Official Next Smash - Speculation & Discussion Thread

[Kirbeh]

I'm working on a stage list idea for the next Smash game. Just polling people, how would you prefer they handle returning stages?

1. Very few returning stages, and those that come back are treated as kind of their own thing instead of being grouped with the new stages (similar to Melee and Brawl)
2. The stage roster is about half new stages and half old stages, and there isn't really a distinction made (similar to both Smash 4s)
3. Prioritize bringing back old stages, with barely any new ones (similar to Ultimate)

Personally I'm most intrested in Option 1. Ultimate having most of the old stages brought back was cool, but the tiny list of new stages was always a bit of a bummer. Maybe a few more returning stages than Melee and Brawl, but definitely more of a focus on the new rather than the old.

A blend of one and two. Most stages are new but there's still a decent selection of old stages. Though now that they've gone to the trouble of updating so many of them, I think odds are we'd see a good chunk come back anyway. A dozen stages per game, (half dozen for 64) seems like a fair number imo.

On second thought though, the old should probably outnumber the new in this case as they'd need to make 54+ stages for that to work. I'd be happy with just 20 new stages in the base game. I'd gladly take more like in Brawl and 4 of course but 20 seems like a decent amount for a minimum.

 

[NintenRob]

I just want any franchise that has received a new game since 2014 to get a new stage. Give me a Metroid Dread stage, Kirby and the Forgotten Land stage, Tropical Freeze stage, Any new Pokémon stage, Yoshi's Crafted World stage (or bring back Woolly World). Kirby Planet Robobot stage, New Horizons stage,

I feel like a lot of newer games got shafted because Ultimate decided to focus on older stages

 

[TheFirstPoppyBro]

I just want any franchise that has received a new game since 2014 to get a new stage. Give me a Metroid Dread stage, Kirby and the Forgotten Land stage, Tropical Freeze stage, Any new Pokémon stage, Yoshi's Crafted World stage (or bring back Woolly World). Kirby Planet Robobot stage, New Horizons stage,

I feel like a lot of newer games got shafted because Ultimate decided to focus on older stages

The fact that Incineroar didn't actually get a home stage still irks me to no end lmao

 

[Noipoi]

The fact that Incineroar didn't actually get a home stage still irks me to no end lmao

We could've had it all.

I definitely think we'll get a lot of new stages last time. Ultimate was focused on bringing a lot of legacy content back, the next game will presumably be more standard and hone in on Nintendo's newest games.

 

[GoldenYuiitusin]

We could've had it all.

With how little influence Ultra Sun/Moon had in content, doubtful we would have had this.

Probably something more like Mount Lanakila.

 

[Noipoi]

With how little influence Ultra Sun/Moon had in content, doubtful we would have had this.

Probably something more like Mount Lanakila.

Or maybe the Altar of the Sunne/Moone, with Ultra Wormholes and Ultra Beasts appearing in the background.

 

[LiveStudioAudience]

Wouldn't have as much interest as the fighter variation, and who's to say how a Smash team would utilize the results, but a setting/stage ballot officially being done would be cool. Provided you had some instruction saying to include which series/game the stage comes from you could probably get some decent feedback as to where fan's minds are with levels.

 

[GoldenYuiitusin]

Or maybe the Altar of the Sunne/Moone, with Ultra Wormholes and Ultra Beasts appearing in the background.

Or Exeggutor Island :V

 

[SMAASH! Puppy]

I didn't know this, but he already can do this, including energy projectiles

Huh...

...

...Why did they do it like that? Also why does Holy Water blow Kirby up? Is it because he's the "Pink Demon"?

 

[TheFirstPoppyBro]

When it comes to stages, I think some will return but I'd prefer if it weren't ones that have been around for a decade and a half. I would prefer mostly new with some returning out of Ultimate's new additions and probably like... Boxing Ring and Duck Hunt since there's not really much to be done for them outside of that.

It's probably more realistic to assume a large number will come back, but I'd just really like a large majority new stages to go alongside things like redone victory themes that I also would like them to start doing again to try and make the next game feel more new if that makes sense? Especially since Ultimate will be playable on Switch 2 since they confirmed backwards compatibility.

