Micro Madness / Micro Madness Writeups

Round 2
Kumba vs. Wicksteed

5dave vs. Levis

WME vs. Kenneth

Xin vs. zodiac

Round 1
Pineapple
Pineapple was mostly unknown as he came into MM. He's around the forums a lot and is a member of RCT Majesty but apart from that we haven't seen a whole lot of work from him. His entry, Arabian Secret showed he had lots of skills and could possibly be a big threat in the next couple rounds. He's one of the first to use the multiple level idea, packing in two levels of rides and architecture. Each level has a coaster: a hacked flyer on top and an S&S thrust air coaster on the bottom. The top section also has a trackless adventure ride and there's a roto drop on the lower level. The architecture is nice but a little underdetailed and the fact that it's the same on both levels makes the entry a little monotonous. It's a highly creative entry though and we can only wonder what Pineapple will do next.

Comet
Comet is another fairly new face around NE and has a highly realistic building style that's similiar to CP6's. It makes sense that his entry, Motor Zone, looks quite similar to CP6's first round entry. It's almost a 'snapshot' style park but it has a working mini rocket coaster as well as a flat. The architecture is built on a very small scale but is nicely detailed with things like custom ques and glass doors. Even though this style isn't the best for micros, Comet manages to make a good first round showing and if he steps up his game a bit he could be one to watch for a major upset.

OLE

Junya Boy
Junya Boy is known for a calm building style that effectively uses simple architecture forms and lots of landscaping to create a very open natural feel to his work. MM seems to have gotten him back into the game and he faithfully uses his old building style in his round 1 entry, Bliss. It's one of the more effective 'snapshot' micros of the first round with a flat and the station plus other sections of a wooden coaster. The buildings are simple but bright colors give them a festive feel. The one major drawback to the park is Junya uses the same day-glo green color for all the trees in the park that actually looks good with the buildings but gives the foliage an artificial look that's not very appealing. Still, it's a nice entry and shows Junya hasn't lost any of his skills.

Fisch
We're still waiting for some major solo work from Fisch but he has shown some great screens and has now made a nice round 1 entry. Fisch uses his realistic style to create one of the only successful versions of the 'snapshot micro' idea. In this case it's actually inspired by a section in a real life park. A highly themed flat named Talocan is surrounded by midway style buildings. There isn't a whole lot going on but all the theming is well layered and pleasant to look at. Fisch shows lots of skill with this entry and if he keeps it up he could do quite well.

J K
J K has been a rising star in the rct world and has finally gotten Parkmaker status with the release of his solo Spellbrook Shore. He's a definite favorite to go all the way in this contest and his first round entry shows why. The Miner's Trail offers some attractive detailed architecture that combines old time wooden buildings with industrial details. A mine cart coaster cruises in and out of the buildings along with a flat in the center of the plaza. It's not J K's greatest work but it's a solid micro and we can be sure to expect even better work from him in future rounds.

Evil WME
Yet another player who seems to have jumped back into the game after a long hiatus, WME came in strong with his first round entry Industrial Madness. The whole map is packed with rides, shops and other buildings and peeps add even more life to the park. It's built in a similiar style as the old Project Revolution 1 micros but more detailed thanks to RCT2. It's amazing how easily WME seems to fit an invert, go karts, two flats and an elevator on the tiny map, not to mention more than enough stalls to keep the peeps happy. It's a fun enty but shows the skill that will undoubtably be brought to the table in future matches by WME.

Corkscrewed
The first of 8 fofeited matches was supposed to be between Corkscrewed and nin but Corkscrewed was the only one who got an entry in. Corky doesn't have a whole lot of time for rct nowdays but he still managed to create a nice cityscape with his entry Sectopolis. Architecture is the main focus with the majority of the map taken up by three large buildings and a subway station, all with detailed interiors. A deep underground cavern with a 'random WME apperance' adds a fun touch to the entry. It's not an amazing entry but it probably was enough to win the match and so Corky moves on to Round 2.

disneylhand vs. Lloyd
The last of the non forfeit matches ended up being quite close as it was against two fairly even mid-range parkmakers. Disneylhand has been around a while and has been releasing several things outside NE lately. He has a nice semi-realistic style but isn't afraid to tackle different theme ideas. His micro Stratosphere Atlantic City represents one of those theme ideas and was a pretty accurate recreation of the tower in Las Vegas. The top section is very cool with lots of detail on the structure as well as a couple flats on the roof. Elevators are cleverly hacked inside the tower and stop at different levels, including the roof. The major drawback is that the rest of the structure was just a white base that the elevators go though without any details. His opponent, Lloyd is an up and coming player that hasn't quite developed his own style yet. His entry Oasis shows lots of promise though with decent landscaping and foliage to create a nice setting. There's a cool hacked coaster that takes up half the map and a couple nicely detailed buildings. It's not a great entry but it gets the job done and the lack of details on Stratosphere hurt it just enough for Lloyd to snag the votes he needed. The match required all 5 judges to vote and the tie breaker went with Lloyd who moves on to Round 2.

