video since it's probably the big reason people's opinions on it changed so much lol ^^

[@n00dlesGMD]

I love gd cologne

[@phantomtheshortsguy]

I love gd cologne

[@emanuelivanramosperez1312]

Honestly Odyssey is good, Empyrean sucks.

[@940steel]

I unironically love Scarlet Surge. I can see why some people would hate playing it because of the gameplay and length, but as for its execution its done very well, perfect with the song

[@absollnk]

I really like scarlet surge because unlike most gauntlet levels, it's really easy to sightread. When I died to it it always felt like my fault and I knew what I did wrong I also like the song lol

[@BaconGamign]

Yeah, I really enjoyed scarlet surge. It's just a fun level.

[@Seeathecat]

Me too

[@ponponto9991]

i really like it too honestly,

[@cyronic4261]

It's a bit long but I really enjoyed it, had a lot of fun with the level

[@danzmen9965]

I honestly thought I was just gonna watch this video up until I hear your thoughts on my level, but this video had me hooked from start to finish. This was an absolute nerd out and I loved every second of it. Great job 👏 definitely subbing and looking forward to more quality content.

[@DubstepJoltik]

One of the biggest challenges on my mind with this video was trying to keep it interesting for people who weren't familiar with most of the levels, and I'm really happy to hear I succeeded in that, so thank you lmao

[@somediggthing3649]

Danzmen when are you going to make a lvl called my ballz

[@shrek9025]

@@somediggthing3649 whenever you become funny

[@rk_98743]

@@shrek9025OOOOOOOOO ROASTED

[@AndreiAndreevYT]

​@@rk_98743and your nine

[@DZNRBX]

Oh. My. God. This was quite possibly the greatest 70 minutes I've ever spent watching a KZbin video. From start to finish, I enjoyed every second of it. This is one of the best videos the game's community has ever made, and I'm really really thankful for this. Thank you for finishing this video, you really helped me to look at the gauntlet levels in much more of an objective perspective. 7 months, was it worth it? The wait, yes, most definitely. I'm completely blown away. Every time I'd see your status getting updated I'd bring my hype higher and higher, but this is beyond of what I initially expected. This is a masterpiece, I seriously hope you'll keep making videos.

[@HollyBunnySilly]

I'm so glad that there's someone who tries to interpret the story behind levels as well. I genuinely believe that the GD level editor is an artform, so seeing you analyse stuff like this just makes me smile. ( ╹▽╹ )

[@RedWhaley14]

There's a lot I really love about this video, I really hope it gets more views, you clearly put a ton of effort and time into this and the end product is really solid and has to be one of my favorite videos about GD in general. There was a large emphasis on the small details, which I absolutely loved. Your reviews of the levels were all very well thought out. It wasn't just "deco good gameplay bad" but it went over a lot more, like atmosphere, sync, colors, how they are paced, and other generally underappreciated features of levels I don't think people notice. No flat objective criteria either, which I thought made your ranking feel much more focused around your experience with the level and how it made you feel, which is something I think is so important for personal rankings. I 100% agree with a lot of what you said about the Gauntlets in general, with them having a certain charm to them due to their themes and as a story, and especially what you said about revisiting them. A lot of the negative connotations that the Gauntlet levels have comes from people feeling obligated to beat these levels, rather them playing them for their own enjoyment, making it feel like a chore. There's a lot more to appreciate about these levels when you revisit them to play and enjoy them based on their own merits; I think almost all of the Gauntlet levels are UNDERRATED in a way. Part of why a lot of the controversial levels are disliked is because they were definitely the hardest or most annoying to beat of their gauntlets, mainly Sidestep, Hellgate Menace, Generation Retro, and Magmatic Sanctuary, which ties back to that whole "Chore" concept. For the ratings, I agree with most of your hot takes, especially Generation Retro, which you hit home perfectly. It's so charmingly amateur and innocent that it feels so much less corporate than every other level in a way, it was just made out of pure passion and for the creator's enjoyment, which is something I feel like no other level captures. I would switch some stuff up of course, like moving Outerspace to the very bottom (I HATE that level) and moving SLAM way down with some others, but we all have different criteria. Long wall of text about a long video, so I'll just conclude here: Incredible video, was very entertaining and I think it's very well put together, a huge step up from your previous content, cannot wait to see what else you make. However I still despise you and think you're bad for putting Outerspace so high and liking the "bad" levels so I disliked, now send the kids back please, there will be a court case.

[@DubstepJoltik]

Why can't you just accept the fact that your kids like me more than you Anyway (I read the whole thing and now I'm really happy lol) thank you so much lmao. And yeah for OuterSpace, it's definitely way too high and Magmatic Sanctuary is better for sure. But I like it enough to not have it in the C tier, so I figured it was a good level to transition into the B+ tier since its criteria is a lot different from B- (I like OS' gameplay, therefore it wasn't eligible for B-). And yeah, even outside the Gauntlets, I consistently have this trend where I'll enjoy a level a lot more the second time I beat it since I'm choosing to come back to them for whatever reason and I don't have to worry about feeling like I need to beat it (probably also why I tend to like weekly demons). Which is a little weird since I feel like with the Gauntlets, there's some experiences you can only have the first time you play each level (e.g. playing the Death Gauntlet, knowing the contest winners, and wondering wtf levels 4 and 5 are gonna be), but they're unfortunately only really things you process after already experiencing them because you're just focused on completion the first time. That's not inherently a bad thing, but I'm happy I was able to remember those feelings from so long ago nonetheless.

[@moe2590]

Great video! Just got this in my reccomended and honestly it was such a nice experience. I can tell a lot of work and effort was put into this. I hope this blows up!

