Norfair: Stage Research

[ParanoidDrone]

It's 2 for 1 day apparently. @ LiteralGrill requested I do a quick review of Norfair and kindly provided me with some research of his own. As a result I was able to quickly verify his findings instead of discovering it by myself, hence the speed of this new topic. Don't forget to check out the old ones too if you missed them.

Previously Covered
Orbital Gate Assault
Woolly World
Skyloft
Garden of Hope
Mushroom Kingdom U
Wuhu Island
Mario Circuit

Layout
Norfair is a returning stage from Brawl, so its layout is probably familiar to most people. It consists of 5 platforms in an inverted triangle shape. The bottom platform has a solid contraption attached to the underside, but can otherwise be jumped through from below. The rest of the platforms are all standard. All platforms have grabbable ledges on the outside.

Players 1 and 2 start on the outer/top platforms, while Players 3 and 4 start on the middle platforms. The Omega form floats over a void.

There are numerous hazards on Norfair, all lava-based. (Is anyone actually surprised by that?)

Lava
The lava on Norfair can harass players in one of four ways. It can rise up from below the stage, advance from the side as a wall, spray from the background as a jet, or a large wave can rush at the stage. Fortunately, they cannot all happen at once.

Name|Picture|Notes
Basic Layout|

|The initial layout. All lava hazards aim to restrict the use of one or more of the platforms.
Lava Floor|

|Rises from below the stage. Takes 12 seconds from the moment it starts rising to the moment it fully recedes. Remains in place for 3 seconds once it reaches its max height. Takes 8 seconds to rise again after receding. Can rise barely anywhere with no effect, just above the lower blast line, just below the bottom platform, just below the middle platform, or just below the top platform. Lava ripples can clip through platforms if sufficiently close. Does 14% damage and kills Mario at 140% from the bottom platform.
Lava Wall|

|Approaches from either side of the stage. Camera pans out in advance of its arrival and stays panned out until it starts to recede. Covers up to the halfway point in the stage. Does 14% on contact and kills Mario at 125% from center stage. Can easily hit twice when advancing for 28% damage total. Can happen while lava floor is rising, resulting in fewer platforms being available.
Lava Jet|

|Sprays from the background and is always aimed squarely at one of the platforms. Overlap between adjacent platforms means unwary players can still get hit. Does 10% damage and kills Mario at 115% from center stage. Players can shield the jets without issue, although the jets last long enough to deal two hits if shielded. Exact number and timing of jets varies.
Lava Wave|

|Erupts in the background while a safety capsule appears on one of the platforms. Wave takes 6 seconds to reach the stage. Players can attack the doors to the capsule to open it and seek refuge inside. Capsule seals when wave reaches stage and opens a few seconds later. Capsule floor and ceiling are solid. Sufficiently large hitboxes can still reach through. Deals 18% damage and kills Mario off the top at 125% from bottom platform. Wave can be shielded, spotdodged, etc. without issue. "Resets" the stage, preventing any further hazards from taking place for 10 seconds afterward. Lava waves can appear back to back.

Summary

• All platforms are grabbable on outside ledge.
• Lava floor rises and falls at intervals to one of 5 heights, does 14% and kills Mario at 140%.
• Lava wall advances from the side, camera pans out to keep it in view, does 14% and kills Mario at 125%.
• Lava jets spray platforms, do 10% and kill Mario at 115%.
• Lava wave hits entire stage, does 18% and kills Mario at 125%, takes 6 seconds to reach stage.
• Lava jets and wave can be shielded, spotdodged, etc.
• Lava wave triggers the appearance of a safety capsule players can fight over.

 

[ParanoidDrone]

Double posting is a naughty thing, but testing this stage showed me firsthand just how bad floaty characters have it when getting hit vertically. Samus dies to the lava wave at less than 75%. Compare that to Mario's 125% threshold.

Food for thought.

 

[LiteralGrill]

This is what all I managed to find as well, thanks again for making the thread!

The floor of lava seems to have a pattern. The floor will rise, stay risen, and fall back down at 12 second intervals. After that the floor will not rise again until 8 seconds pass.

The lava floor can rise to three positions, right under the first platform, right under the second platforms, and right under the third platforms, as the lava slowly rises to cover the second row.

The screen visually shakes whenever lava plumes are going to be fired, it gives you several seconds before.

There are tells when the walls of lava will come too. Several seconds before they appear you can see an almost glowing light (it's likely supposed to be lava) on either side of the screen (depending on what side the come from) that can give you fair warning for when they're going to come. (I'm going to get some pictures of that in here ASAP.)

The walls do not have a timed pattern like the floors however, and a wall can show up an any point during the floor rising.

The big wave of lava will take 10 seconds from when the capsule shows up to when it vanishes to complete that entire "transformation". Afterwards the floor wont rise again for another 10 seconds before resuming the usual cycle.

WHEW!!!

 

[ParanoidDrone]

I also want to note that it was a massive pain to verify the timing on the lava rising and falling until I noticed that there were a couple of levels it could rise to that were still well below the camera. Then it all fit into place.

 

[LiteralGrill]

Some very helpful pictures.

First, the picture of the tell when the wall is going to come in. I have it from special angle to help better show you wht you are looking for.

Can you see that glow from this angle? If you know what you are looking, you can see that glow coming up from the side before the wall comes.

Also, this picture is pretty cool. I think I snapped a super lucky moment. It's showing the hitboxes from the lava radiating on the stage. I'm not sure if this could be used or not to avoid the hitboxes, but it's cool looking at a bare minimum!