Cyborg Juni (Sephie)
[N/A]
Cyborg Juni must complete a series of platformer challenges to prove her worth as a Cyborg.
Difficulty: 4
There's a lot of platforming challenges, but I don't think this level quite passes from Very Hard into Lunatic territory, though it does skirt the line. The level is fairly consistently Hard and Very Hard from the very beginning 
Fairness: 7
This level has enough save-points and is fairly straight-forward but it loses points for three reasons: It teases the player with impossible save points, it utilizes an inordinate amount of hidden spikes, forcing the player to die more often than not in order to trigger them and see where they are, and it utilizes a fair amount of invisible platforms that the player doesn't see until nearby. 
Fun-factor: 7
I found this level a lot of fun as far as platforming challenges go. There were a few puzzle-jumps where I had to figure out the proper way to execute a jump, and overall I never found it frustrating or unfair, and found it somewhat rewarding.
Quality: 5
This level uses no custom tilesets, no custom art, and only a minor story (which is very derivative of Portal), but the custom (probably copywrited) 8-bit music is absolutely phenomenal. It really gives the level a fun sense of nostalgia. However, the author made absolutely NO attempt to avoid Voids or Wallswims, and they're accessible in almost every screen and there were a few places where I believe the layering was incorrect, allowing the player to bypass challenges altogether.

--------------------------------------

Exquisite Knorpse (Pyoko Crew): A community created level.
[Lunatic][Large][Challenge/Misc]
Juni explores a disjointed, disorganized world and overcomes challenges to find all of the powerups. The intro implies the level was created by many authors, and then stitched together.
Difficulty: 4
This is a difficult level to gauge, due to its disjointed nature, and because of one single unique challenge. The difficulty is all over the map: there are entire environmental sections with no enemies, many sections with sparse enemies, one or two sections just filled with enemies, and a few challenge-runs here and there. There was at least one challenge that I was unable to beat entirely without cheating; I suspect the author had a key-repeating keyboard, which I do not. With such a tool, I don't think it would have been too hard, but setting aside that one single challenge, I would still gauge this as "Very Hard."
Fairness: 2
Most of the challenge in this level comes from avoiding random enemies and navigating mazes. There are two sections that wouldn't look out of place in a "Lunatic" level, though in practice they are more intimidating than difficult. One ultimately comes down to luck, as all the enemies are randomized, and the other involves navigating while wallswimming, which I was completely unable to do with my keyboard, and had to bypass entirely. Yet another section involved precise double-jumps in an area with seemingly random "no jump" squares. Near the end was an area with simple, consecutive flat screens with random enemies deposited. 
Fun-factor: 2
I did not really enjoy any of the challenges in this level. I thought the wallswim challenge was a neat idea, but in practice, it is almost impossible to move "down" (which this challenge required) without the correct hardware. Mostly I found the other challenges boiled down to boring enemy avoidance and random luck.
Quality: 3
It's pretty apparent that this level is by different authors. There's no rhyme or reason to the layout, the story is nonsensical at best, and there are wallswims EVERYWHERE and frequent voids. Many routes lead to dead-ends and it's often difficult to tell where you're supposed to go next. There's a red key door that just goes... nowhere. There were at least two game-breaking situations that I was forced to cheat my way through: one was the aforementioned wallswim challenge, and the other was a shift that save-shifted me one screen wrong into a void.

--------------------------------------

Paradise Last [sic] (Johnny): Find the code. Save the world.
[Normal/Hard][Large][Challenge]
She-who-climbs-like-Ivy must explore the world, overcoming many challenges, to save her home from destruction.
Difficulty:4
I consider this a fairly solid Very Hard level. It's consistent in difficulty, from the beginning to the end, with challenges progressing as they ought to as the player obtains powerups.
Fairness: 8
There are a lot of great platform challenges in this level, and only a minor reliance on random enemies in certain areas. It loses two points, one for a challenge that probably should have a LOT easier save for what I suspect was the wrong tile being used, and two, because many of the shifts that are supposed to save the player from the tedium of backtracking simply do not work.
Fun-factor: 9
I found these challenges a LOT of fun to play. They are well-incorporated into the world, and flow with the scenery and music well. They are generally just long enough to be rewarding and rarely feel frustrating or boring.
Quality: 9
This is an excellent level! Completely custom tilesets, custom music, an intruiging storyline, and great worldbuilding make this level a JOY to play. One of the earliest areas (The Forgotten Tower) might be one of my favorite areas in a KS, ever. Other locations don't quite hit that high, and there were several misaligned shifts that either deposited me in walls or did nothing at all. A void here, a wallswim there, it could use some polish, but overall, a memorable and fun challenge level, especially for when it was created.

