Loki

Loki started life in the EZ2DJ/EZ2AC universe, where it debuted under the name Lotze. For years that alias kept the composer's identity a mystery, which the games themselves eventually settled: the BGA used in Sabin Sound Star credits "Composed by SHK," confirming that Lotze was in fact the well-known SHK. A guitar-driven Fusion Electronic Rock piece at 140 BPM, it reached Pump It Up XX as part of the cross-series collaboration between Pump It Up and EZ2AC. It was imported alongside its 3S-era BGA (visuals by xcerver), and even the eyecatch plays with its spelling, writing the L in lowercase so the title can read as "OK."

In PHOENIX, Loki offers Single 12, 16, 20 and 21, Double 12 and 20, and a two-player Co-Op. Its signature is a screen-lock (freezing) gimmick that drops over the mid-song run on S16, S20 and D20: the notes freeze on screen, and without memorizing the rhythm beforehand, landing judgment becomes genuinely hard. PHOENIX eased the S16 by removing that freeze and cutting the combo on the closing hold notes. The S20, formerly S19, carries the same run but rotated into nearly unreadable high-angle twists, which justified its rating bump; the D20 likewise rose from D19.

The S21 is unlocked by clearing eight mission zone stages and is regarded as a heavily skill-dependent chart, a successor to Sorceress Elise. It is built to be tackled with brackets (double-stepping), yet its cross-step heavy layout can feel harder than a 22 or 23 for players who haven't mastered the technique. The Co-Op x2 spreads that same material into a gentler version with a forgiving gauge. XX also featured now-removed mission zone exclusives, including an S18 subtitled "Warning!!" and a D22 that unfolded the S21 across both pads.