 

[The Stoopid Unikorn]

BRING BACK POKE FLOATS

 

[ninjahmos]

BRING BACK POKE FLOATS

And give us a new remix of the Red/Blue Trainer Battle Theme

 

[92MilesPrower]

BRING BACK POKE FLOATS

And before anyone says "you can't do an Omega form," I remind you of the existence of Avalugg:

 

[Louie G.]

When it comes to stages, I think some will return but I'd prefer if it weren't ones that have been around for a decade and a half. I would prefer mostly new with some returning out of Ultimate's new additions and probably like... Boxing Ring and Duck Hunt since there's not really much to be done for them outside of that.

Agree with this, although will add that Punch-Out at least has the NYC skyline that they could base a stage off of. I know we've talked about it before and I've come to really dig that idea - it's an iconic, recognizable setting with a remix and an alternate costume to its credit already. Not as a replacement to Boxing Ring, which should remain a series staple by default, but Punch-Out has a little more creativity they could squeeze out of an additional stage. Maybe the training gym from Punch-Out Wii and Mac's trailer, as well.

For Duck Hunt I guess we can get uh... Skeet Shot? But in all seriousness, maybe something based on Wild Gunman.

 

[TheFirstPoppyBro]

For Duck Hunt I guess we can get uh... Skeet Shot? But in all seriousness, maybe something based on Wild Gunman.

True, there is Hogan's Alley and Wild Gunman to take into account since Duck Hunt is more centered around a peripheral as a character.

 

[Ivander]

And before anyone says "you can't do an Omega form," I remind you of the existence of Avalugg:
View attachment 396495

Sure....if you want to the stage to have an innate tripping mechanic.

Imagine starting a match on Avalugg, both fighters start rushing each other only for each one to fall in the crack closest to them.

 

[MBRedboy31]

Sure....if you want to the stage to have an innate tripping mechanic.

Imagine starting a match on Avalugg, both fighters start rushing each other only for each one to fall in the crack closest to them.

You just have to have it face toward the camera so the cracks aren’t in the way. That middle “chunk” seems like a pretty nice shape and width for a stage.

It’d have visibility issues due to the legs obscuring recovering fighters, though, admittedly.

 

[SMAASH! Puppy]

I'd imagine the cracks in Avalugg's body would either be shortened to the point of not mattering, or removed entirely and replaced with texturework.

 

[Ivander]

You just have to have it face toward the camera so the cracks aren’t in the way. That middle “chunk” seems like a pretty nice shape and width for a stage.

It’d have visibility issues due to the legs obscuring recovering fighters, though, admittedly.

I mean, that does work. But on the other hand, do you really want Avalugg facing toward the camera? Just always watching you?

 

[SMAASH! Puppy]

I mean, that does work. But on the other hand, do you really want Avalugg facing toward the camera? Just always watching you?

Don't be silly. They'll rotate him the other way so you have to look at its butt the entire match.

 

[Kirbeh]

You just have to have it face toward the camera so the cracks aren’t in the way. That middle “chunk” seems like a pretty nice shape and width for a stage.

It’d have visibility issues due to the legs obscuring recovering fighters, though, admittedly.

Not necessarily, the legs seem low enough, and the sections on the back are high enough that they wouldn't really occupy the same line of sight if it maintained the right posture. And if they really need to, they could just make the edges a tad longer.

Now I really want an Avalugg "traveling" stage, where it it's just walking through a snowy area and ends in the sea. No crazy stage platform changes (some minor ones maybe), just the background changing as Avalugg does laps around the area.

 

[TheFirstPoppyBro]

Not necessarily, the legs seem low enough, and the sections on the back are high enough that they wouldn't really occupy the same line of sight if it maintained the right posture. And if they really need to, they could just make the edges a tad longer.

Now I really want an Avalugg "traveling" stage, where it it's just walking through a snowy area and ends in the sea. No crazy stage platform changes (some minor ones maybe), just the background changing as Avalugg does laps around the area.

View attachment 396496

This makes me think of like a stage where you fight on top of Lord of the Tundra Avalugg from Legends Arceus in Icepeak Arena, perhaps while it has its own fight with the Legends Arceus protag, and maybe the attacks it launches at them would be stage hazards lol

 

[NintenRob]

So this post was originally gonna be stage list. But I decided to go in a different direction. I want to look at each franchise in Smash and see what does and doesn't need a new stage. I say 'need' loosely though as it's more of a vague should and shouldn't.