--------------------------------------

Upper Levels (Talps): Cut scenes from 'I Dreamed of the Sky'
[Very Hard][Small][Challenge]
Avoid lasers and spikes in this short bonus level.
Difficulty:4
Consistently and solidly Very Hard. In the intro, the author boasts he can beat this short level without dying at all. Can I? Nope, dead on the third screen. Died about a dozen times total, MOSTLY while trying to avoid the follower robot.
Fairness: 9
There are plenty of save points and no random enemies whatsoever, but there are few places early on where the spike locations aren't broadcast well and it's easy to die to a surprise death.
Fun-factor: 7
If you like platformer challenges, I think you will enjoy this level. Having said that, there's nothing challenge-wise that's particularly unique or puzzling. Jump around, avoid the lasers, avoid the enemies.
Quality: 6
TO BE FAIR this is an (unused) excerpt from a solidly 10/10 level, complete with excellent story-telling, custom art, the works. HOWEVER, judging Upper Levels purely on its own merits, none of that is apparent. We have some custom tilesets and some excellent custom objects but there's no story, no world-building, and very little that's otherwise memorable on its own.

--------------------------------------

This Is Not Thirty Levels (Sergio Cornaga): There is nothing misleading about this title.
[Hard/Very Hard][Small][Challenge]
Overcome Sergio's most devilish creations in this small challenge level. I highly recommend playing "Hard," and not "Very Hard." They are the same in every way, except one VERY UNFAIR screen.
Difficulty:5
Everything in this level is "Hard" at most, except for ONE challenge that I would honestly call "Lunatic." The problem with it is that it requires not just skill, but frame-perfect timing AS WELL AS perfect luck. No one really has the skill to execute a frame-perfect jump either, so it really all comes down to luck. You just jump and jump and hope you get lucky and hit the Yellow Key. If you do get lucky and execute the PERFECT jump, the player is able to obtain the key by one single pixel.
Fairness: 5
This would be 10/10 for fairness, except for the aforementioned frame-perfect challenge. Due to the way the game is coded, Juni's height off the ground is constantly fluctuating. You don't realize it, but she is contantly bobing up and down. This impacts your jump height by up to 3 pixels. (http://www.ksruns.com/resources/KS_TASers_Handbook.pdf, pg 24-26) Combine that with requiring a frame-perfect jump, and the player can jump up and down for twenty minutes and never get the key. This is beyond frustrating and should maybe be included as a "Bonus Ending" instead of as a necessary challenge to beat the level.
Fun-factor: 7
On Hard, I'd probably rate this at 9/10. On Very Hard, 5/10. Evens out to 7. Other than the Yellow Key Challenge, most of the challenges are somewhat unique and fun to complete.
Quality: 7
As usual, Sergio picks an EXCELLENT ambient soundtrack and creates a fun, cohesive, expierence. While the tilesets are minimalist, it helps emphasize the challenges and creates a memerable experience.

--------------------------------------

Don't Stop Running (Kyodo): Or else.
[Hard][Small][Challenge]
Don't stop running in this song-synced level as you navigate difficult, stressful challenges.
Difficulty: 6
I would rate this as a Lunatic level. No one screen is particularly difficult, but they fact that the level strings together so many levels in a cohesive way makes the whole thing feel like one large, difficult challenge.
Fairness: 7
This would be 10/10 for fairness, except that it is 100+ screens of challenges with ZERO save points. While this would normally rate it much lower, for this level, that's really intentional and sort of unavoidable to keep the feel. It loses another two points of fairness because you can not get the "Good" ending without doing this TWICE.
Fun-factor: 8
This level is just a blast to play. I love how the music syncs up perfectly with the challenges and powerup-pickups. Having said that, the lack of save points does make it a bit frustrating. After beating it once, I went back and added one save point per zone. The music de-syncs, but it's worth it.
Quality: 8
While it only uses a generic tileset, the music syncs up perfectly with the challenges and powerup-pickups over the course of 100+ screens. The author put a lot of effort into making it all work cohesively.