Winner: Lloyd

Fanatic of RCT vs. Camcorder22
A late forfeit by RCTNW left a big hole in the competition that forced Kumba to look for another #3 seed player. He found former LL Parkmaker Fanatic of RCT who is back from the dead to fill the gap. Much like Six Frags though, Fanatic has a style that really works for large solos and really doesn't work for micros. He quickly whipped up Micro Mountain in his faithful old school style and came up with as good a park as possible in the short time he had. It's a nice snowy theme with a bit of landscaping and two rides: a compact coaster and a slide. Overall it's a solid entry but nothing very new or spectacular. Facing Fanatic is Camcorder22, who is a newcomer who might not have the most impressive execution but he certainly created a unique and pretty cool entry. Thrill Towers is true to its name as several crazy coasters and other rides are stacked on several different precariously built levels connected by elevators and sometimes the rides themselves. There's a little bit of everything in the entry, even buildings with interiors on the ground level. It's very fun to look at and the way it's built looks like a scenario where stuff is randomly built on top of the previous thing just to get it to fit in. Wheather this look was intended or not, it creates quite a packed but strange entry with lots of stuff to look at from every angle. While not done perfectly, Camcorder22's entry had a lot of appeal and he quickly gained 3 votes for quite an easy win over a "3" seed and this match became yet another upset.

Winner: Camcorder22

Xcoaster vs. jusmith
Yet another newcomer, jusmith, faces the highly skilled Parkmaker Xcoaster here in the 22nd match of Round 1. What looked to be a blowout ended up being a little closer than expected. Jusmith came in pretty strong with a well themed entry called Enchanted Heights. The architecture relies heavily on grey stone walls that's built up and around a little waterfall to create a ruined castle atmosphere. A dive machine that has a nice but pretty standard layout is the only ride on the map. Overall the use of grey makes it a little dull and the building forms are simple but it's an unexpected good first showing for him here at NE. A lot was expected of Xcoaster with his highly detailed style but he didn't quite live up to those expectations here in Round 1. His entry, Earthsea-The Tombs of Atuan ended up pretty bare with only one building and not a whole lot of theming. A sprawling wooden coaster meanders its way across the map, its station being the ruined tomb. Some attractive uses of mazes and building blocks are used as theming for the ride. It was a bit of a letdown considering what Xcoaster usually makes but it wasn't a bad entry. Jusmith actually managed to get 1 vote but even with his B game Xcoaster is a tough opponent and the final score ended up 3-1.

Winner: Xcoaster


Blitz vs. RCTCA
The second all LL match in Round 1 is between Blitz and RCTCA. Blitz has been around for a long time and has established himself as one of the best fantasy builders ever. He's only released a few things over the years but all have been amazing work and most follow a creative backstory. The Sri Vilstra Sanctuary also follows this backstory and is themed to a remote outpost. A large mine train winds its way around the mountain as well as a go karts and a flat. There's not a whole lot of theming but what's there shows Blitz's unique style. The whole thing could be peepable but in the rush to get the entry in, they were forgotten. Overall it's a bit of a letdown and not quite up to Blitz's usual standard but that was mainly due to computer problems until just before the deadline. Facing him was RCTCA who has been around for a while now but has seemed unable to really advance his skills very far. His entry Karts and Coasters almost looks like something built to beat a scenario. Two coasters, two flats, a go karts and many shops are packed onto the small map. The coasters are fairly well crafted and it's pretty impressive how much is on the map but the theming is minimal at best. The scenario appeal just wasn't enough to move RCTCA on in the competition. Despite the rushed entry, Blitz easily got 3 votes to move on to the next round.

Winner: Blitz


Tom_Dj vs. Liampie
This match almost ended up as a forfeit after some confusion with Tom_Dj sending in a blank map by mistake. Liampie agreed to revote the match after Tom got his entry in and funnily enough the results came back exactly the same. Tom_Dj has been around a while and even though he hasn't released a whole lot, he has shown some very nice work in the Ad and has a couple good looking projects in the works. From the overview his Round 1 entry Shinjiku was looking like a good start with some nice architecture and a cool setting but came up short after you opened it up. Besides some big purple domes and an unnamed wild mouse ride there wasn't anything there and the lack of foliage or even fully completed buildings killed the entry and almost gave Liampie as easy a match as the blank map did. Not much is known about Liampie but he made a nice showing with his entry Terror Mining. There doesn't seem to be a whole lot of mining going on but there is a really neat old fort type building that takes up most of the map. The fort comes with guard towers, cannons, walkways and of course, a heavily fortified gate. There isn't a whole lot going on in the entry besides that but Liampie does manage to create a cool structure that almost looks like a set from a movie. Both the first vote and the second vote ended up with Liampie getting 3 straight votes to win and capping off yet another upset, at least as far as the seeds show.

