Close to Me (Noodlekin)
An homage to JSaB as well as Ovy & MC-Starz’s CTM level! This is a collab between Noodle and DXL44, offering a whole new spin on the original “Close to Me”!
Close to Me, also known as Close to Me REMATCH and Expert+ Edition,[1] is a level created by Noodlekin and DXL44. It is a remake of the Just Shapes and Beats level of the same name, with numerous changes to make it fit into a Project Arrhythmia style rather than mimic the original.[2] The attacks, animations, and camera effects in the majority of the level were created by Noodlekin, with the backgrounds and third checkpoint being done by DXL44.[3] The level was kept almost entirely secret until its surprise release, with few knowing about its existence beforehand.[1]
Layout
Attacks
In a similar manner to the original level, the Cube switches between a variety of different recurring attacks throughout the level. Unlike it, however, the attacks are not randomized in a fixed order. Each attack has a unique background, and between each is an attack with several rotating lasers and sprays of bullets. A list of attacks used can be seen below - note that all of the names are conjectural and not official, being created for the purpose of page readability.
- Lift: Pulling out two claws to lift up a wall from the bottom of the screen, followed by slamming into the ground to create a shockwave as two sawblades fall on each side of their body.
- Gear Roll: Rolling offscreen to the right to transform into a giant gear that rolls across to the left and must be dashed through.
- Pull: Pulling in walls on the left and right sides of the screen, then attacking with sawblades that move up and down in the remaining space.
- Triangle Lasers: Summoning a circular wall with sawblades on it, while sweeping downwards on both sides with lasers from their triangles.
- Quad Sawblades: Summoning four sawblades that each go to one side of the screen and roll across, spraying out bullets.
- Triple Cannons: Creating three cannons from their body and shooting a rotating laser from them, with a circular wall appearing.
- Large Gear: Forming a giant gear in the center of the screen that moves outward.
- Discharge: Creating two giant electrical wires that latch onto the edges of the screen, then shooting out bullets from them alongside bullet explosions from their own body.
Opening
- The Big Cube, Close to Me
The Big Cube appears in the center of the screen, starting to release tear-like bullets that fall to the ground. As this happens, laser spinners appear with some growing thicker after fully appearing. The spinners move in different speeds and in different directions. The end of the checkpoint has large bullets rise up from the bottom of the screen, moving vertically across.
Checkpoint 1
The Cube follows this attack pattern:
- Lift
- Gear Roll
- Pull
- Triangle Lasers
Checkpoint 2
The Cube falls to the ground and begins crawling towards the left of the screen. Sawblades appear behnd them and lasers cover the top of the screen, fording the player into the left corner. As the corruption retakes the Cube, four lasers come out from their body as they return to the center of the screen. After this, the following attack pattern is used:
- Gear Roll
- Quad Sawblades
- Lift
- Triple Cannons
The attacks briefly pause after this, with the Cube staying in the center of the screen and once again attempting to break free. Then, another set of attacks follows:
- Pull
- Large Gear
- Quad Sawblades
- Discharge
Checkpoint 3
This part, created by DXL44, starts with the Cube rotating in the center of the screen as various mechanical limbs reach out from them. They summon four claws that each grab an edge of the screen - pulling in four sawblade-tipped walls as the camera moves out. This is followed by the Cube rotating themselves and the walls at an accelerating speed, while sending out bullets from the center. After a pause, this attack repeats in the opposite direction before the checkpoint ends.
Checkpoint 4
This section has the final set of standard attacks from the Cube:
- Gear Roll
- Large Gear
- Lift
- Triple Cannons
Checkpoint 5
The Cube appears in the center, once again shooting out tear bullets alongside a large amount of other normal bullets. Returning to a blue and uncorrupted state, they fall to the ground as the level’s special thanks come into view.
Video
Trivia
- The recurring triangle shape in the backgrounds is meant to allude to the corrupted triangle that transforms The Big Cube in Just Shapes and Beats. [2]
- The text at the beginning of DXL44’s part says “i like this part :)”, a direct reference to the Geometry Dash level Deadlocked.
- It has since reappeared at the beginning of another collab part by DXL44 - their part in Skystrike.