I feel it stupidly imperative that I address the opening statement of this guide in further detail, because the comments section is rioting on how I apparently say what dashing a certain level is 'impossible' or whatever the hell other complaints.

Unless you want to comment, skip this section.

Just because you can what dash a level and I can't, or whatever you can do in a level that I didn't give tips on in said level's section in my guide does not mean I must alter said level's section in my guide to your preference. (However, I may update these as I get more confident.)

It's simple as: if you can what dash a level, what dash it. You don't need a little guide like mine to tell you that if such is the case. And should I mention, some of the levels people pointed out that one can what dash, I did NOT state were impossible in the first place. I just put "Not Recommended," meaning it is not impossible, BUT I do not suggest you attempt to do it. I created this guide for people who are just starting hardcore mode playthroughs, not for players who are at the apex of the game skill and are capable of feats that would belittle a beginner.

It is annoying and patronizing that people try and correct my firsthand experience in the game with mere statements that incorrectly go against what I put in this guide. I don't say it's impossible unless it is impossible, like in Close To Me. Otherwise, I put Not Recommended, because I am constantly unsure of whether one should be able to What Dash whatever level or not. Thank you to those who prove these guys wrong by WDing superhard levels which I rank Not Recommended for the regard.

And I am well aware that Steam guides are made by players, for players. So, this guide is one created from a player's experience in the game, for him to pass said experience down to other players such as you.
If you find your own playing style is different to mine, that's completely okay.
If you're confident that what-dashing a level is indeed possible and you do recommend it, as opposed to my experience, that's also completely fine; make your own guide that labels it as such. Skill is what changes, not merely preference.

Now that's out of the way, let's get into the guide, for real this time.

[EDIT: holy frick I was a hater what was I saying???]

I'm basically taking this from Croness' guide and modifying/expanding it, so unless you haven't read theirs already, you can skip this bit, straight to the "Gaining Beatpoints" section.

Essentially, Beatpoints are a measure of 'currency' in Just Shapes & Beats - I quote 'currency' because you don't actually buy anything with them, so you have them forever. But you do gain them by completing levels in either of Challenge or Playlist Mode. If you get certain amounts of BP (which I will call beatpoints from now on to save time), you can unlock extra levels*, as shown below:

HYPE: 1,000
Strike the Earth:** 1,200
Flowers of Antimony:** 1,400
La Danse Macabre:** 1,600
In the Halls of the Usurper:** 1,800
Tokyo Skies: 2,000
Dance of the Incognizant: 2,500
FOX: 5,000
Core: 7,500
Crystal Tokyo: 10,000
On the Run: 12,500
Mortal Kombat: 15,000
Katana Blaster: 17,500
*These are not all the levels you can unlock! They're just the ones you unlock by earning beatpoints. How do you unlock the others? idk go on the wiki
i know fandom is doodoo but if you have an alternative that can get to the top of google search...

**If you're playing JSAB on Switch (but why are you even here on Steam), you can unlock all Shovel Knight levels (STE, FOA, LDM, ITHOTU) with the Shovel Knight amiibo.

How to get BP?
You can obtain BP by
-Completing challenges—a set of two levels followed by a boss—in either public rooms where you play with strangers, with your friends, or in community rooms.
-Running into them in the public lobby (they don't spawn in any other multiplayer mode)
-Completing levels in playlist mode by yourself because you have no friends or you have a shart internet or none at all (and somehow 'got' the game but if you have no internet, how [and why] are you even reading this)

Every time you get a certain amount of BP, your bar with the fancy token-looking thingos will exchange for other, fancier, token-looking thingos that you can flex to your friends and the public with. The tiers:

(Image: bmjay from Berzerk Studio's Discord server[canary.discord.com]. They're no longer in it, but they made this useful chart)

Tier 1: 1BP
Tier 2: 5BP
Tier 3: 25BP
Tier 4: 125BP
Tier 5: 500BP
Tier 6: 2,500BP
Tier 7: 10,000BP
Tier 8: 50,000BP
Tier 9: 250,000BP
Tier 10: 1,000,000BP

-Tier 1 (1BP), 2 (5BP), and [as of update 1.6.50] Tier 3 (25BP) coins can be collected in public lobbies before you join. Try and aim to obtain the white triangle BP coins over the darker ones; those are Tier 2 coins. Tier 3 coins will spawn less often but they are most valuable and largest of the three so keep an eye out.

For every level that you complete in Playlist or Challenge Mode, you will get

- a certain rank, depending on how well you performed in the level:
- [Public Mode exclusive] 20BP from playing online (or if you ended up by yourself)
- [Friends/Community Room] BP from playing with friends varies, depending on how many you're playing with: 10BP x the amount of players in the room.
- Two (2) bonus BP awards depending on how you turned out.
- If you finish a boss level in Challenge Mode, you will get 60BP, along with the above. (Only 1 bonus BP award though.)

The bonus BP at the end of each level award slightly less than ranks but it adds up in the long run. I'm too lazy to paste all the bonuses here so here's a guide by Guille36 that shows all possible bonuses that can be earned after levels and how many BP they award you with. (The values shown there are for Normal Mode, so double them to get the Hardcore values.)

https://steamproxy.net/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1447441184

Before I bring on tips for individual levels, here's some info and advice on BP as a whole.

As aforementioned, after completing a level, there are bonuses you can achieve that award a certain amount of BP. In particular, there's 3 that award more BP than others that you can get (almost) any time.

What Dash?
Complete the level without dashing. Rewards 20BP.