Spoiler: First Party franchises

-well obviously Mario is gonna get a new stage, it's Mario. We got Mario Wonder right there that's going to get a stage, probably going to get a new 3D Mario between now and Smash 6 as well. I also feel Princess Peach Showtime will be getting a stage to serve as a definitive Peach stage. And my fingers are crossed for a Brothership stage too. And I haven't even mentioned Bowser's Castle

-Mario Kart is a bit tricky. If we get a new Mario Kart between now and the next Smash Bros, they'll probably want it in the next Smash Game. But I think it's more important right now to bring back Rainbow Road, one of the few past stages not in Smash Ultimate

-Yes. Even though the last Donkey Kong game to come was 10 years ago, the most modern DK stage in Smash Ultimate is from 25 years ago. Something from tropical freeze that's not a typical dense jungle would be fantastic

-Zelda is obviously getting a stage or two, but there's more questions about what that stage will be. Tears of the Kingdom will likely get something but sharing a world with Breath of the Wild makes it less of a priority and gives less options of what could be a stage that isn't just a second breath of the wild stage. Sky Islands or Depths, pick your poison. We also got Echoes of Wisdom which shares a lot of locales from A link to the past. A null space stage perhaps?

- YES! Metroid needs a new stage. Samus Returns, Metroid Dread and soon Prime 4 are all calling out for a new stage. My choice is Ferenia from Dread

-Yoshi is probably the first franchise I can say I don't think we need a new stage for. Sure you could do something for Crafted World but I think bringing back Woolly World will serve things better. There's already so much overlap with Yoshi and Mario that Yoshi already feels at home on most Mario stages

- ANYTHING FROM THE PAST 25+ YEARS. And under no circumstances should we get another Super star stage. I would gladly give up a whispy stage, Dreamland GB and Great Cave for something from Forgotten Land. Forgotten Land more than any other game out there NEEDS a stage in Smash Bros

-Honestly, another no from me. Corneria was updated to look like Star Fox Zero. We also have Venom and Lylat Cruise for extra variety. We could even bring back Orbital Gate Assault for extra game variety. I don't think anyone is begging for a Star fox adventure or command stage

-Yes. Obviously yes. Gen 8, Gen 9, probably gen 10, could even include gen 7. Pokémon will get a stage or more

- Gonna group F-Zero and Earthbound together for another no. Obviously both franchises have a ton of locations to choose from but for what they are, both franchises already have a lot in Smash. Earthbound only has 3 games and 4 stages in Smash. F-Zero did get 99 but that's just an expanded upon version of a SNES game.

-hmm. Depends how much of a priority Engage is because Fire Emblem actually did get a stage in Ultimate with Garreg Mach Monastery. I'll throw it in the yes pile because it's a modern series still getting new games, but I still think we're not getting a new character

-No, Retro characters don't need new stages. Their old ones will serve the well enough already

-R.O.B. however doesn't have an old one. As a number one R.O.B. enjoyer, while I'd appreciate a Gyromite stage, I don't think it's needed either. R.O.B. is primarily remembered as NES accessory but not necessarily the games that use him. So I think having hardware and other retro NES stages as his home stage works pretty well. Also while R.O.B. is very cool, Gyromite kinda isn't.

-Now this is a toughie. The Wario Ware Inc stage perfectly captures the zany micro games of Wario Ware while Gamer is the perfect side mode. WarioWare representation is kinda perfect with these stages, despite that though, WarioWare does have a couple of new games that could use representing. Move it getting Caresaway Island, perhaps the temple so you can do it's own Microgames, would be a good. Though I'd rather do a Mario Party version if we repeat that gimmick. Also obligatory Wario Land mention.

-While I would adore a new Kid Icarus Uprising stage, at this stage it would be kinda niche. Lot's of varied locations but I'll say no because we already have two Uprising stages.

-I have not played pikmin 4 yet but I'm sure they'd want a stage for it. Ideally a cave or something because Garden of Hope is kinda peak Pikmin aesthetic so I wouldn't want a repeat of that.

-New Horizons sold a gazillion copies. They'll absolutely want a new island stage. The only tricky part is differentiating from Tortimer Island. I don't want a repeat of Town and City Vs Smashville. Maybe Tortimer Island is on the chopping block? Hope not though

- I've mentioned these two together before but they absolutely do not need a new stage. Neither are known for their wide array of new locations while their current stage perfectly captures the aesthetic of their games.