[@NoHaxOnlyJesus]

As a person that just watched this whole thing from start to end at 1x speed I think it was really nice to see and have a perspective change on a lot of the gauntlet levels. Just seeing someone put a positive light on some of the levels I didn't enjoy playing was very cool. On a side note I think the video was well edited and I liked most of the background music being from some the gauntlet levels. Great job dude hope you make more aspiring and well made content like this in the future!

[@DubstepJoltik]

Aw thank you lol, I'd really like to do more large projects like this and it just makes me feel really good seeing people acknowledge everything I put into this ^^

[@Ask_Reeves]

This is one of the most underrated geometry dash videos. Keep up the good work. 👍

[@raykirystar]

I wasn't expecting him to have Dark Drop as high on the list from the way he was analyzing the levels. Dark Drop is actually my personal favorite non-demon level because of how many times I've replayed it since I saw it in there!

[@DubstepJoltik]

Dark drop is soooo so good lol

[@chaos4847]

Skyward was built entirely as a mockery of the idea that "I can build a generic-type level super quickly and easily." You threw text on the screen saying that it seems super lazily built -- that was exactly the intention. (iirc, the level was intentionally made to be exactly one block longer than the 60s mark in the editor -- I distinctly remember repeatedly shifting the heart over one block at a time until it was exactly 60s lol) This isn't meant to be an excuse for its relatively low quality compared to most other gauntlet levels, more just a clarification/justification for its 'traits/details' as I'm not huge on having that level be a major representation of my self(?)/builds atm. I've periodically thought about updating it since it was put into the gauntlet but never really got to it, and at this point I feel like any update at all (if it's even possible, idk if updates to gauntlet levels have to be approved or anything) would just be 'erasing' personal history (positive or negative), if that makes sense. As a side note, it might be worth looking into EQing your voiceovers to help make it sound clearer/fuller -- I'm no expert when it comes to A/V quality but I just wanna throw the idea out there just in case it ends up being useful. Regardless, this video is still super dope, I clicked just to see what you'd say about my level but ended up watching for far longer. Mad respect to the dedication it must've taken to put this absolute unit of a commentary together.

[@DubstepJoltik]

Looking at the level again, that intention does seem a bit more clear, especially with the really goofy names in the credits. It could've been communicated a little better since it uses a lot of gameplay cliches and a design that'd be somewhat generic for 2.0, but it's not too clear that they're intentionally done as satire. However, it is still something I wish I could've had in the video since I always like learning about creators' intentions and, I even remember saying this early on in the video, it's unfortunate that a lot of these older levels are basically those creators' legacies, and it would be nice if creators had more control over their own level with stakes like those (which I don't think even Rob realized when designing most of the Gauntlets). However, I do respect keeping the integrity of the level; it would feel really weird if Rob just swapped out the level or it got an update to be, like, A-tier worthy. And, for what it's worth, despite how little substance the level has, there's so much I'm able to say and remember about it: the ending credits sequence, the 60s thing, the genuinely okay and well-polished gameplay, the old coin where you had to do two really precise jumps at the start and it said "hmm..." when you did them right and it took me so many tries when I first played it lmao (I don't even need to look it up to confirm, I know that was this level). If a level like this, which was made to show how easily and lazily a rateworthy level could be made, is still able to make me feel and remember things about it, then I honestly think that should be more inspiring than anything. Of course, this is just my opinion, and I don't mean to downplay any kind of negative experience you might've had because of this level, but I just want you to know how I feel there. And yeah, I really did not have fun messing with the audio settings to try and get a good voice quality. A huge project like this was not a good time to mess around with audio for the first time, but I'm glad to hear it wasn't so bad that it ruined the video or anything lmao. I'll keep trying to find a good setup and I might even get a new microphone if I feel like I need to. Thanks ^^

[@chaos4847]

