Mushroom Kingdom U: Stage Research

[ParanoidDrone]

My last topic was a tossup between Wuhu Island and Mushroom Kingdom U and Wuhu Island won. So now I'm doing Mushroom Kingdom U. The next one is up for grabs!

Shoutouts to @Thinkaman for liking this stage, he's a big reason why I'm bothering with it in particular.

Previously Covered
Wuhu Island
Mario Circuit

Layout
Mushroom Kingdom U is a transforming stage with 4 distinct layouts. The starting layout is always the same, with a main platform and three secondary platforms above in an off-kilter triangle shape. Players 1 and 2 start on the side platforms, while Players 3 and 4 start on the upper platform and ground. The Omega form has walled sides that taper down. The sides still allow players to ride the wall as they recover.

The stage has a number of hazards and dynamic stage elements, some of which are more dangerous than others. They are Kamek, Nabbit, icicles, waterspouts and urchins, a beanstalk, shift blocks, and moving platforms.

Kamek and Transformations
Kamek isn't really a hazard by himself, but he is the mechanism through which the stage transforms. He appears in the upper right corner while laughing, then flies offscreen to the right and does another flyby in the opposite direction while leaving a trail of magic behind him. The background then changes to reflect the upcoming transformation and the current stage geometry sinks down. Meanwhile, the new transformation rises up to meet it.

Each transformation lasts 40-50 seconds and follows no discernible pattern.

Name|Picture|Notes
World 1: Acorn Plains|

|N/A
World 6: Rock Candy Mines|

|Platform tilts back and forth. Despite appearances, players can hug the sides to recover.
World 6 Tower: Screwtop Tower|

|Blocks slowly rotate clockwise around central gear. Edges are grabbable when over void, not grabbable when over the other block.
World 7: Meringue Clouds|

|N/A
Kamek|

|Camera zooms out to ensure Kamek is seen.

Hazards
Unlike some transforming stages where any hazards are tied to specific transformations, Mushroom Kingdom U can have any hazard appear during any transformation. Only one hazard can be in play at once, with the exception of Nabbit, and any hazards in progress will stop prematurely if Kamek appears to change the stage.

Name|Picture|Notes
Nabbit|

|Already on stage as it transforms, does not spontaneously appear. Attempts to grab a player and carry them off the top of the screen akin to the Beetle and Boss Galaga items. Players can button mash to break free. Nabbit can be killed by knocking him offscreen. He flies further when hit as he takes damage and has a single midair jump to recover with. Attacking Nabbit with 5% or more when he already has someone in his sack will free the victim. Will not reappear after successfully carrying someone offstage or being killed, but can show up again at a later transformation.
Icicles|

|A drop of water falls onto the stage, followed by a large icicle a second or two later. Deals 10% damage if it falls on someone, and freezes them. Kills Mario at ground level at 200%, can kill earlier if it hits someone higher up. Icicles can be broken and have approximately 30 HP, but also weaken and break spontaneously over time. Icicles about to break have visible cracks. Icicles can land on top of other icicles. Moving stage geometry can cause icicles to break instantly.
Waterspouts & Urchins|

|The background floods with water (except for the Meringue Clouds transformation) and several sprays of water and mist appear. 3 seconds later, waterspouts rise from offscreen where the sprays were, sometimes all at once and sometimes in a staggered order. Tops act as platforms, waterspouts themselves apply upward force to airborne players. This effect can boost jumps. Sometimes an Urchin can be resting on a waterspout. Urchins do 15% damage on contact and kill Mario at 138% from ground level. Urchins at higher levels can kill earlier. Multiple sets of waterspouts can rise in succession as long as background is flooded. Water cannot be used to swim, despite appearances.
Beanstalk|

|A large beanstalk grows in the background and lists to one side. A random array of buds appear on the surface and sprout into platforms. Beanstalk lasts anywhere from 5-15 seconds and gives no warning when it's about to vanish.
Shift Blocks|

|4 pairs of Shift Blocks appear throughout the stage and soon spread into 6. 5 seconds later they shrink back into pairs. Shift Blocks can either vanish or expand again and repeat the cycle. Players standing on the blocks as they expand or shrink are carried along for the ride, blocks otherwise act as standard platforms. Their locations are not random, each transformation has its own unique locations where Shift Blocks appear.
Moving Platforms|

|Two sets of moving platforms cross the screen. The top row moves left and the bottom row moves right. Total of 6 platforms per row. The platforms come in at a specific height unique to each transformation.

Summary

• Players start on Acorn Plains, total of 4 different transformations.
• Kamek transforms stage ever 40-50 seconds, order is random.
• Icicles signaled by large water drop, do 10% damage and freeze, kill at 200%.
• Waterspouts signaled by mist sprays, act as platforms.
• Urchins sometimes sit on waterspouts, do 15% damage and kill at 138%.
• Beanstalk grows platforms, lasts 5-15 seconds and vanishes without warning.
• Shift Blocks act as growing and shrinking standard platforms, fixed locations for each transformation.
• Moving platforms come in from sides, 6 per row, fixed locations for each transformation.

 

[Piford]

Nabbit doesn't really seem like a problem in 1v1, but in 2v2 he seems near impossible to deal with.

 

[ParanoidDrone]

Nabbit doesn't really seem like a problem in 1v1, but in 2v2 he seems near impossible to deal with.

How do you figure? He flinches from basically everything and lets go of whoever he's holding if he takes more than 5% in a single hit. (Or maybe some knockback threshold? Whatever it is, Mario's sourspot nair was my benchmark.)

 

[Piford]

How do you figure? He flinches from basically everything and lets go of whoever he's holding if he takes more than 5% in a single hit. (Or maybe some knockback threshold? Whatever it is, Mario's sourspot nair was my benchmark.)

Just from experience. In 1v1, no one ever got taken away by Nabbit, but it happened quite a few times in 2v2 when the players utilized nabbit effectively. If Nabbit manages to capture one player, then the two opponents can easily focus on the other player and stop him from saving his partner. Again its just from experience and not actual data. Maybe if all parties read this analysis it wouldn't seem bad at all.

 

[krazyzyko]

Dashes seem to be shorter on Acorn Plains.

 

[ParanoidDrone]

Dashes seem to be shorter on Acorn Plains.

That's because it's grass.

 

[krazyzyko]

That's because it's grass.

I know. What l meant by that is that it should be mentioned on the notes section.

 

[bigblast66]

only if nabbit wasn't there lol. i enjoy this stage apart from nabbit....