neoMAX ------ Artist: DM Ashura Steps: DM Ashura Artwork: Vector Omega Contact: E-mail - FuelForTuna@aol.com AIM - AshuraDemon About me -------- Hey, y'all. My name's Bill, formerly known as AshuraDemon and DJDemon. You may remember me from MaxX ResurrexXion, that song that got to #1 on www.bemanisims.com for a short while. This song in my opinion is a LOT better. Anyway, I live in Georgia, I like playing DDR (duh), writing music, playing viola and piano, and programming. I've been involved in MIDI for about 5 or 6 years now, so I'm quite used to it. I'm going to be sending out a portfolio this summer to Nintendo and Konami this summer, plus a lot of smaller companies, to see if anyone will accept my music. (And yes, neoMAX will be in the portfolio for Konami!) Please contact me if you like the song, or if you don't like it. I want to see your opinions! Love and peace! ^_^ History of Max -------------- This song is an extension of the "Max" series first created in Dance Dance Revolution 6th Mix (DDR MAX). For those who are not familiar with the series (but then again, by now, who isn't?), the series started with Max300 by Omega, which was then the fastest song in DDR at 300 bpm. This was followed by MaxX Unlimited in DDR MAX2, starting at 300 bpm, going as slow as 140, and ending at 320. The newest song in this series was "The Legend of MAX" at 333 bpm, but featuring a short section at 83.25 bpm for about two measures. The series has become famous for its characteristically high tempo and the infamous "freeze" in the middle. About neoMAX ------------ As you'll notice in the beginning of "History of Max", I said that neoMAX is an "extension" of the Max series. Not a remix. The reason I say this is that although there is some material from previous Maxes (as at the beginning you can hear parts of MaxX Unlimited and The Legend of MAX), the song is mostly original, while still keeping the feel of a Max song. The main theme from Max300, of which there is always some variant in a Max song, is still present at the beginning, and after the slow section, where the song speeds up, you can hear the theme in the background, which gets louder toward the end. The Max300 ending has been revamped with more realistic instruments as well. After this though, the song becomes more my own creation, with the addition of a new melody (done by piano) and a different style altogether. I created this song because I for once wanted to hear a Max song that was less of a random rhythm and more melodic. This is also the first Max to feature a significant slow section. Its tempo is 340 bpm, which is higher than the rest of the Max series, yet not so much as to make it impossible, as slower songs with 16th notes have gone faster (e.g. Sweet Sweet Love Magic). Beginner steps -------------- Your basic beginner steps. Nothing really special here, designed for someone who's playing Beginner mode and wants something harder. It's rated at 3 feet mostly for its speed. Light steps ----------- Here's where the significant steps start. The beginning starts off slightly easier than the rest of the song, although the steps at parts are the equivalent of quarter and eighth notes at 170 bpm. The MaxX Unlimited section much resembles the steps from that song in MAX2, but it has been extended. One annoying thing about Max has now been eliminated: guessing when the next step is going to be. The player is given warning that it will start again by the beginning of the piano melody. Also, any and all tempo changes in the song are designed so although they give a good effect, they will not be so sudden that the player will lose their full combo. Standard steps -------------- The steps in this difficulty require a little more stamina, with the steps being more constant, usually in either sets of three quarter notes or in runs of quarter note. Eighth note patterns are rare except toward the end. The crescendo at the end now has freezes, which add a little more effect. The song is advanced for a Standard player, but it's not enough to make them feel like it's impossible. Heavy steps ----------- Here is the fun part. As this song is meant to be difficult yet not impossible, Heavy is where it shines. The rhythms go with the song as best as possible, with freezes placed where necessary, but not at random. At times, the placement of the freezes seem to almost "play" the melody, like the introduction of the piano. The slow section works well also, with the rhythm being exactly in time with the piano. The most difficult part would probably be the rhythms in the end, where the brass comes in. However, the patterns are logical, rendering this a hard, yet workable, song. Also, notice the Max Combo for this difficulty. About the Artwork ----------------- The artwork for this was done by Vector Omega, with a VERY little bit of help from me. This guy is amazing. ^_^ Now, no resemblance to any DDR background is intended. (I know there's numbers in The Least 100 Sec, but I noticed this AFTER he made the background.) One thing to notice is that that 340 is highlighted, which is a cool effect. Also, as a short disclaimer: I know that this is called "NEO" MAX and there are numbers in the background, but it is NOT meant to be a ripoff of The Matrix! There, that's said. Anyway, VO (whose name is J, no period, no Jay, just "J") is a good friend of mine who I've known for six years. This is to you J: YOU RULE.
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