@DubstepJoltik I have posted my reply in here 2 times and it has vanished each time so sorry if this is a duplicate (I think YT doesn't like discord links, so I just typed the content out) I definitely could've put a message of some sort indicating the level's joke status but I guess I never thought to do that**. Maybe I just didn't because the premise was "hey this level is trash watch it get rated," but after this long I honestly don't remember with 100% certainty. **Apparently I did, I found an SS in some old DMs, here's the description: "This was a test. It's crazy how my best level (Outbreaker) isn't noticed, but this level is garbage. Good luck finding coins." im cringing rn seeing these words that 'past me' typed out As for the credits at the end, I'm not really sure why I changed them to weird stuff but based on a recording of mine dated Jan 11 2017, they were originally all names/nicknames for friends at the time. Maybe I just thought that dedicating a level to a La-Z-boy recliner was peak comedy (ngl the idea of it is still is mildly funny now) and so I changed it, but I'm not 100% on that either. As for your comments about the level -- I'm honestly surprised that someone remembers my level, let alone the OG coin at all. IIRC, I spent quite a while setting up the timings on that one so it would sync to the music and that was honestly one of the few aspects of the level that I genuinely liked. I'm not 100% sure when I changed it but I think that I found that coin a little too 'trolly' for a rated level and probably took it out once it got starred (or maybe when it got put in a gauntlet, idk). Although I most likely wont, if I ever update Skyward for some reason then I'd definitely put some version of that coin back in. I know it's not much but appreciate the side comment about the gameplay too. It's probably the one part of the level that actually received (some) intent with its quality. I definitely wouldn't call myself even remotely skilled as a player, and I tend to playtest my levels way too much, which makes for a power combo -- most parts that I'd consider 'aids gameplay' (i.e. something that I/a noob would frequently die to) got filtered out pretty quickly just by the infinite iterations of "playtest, die to something more than 5 times, change it" loop as I built the level. Nothing really stands out about the gameplay (other than perhaps some ridiculously stupid invisible blocks lmao), but I'm glad that at despite its design, it's still enjoyable (or at least not very annoying) to play. The design of the level has what I find to be funny and slightly disappointing origins too -- I watched a Goose video (kzbin.info/www/bejne/fHjag2SMn9Kjars), basically copied the methods then decided it looked 'generic' and would make an entire level with the same design as a mockery of many featured levels at that time (~Jan 2017). /* (I'm writing this after having written the text below): The text wall below is basically just "outbreaker/skyward lore" rebuilt from memory and old DMs/screenshots I could find. I've had similar convos with others about this level before but your comments seem to have gotten me fixated on the history of my identity as a GD player so the following is the result. */ I think that a majority of my negative feelings towards this level isn't so much about the level itself, but more about how much of a double-edged sword (this may or may not be the right expression for this context, idk fs) it became. For context, I'd been working on a level (Outbreaker: kzbin.info/www/bejne/eInKha1uqrt8lZY) for a few hours at a time here-and-there since ~July 2016. Although looking back, it wasn't exceptional and got lazy especially towards the end, it was still my best work and was effectively my 'identity' as a creator at the time, if that makes sense. I had two featured auto levels at the time, but both were basically just custom effect backgrounds, and block design went no further than mostly just floating pads/portals, or solid black blocks at best. Outbreaker was the first time I'd been happy with some of my block design, and it was also where I built my favourite and arguably my best effect/background (purple part) from any of my levels even up to today. After uploading (~early November 2016), I basically went around level request streams hoping it would get noticed and rated. It got sent by a few mods (Manix: Nov 21 2016, RobBuck: Dec 16 2016, Megaman: Jan 1 2017), so I was pretty excited that my 'pride and joy' at the time would get recognition (in my head at the time, three sends = basically guaranteed rating). I checked if it got rated basically every day after I heard that Megaman had sent Outbreaker. Around the same time, I'd started building Skyward, and uploaded it a few days later. Fast forward almost exactly two days after Skyward was put up -- I hopped on GD and went to check my messages, and basically instantly noticed 6CP on my profile instead of the expected 4CP at the time. At this point I was super excited -- Outbreaker must have finally gotten rated, right? I went to check my levels and instead of a rating on Outbreaker, I found a rating on Skyward. On one hand, I was super hyped -- I got a featured level! Isn't that what I wanted? But on the other hand, it sort of felt like a slap in the face. I poured hours of effort over months into building Outbreaker, and a few more into getting it noticed/sent for over a month past its upload date, and yet a low-effort joke level that I hastily built over the span of ~a week got featured with less than 48 hours after uploading it. It didn't help that once I'd gotten over that rating, it got thrown into a gauntlet about two months later. Once it was in the gauntlet it became a split between "hey cool I have gauntlet level!!!" and "so skyward has now permanently become my identity, creator-wise" which was equally as frustrating. I'm still very grateful for the recognition of any of my works, but that fat text wall above is just to explain why I have such a split view on Skyward as it being rated it turned it into the very thing it was intended to mock, and then its addition to the gauntlet just took that a step further. /* (the rest below this will likely devolve into an opinion regarding personal development, motivation and creator points) */ ***(The following paragraph is not intended to point fingers but if it comes across as doing exactly that then please lmk and ill delete it asap -- I suspect this video will be getting a surge of views cause it's been on my recommended feed, so I don't want to be responsible for a paragraph of bs on a page reaching thousands of people)*** Although Outbreaker never got rated (which is reasonable), I still at least got a small 'hit' from knowing that I made some sort of contribution to the community, and that some of my work was appreciated, albeit in the weirdest way possible -- by having some of my effects (almost cloned) into a level that would eventually get featured. Outbreaker (see 0:45): kzbin.info/www/bejne/eInKha1uqrt8lZY?t=45 Beyond Time (see 0:26): kzbin.info/www/bejne/aX-9lGOBZs1jjZo Just to clarify --- Mulpan DMed me about this back in 2017, I'm over it now. I would've preferred that they asked *before* he used them, but regardless, my response was effectively "i have no issue with you having yoinked my effects, u dont need to delete or update it at all." My stance for a while has been is "if Outbreaker isn't gonna get rated, then its always cool to see these effects/concepts integrated into a level that more people can appreciate // gets more recognized." Although much of it could definitely be pinned on simply growing older and maturing along with family/friends, I'd say that over the span from ~Nov 2016 -- March 2017, these events definitely contributed to my personal growth, even if only a little bit. I'd spent quite a while hoping to become recognized by the community via featured levels. Creator points were framed as the ultimate reward -- I would build levels with the goal of CP. Skyward (and Outbreaker) changed those quite a bit. I'd already been shifting towards building for personal satisfaction with Outbreaker but even then I'd had the goal of a rating in the back of my mind the whole time. Skyward's rate changed that. I'd received the coveted +2CP, but once the hype wore off, I wasn't really happy with the level. It's not a build that represents my abilities and identity as a creator well at all. Outbreaker had taken the opposite path. Once I got over the disappointment that it wouldn't get rated, I've been (mostly) happy with that level. It was a proper representation of my quality efforts at the time, built and designed for my own personal satisfaction. I liked what I built, and even though I get almost zero recognition for it, I'm still happy that some others were able to appreciate my builds. Moving forward to today, I've genuinely had more fun building levels than I have in a long time, and I'd say it's because I build levels for myself. It doesn't matter if it doesn't conform to other people's expectations; if I'm happy with it, then it's a good level. So I suppose that despite the general low quality and its initial purpose, I could argue that Skyward noteworthy not as an accomplishment, but as a stepping stone that has taken me one bit closer to who I am as an artist(?)/creator, and even just generally as a person too. Or maybe I'm reading into this stuff way too much -- I don't know. I hope at least some of this unit of a comment made sense, cause I'm too lazy to proofread for grammar/factual errors right now and don't even remember if I was typing with a central idea for a majority of it. Regardless, going back and reading DMs and seeing screenshots from 5+ years ago has been a wild ride. I appreciate the thought-provoking video/comment, it's been fun for me to dig into and explore my own history as a GD player and as a person -- Thank you.