Righteous
Stayed on the right side of the screen for more than half of the level. Rewards 16BP.

Danger Zone
Dashed over pink 20 times or more. Rewards 16BP.

Since you can only get 1-2 bonuses after every level, it's always best to aim to get at least one of these achievements- What Dash along with Righteous, or Righteous along with Danger Zone (if you got danger zone along with what dash, your game is heccin cursed). But some levels produce an impossible to extremely unlikely chance of getting either at the same time. So be careful, and don't expect too much from yourself. If you're aiming to get more BP, I do recommend you get these bonuses, but only if you're confident that you'll end up with at least an A rank after a level. They do add up.

WARNING: Attempting to get a What Dash will result badly if you do not have enough experience to perform it while getting a decent rank. If you can't get Righteous along with What Dash, DON'T ATTEMPT (unless you have a good team who don't break at all, then you may end up with "All Star" [16BP]). It isn't worth it to attempt to nodash a level and end up with a B rank or worse.

However, this doesn't mean that you shouldn't attempt to What Dash a level, unless it's impossible (Spectra and Try This). Just give it your best shot!

But if you can't nodash a level, you should go for Righteous and/or Danger Zone:
Righteous+Danger Zone=32BP

Otherwise, if you can nodash a level:
What Dash?+Righteous=36BP
Or:
What Dash?+other bonus (most likely: The Cheese Stands Alone=12BP OR First/Aced It=8BP)=≤34BP

There's also the Hero(+(+)) and Show-off achievements for rescuing 8, 9, or 10 friends in a challenge, awarding 16, 18, or 20BP respectively. Aside from only being achievable in multiplayer, trying to What Dash a level while also rescuing your friends will probably end less than ideal (but with enough practice it isn't impossible to beat the system...)

Here's some of my personal advice for general gameplay:
- Use a controller if you can. The joystick is much more useful and versatile with another 352 possible axes of movement. HOWEVER, there will also be parts of levels where a D-pad or even keyboard will be better suited to move along a certain straight line parallel to 45°/135°/your computer's borders. I will include this information where possible.

- DO NOT HESITATE. If you're stuck between whether to dash, move, or do nothing, it is generally best to dash out, BUT this does not mean be reckless with it. Generally, your fight or flight sense will improve during gameplay and should become inherent over time.

- Don't immediately rush over to the place you're looking to be. In Hardcore, warning indicators last shorter and your reaction time will be tested. If you rush, it's likely you'll get struck.

- If you're playing with others, keep to the left of the screen, since it's where broken players drift towards. You being on the right side of the screen while the others are dying on the other side won't help much. HOWEVER:
- DO NOT RISK YOUR S-RANK (ACTIVELY) TRYING TO SAVE PEOPLE. This is harsh wording I couldn't find a better substitute for, but unless you're really passionate about helping others, really good at saving others without getting hit, or simply playing for the fun of it, it is not worth losing 20 or 30 BP to save someone. Additionally, if they float offscreen before you hit the next checkpoint, they respawn with full health as opposed to one hit point if you save them before going offscreen.
This doesn't mean that you should avoid saving players altogether!- save them when it's safe to do so, OR wait until the next checkpoint as discussed above.
[EDIT: I was 3 years younger when i wrote this. My viewpoint has changed significantly since then and I am not as BP-gain focused now. So my revised advice is: save them where possible AND IF YOU WANT (nothing obligates you), but if it involves a 95% chance of you getting hit, do not attempt. This is a BP guide, after all.]

- Low-end computers like my old one (4GB RAM, half the minimum amount but still could run it somehow) can run into issues ranging from minor framerate drops to severe lag spikes that can last for several seconds. If this occurs, it MAY help to turn off VSync in settings. Some of the graphics will appear a little choppy, but it's a small tradeoff for a more consistent framerate and making sure this monstrosity doesn't happen:

- Turning on Photosensitive Mode will help greatly with your focus. It's easier to concentrate when everything isn't flashing in your eyes. (And you won't get flash jumped if you get hit)

Also, in terms of general recurring aspects of levels:

- With exploding ball-type obstacles, it's generally helpful to dash right into them or their rough proximal area before they explode. Levels like Into The Zone, Last Tile, and Granite are helpful when you grasp this understanding.
OR, if you're aiming for WD plays:
- keep your distance from them, so the dodging distance becomes larger before it reaches you, enabling you to move through without issue.

- If a level has tiny flying particles from any of the sides (Unlocked, Wicked, etc), DO NOT STICK CLOSELY TO THAT SIDE. I'm pretty sure that should have been obvious by now, but people are strange. You never know when the RNG is going to frick you over with these in general.

- The RNG will be identical if you replay a level (from the pause menu) in playlist mode, so it is ideal for practice if you want to grind up to S rank using muscle memory. This is especially helpful with Mortal Kombat.

This section and the following are strategies for every level, including from Shovel Knight and 2nd anniversary mixtape. As noted at the beginning, these are told from my experience and I strongly suggest you follow these ONLY IF you're confident enough in the levels and can consistently achieve an S or A rank, or nothing you tried prior has worked.
PS- like I said before, never attempt What Dash until you're confident enough. It's already hard enough on some levels and you'll pretty much lose your S rank's bonus 20BP if you get hit.

To reiterate: this guide and all its labels is for Hardcore mode, not normal. If you're looking for the normal mode guide, go back to the Guide section of the JSAB hub where you also found this.