- Xenoblade 3, Xenoblade X. Nuff said. Yes

-Yes for sure. We've had new games since Ultimate and Moray Towers is pretty polarising. I feel like we need a hub world or something, anything that isn't vertical

-This one is a bit tricky. Like we have the iconic stage for the one game that is ARMS. But it's not like it's a retro obscure pick. We don't know if ARMS will be a series or not, and there's other locations that would be good. Notably we could actually get Min Mins homestage, Ramen Bowl. Or the games version of Final Destination with Sky Arena. I think we can get a second ARMS stage since it's still newish, but I wouldn't expect much in terms of new stuff unless this actually turns in a series.

Spoiler: Third Party franchises

-Sonic has already proven capable getting new stages. As a platformer, there's a huge amount of locations to choose from and Sonic is in a healthy spot right now. My choice is Eggman Land or something, but yeah, we'll probably get something.

-This is hard to say. First Snake needs to return, which history shows isn't guaranteed. Than with that return he needs to get new stuff. Shadow Moses Island feels like a very catch all for the series that I admittedly don't know much about, and the franchise isn't in a very healthy spot. That said, Metal Gear Solid Delta is coming out at some point, and Metal Gear Solid 3 is super highly acclaimed. I think we could get a stage from that game. So I'll put Metal Gear in yes

-another toughie just because the series has such a history but is also pretty dormant at the moment, we did get Mega Man 11, but that wasn't really followed up on and didn't make much of a splash I feel like. And while the game doesn't have a lot of places to choose from, none come close to how iconic Wily Castle is,(as in, would we do a random robot master stage?) they even used Wily Castle as the stage in 3DS and Wii U. There is one exception though, central highway from Mega Man X. If a Mega Man fan has a suggestion from series proper, I'd love to hear it. Mega Man should get another stage so it's not tormented by Yellow Devil, even it's just something like Wily Castle 2 or something

- Yes. But I imagine it's just gonna a new version of Pac-Maze. Because we need Pac-Maze in the stage. Plus they need to get rid of Pac-Land. Obligatory Pac-Man world mention

-Street Fighter in Smash heavily focuses on Street Fighter 2, which we have Suzaku Castle, Ryu's stage. However we do have Ken, so why not add Battle Harbour, Ken's stage. This is a maybe but I'll tentatively put it in yes

-This is a hard no so long as we focus only on Final Fantasy 7, you got two to choose from. Don't need a third.

- Please Yes. The series got a new entry not long ago and it has so many varied locations. I would love something based on Avalon Forest from Cereza and the lost demon. That has potential to be the prettiest stage in the series.

-Castlevania has a super long history but right now, the only thing keep the series relevant are collections and a TV series. Last new game was ages ago. Also don't most games take place entirely in Dracula's Castle? Though I imagine you can find more specific locations, I'm picturing a graveyard. Help me out here Castlevania folks. I'm saying Yes but it's a tentative

-I'm actually going to say no. Mementos was designed to represent Persona 3, 4 and 5. Obviously there are other locations they could use but Persona is still focused on 5 and new Persona 5 stage doesn't seem necessary

- Dragon Quest is huge, but I don't see another Dragon Quest 11 stage happening since yggdrasils Alter already highlights basically the entire thing. However Dragon Quest 3 got a remake recently and Dragon Quest isn't as rigid in what game it represents in Smash as other third parties. So in the yes pile

- I love Banjo Kazooie, I'd love a new stage. But it's a series that is basically dead. And Spiral Mountain is perfect. It's a location in every game. Unless every series gets a new stage, Banjo goes in the no pile.

- King of Fighters is basically SNK the stage. It's borderline the perfect stage. Actually it's so perfect I could see them repurposing into a Smash generic and giving Terry a train or something. Bit of a reach so I'll keep Terry in no for now

-This is the hardest one by far. Minecraft World is perfect. But Nether is Iconic, and Minecraft is huge. But it's also one game, but it's a really big game. Just for the sheer force that is Minecraft, I'll put it in yes.

- I don't know. What even is Tekken? Maybe they'll do that Volcano Heihachi likes to throw people in and was thrown in himself. I can't think of a reason why they wouldn't, but Mishima Dojo is also definitive. But I'll go yes. Tekken is ongoing and there was passion adding this guy.