[@chaos4847]

Apologies for the novel, I had no intent of writing an 1800 word reply but I just kinda typed for as long as the ideas were going, and then badda bing badda boom

[@DubstepJoltik]

@@chaos4847 You say that like I didn't do the exact same thing lmao

[@chaos4847]

@@DubstepJoltik i guess great minds think alike 😎

[@WKGamesMain]

Criminally underrated video and channel, looking forward to seeing what you do next :)

[@Nicki1202]

What an underrated video, watched through the entire thing and it was very entertaining. even though I do not agree with some placings I still massively enjoyed watching

[@DubstepJoltik]

I'm sorry for putting your level so high btw

[@dennmart5147]

Commenting this after seeing the whole thing 2 times... yes, your video's actually that amazing. I have got quite a bit to say here as a mobile player... (I've also seen and read your earlier posts on the gauntlet levels, btw.) I absolutely LOVE the new perspective you've taken in mind when analysing and reviewing these levels. Most of the time, usually people would tend to separate the quality rankings of these products either on a personal perspective from favourites to least favourite based on enjoyment/fun factors, and/or experience... or on a generally more objective scale with technical factors. But more often than not, these approaches are generally predictable and can be a bit dull to sit through. In here, this wasn't the case. You pretty much hit the nail on the head, on why I really enjoy the gauntlets in the game more than the map packs, flaws and all. The gauntlets clearly have developed their own identities by each featuring a "journey" of completing mostly themed chapters towards the end goal of receiving cool prizes. The fact that the Chaos and Demon gauntlets even tie in to the game's lore is pretty surreal in of itself. While I do have my own opinions and views on (most) of these levels myself(Nearly done with the Doom gauntlet and haven't even beaten Sidestep yet), like everyone else, I totally see where you're coming from with each of your choices. If you ask me, I'd say the objectively best gauntlet levels are the ones that tend to genuinely stick with you after beating them, whether or not you enjoyed them. While on the opposite end, those that you barely remember despite already having beaten them tend to be the "worst", or not as good in my book. Examples like Shock, Polihedral, Infusion, Drippy Dub and Victim; aside from not fitting very well with the themes of their respective gauntlets, they just don't stand out because even if they weren't practically identical to each other in everything a typical featured daily level stands for, they barely offer anything that exceptionally adds to your playing experience. Meanwhile, those that either rose to fame, like Lustre and Slam, or landed into infamy, like Scarlet Surge, Fire Aura and Generation Retro, they stand out and are notably remembered by generally most players for several reasons. Call this a flawed perspective or something like that, idk, but those that I remember the most, are the ones I would most likely come back to and replay for reasons myself. Maybe because the gameplay's real fun and enjoyable. Maybe because I love the song chosen for it, which then carries the playing experience. Maybe because the level tells a unique, enjoyable story, with wonderful subtle details hidden throughout. Or it could even be one that I remember struggling so hard on(Empyrean's my most hated Gauntlet level, btw), and I'd like to see how much I've improved my skills upon revisit. But anyway, this is exactly what the gauntlet levels should be known for, and all those incredible points you've brought up and delved into, whether discussing the creators' intent, or the loose, but visible connections each level within their gauntlets tend to have, making up a path of sorts, demonstrate just that. They're everything map packs frankly should've been, and deserve more appreciation and respect. As someone who's currently on an endearing journey, which is becoming a wonderful experience, aiming to beat all the gauntlets myself, this was an absolute thrill from start to finish! Don't know about you, but I'm totally looking forward to upcoming future gauntlets in the next update. Sorry for the lengthy comment... but since this is my 2nd time watching this, I figured I may as well give my two cents, and also to say, excellent work, mate. Earned yourself a sub.

[@interestful6577]

After I watched through the video, I was moved. At first I just thought the gauntlets were just a collection of levels to beat for an award, but after this video, my perspective on gauntlets has changed so much. Thank you so much for this video, you deserve more love

[@i_dont_give_adam]

I love how in depth this video is, talking about all aspects of a level and trying to find something good in the bad ones. Honestly makes you look at the gauntlets way more fondly.

[@i_dont_give_adam]

This is also just a really rewatchable video, 70 minutes feels like 20.

[@BreakthroughGD]

Awesome video, and The Behemoth is one of my favourite levels so seeing you give it the spotlight is great to see. Keep it up!

[@MKGamer-t2g]

Well Done! Absolutely incredible Video! I agree with the top 3. Lustre is incredible, and gives people a challenge with it's coins, and slam is incredible as well! And the Behemoth needs no words...

[@luvsgreen10]

Magic Gauntlet Contest Theoretical Results. (if it was structured like the other gauntlet contests): 1: Empyrean 2: Odyssey 3: Aquarius 4: kalaxian 5: Schade It would probably be structured like that. The death gauntlet would probably look like this: 1: Ghoul 2: Shuriken 3: Predator 4: The Behemoth 5: Adust Time Gauntlet: 1: Rose 2: Timeless 3: Half Past Twelve 4: Mind Control 5: Silence

[@joe_the_zombie]

This is criminally under viewed, phenomenal video and you will grow a lot of this is the standard of content to come. Definitely worth the subscribe

[@shukurayne9745]

Pretty great video. I had some gripes with the list itself, mostly rising being so low, but the video had a very unique spin on it and was well edited.