Winner: Liampie

ekimmel vs. Kenneth
Match 19 was an upset again as ekimmel took on Kenneth. Ekimmel isn't known for an outlandish style and he shows that here with his Round 1 entry Waconia Valley Railroad, which relies purely on realistic natural theming to create a nice atmosphere. A large waterfall is enhanced with rock formations and great uses of quarter tile landblocks. A railroad crosses a small bridge across the waterfall and goes back into the cliffs via tunnels cut into the rock, again made by nice uses of quarter tile landblocks. The realistic mix of foliage shows the usefulness of the colorable trees. It's a cool entry but it lacks anything to impress enough for a win. Kenneth is a member of the club RCT Majesty and decided to build an entry based around the club itself. The setting is a shoreline with attractive seaside shops on one side of a road and a themed beach and carousel on the other. An interesting use of flats and a coaster is done on a hill on the back of the entry that serve the dual purpose of creating a skyline effect as well as being tribute to a Majesty member. All the work is very well done and clever little details like a lighthouse and a subway track shown under the road really complete the entry. Kenneth pulled off a pretty easy win over ekimmel who officially retired from rct when the match concluded.

Winner: Kenneth


5Dave vs. vekoma9
Over the past year or so, 5dave has stormed up the ranks and become one of the best non-Parkmakers of today. He's had several releases, co-owned the club RCT Majesty and has participated in most of the latest contests. It's fitting then, that this great parkmaker would make one of the best entries of the round. His entry, Lift-Off, is built around a large but compact prototype coaster that has requires many hacks pulled off perfectly. The station building shows off his architecture skill, combining theming extras with practical things like a gift shop on the lower level. A custom space shuttle with launch tower that doubles as a support structure and a custom que underground further show his skill with building blocks. Facing 5dave was vekoma9 who has a nice semi realistic style. It seems he lost interest in rct after barely starting his entry though and to avoid a forfeit he sent it in anyway. Down Town Drive had the making of a decent entry but for now it just has a mini coaster and a couple unfinished buildings. It's a bit of a disappointment but vekoma would have had a tough time beating 5dave anyway. 5dave easily gained 3 votes to win and moves on to face his fellow club owner Levis in what will surely be a great match.

Winner: 5dave

Magnus vs. Petrol
Match 17 marked a short break in the upsets as Parkmaker Magnus faced off newcomer Petrol. Magnus seemed to leave making his round 1 entry a little late but managed to put together a nice little entry named the City of Colors. Some attractive almost futuristic architecture sports an unorthodox color scheme of brown, black, yellow, blue, purple and red that Magnus manages to make look good. A custom wild mouse winds its way in and around the largest building and a flat mixes the colors in one corner of the map. The architecture is nicely detailed and even two elevators are included to get people to the second level. Overall it's nothing groundbreaking but it's a solid entry that would be tough to beat in Round 1. Petrol came up with a creative idea in Matatu's Journey. A huge, elaborate waterfall takes up one edge of the map with rock features and foliage and buildings clinging to the sides of the cliffs. At the base of the waterfall a small temple sits in the middle of the water that houses a launch tower. It's a neat little entry but there really isn't a whole lot to see and the idea isn't taken very far. Magnus didn't have many problems and quickly gained 3 straight votes for the win.

Winner: Magnus


Six Frags vs. JiMeMo
The upsets aren't stopping and here's another one as Parkmaker Six Frags went up against JiMeMo. Six Frags is known for his slightly underwhelming style that doesn't require flashy details or hacks to get good results. It works well in full parks but isn't the type of style that will get you far with micros. JiMeMo has been around since the early days of rct and has returned after a long break from the game so it had the makings of an interesting matchup. Six Frags built Ein bisschen Zurich, a park with some very simple but attractive townish architecture that forms a plaza in the center of the map. A wild mouse weaves in and out of the tightly clustered buildings and a flat sits amongst the quarter tile landscaping. Everything comes together well but there's just nothing very eye catching to hold your attention for long. After one quick glance you really have seen everything there is to see. JiMeMo came up with a creative theme idea to make Drilled, an entry that uses quarter tile landscaping to create a subterranian level being explored by a huge drill bit that pierces through the middle of the map. On the surface there's several colorful buildings that are part of an industrial complex along with neat theming details like a water filter, lots of smoke and an observation cage being lowered underground. A giga coaster cruises though most of its layout underground, exploring the cavern below. Other minor details such as bones and even Six Frags trapped in a cave make this a fun entry that's a pleasure to explore. JiMeMo had no problems against Six Frags and quickly recieved 3 votes to win.