Chronos
Difficulty: Easy-Medium
Righteous: Not Recommended
Danger Zone: Recommended
What Dash: Recommended?
Righteous is just as hard to obtain in Normal Mode due to frequent particle spam and the incoming particle bombs, both from the right. Since you have less reaction time, Danger Zone is a little harder to achieve, but not impossible.

Although I've seen experienced players What Dash this online, it's hard and requires a little luck as well, since the crashing pillars at the end give you less time to react than in normal. Give yourself an awareness of the pillar warning indications so you don't escape a pillar just to run into another. If you run into the line of attack of a pillar while escaping another, it's generally best to keep moving the way you're going.

Milky Ways
Difficulty: Easy
RIghteous: Recommended
Danger Zone: Recommended
What Dash: Recommended?
Attacks from the right are much faster, so definitely don't immediately rush there and try to get a Righteous. Danger Zone is a little harder to get since the snakes are also faster. To What Dash this, you'll need to stay at the opposite end of the screen to where the spikeballs explode, then squeeze through the particles when you get an opening. The rest of the level isn't too much harder than/different to Normal mode.

Logic Gatekeeper
Difficulty: Easy-Medium
Righteous: Recommended?
Danger Zone: Recommended?
What Dash: Not Recommended
What Dash is hard due to the huge pulsing circles at the end, unless your luck is incredible and they don't spawn right on top of you (replaying with same RNG in playlist may help with memorizing a good path).

I wouldn't go for Danger Zone as the pillar slams are thicc and you'll probably dash into another one of them anyway, BUT you may be able to do this in the first half of the level by dashing over the pillars. For the starting round pillars, stay on the central X-axis (horizontal), and as far left as you can so you can easily avoid the particle bombs.

In the drop, move to the bottom. This is because the triple thicc pillar strike from the right always strikes the bottom one last, meaning you will have one more beat of time to react to that and the vertical pillars.

[BOSS] Long Live the New Fresh
Difficulty: Medium
Righteous: Recommended
Danger Zone: Recommended
What Dash: Recommended?
There's a bunch of cheese spots, but not as many as Normal mode. As usual, the corners while the boss is swinging its arms is a good place to go (mind the arm attacks though). For the final phase, beware of the corners, which don't cheese as well as in normal, though you can still WD it by sticking roughly around the top left corner as far as I'm aware.

[BOSS] New Game
Difficulty: Medium-Hard
Righteous: Not Recommended
Danger Zone: Recommended
What Dash: Not Recommended)
Before the tower climb, you can dash over the beams that come out of the tree to add up your "dashed over pink zone" count. Climbing the tower is much harder than in normal mode due to the decreased reaction time, so don't dash too far so you hit the beam in front of you, or too little so you don't get past.

Just before and during the drop, you can chill in the bottom left corner, dashing over the rain of spikeballs if you have to. When the boss transforms into a big ball, go into the very top left corner, you won't get hit there. During the cannon attacks, line yourself up with it, and before it shoots, move to the right side of where the projectiles will go. Same applies in the second half of the part, just be cautious of the revolving particles. Controller joystick recommended.

The Art of War
Difficulty: Easy-Medium
Righteous: Recommended
Danger Zone: Recommended?
What Dash: Not Recommended
Since you have tighter spaces to fit in, be more steady with your movements. The phase just before the final is a lot harder and requires extreme focus. Practice and practice. Definitely don't What Dash this unless you know exactly what you're doing.

Termination Shock
Difficulty: Easy-Medium
Righteous: Recommended
Danger Zone: Recommended
What Dash: Not Recommended
Hardcore Termination Shock feels somewhat easier than in normal. You won't have a problem with Danger Zone, but What Dash is impossible unless some miracle happens and the second phase doesn't spawn thicc pillars. Strafe left-right during the spike-pillars section, and dash over them if you have to, at the opposite side to where it will slide towards.

Sevcon
Difficulty: Easy-Medium
Righteous: Recommended
Danger Zone: Recommended
What Dash: Recommended?
Right side is pretty much equal to the left side's difficulty level, so you should be fine. To make sure you dash 20 times, do it forward and back with the tiny circles in the middle of the screen at the start and end of the level. I've never seen anyone What Dash this level (especially with the extra particles during the first drop) so unless you really want to/have confidence/have done it prior, then don't. It is possible, however.

Cascade
Difficulty: Easy
Righteous: Recommended
Danger Zone: Recommended?
What Dash: My Brother Could Do It
The bottom left corner is the only place you need to remain in the first half. Be careful to avoid all tiny particles, but in the end phase you should be completely fine staying still in a bottom corner, ideally the right for Righteous. It's anxiety-inducing but stay calm in that position and you'll pass, likely with a What Dash and S rank.

[BOSS] Barracuda
Difficulty: Medium
Righteous: Recommended
Danger Zone: Recommended
What Dash: Not Recommended
DO NOT GO HERE UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES:

seriously. it'll screw you up and nothing will end well. don't even attempt to cross into that.

