MAP RELEASE #21. kkz_bikinibottom by koukouz + IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT (RULES UPDATE)

Hello everyone!

 

IMPORTANT: map was updated on the site, we apologize for the inconvenience. Please extract the new version into your cstrike folder: DOWNLOAD

 

This time we have perhaps one of the most unexpected map releases of the last few years. The name and the theme none of us saw coming. Yep - you read that right! Today's new map is  kkz_bikinibottom by none other than koukouz, the legend himself! I know what you're thinking: "Really? Over 16 YEARS after the release of kkz_texture back in July 2010, and we're getting ANOTHER kkz_ map?? In the big 2026???" Unbelievable, I know!

 

The map takes place across the reefy cliffs of our beloved Bikini Bottom. With familiar characters and locations scattered throughout the course of the map, you can almost feel like you're part of this world now - carelessly chasing the good old jellyfish with your trusty jellyfish net. In that goofy chase, you briefly visit the Krusty Krab, meet Squidward at his usual spot at the cash register, routinely consumed by hatred for his job, his life, aaand everything else - typical Squidward! You then meet Mr. Krabs, who is standing inconspicuously a couple of cliffs above his restaurant - probably on the lookout for the ever-plotting Plankton, ready to ambush him on sight. And finally, near sky level (or, rather, the water surface level :P), you get to board the haunted Flying Dutchman and meet its legendary Captain of the same name. And there, just by the finish timer, stands Mr. Squarepants himself, whose silly smile is just as cheerful and cartoonishly naive as ever, as he is happy to meet you.

 

The map's gameplay was best described by the author himself, as you'll read a few lines below. I'd only add that the core idea is to have slightly harder jumps, with easier speedrun-prone jumps in between them, which creates a unique dynamic of combos and hard jumps being constantly mixed together.

 

In case you missed it, koukouz actually had a brief comeback 2 years ago in 2024 - that's when he also reclaimed his iconic WR on sn_mountsnow. Around the same time, he unexpectedly decided to make a map. He recalls:

 

❝It was mostly a nostalgia project. I wanted an oldschool type of map that was a simple "get to the top." It should be a decent challenge for seasoned climbers, but I especially wanted it to be very difficult and rewarding for average players, with a few jumps requiring more technique, making you come back to it once you have progressed. This is how I got my best memories from KZ: failing to complete a map because of a couple of difficult jumps, and the great satisfaction once you're finally able to complete it with (and later without) checkpoints.❞

 

Unfortunately, due to some setbacks during handling the issues with the map brought up by the map-checking team, as well as the mapper going totally inactive at one point, the project wouldn't see release until a year later. But recently, koukouz became more active once again, and we were able to resolve all the issues quickly. Congratulations to the legend for another map released, and thanks for still giving to the community even after being inactive for years!

 

 

Difficulty: Hard

 Type: Climb

 Length: Long

DOWNLOAD KKZ_BIKINIBOTTOM

 

 

 

RULES UPDATE

 

But don't stop reading just yet. We have two important announcements/updates for both mappers and players. 

Firstly, we're making kz_dirtblock2, kz_hb_Hopez, kzzNk_heartz, and pzv_wasteplant available for recording WITH CHECKPOINTS, due to the dangerous combination of "hard, long (except wasteplant and heartz), and risky" that their gameplay presents, making the prospect of traditional NOCP WRs highly unlikely for them. So, please, have at them! Now's your chance!

 

Secondly, as you may or may not know, kreedz.com currently doesn't accept maps shorter than 1 minute. Some people were dissatisfied with such rules, insisting that shorter maps provide opportunity for much crazier combos and intense competition. We reviewed their suggestion and decided to lower the map's minimal length requirement to 20 seconds (as measured by a hypothetical perfect run on a said map). Therefore, now we accept even shorter speedmaps, similar to those from Cosy-Climbing, BUT there is a catch, a new mandatory rule that we introduce for this occasion:

❝If your map is shorter than 1 minute, we expect it to be very well-made. Visual design and gameplay quality requirements are higher than for 1+ minute maps.❞

This means that if your map is longer than 1 minute in a perfect run, then all the usual classic kreedz.com rules apply. But if it's shorter, then the requirements grow slightly higher the closer you get to the 20 second threshold. The logic behind this is that if your map is so tiny with such a small amount of jumps, it shouldn't be hard to decorate that environment thoroughly, and various game limits (allocblock, etc) won't be an issue either. We hope to see some great short speedmaps in the near future, don't be afraid to give it a shot, we'll review every map individually and give a structured feedback!

With this, that's it for today. Enjoy the new stuff, and stay tuned for more!

Map-checking team