Winner: JiMeMo

RCFanB&M vs. woofenskid
The most hotly debated match in all of Round 1 happened here as RCFanB&M took on woofenskid in match 15. RCFan burst into the scene at NE having already developed his skills quickly and has managed to become quite a threat in the architecture department. He's gotten a Design with his first release and if it wasn't for a crawling building speed, he would be one of the better non Parkmakers of today. Woofenskid has improved slowly but still has a long way to go in all aspects of the game before he can move on to the big leagues. What looked to be a quick and easy match for RCFan turned into an all out brawl as the match was tied at 2-2 after 4 votes. RCFan showed his skills in Southpoint Beach with some very nice architecture, a water coaster and even a ferris wheel squeezed in. There's a lighthouse themed disco building and a seaside shop, both of which have great details and even some interior sections that can be seen. One major drawback is that RCFan used RCT Modified dat file which not everyone may have and can take away from the park. It also lacks polish and there are a few mistakes here and there but overall it's still a very nice park. Woofenskid's entry, Morettas Micro Dive was all dive machine as a sprawling coaster of the same name took up most of the map. The layout is a decent one that flies over the flat landscape. Besides that there are two squat buildings and some chain link fence as theming. Woofens managed to get the tie breaking vote but when the results were posted many people questioned the outcome. It seemed quite clear to most that even from the overviews RCFan's entry was the better of the two but the judges seemed to have something different in mind. After some discussion it was decided as a compromise that both RCFanB&M and woofenskid would move on to face Pineapple in a three-way match that should prove quite interesting no matter who wins or loses.

Winner: RCFanB&M and woofenskid both move on

FK+Coastermind vs. SenZ
Yet another upset here in match 14 where SenZ faces off FK+Coastermind. Little is known of SenZ around NE but FK has gotten more and more impressive with every release here and has quickly moved up the non Parkmaker ranks. He came up a little short here though with his entry Mistra Queen of Rage showcasing his nice style but also showcasing how once again the idea of having a micro show a "snapshot" of a larger area struggles against a more complete theme. The whole entry shows the area around the station of a coaster that's part of a larger section. The brakes and station of the coaster are shown complete with a train sitting on the tracks and a custom que line that winds its way around one corner of the map. The architecture is very nice with lots of little details that add a realistic touch. FK's attractive use of quarter tile bushes for the foliage rounds off this nice entry but there wasn't much to look at which really dragged it down. SenZ went for a different type of theme idea with Delta 24, an oil rig in space with a funny backstory. The map is dominated by large industrial buildings and all sorts of pipes, gears and drills. The main ride is a coaster themed to an escape pod and while a little short, manages to fit on the map nicely. The architecture might not be as detailed and the ride might not be the most impressive but lack of any real substance really hurt FK and his entry and so the snapshot idea claims another victim. Against the odds SenZ easily moves on with 3 votes to 1.

Winner: SenZ

Peeee vs. ride_exchanger
The upsets start again as ride_exchanger managed to pull off a win vs. Peeee in a very close match. Peeee might not have been around for long but he has quickly proved himself to be very skilled parkmaker as he quickly developed his style and managed to get an RU with his first NE release. Ride_exchanger is known for his rather calm building style with a very open atmosphere, realistic buildings and of course peeps. His entry, ThunderLoop is the perfect example of how all these aspects come together to form a very quaint atmosphere. The only ride is a launched coaster that mostly keeps to the outer edges of the map. The layout is one of the longer ones so far and despite being rather awkward, seems to suit the surroundings perfectly. The only inversion is a loop (of course) and there is some very nice interaction with all the buildings on the map. The architecture is simple but well detailed and all the buildings serve a purpose, wheather it be a station or a food stall for the peeps. There may not be a whole lot on the map but everything comes together very nicely. Peeee's entry, Industrial Revolution, is quite similiar with some nice architecture with good details that fit with the theme. In the ride department there is a nice hacked coaster that fit's well on the map but was too short to really be a very impressive ride. A highly themed flat is also squeezed in. While some of the theming may be better the thing that really cost this entry was its lack of concentration on the layout and overall packaging of what's on the map which really came up short when compared to ride_exchanger's. The ideas were there though which meant the entires were quite close and the final results ended up requiring all 5 judges to vote. The tie breaking vote went for ThunderLoop and ride_exchanger moves on with the results at 3 votes to 2. Peeee still made a nice entry and showed he can carry a theme well so hopefully his next work will be more successful.