- Disney. Just Disney. They already had to lean towards Kingdom Heart 1, and avoid all Disney characters. I believe Kingdom Hearts if it returns might just be the exact same stuff we see in Ultimate with not much more. This is a coinflip otherwise, I'm just feeling no with no real reason.

Tldr.

Do I think this Franchise will get a new stage?

YES


NO

 

[Oracle Link]

Speaking of stages these are my zelda wishes for smash 6!

Stages:
Koholint Island (its just such a good game)
A Goron stage
A Rito Stage
Deku Tree
And a Ganon themed stage!

Characters
Atleast 2 Characters that arent link, zelda or ganon and obviously:

I need that Link to be playable this zelda would also be cool!

 

[Laniv]

And before anyone says "you can't do an Omega form," I remind you of the existence of Avalugg:
View attachment 396495

And if you need a Battlefield form, look no further than good ol' Stunfisk:

 

[SMAASH! Puppy]

One interesting thing that could happen with Poké Floats is that it doesn't get the parade float/air balloon facelift that people are expecting, instead opting to pull back out those Pokémon Stadium models and treat it like a retro stage. After all, the concept of the Pokémon being balloons was a translation thing, so it's entirely possible that Sakurai and his design team finds that the best way to capture the original iteration of it is to lean into the outdated models and the fever dream aspect of the stage.

EDIT: In this case, the Avalugg/Stunfisk Battlefield/Ω forms would probably either make entirely new models in the Pokémon Stadium style, or use the low-poly models from Pokémon Scarlet/Violet.
EDIT EDIT: Or they don't even bother with Avalugg or Stunfisk and make a platform based on Pokémon Stadium with all of the models floating in the background to keep the theming.

 

[dezeray112]

Spoiler: Third Party franchises

-Sonic has already proven capable getting new stages. As a platformer, there's a huge amount of locations to choose from and Sonic is in a healthy spot right now. My choice is Eggman Land or something, but yeah, we'll probably get something.

-This is hard to say. First Snake needs to return, which history shows isn't guaranteed. Than with that return he needs to get new stuff. Shadow Moses Island feels like a very catch all for the series that I admittedly don't know much about, and the franchise isn't in a very healthy spot. That said, Metal Gear Solid Delta is coming out at some point, and Metal Gear Solid 3 is super highly acclaimed. I think we could get a stage from that game. So I'll put Metal Gear in yes

-another toughie just because the series has such a history but is also pretty dormant at the moment, we did get Mega Man 11, but that wasn't really followed up on and didn't make much of a splash I feel like. And while the game doesn't have a lot of places to choose from, none come close to how iconic Wily Castle is,(as in, would we do a random robot master stage?) they even used Wily Castle as the stage in 3DS and Wii U. There is one exception though, central highway from Mega Man X. If a Mega Man fan has a suggestion from series proper, I'd love to hear it. Mega Man should get another stage so it's not tormented by Yellow Devil, even it's just something like Wily Castle 2 or something

- Yes. But I imagine it's just gonna a new version of Pac-Maze. Because we need Pac-Maze in the stage. Plus they need to get rid of Pac-Land. Obligatory Pac-Man world mention

-Street Fighter in Smash heavily focuses on Street Fighter 2, which we have Suzaku Castle, Ryu's stage. However we do have Ken, so why not add Battle Harbour, Ken's stage. This is a maybe but I'll tentatively put it in yes

-This is a hard no so long as we focus only on Final Fantasy 7, you got two to choose from. Don't need a third.

- Please Yes. The series got a new entry not long ago and it has so many varied locations. I would love something based on Avalon Forest from Cereza and the lost demon. That has potential to be the prettiest stage in the series.

-Castlevania has a super long history but right now, the only thing keep the series relevant are collections and a TV series. Last new game was ages ago. Also don't most games take place entirely in Dracula's Castle? Though I imagine you can find more specific locations, I'm picturing a graveyard. Help me out here Castlevania folks. I'm saying Yes but it's a tentative

-I'm actually going to say no. Mementos was designed to represent Persona 3, 4 and 5. Obviously there are other locations they could use but Persona is still focused on 5 and new Persona 5 stage doesn't seem necessary

- Dragon Quest is huge, but I don't see another Dragon Quest 11 stage happening since yggdrasils Alter already highlights basically the entire thing. However Dragon Quest 3 got a remake recently and Dragon Quest isn't as rigid in what game it represents in Smash as other third parties. So in the yes pile

- I love Banjo Kazooie, I'd love a new stage. But it's a series that is basically dead. And Spiral Mountain is perfect. It's a location in every game. Unless every series gets a new stage, Banjo goes in the no pile.

