ZAPHKIEL
36329434
Noctalium (hack-verifier)
Sunix (legitimate verifier)
ZAPHKIEL is a 2.1 Extreme Demon collaboration level by Darwin and Noctalium and published by the former, hack-verified by the latter. The level features detailed effects and is considered well-designed overall. As such, it is very distinctly rainbow-themed, along with levels like Astral Divinity and Allegiance.
History
[edit | edit source]The first trace of ZAPHKIEL is dated back to 18 March 2017, when Noctalium released a noclip preview of ZAPHKIEL, announcing that it would be an Extreme Demon collaboration between him and Darwin.
A month later, Noctalium released the full layout, whereas his part was generally finished, while Darwin's part was just a complete layout, with Noctalium indicating he was 'slow'.
After three months, in July 2017, Darwin's part was almost finished, and Noctalium started making progress on it, achieving a record 51% (this was a legitimate record).[1]
About three weeks later, Darwin and Noctalium's parts were finished, and Noctalium released the full-level preview (using noclip), showing Darwin's great effects and decorations.[2] On 1 August 2017, Noctalium seemingly verified ZAPHKIEL.[3]
However, when Riot and several other players worked together to expose Noctalium for hacking,[4] on 27 November 2017, he finally confessed to hacking several Extreme Demons and making them semi-auto, including ZAPHKIEL.[5] This reveal meant that the first player to beat ZAPHKIEL legitimately was Sunix, who completed it on 9 August 2017.[6]
Description
[edit | edit source]- 0-20%: ZAPHKIEL begins with a cube section containing some orb timings. The player then enters a robot section with some tight jumps. Then, the player enters a cube portal, where, until the drop, they must perform some orb timings while the speed increases until they reach an auto part. After the auto part, the player must make one final jump to reach the drop.
- 20-39%: The drop consists of fast game-mode switches. It starts with some straight-fly, then a tight wave section. The following cube and UFO sections consist of some jumps and orbs. The player then reaches a very tight wave, after which they enter a variety of game-modes with fast-paced gameplay.
- 39-58%: This part starts with a ship part consisting of straight-flying. Then the player enters a cube section with additional orb timings. Then, they enter a very tight wave section, followed by a spider-copter with another wave section. A mini-cube section follows to transition into the next part.
- 58-80%: The player enters a triple-speed ship sequence featuring a lava-volcano-ish design. The ship section contains mostly straight-flying, with orbs to hit. The UFO section afterwards contains, again, mainly jumps and some orbs. After that, a series of fast-paced game mode switches occur with fast-paced gameplay.
- 80-100%: The final part begins with a cube where the player must do some orb timings, followed by a robot with tight jumps, a ship with tight flying, and then a ship-ball dual. Next is a tight wave section, followed by another ship-ball dual. Then the player enters the final cube, which features two triple-spikes with a tight timing gap between them.
User coins
[edit | edit source]- There is only one coin, located at 85%. As the robot, the player must jump higher to reach a separate platform and collect the coin.
Gameplay
[edit | edit source]Trivia
[edit | edit source]- ZAPHKIEL was placed at #4 on the Demonlist on 5 August 2017, above Artificial Ascent and below Yatagarasu.
- This addition pushed Creeper Force into the Legacy List.
- Noctalium himself stated he believes the numerous wave segments are the hardest parts, the same opinion as many other players. If not nerfed, Noctalium said it would have made the Top 3 on the Demonlist.
- Riot stated that he would love to be the first to beat ZAPHKIEL after Noctalium. The community respectfully waited so that Riot could beat it first. However, Riot's finger pain reappeared unexpectedly, and he had to stop practising. With this in mind, Sunix, a good friend of Riot, dedicated his completion to his aforementioned friend as he was the first to beat it instead of Riot.[6]
- Some parts were changed from the layout to the final version. For example, the dual segment and mini-wave segment at the end were once one long ball segment that was easier. It was buffed to match the difficulty of the other parts of the level.
- Zaphkiel is known as 'Division of Heaven and Hell'.
- The name Zaphkiel (Hebrew: צפקיאל), also written as Jafkiel, Japhkiel, Tzaphkiel, Zafkiel, Zafchial, Zaphchial, Zaphiel or Zelel, is an archangel. His name means 'God's knowledge'. He is sometimes equated with Jophiel/Zophiel, yet other times considered a different angel.
- The original verification video by Noctalium was deleted from his channel as he admitted to hacking ZAPHKIEL after it was noticed that he went into a spike way over the hitbox during the last dual. He re-uploaded it in January 2019.
- A sequel to ZAPHKIEL, Catalyze, was created by ZephiroX and verified by MrSpaghetti.
- If the player dies at 91%, the text 'les gameplay en l'air. go back at easy demon noob. Meh !GG' will appear.
- According to Google Translate, this translates to 'gameplay in the air', which probably refers to the straight-fly at which the player dies to activate this text.
- The movement of Cadrega City on 15 November 2022 pushed ZAPHKIEL into the Legacy List of the Demonlist.