Winner: ride_exchanger

Loopy vs. G-Ride
It was all LL in match 12 when LL powerhouse Loopy took on the less skilled but highly creative Ge-Ride. Loopy has been around for years and has mostly played LL with a little RCT2 on the side. He's never really progressed to the big leagues for lack of finishing any large scale project but has recently broken out of his shell recently and shown some truly awesome new solo work. Loopy continues on his current streak with an entry themed around the movie It's a Bug's Life. First thing you'll notice is a hacked floorless coaster that is one of the more extreme coasters in the round, packing 5 inversions into the tight space. Despite some flaws like an overly short brakerun it's still a great ride that manages to not looked too crammed onto the small map. Some great oversized natural theming rounds off the theme as large leaves, trees and roots are incorperated. There's also a flat and "Hopper" statue themed to the villian of the film. Overall it's probably one of the best LL entries from one of the best LL players still around. Ge-Ride is more well known for his crazy uses of color and building blocks in RCT2 to create bizarre structures centered around equally strange ideas. His skills might not be the most fine tuned but you can always count on Ge-Ride to create something that is very fun to look at. With Skygarden he shows us that he's also able to pull off crazy ideas in LL. The Codex trainer is more than enough to allow him to come up with all new theming ideas and his entry is one of the most extensive uses of Codex ever... on a 15x15 map no less! When stacked right, just about anything can become a theming option and Ge uses many unique things such as jumping fountains, B&M track, UFO pad balconies and car ride track turns to name a few. Trees with planters all along the sides further show his stacking skill. The downside was that while obviously a lot of work was put into it, all that really was there was one large building that wasn't quite finished and a roto drop. It lacked any movement to keep your attention and was no match against Loopy who moves on with the final score at 3-1.

Winner: Loopy

Richie vs. Gwazi
Match 11 marked the beginning of a string of upsets in Round 1 as Richie took on Gwazi. Gwazi is a fairly new player and has built himself up into a duel game threat. He is more known for his LL work however and leans toward it when given the option and it was LL he went with to create his Round 1 entry, Magma. Gwazi has actually developed a rather unique style in LL that relies more on raised land than most things you see now but he also is able to work in nice trackitecture details to round off his architecture. And even though he admittedly tossed Magma together in a few hours before the deadline, it still manages to show his natural talent. The theme is tropical with light colored wooden buildings, lush folaige, jungle animals and a volcano looming overhead. The coaster has a bit of an awkward layout with too much underground but the idea of it following the path of an eruption is pretty cool. There's also a flat ride and some nice little details like the use of banners as awning supports. Richie is an RCT2 player who has been around for a long time. His entry, Gargoyle, pulls off the dark theme nicely with a simple style that doesn't rely on overly detailed buildings or flashy hacks. The only ride is a nice but slightly short dive machine with some good interaction with its surroundings. The biggest problem is the whole entry is under-themed with the small space not being used to its full potential and leaves a lot to be desired. What was there was nice but there just wasn't enough of it and while Gwazi's entry was clearly rushed, it was still a touch better. Gwazi ended up getting 3 straight votes and moves on.

Winner: Gwazi

RRP vs. Xin
It's safe to say the biggest shock of all in this contest has happened after 10 short matches. It all starts with former Parkmaker RRP who has 2 Spotlights, a contest win and is considered to be one of the best LL players of his time. The obvious #1 seed faced Xin who has a lot of drive to improve his game but still has a long way to go before he can really compete. RRP came in fresh out of a lengthy retirement but seemed to have some problems adjusting to rct2 again. His entry, named "1", showed some good ideas but a lot of costly mistakes were made which really hurt him. The theme was showing a small snapshot of a bigger area with an actual working coaster that would run through the section of course shown. The idea backfired when he struggled with invisible track in RCT2 and caused a very glitchy map and a coaster that had lots of track going off the edge. This ended up costing him a vote for bending the rules and there was even talk of a DQ. For theming he made one half of the map water (which might have cost him more than the glitches) and a couple simple but nice buildings on the other half. The deep purple and yellow colors didn't appeal to everyone though and was just another nail in the coffin for RRP. Xin's entry, Rapid Cliffs, was centered all around a simple rapids ride and natural theming. The only structure was an ok wooden station building for the ride located in the center of the map among bare rocks and water. The layout of the ride is average and was fairly short with minimal theming. The whole entry lacked anything to really hold your attention as bare rocks can only last for so long. It shows promise but really was just about what everyone expected from him. While it can be argued that RRP's entry was still more creative than Xin's despite the flaws, the majority of the judges went with the ok showing of the underdog rather than the poor showing from the Parkmaker. The final vote was 3-0 meaning 4 votes were cast: 3 for Xin and 1 for RRP to bring him back to 0. Almost everyone but Xin himself will have to eat their words and chalk up another loss on their brackets after this one.