- King of Fighters is basically SNK the stage. It's borderline the perfect stage. Actually it's so perfect I could see them repurposing into a Smash generic and giving Terry a train or something. Bit of a reach so I'll keep Terry in no for now

-This is the hardest one by far. Minecraft World is perfect. But Nether is Iconic, and Minecraft is huge. But it's also one game, but it's a really big game. Just for the sheer force that is Minecraft, I'll put it in yes.

- I don't know. What even is Tekken? Maybe they'll do that Volcano Heihachi likes to throw people in and was thrown in himself. I can't think of a reason why they wouldn't, but Mishima Dojo is also definitive. But I'll go yes. Tekken is ongoing and there was passion adding this guy.

- Disney. Just Disney. They already had to lean towards Kingdom Heart 1, and avoid all Disney characters. I believe Kingdom Hearts if it returns might just be the exact same stuff we see in Ultimate with not much more. This is a coinflip otherwise, I'm just feeling no with no real reason.

Tldr.

Do I think this Franchise will get a new stage?

YES


NO

I'll give some of my thoughts on the third party perspective based on franchises I am more familiar with:

- Considering how well Street Fighter 6 is doing, I could see a stage based upon the Chinatown District of Metro City or perhaps the Construction Site area of Metro City (which is where Ken is located in Street Fighter 6's World Tour mode.)
- Maybe perhaps between the "Freight Express" which is Terry's stage or "Live House Old Line" which is Rock Howard's stage from Garou: Mark of the Wolves.
- Probably be between the "Urban Square", "Rebel Hangar" or the "Into the Stratosphere" stages from Tekken 8.

 

[Pupp135]

I'm working on a stage list idea for the next Smash game. Just polling people, how would you prefer they handle returning stages?

1. Very few returning stages, and those that come back are treated as kind of their own thing instead of being grouped with the new stages (similar to Melee and Brawl)
2. The stage roster is about half new stages and half old stages, and there isn't really a distinction made (similar to both Smash 4s)
3. Prioritize bringing back old stages, with barely any new ones (similar to Ultimate)

Personally I'm most intrested in Option 1. Ultimate having most of the old stages brought back was cool, but the tiny list of new stages was always a bit of a bummer. Maybe a few more returning stages than Melee and Brawl, but definitely more of a focus on the new rather than the old.

Personally, I’d say that 30-40% of the stages being older ones seems like a fair amount as this allows us to experiment with newer locations that haven‘t been added yet, so I guess the SSB For direction. The stages that I’d like to see return the most are Above Peach’s Castle, Hyrule Castle, Fountain of Dreams, and Magicant.

 

[RouffWestie]

I'm working on a stage list idea for the next Smash game. Just polling people, how would you prefer they handle returning stages?

1. Very few returning stages, and those that come back are treated as kind of their own thing instead of being grouped with the new stages (similar to Melee and Brawl)
2. The stage roster is about half new stages and half old stages, and there isn't really a distinction made (similar to both Smash 4s)
3. Prioritize bringing back old stages, with barely any new ones (similar to Ultimate)

Personally I'm most interested in Option 1. Ultimate having most of the old stages brought back was cool, but the tiny list of new stages was always a bit of a bummer. Maybe a few more returning stages than Melee and Brawl, but definitely more of a focus on the new rather than the old.

4. Drop stage development from the process entirely, aside from modeling backgrounds, then overhaul Stage Builder to have Mario Maker-tier capabilities so the players can build their own stage rosters

Bonus points if stage pieces consist of actual hazards and objects from franchise's in Smash. They could pull from just a few of the current franchises and have more than enough to work with.

 

[RileyXY1]

I think that due to them going back to tradition I think that the stage roster will be overwhelmingly new, with only a few old stages returning.