[@Hidden4125]

ive been working on a tier list/retrospection video on these gauntlets and the ending of this video struck such a strong chord with me. the sense of mystery and excitement i had doing the element shard gauntlets in 2017 was unmatched. i was bad at gd then, so gauntlets were extra interesting and more important. my favorite memory is that on my old 3ds i have a video of an everyplay replay playing on my moms phone to show a school friend how i was struggling really hard with fire aura and especially the wave part near the middle. thanks for making this video and reinforcing the importance of memories surrounding a game

[@DubstepJoltik]

I'm really glad to hear this video resonated with you. Ty and maybe lmk when your own video is done because I just might check it out lol

[@GMDMATOEV]

This video deserves much more views. You put that much effort into making this video, that i feel bad about it not having attention it deserves. Anyway, great job! Hope you will get more subscribers very soon because your videos are very entertaining

[@akiruvi]

What a polished video. Never thought i would watch 1 hour gd video fully, but here i am. I agree with everything and want to say good job getting yourself a subscriber and a like

[@irooaedn]

Great video, I respect the amount of effort that when into making this.

[@Slippery111]

I watched the entire 70 minute video and I enjoyed it a lot, its looks at levels in a way they arent usually looked at. This video is very well made aswell and it helped me find out Aquarius was in a gauntlet. Great video.

[@MemeAnt]

My only question is how does this have less than one thousand views. Normally something like this be at over one million. Keep up the great work.

[@Langeheinicke]

I really love the editing in this video. I was so hyped in the intro and the music is used cleverly throughout, [also feeling really nostalgic] :)

[@thomasbrwhite]

Amazing video, loved it!

[@luvsgreen10]

However, I love how you took it more deep with the gauntlets and didn't rank levels like Fire Aura low like most people would, and I actually like Fire Aura's climactic feeling, and it fits perfectly for the 4th gauntlet level! I love it when people always look deep into things, and I specially love how you didn't put SLAM at #1, as it shows that the gauntlets can do more than just try to beat them and not care about the gauntlets. Not a perfect video, but I still love it.

[@DubstepJoltik]

You are right on my placements not being super well thought out, but there is a point to that. The way I ranked levels was by putting everything into the six tiers, then splitting D to B+ in upper and lower halves. Then, I organized my topics and tried to structure the video around those. E.g. for the lower C Tier, I first wanted to talk about what I liked about the contests. I wanted to use Silence as my example since I felt like it was a really effective one and it was a level that was close to being D Tier so it was still in line with my rankings, but I felt like it might've been a confusing example so I decided to talk about it with Shrimp too, which I think is a simpler example and was also almost a D Tier. If those levels were both confident D Tiers, then I probably still would've had the topic with the next level, Amplification, or maybe even later in the video. It's been almost year so I don't remember the specifics, but there's probably been a couple moments where I moved a level up or down a couple spots to make it more convenient to talk about, but I know for sure I never moved anything to a different tier or even a different half tier just for that reason, so I think I still did it as fairly as possible (and First Race being a rhyming example was a legit coincidence lol). Other things like the two Hyenada levels being really far apart are just because I think HPT is way better executed than Ominous. Ominous is slow and really empty and has kinda bad gameplay while HPT is really fun and works well for how simple it is and has a really intense colorful part at the end, and Rose's last part before the auto ship at the end is really slow and underwhelming compared to the crazy clock spinning part before it. And I do appreciate that you like the depth and new angles I tried to look at these levels from. That was the main idea that I wanted to present with this video, so thanks for acknowledging that, and honestly, thanks for all the comments you left, even though a few of them are a little negative lol. Anything to get me to return this video and actually think about it, since I always enjoy that for some reason.

[@luvsgreen10]

@@DubstepJoltikNo problem!

[@IsaacRusso-k3i]

The single most underrated video on youtube. Absolutely incredible!

[@justPotated]

dudee the editing is so good, great video

[@Eagleleadsmc]

This gotta be one of my top 3 favourite GD videos. The way you critique levels feels very fair. I've seen a lot of people just do the generic "gameplay, deco, sync,.." combo and i find it really stupid because you are probably missing out on a bunch meaning inside levels. Thank you for making this.

[@drifblimp.1026]

Great video! Watched most of it lol but skipped every bonus or fire part outside of first race. Personal favorite is rose, but Kalaxian, Polihedral and Behemoth all come close.

[@sposp]

The thing that I like about this is that it feels less like a video and more like a movie/documentary. The moment you talked about generation retro’s aesthetic of innocence, I was immediately hooked because it’s such a refreshing and realistic perspective on what makes a level fun and memorable. Your commentary is super engaging, and that is very much appreciated.

[@Nebbicular]

This video kept me hooked for the entire hour. I really loved this! :D

[@ItsTi0]

You deserve much more this is so cool

[@sumnolia]

That was a really fun watch, good job :)

[@candymanlol]

how has it taken me this long to find this video? bc this is one of the best gd vids i've ever watched, even tho i disagree with almost everything you said in this. also i like ur voice

[@cylarlambert4554]

This video is the biggest hidden gem out there.

[@oculous]

This list is almost perfection from MY POV, only thing I would change would be Scarlet Surge not last and Monster Mischief as part if the top 3. But the rest is so good, actually haven’t played the Behemoth yet so I’m excited.

[@baseplate9300]

This video totally deserves more views! great edit, I enjoyed 70 minutes watching this video Keep it up

[@MiArblys]

Woah ! This video is so incredible ! It's obvious that you have made a lot of effort for her ! And I learned many things with this video...

[@sushi-jaiden]

I am honestly mad I hadn't seen this sooner, its amazing

[@SpookySpeed970]

Once ALL the 2.2 gauntlets come out you should rank all the 2.2 gauntlets and there levels as that would be very cool! I really like this vid and respects to you for making this over one hour long vid! You did awesome ranking these!