Wait until the very last moment to dash during Barracuda's first particle attacks. In the second phase, stay in any corner so that you can avoid the snakes and Barracuda's pyramid attack. Definitely don't stay around the middle where all snakes converge, or near to the middle of the edges of the screen where they enter and probably will strike you out of nowhere.
(pictured on left: "you need an enormous pair of gentleman's balloons")

Dubwoofer Substep
Diffculty: Easy-Medium
Righteous: Recommended
Danger Zone: Recommended?
What Dash: Recommended?
Since you have less time to react, you need to note where to go at what times. The top is probably the safest except around where pillars crash down and just before the spikes come from the ceiling. The ceiling drops are faster so be careful around those. What Dash isn't impossible (I did it once), but I don't do it much anymore, due to the bit before the final phase where beams push you down and the water threatens to hit you (cries in slow poke)

Cheat Codes
Difficulty: Medium
Righteous: Recommended
Danger Zone: Recomended?
What Dash: Not Recommended
Rotating projectile cannons means more trouble and less space to rest for dashing. The drop part is a little harder from the beams. I don't have much more to say about this except stay in line with the corners of the square cannons and you should be alright.

Clash
Difficulty: Medium-Hard
Righteous: Recommended
Danger Zone: Recommended?
What Dash: Not Recommended
Not much changes in the first phase - go to the top, then the center, then the top again before the drop. But in the second phase you need to have more care from the additional projectiles. The cannons have about 4 positions where they basically remain still, so find a spot during that time and stay there until they move again. Right side isn't much different from the left.

[BOSS] Lycanthropy
Difficulty: Medium
Righteous: Recommended
Danger Zone: Recommended
What Dash: Recommended?
For the first phase, stay as close to the top of the screen as you can so that you don't have to dash over the drops coming from the bouncing balls. Time your dashes when the boss splashes so that you don't collide with the water. What Dash is not impossible but requires better timing, precision, and fitting into small spaces, so don't attempt if you're not confident.

Cool Friends
Difficulty: Medium-Hard
Righteous: Recommended?
Danger Zone: Recommended
What Dash: "HELL without dashing but possible" -ShortC1rcuit
The beginning conveyor belt goes a little faster, so you need to dash a little more frequently (you can still get Danger Zone with the pink square pistons at the start). The gap in sawblades are reduced so you have to keep dashing back and forth to avoid them. Before the second phase starts, the sawblade border forms a bit faster, be quicker with dodging that. Also, the rotating blade is much faster—dash over it more or move along with it—and be wary of the prompts so you don't dash into a crashing pillar/beam. For the big sawblade part, patience is key. Don't rush dashing over the particles; wait for an opening you can double dash in and out of. Rinse and repeat, then for the final phase you should wait for the blade to rotate once before you go under it. Dashing recommended in this bit so it doesn't crush you.

The Lunar Whale
Difficulty: Medium
Righteous: Not Recommended
Danger Zone: Recommended?
What Dash: Death Is Your Decision
For the start bit you need to stay at the very left to avoid the exploding Rubix Cubes and projectiles. When the second phase starts, don't try and cheese it through sticking to the walls, because the collision updates make it impossible to stay there and survive now. As you dash through the beams, make sure you're not headed for the particles coming in from the right. What Dash buffed after hitbox update. Ridiculously hard.
S rank WD video by Ervy / EleKtroN here.

Spectra
Difficulty: Easy-Medium
Righteous: Recommended
Danger Zone: Recommended
What Dash: more like What Sort Of A Question Is This? (Impossible)
Not too hard to chill on the right side of the screen. You'll get Danger Zone and Righteous no problem. Be mindful of the slightly harder obstacles in hexagons, especially those that are cut in half with a long line. For these ones, stay in one half, and move as you need to, or else you'll get smacked as it rotates.

Unlocked
Difficulty: Easy
Righteous: Recommended?
Danger Zone: Recommended
What Dash: Probably Impossible
Since the first phase splits the screen into 4, put yourself in one of those quarters. Dash along those lines and you'll get Danger Zone no problem, but be careful of the checkered lines. The second phase isn't too different than Normal, just beware of the edges and the spinning rotor thing (idk the name xd).

[BOSS] Close to Me
Difficulty: Medium
Righteous: Recommended
Danger Zone: Recommended
What Dash: Impossible
The spaces between the spinning beams at the start are smaller so be careful there, while also avoiding the big spikeballs floating up. No big changes to the main attacks, but since the big gear's got a saw in the center, you can either squeeze into that smaller space or dash right under here
so that you can come out here (i don't recommend this unless you're really confident and/or have already done it successfully prior)
Right side isn't too different from the left (though I'm more accustomed to the latter) but don't go there until the first phase is over because of the spikeballs that float up. If you're on the left side, you can dash through both the spinning beams and the balls. You can move to the right shortly after it ends; however, if you're playing in Public Hardcore, you'll get the Challenge Complete+Friends Bonus+Danger Zone anyway, so I don't normally try to Righteous it.

Into the Zone
Difficulty: Medium
Righteous: Recommended?
Danger Zone: Recommended
What Dash: Not Recommended
First phase, stay at the left side of the screen so that the right wall doesn't bash you. And no, dashing like a madman is not my ideal strategy for the part after the guy says the first 'into the zone'. Just be calm and don't rush. If you dash over the pillars in the final phase you should get Danger Zone no problem.

Vindicate Me
Difficulty: Medium
Righteous: Not Recommended
Danger Zone: Recommended
What Dash: Not Recommended
If you can, head in the gap between any of the pistons in the first part so you don't have to deal with the flipping boards. (Don't stay at the very bottom though, there will be a border thing there.) Keep to the bottom sector before the top for the third bit. Time your dashes well here. Righteous is doable but good luck with that - the projectiles from the right will likely end that.

Try This
Difficulty: Easy-Medium
Righteous: Recommended?
Danger Zone: Recommended?
What Dash: lmau (impossible)
Be more wary of the floating circles and where you end up dashing. In the bit in the second half with the four rotating beams, the circles are the least of your worries - dodge the shurikens and the beams, but still be ready to escape the circles just before they pulse.