Winner: Xin

Wicksteed vs. ][ntamin22
It was solid LL vs. solid RCT2 for match 9 where two dark horses faced eachother. We've seen work from both ][ntamin22 and Wicksteed and both have been around for quite a while but they're rarely seen in the spotlight. The end results might not show it but this is probably one of the closer matches of the round and judges had a hard time deciding who they'd pick. ][ntamin22 came up with a creative theme in the shape of Dachina labs. ][ntamin has a style all to his own with tightly packed buildings and great uses of all sorts of track in his structures. He manages to use subtle hacks and details in his work to create an interesting industrial atmosphere. A flying coaster themed as a prototype device manages to weave its way through tight spots in between the buildings and there's even a custom flat in the center of the complex. This great LL entry is capped off with a working elevator ride to get from one section of the lab to another. The only real drawback was a rather cramped feeling like everything was squeezed in. Wicksteed answered with Trains which is almost the exact opposite of Dachina. Realistic train tracks and a great bridge take up one side while the rest is taken up by some old-town style architecture. The only real moving part is a train on the tracks and while it might not be the most exciting theme, the whole entry gives off a great atmosphere and the judges struggled to choose which entry to vote for. In the end Wicksteed managed to get 3 straight votes to grab the win despite at least one judge intending to vote for ][ntamin. Either entry could have won though and it was just bad luck for ][ntamin on the final votes... although one wonders if his recent CC micro didn't cultivate some high expectations that might have cost him the match.

Winner: Wicksteed


Agent_Mulder vs. JJ
A bit of a suprise came in match 8 when the unknown Agent_Mulder took on well known JJ. Agent_Mulder is another newcomer to NE who joined up for the MM contest. He burst into the NE scene with Seewolf (or maybe Seawolf?). Well, language barrier aside, there's no mistaking the quality work that is presented here. The theme appears to be based around an oil rig on the high seas and is one of the most unique ideas so far. The whole place oozes an industrial feel with boxy but very well layered buildings and tons of great details packed in. The dull greens and oranges with splashes of black and grey really add to the atmosphere. There's all kinds of things to look at like catwalks, a helicopter pad, elevators, smokestacks, generators, cranes and while there's lots of detail, nothing looks out of place or seems too excessive. The coaster is an LIM that flies through several inversions in and around the buildings. It's themed very well and somehow doesn't look too absurd on an oil rig. Agent_Mulder tackled a tough theme and created one of the best entries so far and it's a wonder JJ stole even 1 vote. Looks can be decieving though and while the overview of JJ's entry, the Galaxy isn't amazing, you'll find that when you open it there's a lot more than meets the eye. There's a cool hacked launched tower ride and a hacked coaster that winds its way through the theming as well as a crazy invisible tracked ride that flies under, over and all around the map. There aren't a whole lot of buildings but those that are there are done well with nice details (from codex) like bumper car awnings. There were two major downfalls to the entry though that really dragged it down as a whole: it was treed to death and the theming didn't really give off any feel. It was tough to tell what things were meant to be and poor use of scenery pieces didn't help. Both were good entries but one had to lose. After 4 votes Agent ended up on top 3 votes to 1.

Winner: Agent_Mulder


DelLagos vs. zburns999
After a short break from pre-deadline matches DelLagos and zburns999 faced off in the 7th match posted. This middle of the pile matchup is the first one to require all 5 judges to vote. Both entrants are fairly well known players: DelLagos has gotten a couple Designs and zburns has shown nice work in the Ad. It ended up being a clash of styles and approach to the contest as both entries were very different. DelLagos went with a rather simple but nice entry called Enchanted which takes its name from the coaster the whole entry is themed around. The twisting rocket coaster has a nice combo of inversions that takes up most of the map. The layout is a little short and the brakes hit a little hard but it's one of the nicer coasters seen so far. Most of the rest of the map is trees which takes away from the entry a bit and while the buildings are nice, most are cut off on the edge of the map. Overall it was a good entry though and the coaster really carried it forward. Zburns made The Chamber which is a very creative entry based entirely on theming. It's a bit like the room themed parks we've all seen before but with more crazy ideas packed in. There's all kinds of cool things to look at like custom signs, faces and monsters but the lack of anything moving besides animated objects was a drawback. It just didn't keep your attention for long. Both entries were very close skill wise though and there was a slight delay as the match went into a 2-2 tie and the final judge to vote, hpg, was not available. Kumba scrambled to find a temporary judge and obscure member Critic got the spot. He broke the tie by voting for DelLagos who moves on to the next round with the 3-2 vote. While some people could view this as a bit of an upset, it was all about style preferance in this one and it ended up being one of the better matches where either entry could have won.

Winner: DelLagos


Levis vs. Luigi
This match was originally supposed to be between Levis and CF but just as Levis got his entry in CF dropped out. Luigi, a newcomer to NE, took the spot since he was first to get a backup entry in. 'Hackmaster' Levis built Indiana Jones, a highly themed adventure ride and one of the most creative entries seen so far. The ride is packed with special effects made with flats and even log flume boats, something that few people other than Levis would even dream of attempting. The cart encounters all kinds of near misses in what must have been a timing nightmare. And even with a monotone color scheme for the buildings and so-so foliage, Levis still manages to show that he's not afraid to tackle unique ideas and pull them off better than anybody else. Luigi actually made a very nice entry as well. Mine Mania was true to its name as half the map is taken up by a huge building with pumps, cranes with elevators, lots of smoke, pipes and even a small staff from NE to run the place (obviously Luigi himself is the head of the operation). It actually looks like a real mine too so props to that. The other half of the map was far less stunning however and only consisted of a few mine entrances and a mine cart ride. The foliage isn't the best either. If the theme had been carried well throughout the whole map it might have managed to snag a vote or 2 but few people could have toppled Levis this early in the game. Still, it was an impressive first showing at NE for Luigi and hopefully he keeps at it. Levis moves on to face either 5dave or vekoma9... well ok, most likely 5dave .