--------------------------------------

Pumpt it! Chill out (Sergio Cornaga & Ultigonio): Don't Stop Pumping! Or Maybe Don't Start...
[Hard/Normal][Small][Challenge/Puzzle]
Two challenge paths: The exciting path (Pump It!) is very derivative of Don't Stop Running while the calm path (Chill out!) is a classic Ultigonio shift/trigger challenge reminiscient of his other works like Deep Freeze.
Difficulty:3
Pump It! is a soldly hard challenge. If "Don't Stop Running" is too stressful for you, try Pump It! for something smoother, easier, less frustrating, but also quite a bit shorter.
Chill Out is an Easy/Normal challenge that I think you can accomplish with little to no platforming skill and just a little bit of problem solving.
Fairness: 10
Nothing about this level feels unfair at all. Plenty of save points, no random monsters, it's very forgiving.
Fun-factor: 8
I actually love both paths of this level. Pump it! Is so much more accessible than "Don't Stop Running!" but really captures the same feel and effect, while Chill Out offers a tiny glimpse into Ultigonio's style of unique challenges.
Quality: 7
This only uses generic tilesets, and two custom music tracks. There's not much artistic here, though syncing the music up to match Pump It! is impressive. I actually wish both challenges were a little bit longer (though I realize this was created for a two-week challenge event).

--------------------------------------

Monocromatica Grotta (B Man): Courage is not the absence of fear.
[Very Hard][Small][Challenge]
Move quickly and complete challenges in this short black and white level.
Difficulty:3
This is a soldly hard challenge, but it borders on Very Hard. To be fair, I personally have a lot of practice with it. I play Monocromatica Grotta any time I haven't played Knytt Stories for a while and need to jump back in and remember my skills.
Fairness: 9
Plenty of save points, no random monsters, but there are one or two tight squeezes where it's easy to feel like your success comes down to luck rather than skill.
Fun-factor: 7
While short, the challenges are fun. They are also a little simple.
Quality: 5
There's no story, no custom music, no custom tilesets. However, the level is well put-together, has a decent minimalist feel, and to my knowledge, there are no voids or wallswims.

--------------------------------------

Probability Laser (BloxMaster)
[Hard][Small][Challenge]
Enjoy some unique challenges in this tiny pixel-perfect level.
Difficulty:3
This is somewhere between Normal and Hard. I honestly believe some of Nifflas' screens are more difficult than this.
Fairness: 10
Plenty of save points, no random monsters. While there are a few "trick" deaths, you get a save point on every screen and once you realize the rules of this tiny world you'll see there's nothing unfair or nefarious.
Fun-factor: 7
While short and somewhat easy, the challenges are just unique enough to make it fun.
Quality: 8
There's no story and no custom music, but the custom tileset was created with specific hazards in mind, and changes the nature of a few of them.

--------------------------------------

Content Load Success (BloxMaster)
[Very Hard][Small][Challenge]
Enjoy some geometric challenges in this small abstract level.
Difficulty:3
This is somewhere between Normal and Hard. I honestly believe some of Nifflas' screens are more difficult than this.
Fairness: 9
Plenty of save points, no random monsters. There are a few "trick" offscreen deaths, and a few places where it's not clear how to progress. The progression tricks are part of the charm.
Fun-factor: 6
I actually enjoyed finding the hidden paths and some of the trick jumps. There were a few challenges that looked impossible at first, before realizing that there is an easy albeit unapparent solution.
Quality: 7
There's no story at all and no custom music, but the custom tileset was created with specific hazards in mind and works well in a modernist abstract kind of way. Given the twists and turns in this level, I'm still not sure I've found everything there is to find, especially after looking through the editor.