[@DubstepJoltik]

@@SpookySpeed970 Thank you so much, and yep, I do plan to make a big video covering every 2.2 Gauntlet at some point lol

[@FixYourGameplay]

I like how high you put sidestep. I really enjoyed the level but every comment under the level is hating on it.

[@lambdagreek]

i love how spike in spike gauntlet is lowercase to mirror the mistake in the actual game lmao

[@utubeiskaren7796]

"Scarlet Surge isn't really a fun or controversial pick for the bottom level" my man I literally cannot think of a single level that divides the community more than Scarlet Surge

[@DubstepJoltik]

Yeah I thought it would be a boring pick since everyone already knew it was kinda the worst lol

[@Tommasso_]

Good video. I watched it from the beginning to the end and was a good watch. I have some disagreements with it (for example, putting Vibration way below than Anubis), but it's fine.

[@jonakarkive]

My ranking of all gauntlets and their levels: Fire Gauntlet: 5. Overture 4. Shock 3. First Race 2. OuterSpace 1. Magmatic Sanctuary Ice Gauntlet 5. Skyward 4. Polihedral 3. GeoBound 2. Amplification 1. Carnation Poison Gauntlet 5. Shrimp 4. Ground Zero 3. Acid Factory 2. Beast Mode Full 1. Generation Retro Shadow Gauntlet 5. Infusion 4. Ominous 3. GhostTown 2. Fear Zone 1. Spooky Light Lava Gauntlet 5. Fire Aura [personal least favorite] 4. Danger Zone 3. Infernal Arena 2. Ichor 1. Frontline Full Bonus Gauntlet 5. Payload 4. Rising 3. Chambers 2. Crazy Ball 1. Battletown Chaos Gauntlet 5. Drippy Dub 4. Anubis 3. Dark Drop 2. Kappaclysm 1. Scarlet Surge Demon Gauntlet 5. Traction 4. Vibration 3. HeLL 2. Sidestep 1. Mechanical Showdown Time Gauntlet 5. Silence 4. Timeless 3. Half Past Twelve 2. Rose 1. Mind Control Crystal Gauntlet 5. Crystal Fusion 4. Sanctuary of Light 3. Crystal Essence 2. Prismarine 1. Lustre Magic Gauntlet 5. Odyssey 4. Empyrean 3. Kalaxian 2. Schade 1. Aquarius Spike Gauntlet 5. Victim 4. Pureland 3. Tenebris 2. Powerful 1. Desert Bounce Monster Gauntlet 5. Mechanism 4. HellGate Menace 3. Monster Mischief 2. OMG Aliens 1. Slam [personal favorite] Gauntlets Ranked 13. Crystal 12. Ice 11. Demon 10. Magic 9. Spike 8. Bonus 7. Lava 6. Time 5. Fire 4. Poison 3. Shadow 2. Chaos 1. Monster

[@DubstepJoltik]

Ayyy gen retro is at #1 for poison lol, nice. Ty for making this, and gl if you decide to beat the other two Gauntlets

[@jonakarkive]

@@DubstepJoltik I'm sorry for putting Scarlet Surge at number 1 in Chaos...it's just, such a fun level to me! And the music-

[@DubstepJoltik]

@@jonakarkive It really is an interesting level for 1.9 so I can't blame you. I wanted to give it as much credit as I could, but oml I just hate playing it lmao

[@jonakarkive]

@@DubstepJoltik Fair. I loved your entire video and I hope the next gauntlets in 2.2 are good (World Gauntlet looks amazing)

[@bilingualfish4246]

you lost me at overture, that level was great

[@DamoclesKey]

Thank you for putting sidestep so high up, its underrated and people only hate it because of the rating

[@DubstepJoltik]

@@DamoclesKey sidestep stans gotta stick together lmao

[@Bizaare29]

Really awesome video man!! Super engaging. This motivated me to get started on a similar video, so I'll make sure to credit you when that drops. Earned a sub for sure

[@DubstepJoltik]

Well you've got me curious lol, I'll try to catch it, and thanks ^^

[@chickenfish15]

"2.2 is looking like it'll be just around the corner." 8 months later:

[@gdmrhotshot3731]

I don’t agree with why you say behemoth is #1 but alright, and I do remember a handful of gauntlet levels because I actually play the gauntlet levels a lot

[@tomandjerrythegamer1121]

Ok this is a masterpiece great job bro No pressure on this but do you think you will do another one once all the 2.2 gauntlets are out may take a while but you definitely have the talent to do so

[@DubstepJoltik]

I would like to but that's definitely the distant future we're talking about, especially since most yeah most of the Gauntlets aren't out yet lol. Instead I'm hoping to play through every new Gauntlet as they come out and post a video of my first reactions to it

[@yellowmarkers]

@@DubstepJoltik I think it might be interesting if, in every "checking out" video, you did an impromptu review/ranking of the levels within that specific Gauntlet after playing them all.

[@DubstepJoltik]

@yellowmarkers I actually originally did that in the Castle Gauntlet video, but I ended up cutting it out literally like an hour before posting it because my opinions had already changed so much and I kinda just hated some of the stuff I said. It wasn't even really fun or interesting to write/edit so unfortunately I probably won't do that again until everything gets released

[@fehizorosaclier1629]

53:50 um there is also a coin path including the switching on off gimmick in this level, and a kinda clever one at that great video though, I'm writing this as I'm watching edit: just finished the video, didn't expect to be emotionally invested by the end. The editing, the script, the humor, everything is great and reflects your personality nicely, and while I do not agree on some of the placements, by the end, who cares? Like you said, even on levels you appreciate less, discussing about them, their positives and their creativity makes for a rich and enjoyable experience. You earned a sub, phenomenal video :)

[@DubstepJoltik]

Aaaaah thanks it always feel really amazing and reassuring to see comments like these lol, tysm (and yeah the Fear zone coin is pretty cool)

[@MattMG]

It's really funny how there were exactly 3 XL levels in this list, and one of them is last while the other 2 are second and first in the ranking

[@DubstepJoltik]

@@MattMG Yeah they're uh real hit or miss I guess lmao I actually never realized that

[@frranxx]

this video is so complete, it has anything I need to know in it and you're so kind . you liking every comment and answering some of them I guess, ahhh thank you for the effort you put into your videos and you're so underrated that makes me sad

[@DubstepJoltik]

I'm slightly embarrassed you mentioned that I liked and answered all the comments and then missed this one for like a month lol. Thank you though lmao

[@frranxx]

@@DubstepJoltik :)))

[@laurivalola1463]

Extremely underrated video!