[BOSS] Final Boss
Difficulty: Medium
Righteous: Recommended
Danger Zone: Recommended?
What Dash: Utterly Unpossible,

one dash minimum

Stay at the bottom as much as you can before the pre-buildup starts so that you can avoid all the pulsing projectile attacks. There's no indicators for the cannon parts, so be careful there. However, you got a better chance of Danger Zone if you dash back and forth along this middle beam:
(But avoid doing so when you're climbing)
If you want to, you don't have to dash upwards during the first half of climbing with the boss (though you will gradually drift downward), though you have to in the final bit.

[BOSS] Annihilate
Difficulty: Medium-Hard
Righteous: Recommended
Danger Zone: Recommended?
What Dash: Not Recommended
For most of the level, precision is key. Practice fitting yourself into the small gaps between balls. No dash is almost impossible due to the rotating arms (though some people can cheese through or rotate with it). Right side isn't too different from the left, you just have to dash through an additional burst of exploding spikeballs at the start. If you want to WD this you will have to start at the left before the arms spawn in the drop phase, and rotate along with them while also dodging the spikeballs. This means you will have to get close and have very little room for error. EleKtroN video of this here.

WORK IN PROGRESS

All these levels were a pain to S-rank in both difficulties. If you want to save yourself endless hours of raging, breaking your headphones, slamming your keyboard, and raging, but you also want those new S ranks, WHO GIVES A FRICK just attempt to S rank them anyway because there's nothing better of a learning tool than YOUR experience (more on game support/tips toward the end of this guide).

I don't have 100% in-depth notes for these levels yet, but here's what I have so far. If you have any tips of your own, please do let me know in the comments!

Airborne Robots
Difficulty: Medium-Hard
Righteous: Recommended
Danger Zone: Recommended
What Dash: Not Recommended


Interlaced
Difficulty: Hard
Righteous: Recommended
Danger Zone: Guaranteed if you value not getting hit
What Dash: Impossible
One important thing to note is that the little walls in verse sections (like after the introductory phase) accelerate; their speed is not linear, so use this to your advantage by staying to the opposite side of where the wall spawner is and dashing where there is some safe room.

In this section where the wall spawner thing moves to the left (image will be added), I suggest you stay to the left and avoid just the zebra stripes. If you're on the right, you'll get Righteous and Danger Zone achievements for sure, but you'll have to really focus on avoiding both the zebra stripes and the moving walls. If you choose this approach, pay more attention to the zebra stripes as they can really catch you out of nowhere if you're just focusing on the walls.

For the section following the 2nd checkpoint, be very precise with where you dash to (it's the only way you can reach the safe spots in most cases). Try a few replays with the same RNG to familiarize yourself with where to go and when.

Last Tile (海底撈月)
Difficulty: Medium-Hard
Righteous: Recommended
Danger Zone: Recommended
What Dash: Impossible
>don't freak out and you'll be fine

Born Survivor
Difficulty: Medium-Hard
Righteous: Recommended
Danger Zone: Recommended
What Dash: Not Recommended (yet)
>something to do with the opposite sides of burst attac

you know what? since you bothered to scroll down, here's a little plug of mine. i had a lot of fun making this :]


[BOSS] Spider Dance
Difficulty: Hard
Righteous: Recommended?
Danger Zone: Recommended?
What Dash: Not impossible but not recommended

Legacy
Difficulty: Medium-Hard
Righteous: Not Recommended
Danger Zone: You'll Get It Without Even Knowing
What Dash: Impossible
Stay at the extreme top or bottom so you can easily dash through everything without drifting off into something else. What Dash has been patched, so don't even think about attempting it (unless you're the boldest of the bold and somehow have the most minute of precision).

Wicked
Difficulty: Medium
Righteous: Recommended
Danger Zone: Recommended
What Dash: Not Recommended, But Possible
For the first bit, stay at any top corner (not exact, so you don't get hit by the projectiles coming in). Just dash through all the particle attacks, and while you got the squares sitting in position, dash over those repeatedly, you'll get Danger Zone easy. Since everything shoots faster and there's virtually nowhere for you to not dash, What Dash is tough. But it should be possible (im too lazy to prove this, so comments section, do your thing)

First Crush
Difficulty: Medium
Righteous: Recommended
Danger Zone: Recommended
What Dash: Recommended?
Left and right sides are equal difficulty. Dashing across the fountains is ez way to get Danger Zone. You won't be able to outrun the spiralling fountains in the part before the buildup. Just stay in a sector and dodge them - it's not too hard. You can chill in the top right corner just before the drop. Be very careful with the larger fountains because they're fast and unpredictable. Stay at the top, dash if you need to. At the end, stay at the middle left for the rest of the level.

Yuckyman Yokuman Stage
Difficulty: Easy
Righteous: Not Recommended
Danger Zone: Recommended?
What Dash: A Bit Of Luck Is Required (Otherwise, You'll Be Fine, I Recommend It)
The left side of the screen is all you need to remain. Just keep moving up and down, and squeezing in here. To What Dash this, you need to pass through here (don't worry about the first 3 rows of the small spikeballs, you only need to pass through the last bit). Coming out of there with an S rank is kinda up to the internal RNG because the horizontal beams could strike right as you pass the big spikeball.

