If Ridley got his own "Home" stage, what would you want it to be?

[vVv Rapture]

Metroid already has a bunch of stages in the Smash Bros series -- Planet Zebes, Brinstar, Brinstar Depths, Norfair, Frigate Orpheon, and Pyrosphere.

But now that Ridley is a playable character, it'd be cool if he had a Metroid stage that was like a "home" stage for him. Something to give him a bit more home field advantage rather than just all the many other Metroid stages we already have. And considering the Ridley in Other M isn't the real Ridley, I wouldn't really consider Pyrosphere to fit this criteria.

So let's say Smash Ultimate was getting a new Metroid stage, and one of those was a stage for Ridley, what would you want it to be and why?

My picks would be:

Artifact Temple (Metroid Prime): I've personally wanted a stage based on this since before Brawl, and it'd be an amazing stage for Ridley (especially with the Meta Ridley alt) and the series as a whole. Being able to recreate the Samus vs. Meta Ridley fight would be sick. The rainy backdrop with the huge statues surrounding you as you fight it out to the death, that'd be awesome. If they added hazards -- maybe destructible artifact pylons and maybe the temple lasers attacking every once in a while.

Leviathan Seed (Metroid Prime 3): Although this would be for Omega Ridley, it'd be another cool locale for a stage imo.

Ceres Space Colony (Super Metroid): Recreating one of the few instances in which Ridley actually bests Samus in combat in the games would be pretty fitting for a Ridley home stage. Maybe have the Baby Metroid in its tank in the background. They could do some cool things with this.

K-2L (Metroid Manga): I doubt they'd do a stage that very very directly addresses the manga, but at this point I don't think it's out of the realm of possibility. Plus, K-2L has been mentioned previously in Smash and Metroid, and of course is very important to both Samus and Ridley. This is where their destinies began to cross, after all. A destroyed K-2L would be a sick home stage for Ridley considering he's responsible for its demise.

Would you be down for these picks? What others would you go for?

 

[AuraShaman]

I will say this: if I'm right, and every stage returns with every fighter, then I want Pyrosphere to be Ridley's home stage.

Imagine the hilarity in an 8-Ridley Mega Smash while also cramming in an extra 9th Ridley into the madness.

 

[StormC]

I will say this: if I'm right, and every stage returns with every fighter, then I want Pyrosphere to be Ridley's home stage.

Imagine the hilarity in an 8-Ridley Mega Smash while also cramming in an extra 9th Ridley into the madness.

It's already been confirmed every stage won't return.

https://twitter.com/AllSourceGaming...tps://sourcegaming.info/tag/project-proposal/

Chozo Temple would be my pick though. Smash needs a good rainy stage.

 

[Zem-raj]

Ridley's Lair (Metroid Zero Mission / Super Metroid) - Areas of the battle with Ridley.

Artifact Temple (Metroid Prime) - Area of the battle with Meta Ridley.

SR-388 Surface (Metroid Samus Returns) - Area of final battle with Proteus Ridley.
Would have Samus' ship in the background, and the Baby Metroid as a stage hazard.
From the most recently released game.

 

[Quillion]

Ridley's Lair is in Norfair, though. That goes for both Metroid 1/Zero Mission and Super.

Norfair would be good enough. I just hope that Norfair will get the Lower Norfair/Magmoor Caverns theme this time.

 

[SchAlternate]

Well, we've gotten Brinstar and Brinstar Depths. Obviously the next step is to pair Norfair with Norfair Depths

 

[Arthur97]

What if they just make it "Ridley?" Kinda doubt it though.

 

[MrRoidley]

I guess Ridley's Lair, or idk Lower Norfair/Norfair Depths in the vein of how Brinstar Depths is a homage to Kraid's Lair.
Or SR388. I just really want a Samus Returns stage, and seeing Proteus Ridley, I guess that could work well enough

Weirdly enough, Ridley's stage in the website (in the background of his page) is Brinstar, idk why. Norfair is in Samus's page I believe

 

[IsmaR]

Put some thought into this/took forever since I didn't want to go over stuff that's already more or less been in the game (Norfair, Frigate Orpheon and Pyrosphere)

I'll get the obvious ones out of the way first.

Ceres Space Colony

Spoiler

Seems like a no brainer given it's the essential backdrop for Samus vs Ridley in Smash, being visually similar to both the arena you fight Ridley in Brawl and even being strikingly similar to the area the Ridley in Smash Ultimate trailer takes place (lot of reaction videos have "is that Subspace?" comments)

Only real issues I can see is that not much actually happens here in terms of gameplay (aside from the shaking during the escape sequence) so I'm worried they'd consider it too similar to Frigate Orpheon (for no good reason other than "Metroid = space" and "we already have a space station type stage").


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Planet SR388 (Surface)

Spoiler

Another no brainer, and probably my favorite backdrop for any major fight in the Metroid series. Seriously, just imagine this but in Ultimate's HD graphics.

Similar to the above, not much happens in the depicted location (directly in front of Samus' gunship) that isn't part of the boss fight (not to say Sakurai couldn't/wouldn't throw another Stage Boss our way, as we don't know 100% if Pyrosphere is returning or cut at this time), but I figure just like Pyrosphere, they could pull some of the "these enemies didn't actually appear in this specific area but who cares let's just put them here anyway" stuff they did in the last game. Obvious candidates would be Hornoads, tutorial bats, heck maybe even the Baby Metroid getting in on the action. I also thought maybe they could transition from normal weather (first picture) to the storm in the background, with some minor weather hazards. Even if they made it a cluster****, I'd love playing on hazardless/BF/Omega forms of this stage so long as they kept Samus' ship behind. I can't restate enough how much I'd love this.