Winner: Levis


CedarPoint6 vs. CX360
Another fairly quick and easy match where a Parkmaker has no problems taking on a high seeded player. CP6 is well known for his stunning realistic style which while being nice on full scale maps, puts him a bit behind in this contest. That didn't stop him from creating a very nice entry called Heatwave that takes its name from the coaster of the park. CP6 actually manages to create a very nice, flowing layout for such a small footprint and is one of the better coasters in the contest so far. As usual the buildings are highly realistic and there are even small ride operating booths for the two flats as well as custom que lines and other small details. It all comes together in a fine snapshot of realistic parkmaking in a nice setting that's helped along by great landscaping and foliage. CX360 didn't put up much of a fight. His unnamed entry looked like a piece of a very unfinished park. There were no buildings at all and the couple flats were unthemed. All that's seen of a coaster is a turnaround on one side that goes off the map. While Heatwave may not be the most exciting entry concept wise, the judges did not have a hard time choosing the winner gave CP6 3 straight votes. He will move on to face MA who is exactly opposite to him in style and game. Should turn out to be an interesting match no matter what happens.

Winner: CedarPoint6


Kumba vs. RaPiPo
As the entries started to pour in, matches quickly formed and the fourth one completed turned out to be between Kumba and a fairly new player RaPiPo. RaPiPo has shown quite a bit of work recently that has been nice but still needs to improve his style a bit. He has skill though and Kumba decided not to tempt fate and underestimate his Round 1 opponent. He built the Canyon of Cruces and while he didn't pull out all the stops, he certainly didn't pull any punches either. There seemed to be a lot on the map while still not being too crowded: a unique shuttle coaster, an inverted wild mouse, a freefall ride that has viewing terraces and also serves as supports for the shuttle coaster and even a fairly decent custom flat with both standing and inverted seats. Most of the architecture is small and simple save for the large station for the wild mouse but it's all still very will done. The terrain has lots of height variation and there's even a resteraunt in the cliffs. RaPiPo was going to have a hard time beating Kumba and after juggling several entry choices he sent in Metalworks which actually made a decent showing. He took his usual style of small but highly detailed buildings and really cleaned it up with good color choices to make some very nice looking architecture. The colorable trees were put to good use and rust colored foliage added to the theme. He didn't put enough stock in rides though and all that was there were two launched fishooks and a non working flat. Compared to Kumba's entry it felt a little lifeless with no movement and once you look at the buildings there's really not much else to see. The entry was a pleasant surprise but just wasn't enough to take on Kumba who goes on after getting a 3 to 0 vote.

Winnner: Kumba


Ride6 vs. bug33558
Sometimes it's pretty obvious how a match is going to turn out. That was the case when seasoned Parkmaker Ride6 took on the new and unknown player bug33558 who was an early replacement for a similiar player. Ride6 came in with Autumn Grove, a peepable micro amusement park with a coaster, a flat, go karts and all the shops necessary to keep the guests happy. The highly twisting woodie that takes up half the park has a great, almost CBCish layout amongst jagged rocks and colorful trees. The architecture is very simple yet effective as the earth tones really set off the autumny atmosphere. The park layout was very nice and brought back memories of peepable micros from Project Revolution I. It's not the most stunning park by any means but it gets the job done and was more than enough to propel Ride6 into the next round. As for bug, there's not much that can be said about his entry, Mt. Narthex. The ideas were there but the execution wasn't and the boxy buildings, jagged landscaping and lack of details are the classic trademarks of a new player. Hopefully he will continue to practice and improve his skills for next time but for now he was an easy knockout for Ride6 who got 3 straight votes to win.

