Here's an old concept I had for a progressively-transforming "rest station" stage for SSB4's All-Star mode.
[COLLAPSE="All-Star Mode Rest Station Idea"]All-Star Rest Area Concept
Well, I was thinking of some ideas for All-Star mode again - this time, the concepts are in relation to Hex's concept for a return to an SSB64-styled story.
Remember in SSB64 Master Hand's bedroom as seen in the opening cutscene? Since Hex's ideas promote Master Hand as a sort of child whose imagination is the characters fighting each other, I thought a good idea for All-Star mode's rest area was to make it take place on the very desk we in the SSB64 opening cinematic.
There's a Melee-inspired twist to it, though. As the player progresses through battles in All-Star mode, the stage will begin to transform from the original bedroom into a tranquil, gorgeous forested island located in a lake surrounded by forested, snow-capped mountains, before changing back into the desk.
In addition, I'd like to make use of Melee's All-Star music again, but with another twist. As the player progresses through All-Star mode, not only does the stage change, but the music does too. At first, all that is heard are some faint, repeating string instruments. Eventually, more instruments are added to the mix until you have almost a full symphony performing the All-Star music. Before the final battle on the last variant of the All-Star stage, the music turns minimalistic again. Here's a basic idea of how this progression would work with an example number of matches.
All-Star : Battles 1-3
Stage: The rest area is the bedroom desk seen in SSB64's intro, set in the early morning when the sun is rising, casting an orange-ish light on the scene from the window (located in front of the player, behind the camera). Nothing too special yet.
Music: Faint, repeating line from the string instruments, as heard in the beginning of the Smashing Live version of Melee's All-Star into.
All-Star : Battles 4-6
Stage: A sole tree with a circle of grass surrounding it appears in the center of the desk. The time is now mid-morning, and basic daylight is shining through the window.
Music: A solo flute is added, playing the familiar All-Star melody, as heard in the Smashing Live recording from 0:08 to 0:39.
All-Star : Battles 7-9
Stage: A handful of trees are scattered about the desk now, as well as several clumps of grass. The walls of the room are beginning to turn transparent; the blurry image of a mountain range is visible. The faint sound of waves splashing onto a lake's shore can be heard, although no water is visible. The time is just before noon, and midday light shines onto the stage from the window.
Music: The harp heard in the original Melee recording of the All-Star mode music now plays in rhythm with the rest of the instruments. The ring of one note on the glockenspiel from the Smashing Live recording plays each four repeats of the string instrument notes.
All-Star : Battles 10-12
Stage: The edges of the desk are now curving and rounding, becoming less straight. The desk is losing it's original rectangular shape. Trees have now formed in distinct groves on the island, and grass covers about half of the desk's area in scattered clumps. The desk's surface - previously a solid wooden texture - is slowly being replaced with the surface of a forest floor.
The walls in the room are still fading out as the view of mountains fades in more. In addition, the other objects in the room - the bed, the toy chest, etc. - are fading out now. In the area below the height of the desk, a dark blue hue saturates the area; barely noticeable is the fading-in-and-out image of water in calm motion. The sound of the waves splashing calmly on a lake shore increases in volume.
Music: Additional string instruments are layered below the previous instruments, providing a repeating held note. A solo cello now plays a quiet counter-melody to the solo flute, as heard in the Smashing Live recording.
All-Star : Battles 13-15
Stage: The desk's edges morph from their original shape, resembling more the naturally-formed shores of an island. The desk's surface is now composed of 50% scatterd wooden textures and 50% scattered forest floor. Grass now covers at least 75% of the desk's surface.
The walls and objects are still fading out as the definitive image of forested, snow-capped mountains forms in the distance, and below the mountains one can see the opposite shore of the lake. The water fades in more, and the waves splashing on the shores of the "desk" are now apparent. Only a blurry glimmer of the objects and area of what was a bedroom can be seen below the water. The lake waves grow slightly more intense, and thus louder in volume.
It is now midway through the afternoon, but not quite sunset yet. The sky blue light is beginning to lose it's hue and turn into a darker, slightly yellow-ish color.
Music: The atmospheric piano from Melee's original All-Star music now plays together with the soloist flute. Chimes, unique to this recording, play a unique melody in the background.
All-Star Battle : Battles 16-18
Stage: The "desk", now an island in a lake, has all but lost it's original edges. The original wooden textures on the desk are completely replaced by the textures of forest floor. Grass covers nearly the entire inner area of the island, only not touching the sandy shores of the island.
The walls of the room are all but gone, and the mountains and opposite shore of the lake are completely faded in. The water, completely faded in, is now murky - nothing can be seen below the waves. The sounds of wildlife are now mixed in with the sound of the lake waves.
It is now early sunset. Although not at it's most intense level yet, the sunlight is turning yellow and is shining somewhat brighter upon the stage from behind the island in the sky.
Music: Snare drums are added, providing a repeating two beats and following roll in the music. Low brass - trombones, baritones, etc. - play the same repeating notes as the original string instruments still play.
All-Star : Battles 19-21
Stage: The time is now sunset at it's most intense. A deep, piercing orange light radiates onto the stage, creating large shadows and a most beautiful image altogether.
The entire stage has a faint transparency now - it's not too noticeable, but everything is slightly faded. When the player enters their next fight, bright white rays of light will flood the screen, obscuring the image of the stage.
Music: The sound of some mystical aura is layered above the previous instruments, adding a very mystical quality fitting for the sunset scene.
All-Star : Battle 22, The Final Battle
Stage: The stage has reverted back to it's bedroom form, desk and everything. However, the time is evening. The light from the window is gone, and the stage is lit up by the lamp seen in the SSB64 intro. Beyond the light, the rest of the stage can be made out, but is covered in the shadow of night.
Music: The music similarly reverts back to a more simplistic state. All of the brass and percussion and nearly all the strings are gone. All that's left is Melee's piano lightly playing the All-Star melody while a small ensemble of strings plays held notes in the background.[/COLLAPSE]