Paper Dolls
Difficulty: Medium-Hard
Righteous: Recommended
Danger Zone: Recommended
What Dash: Recommended?
Like Termination Shock, I find this a little easier in Hardcore. What Dash is easy if you go to the right spots at the right time I guess? Otherwise, you'll get Danger Zone naturally as you play. Memorize which pillars come crashing at you and their order so you can dodge them better. Righteous isn't too hard if you have a good enough reaction time to dodge the projectiles flying in from the right.

Commando Steve
Difficulty: Medium-Hard
Righteous: nope
Danger Zone: Recommended
What Dash: Recommended?
EDIT: I attempted WD and it still works as of July 25. To achieve it during the bit before the drop, wait for the pillars to slam, then plant yourself into one ever so slightly. Remember to reset yourself every time the pillars slam, because the hitboxes are updated. Stay at the complete left side at the screen at all times, just move up and down (and slightly sideways if you have to). If you're going for Danger Zone, just dash along the beams and larger spikeballs (not the ones with a trail).

Houston
Difficulty: Medium
Righteous: Recommended
Danger Zone: Recommended
What Dash: Impossible
Wall after wall, the possibility of What Dash in this level is really slim not that i've wanted to try it anyway; you'll have to cheat yourself through the tiny gaps in the walls. Not too hard to Righteous this, little tougher than being on the left though, especially since the walls are faster.
Here's a video of me S ranking it w/ Righteous.

HYPE
Difficulty: Medium-Hard
Righteous: Recommended
Danger Zone: Recommended?
What Dash: Recommended?
Hardcore HYPE gains significant difficulty from normal (again, my opinion). There's way more bullets and they fly faster; ingredients for stress. Depending on how well you know the level, you could go for either WD+Righteous or Righteous+DZ. The final part is as confusing as normal, and with the added projectiles you'll probably get stress 9001. Stay in the bottom left corner for that.

Tokyo Skies
Difficulty: Medium-Hard
Righteous: Recommended
Danger Zone: Recommended?
What Dash: Recommended?
If you're going to What Dash this, you'll need extreme focus. Right side isn't too much different from the left. Other than that, I don't normally choose this in public games unless there's nothing else I can nodash or I just want to practice my focus and reaction times.

Dance of the Incognito Mode Incognizant
Difficulty: Easy
Righteous: Recommended
Danger Zone: Recommended?
What Dash: Recommended
WD is possible (also mentioned in Croness' guide). It's not too hard to dodge the first phase, and in the second phase you just squeeze in here
before you move on to here, while dodging the bullets at the same time.
Easy level, really doesn't require much thought (though admittedly, makes me anxious in parts). You'll get Righteous easily. Try not to stay too close to the exploding balls, or to the right before the drop. Give yourself ample dodging/moving time.

FOX
Difficulty: Medium-Hard
Righteous: Recommended
Danger Zone: Recommended
What Dash: Not Recommended
Because of the bouncing donuts at the end, it's almost impossible to nodash this level, so you may as well get Danger Zone by dashing over (or under) donuts. Both sides are of equal difficulty but the level design requires you to strafe left-right a few times. For the bouncing donuts section, get as close as you can to the unstable ceiling or floor, then dash right through. Avoid the beams, dash through those if you can.

If you are insane enough to attempt WD, it requires precise movement especially at the end. Here's a video showing that. You'll need patience and to lose your hesitation.

Core
Difficulty: Medium
Righteous: Recommended
Danger Zone: Recommended
What Dash: Not Recommended
This level has been unfairly portrayed as one of the hardest levels throughout its time in the game; it really isn't like that at all if you do it properly. All you need to do is dash at the right times. I find left side is slightly easier than the right - dash through the left exploding box, the right one you won't need to dash through. Shortly after, in the second rotating beams phase, see if you can dash through both the beams and the particles at the same time. Overall, it actually isn't that hard if you don't overthink it or focus too hard on the music.

Crystal Tokyo
Difficulty: Medium
Righteous: Recommended?
Danger Zone: Not Recommended
What Dash: Recommended
Though it's tough to pass the buildup with What Dash (also relying on the RNG a little bit here), sharp maneuvers can get you through easily (joystick recommended). Stay on the left side during this part, then you can move to the right. Before the second half of the drop, move into the orbiting circles around the center, then you can just follow along with the rotation of the beams. Don't move too much as precision is needed to preserve your S rank.

On The Run
Difficulty: Medium-Hard
Righteous: Not Recommended
Danger Zone: Recommended
What Dash: Not Recommended (some guy on r/JustShapesAndBeats did it once)
Though the level's name may tempt you, don't rush yourself in this level. Give yourself time to figure out where the obstacles are coming, and subsequently dodge them. In the second phase with a hundred obelisks, stay in the center while avoiding the beams and shurikens. The bit after that is pretty much impossible to overcome without dashing, along with the one before the drop. Unlike in Normal mode, don't immediately rush to the left or right of the screen during the drop, as shurikens will not allow it. Again, patience is key; don't rush.

Mortal Kombat
Difficulty: Prepare To Rage And Subsequently Break Your Keyboard Or Controller
Righteous: Not Recommended
Danger Zone: Not Recommended
What Dash: xd
Elek really said "I'm bored"
If you're looking to What Dash this (it isn't impossible), you're gonna need a lot of luck with the RNG. Keep to the left of the screen at all times so that you can avoid the kickers. You can't dash against the wall this time, so use your directional pad or W and S keys. Pay attention to both sides: right so that you can see what's coming so that you can dash out of the way, and left so you don't run into the borders. Righteous is pretty much impossible due to not just the kickers, but the unpredictability of the vertical beams.