Dark Sea (SecretGlitch): ...where an oil plant is!
[Very Hard][Medium][Challenge]
Juni must venture into the undersea lab to shut off the machine.
Difficulty: 6
This level is more difficult than it lets on. Not nearly as bad as Dark Sea 2, but still solidly Lunatic in my opinion.
Fairness: 7
This level loses points for multiple invisible drops, surprise deaths, and long stretches without save spots.
Fun-factor: 8
Challenge-wise, this is a fun level. There are a handful of unique challenges sprinkled around.
Quality: 5
This level is good, but its almost a copied-homework replica of Nifflas' An Underwater Adventure. Its the same tileset, same story, default music, and similar themes. Both have water-level crate puzzles, lights that go out obscuring the path ahead, and even a reality-altering section with a strange machine.

The Oubliette (dessgeega): Listen: the gentle tick of the mechanism
[Normal][Small][Challenge]
Escape the claustraphobic French prison, avoiding spike and mashers.
Difficulty: 2
As advertised, this challenge is accurately and consistantly "Normal."
Fairness: 9
Plenty of save points, no random monsters, and predictable hazards, this only loses a point because there is one place where the spikes aren't well broadcast ahead of time.
Fun-factor: 7
The challenges, though relatively easy, remain fun and keep the player's attention. The unorthodox tileset makes solutions less than obvious, and there's at least one unique challenge in here that I haven't seen replicated elsewhere.
Quality: 9
I can't quite explain why, but I love this tiny level. The custom music and minimalist tileset help create an odd combination of morbid whimsy. The one-sentance intro instantly resonantes despair, while the one-sentence ending elicits a giddy sense of disobedience.

Torchlight (dessgeega): Where there is a light, nearby are shadows.
[Normal][Small][Challenge/Misc]
A rare example of a high quality invisible maze.
Difficulty: 1
This challenge is consistently "Easy" with one screen I might call "Normal."
Fairness: 9
This level takes place almost entirely in an invisible maze, but it never feels unfair or frustrating, and hazards are still well-broadcast. There is one section that I feel could use an extra save-point.
Fun-factor: 7
The challenges, though easy, are fun and keep the player's attention. It's a unique example of an invisible maze that works, which I think adds to the fun factor.
Quality: 7
The unique tileset works very well here, but there is no custom music. The story is minimalist, and while the intro is a bit immersive, there is no ending which leaves the player feeling a bit bland.

Industrial Trap (SecretGlitch): Escape is not Easy.
[Very Hard][Small][Challenge/Puzzle]
Juni must escape a dangerous industrial factory, overcoming very difficult puzzling platformer challenges.
Difficulty: 9
This is a tough level! Do not try it at home! I was able to get the "bad" ending with cheats or editor look-ups, however, it is a tough lunatic level. There is a secret area that I had to look in the editor for, and it was, somehow, even tougher. I did cheat and give myself and extra few saves in this portion just out of sheer frustration, but I did manage to accomplish every challenge.
Fairness: 8
This level is actually very fair. There are save points before every challenge. It loses a point for one instance of random shooting enemies, and another point for difficult-to-see hazards in the secret area.
Fun-factor: 10
I think these challenges were a blast to play! They really are platformer puzzles, and for each one, I had to think about how to approach it, and in most cases, execute it perfectly. The author really has a knack for these things.
Quality: 6
There is a custom tileset, but no custom music and the art and story are quite generic.

Going Left (SecretGlitch)
[N/A]
Juni must go left, no matter how many Lunatic-level hazards stand in her way.
Difficulty: 10
True to the author's reputation, this is an insanely difficult level! I was able to get the "bad" ending with adding save-points only, but I absolutely could not beat the Lunatic-level secret ending without KS+ cheats.
Fairness: 4
Unfortunately, there are a number of challenges here that feel unfair. There are invisible deaths, but those mostly fit in with the theme. There are several screens where the user must cross random-speed spiky mashers that are completely hidden, and a few others that rely on lucky timing from random spayers. On top of these challenges, are lasers and marbles, so it's very difficult to feel like it doesn't rely on a bit of luck.
Fun-factor: 6
The challenges in the main level were mostly fun. There was nothing too unique or head-scrathing about them, most of them were just straightforward, albeit difficult, platformer challenges.
Quality: 6
There is a minimalist custom tileset and one piece of custom music. The art and story are quite generic, although a little bit humorous at times.