[@dogfacedgecko2530]

I loved all of these opinions and I think it's amazing how deep you think into the gauntlet levels. But I will never understand why Generation Retro is at 39.

[@Shmio-r6m]

Or that vulgarity and anubis are in D tier

[@ItsTi0]

Bro the ablixa montage was so sick (expect more comments from me I do it while watching)

[@glitchy9613]

9:25 it is spelled right... it's just... in latin...

[@DubstepJoltik]

Aw dammit, I swear I remember checking that but the only result I saw was "tenebrous". But yeah, you're right. Mb lol

[@beefycat9513]

10/10 video

[@ydanx]

very underrated video, like 👍

[@LoquatJuice_]

38:47 Easter egg: When he said "thankfully it wasn't a virus", a frame from Killbot (if I remember correctly) was put.

[@LoquatJuice_]

38:47 Easter egg: When he said "thankfully it wasn't a virus", a frame from Killbot (if I remember correctly) was put.

[@sheepxs5413]

Can I technically say Scarlet Surge is cute so it can go higher because the level wasn't supposed to be anything more but than a fun effect level. (also because seeing Scarlet Surge this low makes me sad)

[@DubstepJoltik]

I do think it's cute and I still really like the level honestly, but I don't regret having it at the bottom spot. I think that is accurate to my feelings, as it is my least favorite level to play, but I still talk about things I like about it, which establishes the main theme of the video about how the ranking numbers shouldn't matter as much as the levels themselves.

[@powerguy3976]

Now do it when all 165 2.2 Gauntlet levels come out for 240 total :)

[@DubstepJoltik]

That sounds terrifying and strangely alluring

[@Cust0mCraft]

God, you are underrated

[@ashfalcons44]

I actually think Scarlet Surge and Kappaclysm are both somewhere in B tier, with Scarlet Surge being higher than Kappaclysm.

[@DubstepJoltik]

I wouldn't argue, I'd see how they can be fun lol

[@barrely693]

Dude I love this video! I love how you included a story for each level. Wish I could agree with you on The Behemoth, but ever since I beat it the song plays in my dreams because I spent so many attempts on it. I really enjoy the boss and found it really intense, but I honestly hated everything that came before it (gameplay wise). I think the story behind the level is amazing, but the gameplay before the boss just isn’t for me. I also really enjoyed how high you placed Sidestep, I think it is such a cool level, and it sucks that people hate it because it’s hard and they can’t beat it. Although the level has plenty of bugs, i think its hate is very undeserved. I really enjoyed this video though! I came to your channel through the nuzlocke vid and now your one of my favorite KZbinrs!

[@DubstepJoltik]

Awww well thanks lol ^^

[@cakeface27]

I haven’t played all the levels, but i like ghost town the most. The music is amazing and the level isn’t too annoying

[@capertuyplaysgd]

This is soooo underrated

[@SupaCLUCK]

I went through the whole video, while I disagree with some of your opinions of course (I like scarlet surge for some reason) I think I agree with most of them. Nice video overall :)

[@notsus3954]

Best gd video I’ve ever watched

[@gdmrhotshot3731]

54:13 fun fact I found out Aquarius without even realizing it was in the magic gauntlet

[@DubstepJoltik]

Yeah it was a daily level not long after 2.1 came out so that's not surprising, it's a really old level lol

[@elvii471]

this video was insane

[@FixYourGameplay]

The behemoth is also my fav

[@d4vid300]

If you had to, what would you replace scarlet surge with?

[@GoneChurgerss]

genuinely, the behemoth. The level is unbalanced as shit, has too many auto parts, repetitive song, bad transitions, generic 2.1 decoration, has a notoriously bad boss fight and the level is 3 MINUTES LONG

[@DubstepJoltik]

Absolutely would replace with Scarlet Surge Auto; it'd probably be a high B+ or low A in that case

[@bilingualfish4246]

Hellgate menace. It's bugged as shit and is unreadable. The gameplay also sucks.

[@bogacub6079]

dude you are way too underrated, I loved this video!!

[@luvsgreen10]

"Joltik was here" uhh wait is Radiation talking about you?

[@DubstepJoltik]

Oh no, I added that myself lol. The Skitten part was indeed part of the level originally though, but after its recent update, it got removed

[@hman378]

Only 7k views?! Criminally underrated damn

[@johnlcaperna1101]

I LOVE CARNATION GAMEPLAY STILL NOT MY FAVORITE BUT IM HAPPY U PLACED IT B-

[@Alejandro-to6cv]

0:01 song???

[@DubstepJoltik]

garlagan - Ablixa; there's a playlist of the music used in order if you press the i button on the top right of the vid ^^

[@michaelbloxupdate2]

I personally disagree with your placement on battletown, the gameplay kind of annoying when you first play it, but when you learn it, it’s really fun! I do agree the color scheme is nice so yeah.