This guide is one for Hardcore, not Normal. But while tips for these 5 new levels don't yet exist for Normal Mode, I still recommend Normal players to follow these tips, and employ HC strategies for Normal (again, these are written for Hardcore, so don't worry - I'm sure the levels in normal mode aren't as bad as they sound in here.)

Creatures Ov Deception ("why is it only NOW I realize that i misspelt deception as destruction" -Hoyuten (formerly Acédia), 2020)
Difficulty: Medium
Righteous: Recommended
Danger Zone: Recommended?
What Dash: Recommended?
Right as the level starts, go to the far left (or right) of the circle (exactly horizontally) so you can cheese the first phase. Don't be intimidated by this level, it's the harmless trails that make the illusion. I tried to What Dash this once and very barely came out with an S rank. It's the double circle spam phase thing. Don't stress too much about it either if you're not trying to What Dash it, otherwise your patience and movement reflexes will be tested.

Deadlocked
Difficulty: Hard
Righteous: Recommended
Danger Zone: Recommended
What Dash: Not Recommended
GD players: Don't underestimate the awesomeness of this famous Geometry Dash track being included in JSAB. It is quite hard for most beginners, even more so in Hardcore mode. Even I've only been able to S rank it in HC 3 times only, so all I can really say for this is: don't spam dash, don't panic, and maybe you can turn off your music entirely and listen to C418's Minecraft music while you attempt to not die. Danger Zone and Righteous can be achieved naturally.

Granite
Difficulty: Medium
Righteous: Recommended
Danger Zone: Recommended
What Dash: Recommended?
In the first part, dash right into one of the ball clusters just after they explode so you can easily avoid the rest. Do NOT dash into the center during this part because it's likely you will get hit. Remain on the right side, and dash according to the exploding balls on the corners. Do not dash upwards like a madman when you're climbing - it's really not necessary and the obstacles coming from the top here can strike you in an instant. During the end phase, perform what you did for the first phase and pay attention to the prompts to know which ones to dash into.

Lightspeed
Difficulty: Medium
Righteous: Recommended
Danger Zone: Recommended?
What Dash: Recommended?
Tiny explosion particles are perhaps the most important thing to avoid in the first half of the level; they can strike you and end your S rank in an instant. Dash down as the spikeballs come crashing. In the second phase, know where the 4 balls are striking, then you can dash in there as they do. Do not spam dash during this part or this part because it will end up horribly as things always will if you spam dash. If you want to What Dash you need to fit into small spaces between these projectiles, so if you're trying this level for the first time, I recommend you build your skill on fitting into small spaces before you attempt What Dash.

Katana Blaster
Difficulty: Medium-Hard
Righteous: Recommended
Danger Zone: Recommended
What Dash: Not Recommended
Dashing is quite restricted in this level due to the tiny gaps you have to fit in - otherwise, you can try and Danger Zone this with the hexagon wall sections. Righteous is possible, you just need to memorize the pattern of the obstacles so with it, you can escape with an S rank.

Strike the Earth
Difficulty: Easy-Medium
Righteous: Recommended
Danger Zone: Recommended
What Dash: Recommended (amended from Not Recommended: June 12, 2024)
Simple level, all you need to do is stay around the top and go in the gaps between the shovels. Your survival in the shovel hit spam around the second checkpoint is NOT luck-based. You have to find a good path around them that you can weave through to stay uninjured. I start on the moderate far right so I can fit through the first hit and dash through the others (or wait for enough distance until I can confidently dodge), then for the second round I just follow the same principle, going right-left until I don't have to dash. If you memorize the firing pattern for these, you can also weave through without dashing.
For the spinning cubes section it is possible to rotate around safely also without dashing. Avoiding the shovels along with that is simple. Be careful not to be struck by the big shovel at the end, it happened to me once :/

Flowers of Antimony
Difficulty: Medium
Righteous: Recommended
Danger Zone: Recommended?
What Dash: Recommended?
For the dropping bombs, just hang around this little area here (highlighted):
Then, dodge the bubbles, dash if you have to. Stay to the left or right side of the screen, then head into the center and follow the spinning thing that I don't know what to name. Be warned, the bubbles go higher and faster in Hardcore. This makes it harder to What Dash, so only attempt if you're confident. Alternatively, for Danger Zone, you can dash over the bombs and their splashes, or naturally achieve it by dashing over the bubbles during those sections.

[BOSS] La Danse Macabre
Difficulty: Medium
Righteous: Recommended
Danger Zone: Recommended?
What Dash: Not Recommended?
I prefer to stay to the left of the screen for this, but I haven't seen others with an issue being on the right. For the first drop, you can cheese the entire thing up until the breakdown right here (Cyan).
You don't have to be too exact with this fitting, just make sure that you put yourself in a position that you don't get hit. If it looks otherwise at the last second, you should dash out of the way.
The left wall is the only cheese you'll need for the scythe parts. What Dashing this level's not impossible but I don't aim for this (the rotating beams bit midway, and the start of the second drop). It involves fine movement and much concentration/muscle memory on where to position yourself. By all means, if it's become routine for you, go ahead and WD.