Advanced (SecretGlitch): Be a real game boy.
[Hard][Small][Challenge]
Juni finds herself in an 8-bit hand-held world.
Difficulty: 3
This level is correctly marked "Hard." It's also very short.
Fairness: 8
There's a place or two that could use an extra save, and there is a (short) terminal-velocity challenge.
Fun-factor: 4
The novelty of the level is SUPER fun, but the challenges themselves are repetitive and boring. Basically every challenge involves avoiding spikes while clinging to the wall.
Quality: 8
The custom graphics, custom music, custom tileset, all work together PERFECTLY to make a FUN, IMPRESSIVE little level! The problem is, it is ENTIRELY too short, and there's really only one type of hazard here. If this was 4x as long and included some different hazards, it would be a very memorable level.

The Delicious Road (SecretGlitch): To Candy Town.
[Hard][Small][Challenge]
Juni finds herself on a road made of candy.
Difficulty: 2
The difficulty of this level is closer to Normal.
Fairness: 10
No lost points for unfairness.
Fun-factor: 2
These challenges are not difficult, nor are they fun. It's generally a bunch of enemies placed on a mostly flat screen.
Quality: 3
There is a custom sound track and a custom tileset, but it feels like the author put very little effort into the level. Other than one or two chuckle-worthy gags near the end, there's not much here to enjoy.

Safety III Normal Hack (SecretGlitch): Atmospheric environment design!
[Normal/Hard][Challenge]
Juni waltzes right on through what should be much more difficult challenges.
Difficulty: 2
The difficulty of this level is Easy/Normal.
Fairness: 10
No lost points for unfairness.
Fun-factor: 2
These challenges were made so intentionally easy, they are simply not fun. It's obviously a challenge level where 99% of the hazards were removed. It feels like you're playing a Carnival Game where the operator is intentionally, sarcastically letting you win. There are also signs mocking the player for their choice in level.
Quality: 2
There are a few custom music tracks and a custom tileset, but they aren't really used effectively at all. There's almost nothing aesthetic or artistic about this level, unless you count the level itself as a statement for or against Lunatic levels.

Ascension (Farik)
[Hard][Challenge]
Juni explores a small but gorgeous valley, overcoming challenges to find the keys to ascension.
Difficulty: 3
The difficulty of this level is correctly labelled Hard, and is consistently Hard throughout the level.
Fairness: 9
There are no random monsters and all of the hazards are broadcast to the player well. There is one or two areas that I feel could use an extra save.
Fun-factor: 6
These challenges are well-incorporated into the world, although they are somewhat generic. There are a lot of similar spike-jumps.
Quality: 10
This is a GORGEOUS level, and could pass for Environmental if not for the Hazards. There are some beautiful custom tilesets, excellent music, great custom objects, and an artistic theme with two endings. It's also very short and more accessible.

One Screen Puzzle 4 (Purple Pineapple)
[Very Hard][Small][Challenge]
One single screen of difficult, seemingly impossible puzzles.
Difficulty: 4
The difficulty of this level is correctly labelled Very Hard, and is consistently such throughout the level.
Fairness: 8
There are no Random Monsters here, but the players needs a deep understanding of the Knytt Stories engine to accomplish some of these puzzles.
Fun-factor: 10
I absolutely loved these puzzles and challenges. They're somewhere between "Platformer Challenges" and "Puzzles," maybe something I might call "Platformer Puzzles." There were several items in here I thought were absolutely unique, and I learned a five or six things about monsters, the engine, and Knytt Stories mechanics in general.
Quality: 8
The author obviously has a deep unnderstanding of Knytt Stories from a technical perspective, and constructed a fun, bulletproof little puzzle. There were no custom tilesets or music, and nothing artistic about it, however.