[@DubstepJoltik]

I wish I had mentioned this in the video, but it's got some pretty cool mechanics for 2.0, like the blocks moving on the tracks and wave-like gameplay in a mini UFO part. I still think it's an overall huge miss, but I can understand it being pretty fun lol, glad you like it at least

[@michaelbloxupdate2]

I think the real crime was put kappacylcm in the d+ (Fun fact: it’s in a map pack)

[@absolutesonic4266]

I'm sorry but I simply HAVE to take the time to watch this someday. Promise I'll comment once I do.

[@DubstepJoltik]

Haha thanks, that's a very nice promise lol

[@absolutesonic4266]

@@DubstepJoltik okay I changed my mind. I'm making a video reacting to ALL of this. I'll divide it by each section and add my own thoughts to it as well. This is too great a work to be going this underrated man

[@DubstepJoltik]

@@absolutesonic4266 Well damn, I would love to see that lol

[@absolutesonic4266]

@@DubstepJoltik i do not have access to editing sadly but I do have a screen recorder with which I can make the videos. I also have a very interesting background since I am both a mobile player (which means I can touch on optimization), a layout creator (I know key points on gameplay) and lastly a Spanish speaker (some gauntlet's general opinion usually depends on the Spanish community). I'm watching the video ahead of time (currently gonna stop at 25 to record the first vid) just so I can already have a good idea about what's coming up and my thoughts. First video will be out pretty soon, I'll send a link once it's out

[@DubstepJoltik]

@@absolutesonic4266 No problem, I'd mostly be interested in just what you say even if the editing is bad lol. That works.

[@usibistro]

I literally disagree with everything shown in this video but still good dedication

[@Saltymangosucks]

FR Bro didn’t cook but it’s still a really good video

[@notveryultraguy]

My question is why isn't generation retro higher I mean what other level do you know with such incredible dialogue like, "you have no win you DIED noooooo."

[@DubstepJoltik]

My favorite is "And we will end!"

[@ItsTi0]

1:46 Ye its right around the corner for, how long has it been?

[@KyoshuGD]

9:25 erm actually tenebris is latin for darkness, therefore it is not spelled wrong

[@DubstepJoltik]

@@KyoshuGD Yeah I made an oopsie there lol oh well

[@Yubfan69420]

Dangerous spikes is the only minigame out of these 78 levels

[@STC07]

Powerful uses “the maze of mayonnaise” and this song goes so hard. Just for that, it should be in least B tier

[@DubstepJoltik]

Man I definitely should've used that song in the video instead of the kalaxian one lol

[@JulienStephens-yu3lq]

Scarlet surge is literally my favourite level in the game

[@luvsgreen10]

Ranking the levels: Fire Gauntlet: D (I like the levels and all but First Race ruins it) OuterSpace: C (Nothing really creative about this level but it was a good replacement for the first level of the first gauntlet) Overture: D (Just a generic level) First Race: D (Would be F Tier if it existed in my eyes but no D is the worst. I really do not like the song as it reminds me of smiling depression which I don't have but I don't like. The level is also kind of boring in general) Shock: D (Same as Overture but I like the song so it gets a spot higher) Magmatic Sanctuary: C (Yay a fire themed level. Only gets C because of the update. Otherwise it would have gotten a B-) Ice Gauntlet: B+ (The first three levels are boring but the last two are lit) Amplification: C (I guess the levels fit the theme fine but this is the most icy) Skyward: D (I do not know how this got level 2 of the gauntlet. This is easy and kind of fun but D Tier because it is average) Carnation: D (Very mundane) GeoBound: A (I love playing this level and it fits the ice theme perfectly. I just do not like how the wave part can be auto so beating it is not needed so it gets a low A) Polihedral: B+ (I like the gameplay and it looks fine) Poison Gauntlet: B- (I like how this gauntlet has a minimalistic atmosphere but the last two levels are weaker) Acid Factory: B- (I love the atmosphere and it is pretty intense for a 4* but it is quite slow and boring) Beast Mode Full: B+ (Anytime I am mopey I play this level) Ground Zero: C (I like this level a lot. I just don't like the song although it's nothing in relation with Race Around The World by Waterflame) Shrimp: D (Eh. The level kind of looks poisonous but it's too easy for the fourth level) Generation Retro: C (Pretty mundane but I can at least appreciate the atmosphere and thought in to this level) Part 1/5 of my comment EP (lol)

[@DubstepJoltik]

I like how you described the First Race song as "smiling depression" lol. And yeah, I'm not sure what I would've said about Magmatic Sanctuary thanks to the update but it probably would've been a lot lower.

[@akwire4253]

i love your voice!!!! (i also love your video, this was very entertaining! thanks for trying to be more objective in your ranking and not just trying to give hot takes because that is just triggering and not entertaining at all)

[@akwire4253]

made this comment mid watch but in hindsight this video was better than i realized, i just watched this entire hour and 12 minute video and it never fazed me, so engaging i can tell a lot of effort was put into this and the end result was incredible!!!!!!

[@Artizap_]

Why does this not have more views wtf this is great

[@n00dlesGMD]

IMO gauntlets are such a mixed bag, there’s some good levels, some mid ones, some bad ones, and horrible ones, I know this kinda dumb but I really like the art for the gauntlets, it’s probably my favorite part

[@DubstepJoltik]

Fr the artwork alone makes the levels feel way more adventurous than something like map packs

[@ariamentio]

this video was S-tier, better than slam also I would love to see you take on ranking the map packs with your style even though 90% would be F-tier when compared to Scarlet Surge lol

[@DubstepJoltik]

Ty ^^ and yeah true. I actually do want to make some kind of project with the map packs but it'll be really hard. I'd want to include every level, but if I did a ranking, people would just skip the levels they don't know or care about, which would be most, and there aren't many opportunities to segue into side topics like with the Gauntlets to break up the rankings. But I do want to find some way to make it work so I'll give it more thought