In the Halls of the Usurper
Difficulty: Medium
Righteous: Recommended
Danger Zone: Recommended
What Dash: Recommended
There's a lot of cheese in this level. Top right just above or below the trumpets is the best place to hang for the first phase. Be careful that they don't stab you as it comes onto the screen. To avoid this, just nudge yourself a little bit left before one emerges. Go between the first set of cauldrons to the right and you can stay there until the next phase, where you go back to above trumpets. The final phase is understandably a little chaotic, but keep to the top right above the trumpets, avoid the scepters and cauldrons, and you'll make it out with a What Dash unscathed.

Some cheese/tips/etc mentioned in this guide will likely be patched/fixed in the future. I will keep this up-to-date whenever possible. Inform me if I missed anything.

Final words, adapted and expanded from Croness' guide:

1. You will seldom S rank a song immediately first try (unless you're really experienced/fluent in the gameplay). Don't expect to become a prodigy in your first week of playing. Time and patience is required. Never quit immediately after you fail to S rank Mortal Kombat. That is wasted potential.

2. Assuming that, in every level in an online challenge: you S Rank every level and get Righteous and Danger Zone: 3x(40+20+16+16)+60-16=320BP. Challenges take around 7 or so minutes - you can get 1,000 BP in 17, and probably around 4,000 in an hour (these numbers are just extremely rough estimates and maximums, so don't have these expectations).

- But, if you're playing with 3 other friends:
3x(40+30+16+16)+60-16=350BP

- So, if you have 3 friends free, you can invite them along to play with you so that more BP is
awarded between you all ^^

3. Like I said, time and patience is required; part of that constitutes practice. No matter how many times you practice, you'll never really be the best player in the world, but you can always improve. Start by recalling the level design from memory, or try a different strategy if your current one/s don't work.

4. Gain a subconscious understanding of how long the invincibility frames of a dash last (approx. 0.5sec), so you know when and where to dash (don't have to be too specific in the head, but it helps with fight or flight judgements).

5. If you're playing with others, either publicly or with friends, analyze how they've been playing for the past levels or so, and decide whether or not they're good enough to earn you the All Star award, which gives just as much as Righteous/Danger Zone; then you just have to not die and let everyone else down with your B rank. (controversial opinion: If you want to judge the likelihood of All Star before you play, just look at their BP count.) This isn't super important but I'm sure I'm not the only one whose terrible mindset is like this.

6. S Rank>What Dash. If you're getting in a tight space and it seems even in the slightest that you'll get hit, abort and dash the hell out of there. It's not worth it to risk your @$$ and an extra 20BP just to not press space/A. Though if you do have to lose your What Dash, at least you got the extra 20BP's in the S Rank. But then again:

- S Rank+Righteous+Other Award>A Rank+What Dash+Righteous
40+16+(≤16)>20+20+16

- If you can confidently What Dash a level with an S rank... well, obviously you should go for that:
40+20+(≤16)>40+16+(≤16)

- But still apply the principle that if you're not confident with getting S+Righteous+What Dash, then always use this order, to determine which ones you should get:
S Rank>Righteous/Danger Zone>What Dash

- I put What Dash last because like I said previously, it's not worth it to get hit or worse trying to What Dash a level and lose the +20BP of an S rank. If you crash while trying to What Dash a level and end up with a B rank:
10+20+20+(≤16)<40+20+(≤16)+(≤16)
So yeah, don't risk dying for a What Dash. It won't be worth it. But again, if you're really confident and/or have enough experience, don't hold back on completing a level with it.

7. Aside from being new to the game or inexperienced, the main cause of breaking and crashing in a level is stress. Keeping calm under pressure is one of the most important attributes that you need to have if you are to S rank and/or What Dash a level. Take long breaths between phases if you need to. And when you're away from the game, try doing what calms you down most. I listen to soothing music, while others may meditate or nap. Doing stuff like this can relax your mind, so you're ready to take on levels that would have otherwise taken you on a stress trip. (It may still do so, but at least your anxiety levels won't be as high as before your break.)

8. Have fun. Yes, getting BP does seem repetitive and forced on some, but you play games to have fun, and you especially deserve it on Just Shapes & Beats. And never be afraid to try new things: If there's a strategy you thought of overnight but haven't tried yet... try it! Even if it fails miserably, at least you tried. You got hit/crashed while you and your friends were messing around, dashing/dancing all over the place? As long as you have fun, beatpoints, S ranks, and What Dashes aren't always everything. Additionally, you have much time to earn them over the years (bold of me saying this as I am as of present confined to the study grind). JSAB is a game that you will never really "complete", kinda like Minecraft and Terraria. Keep grinding those BP, and you'll get the 250k and 1m coin soon :]

Thank you for taking the time to read through the whole thing (unless you jumped all the way down here you uncultured swine). Thank you EleKtroN for supplying some videos and extra advice, ShortC1rcuit for his Mortal Kombat video and extra advice, and a special thanks to Croness, the creator of the original Normal mode guide, for enabling me to create this expanded Hardcore version. If I've missed anything, let me know in the comments! I hope to see some of you in public hardcore games someday, I'm (not too much anymore) often on there being a tryhard/showoff on every level.

Please don't hesitate to comment down below about errors or disagreements (but DO NOT REQUEST CHANGES TO THE ACTUAL GUIDE CONTENTS unless it's a helpful suggestion that i haven't seen/tried yet or have somehow disregarded entirely). I'm also (somewhat???) active on Berzerk Studio's discord server[discord.gg], so feel free to ping me (@hoyuten) ONLY TO ASK STUFF. ^^

Massive thank you everyone for the support and traffic this guide has received! I can't believe it blew up (sort of) like it would. I will eventually properly continue it and give this guide the conclusion it deserves.

- Hoyuten