Winner: Ride6


Zodiac vs. Fr3ak
The second match voted on and posted for the first round is another mid-range parkmaker battle. Both have been building for a while and both are fairly new members of RCTMajesty. Zodiac has risen up from the bottom of the pile and is working hard to improve with every screen he shows. He's very active and had even gotten into the PT3 yet that first breakthrough solo work still eludes us. His round 1 entry, Yin Yang shows us just how good he's got. The sort of water meets earth themed entry combines two custom rides, waterfalls, lush foliage and a few scattered buildings that, despite the rather simple forms, are some of his best. The rides include a dive machine that winds in and around the waterfalls and a self dueling watercoaster with a great double waterfall drop. It's a real rough around the edges entry and while there are some things not to like, there are lots of small things that show zodiac is starting to add a little more complexity to his work which is good to see. Fr3ak has made a name for himself by getting one of the first CCs when the category was announced and has shown some good screens in the Ad. Here though he got a little too relaxed and didn't carry his entry very far. He started off with an interesting idea, built a decent mine train type coaster and then took it nowhere theme wise. He built a nice cave that most of the coaster ran through but different colored poles representing jems can only take you so far. On top of the hill all he really added was some scattered (and not so great) foliage and pockets of bare earth. The only building was the decent station for the ride jammed into one corner with the world's largest diamond sitting next to it. Diamond Quest was a great concept and the more unique of the two entries but it just wasn't taken far enough to really even compete. Zodiac easily won by getting 3 straight votes from the judges.

Winner: zodiac


MA vs. Ivo
Among the early entries recieved were two by MA and Ivo to create the first full matchup for the panel of judges to vote on. The two mid-range parkmakers clashed in a match as close as their seeds. Faithful LLer MA showed with a park called New World Order that had a unique theme but half the tiles blacked out and not much in the space left. While it lacked substance, it made up for it with great ideas and creative hacks executed almost perfectly (including the black tiles). Here we saw the first practical use of the volcano scenery piece as a cliff texture, flying saucers ride rooves, cops in cages, a hacked upward launched coaster and other subtle hacks (along with not so subtle sucking up to the judges and bashing of ivo) to create a funny little entry that ends up amounting to more than the sum of its parts. Ivo stepped up with Africana, a highly themed invert in a jungly atomsphere. He had some great detailed buildings that had some nice interaction with the coaster along with other details and some decent landscaping and foliage. He fit all of this onto the small map nicely but unfortunately it was just another link in the long chain of black inverts with tan architecture and jungle foliage we have been seeing recently. It wasn't bad at all but it just wasn't original enough to really catch anybody's eye. In the end a creative theme and unique hacks and ideas beat the arguably better themed entry and MA took the win 3 votes to 1.

Winner: MA

Good write up, i think you covered just about everything. Like you said, it will be cool to look back on these near the end and remember some good matchups we might have forgotten.

Sweet. I think you're probably right there.

You best get your next write-up ready .

Thank you for doing this. When we get to the final four someone (maybe I will if I'm not among them) should do a write up on each one of those four people and how they arrived at their respective position. Whoever gets that job should point out the level of bullshit it is that Evil WME and Xcoaster are in the same bracket, because they're both completely capable and deserving of winning the whole thing.

Whichever one of those two makes it out of their bracket will win, I'm basically certain of that. I'd say Blitz is the only one could definitely stop either of them and I'd be ecstatic if he did... That would mean 6 minis from arguably single largest supply of untapped (fantasy*) talent in rct.

*Yes it's that much more important: cBass hasn't really done anything since the PT2, Phatage (who's only half-fantasy anyway) hasn't finished anything since that same outing, and Mala is probably gone for good ()...

Ride6

well thanks for the comments... looks like another one is on the way soon

Next review...

Thanks for that write-up OLE!

Good read and it pretty much summed up what I was thinking, but apart from that...very nice you are doing this and am looking forward to the next one!

Emergo

zodiac vs. fr3ak writeup added

The writeups are pretty good so far. If I were arranging them, I'd arranged them by bracket with the most interesting and closest matchups toward the top of each bracket listing. Then I'd keep the brackets in the same order and post the results of every round afterwards. Also, I think that it would be best if somebody who is an impartial observer write your own matchups, as their point of view would be much more objective.

Also, I think that it would be best if somebody who is an impartial observer write your own matchups, as their point of view would be much more objective.

I was (and still am) considering volunteering for that position.

I guess a tentative yes on that. I'll say otherwise if I'm overwhelmed when the time comes.

Ride6

it's a good idea g but I really don't feel enough people read/care about these to warrant bugging somebody else just for a more objective viewpoint... it's not like these are official writeups or anything...

guess I'll get some more up soon...

updated

nicely done write-ups, i think. hope there's not a word limit in these posts, though.

Thanks again, Ole.
I really enjoy them!

Emergo

These are some great write-ups and I am glad to see how updated they are. Oh and no there is no word limit on posts as Ed has proved in the past

Great job with the write-ups OLE. A great read and very accurate in the descriptions!

Keep em coming!

Thank for the write up OLE. Something about slightly longer reviews like these really make "all" the "work" it takes to put these parks together worthwhile.

Ride6

Nice write ups, OLE!
Speaking of write ups, how about that List, huh? Hahahaha.

Also, what happened to the front home page graphics?

Thanks for all the nice comments! It makes all the "work" doing these worthwile . I have to say these 3 and out matches are killing me though... lets get some closer matches people it's funner to write about!

Oh and I did do a couple writeups for the List that Kumba should put up soon