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Now for some of the more unorthodox ideas I had.


Space Pirate Mothership (Zero Mission)

Spoiler

In the most literal sense, I know you don't actually fight Ridley here. But to me this section/area still felt to me like home stage material in that it was Ridley's flagship (a feeling strongly enforced in game from the cutscenes) and had the infamous Mecha/Robo Ridley fight. It's overlooked often in favor of other major areas (obviously Brinstar/Norfair are the only Zebes locations that exist according to Smash), so it'd be amazing getting some newer era Metroid love that isn't "hazardous liquids in a generic cave setting)."

The stage itself could pull from anything from Iron Ted being a stage boss and (actually make sense given it's not actually Ridley) to having stuff like the Pirate security systems/traps along with some staple enemies in the series (LET ME FIGHT NINJA PIRATES ALREADY, NINTENDO), to being something like an actual escape sequence scrolling stage (reminiscent of the Melee Adventure Mode Metroid stage mixed with the Super Mario 3D Land stage with it teleporting you back to the start).

I know it's not likely in the slightest, but as far as selling Metroid as a series/gameplay wise while also being Ridley home stage, this would be my dream.


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Planet Norion/Generator Shaft (Metroid Prime 3: Corruption)

Spoiler

This one is probably the biggest stretch (no pun intended). For those that haven't played the game, this encounter/boss fight basically plays out as Samus and Meta Ridley destroy the top platform of a generator, and then battle while falling down a long vertical shaft with the goal being to beat the boss before crashing at the bottom. The idea for this stage came from a mix of the stage Umbra Clock Tower in Smash 4 and the tunnel in which you fight Meta Ridley in Brawl. Obviously the latter doesn't have the same circumstances, though my idea was the perspective constantly shifting from "falling straight down" to having platforms that would emulate the boss fight itself, with the camera angle shifting from looking/falling perpective to looking at the sides.

On top of the usual falling stage gimmick ala Umbra Clock Tower, I pictured the stage having the same meter letting you know how far you are from reaching the bottom (which would be an instant KO if you fell all the way down). To offset this, Rundas would appear near the last few hundred meters and create an ice platform, saving anyone who manages to get on top of it and thus carrying you back up (with a transition similar to the Castle Siege stage) before the stage cycle repeats.

Additionally I see you having to avoid things such as the debris, random steam from the walls, maybe even seeing some of the Prime 3 Crawlmines/Crawltanks, and Jolly Roger Drones that speed around the map firing at nearby enemies just for good measure. Again, don't expect it, just "if you got what you wanted."

 

[NintenRob]

Norfair, Frigate Orpheon and Pyrosphere if they decide to return it without Ridley are all locations you encounter Ridley so he already kinda has a home stage. But Artifact Temple would be amazing.


I just want a Metroid stage on the surface of an alien planet without Lava. SR388 would be perfect, heck that's also a place you fight Ridley now

 

[domriver]

Tourian - would be a nice stage.

 

[RomanceDawn]

I want the golden statue room as a stage. Maybe upscale it and some how have the statues as usable platforms. Not really sure but I want it!

 

[vVv Rapture]

Norfair, Frigate Orpheon and Pyrosphere if they decide to return it without Ridley are all locations you encounter Ridley so he already kinda has a home stage. But Artifact Temple would be amazing.


I just want a Metroid stage on the surface of an alien planet without Lava. SR388 would be perfect, heck that's also a place you fight Ridley now

Those are places you encounter Ridley sure, but it's not really a "home" stage. Like I wouldn't say Frigate Orpheon is a home stage for Ridley -- you just run into him there, and he takes off. It's not definitive of Ridley. Pyrosphere is for Clone Ridley.

And Norfair is pretty close to it, but I'm thinking more of a stage that'd be introduced into this game rather than one that's already in the series, since it feels like those stages are either "home" stages for Samus or just represent Metroid in general. It'd be cool if there was a new stage added alongside Ridley's inclusion.

Like the Artifact Temple is like the location you think of when you think of Meta Ridley. Ceres Space Colony is similar but not to the exact same extent. And I would have picked Norfair if it wasn't already in the game.

SR-388 would be sick to tie in the Proteus Ridley fight from Samus Returns, I'd be down for that.

 

[Gerrothorax]

Artificial Temple would be my first choice especially with how little content the Prime games have in smash.

 

[meleebrawler]

Artificial Temple would be my first choice especially with how little content the Prime games have in smash.

It could have an interesting hazard of breakable statues that trigger lasers to attack those who break more.

 

[Olimar Too Small]

Looking behind each character. They all have a stage behind their portrait on the Smash Ultimate website and Ridley's looks to be Brinstar. So. That's my choice.

 

[PsychoIncarnate]

Switch Samus' to Brinstar and Ridley's to Norfair

 

[Meta_X]

Switch Samus' to Brinstar and Ridley's to Norfair

For sure, they were so close with the selections but as they are now it doesn't really make sense. But if we were gonna add Zero Suit (who currently has Frigate Orpheon) to the mix, then I think we could give her Brinstar, switch Samus to Norfair, and give Ridley Frigate Orpheon (since he appears there in Prime, unless Pyrosphere is returning then that would be a viable choice as well)

 

[Welshy91]

Frigate Orpheon

 

[KingBroly]

Pyropshere, for Irony

K-2L for cruelty