 

[Garteam]

Stages is where I'll imagine we'll see the quantity of content reduced the most relative to Ultimate. 100+ was already a ton of stages. That workload further spiraled out of control due to Omega and Battlefield forms, stage morph, stages with a ton of transformations and segments like Wuhu Island (still one of the best stages in Ultimate, though), and needing to rework the stages for Steve.

I think 60 to 75 stages is good enough. Ideally, most franchises would have a returning stage and a new stage that each show an iconic location from a unique game while remaining thematic distinct (more than just jungles for DK, more than just lava for Metroid, etc.). Mario and Zelda would obviously get a higher number of returning stages, but that would be made up for by series like Ice Climber having only one stage.

Also, bring back Pac-Maze. I don't care if you have to rework the gimmick, it's ****ing Pac-Maze.

 

[SPEN18]

For AC yeah you could just make a general "New Horizons Island" stage, but as an and/or I think Dodo Airlines is pretty low-hanging fruit for an AC Smash stage.

 

[ninjahmos]

I think I've said this before, but I'm hoping there'll be more variety with newer stages. We don't want the selection to consist mostly of First Levels.

 

[Louie G.]

Is it controversial for me to say that the stagelist was one of Ultimate's heavier disappointments for me, even at the time? Mind you, DLC picked up the slack after everything was said and done, but I feel that the surplus of returning stages rung a bit hollow when it could not be the full set anyway. If bringing back 100% of the stages was infeasible, then I would have been perfectly fine with just getting 60-70% and a few more new stages instead of like... I think 85% and a few loose ends. The fact that series like Pokemon and Kirby didn't get any new stages is pretty egregious to me, as others have stated Incineroar not having a home stage (other than Boxing Ring, lol) was kinda baffling. I dunno, EIH is cool but "almost every stage is here, but not quite" doesn't do that much for me to make up for the lack of new content.

In any case, I don't think it's much of a question that next game will put a big emphasis back on an updated stagelist. More significant releases have happened between now and the release of Ultimate, whereas Smash 4 -> Ultimate was barely any time at all. Mario Wonder, TOTK, Metroid Dread, Forgotten Land, two generations of Pokemon, two Splatoon games, New Horizons, Pikmin 4... we'll be fine.

NO

I feel like you may be underestimating some of these less currently fruitful series' odds of getting new stages, because even disregarding the fact that these series have not seen much brand new content introduced... it's not all that different than the situation in Smash 4, where they were given new stages anyway. I think if you're a longstanding staple series like these, the possibility is strong that they'll continue to see new material. I may even extend that over to Kid Icarus (Uprising) at this point, in a similar light to how Kirby Super Star is a common basis for new stages.

I will say that you can only do so much with Star Fox or F-Zero without retreading ground, assuming most will take place on a ship or a racetrack respectively, but the Mother series has an actual surplus of dynamic locations including some pretty obvious slam-dunks like Saturn Valley. On the heels of F-Zero 99 maybe all you need to do is bring back Mute City 3DS. Star Fox I dunno, but Star Fox Zero never got anything.

 

[CommanderZaktan]

We could've had it all.

I definitely think we'll get a lot of new stages last time. Ultimate was focused on bringing a lot of legacy content back, the next game will presumably be more standard and hone in on Nintendo's newest games.

Image is broken. I can't see the image you posted

 

[Noipoi]

Image is broken. I can't see the image you posted

Oh ****

It’s just the official art for Ultra Space from USUM

 

[SharkLord]

Is it controversial for me to say that the stagelist was one of Ultimate's heavier disappointments for me, even at the time? Mind you, DLC picked up the slack after everything was said and done, but I feel that the surplus of returning stages rung a bit hollow when it could not be the full set anyway. If bringing back 100% of the stages was infeasible, then I would have been perfectly fine with just getting 60-70% and a few more new stages instead of like... I think 85% and a few loose ends. The fact that series like Pokemon and Kirby didn't get any new stages is pretty egregious to me, as others have stated Incineroar not having a home stage (other than Boxing Ring, lol) was kinda baffling. I dunno, EIH is cool but "almost every stage is here, but not quite" doesn't do that much for me to make up for the lack of new content.

In any case, I don't think it's much of a question that next game will put a big emphasis back on an updated stagelist. More significant releases have happened between now and the release of Ultimate, whereas Smash 4 -> Ultimate was barely any time at all. Mario Wonder, TOTK, Metroid Dread, Forgotten Land, two generations of Pokemon, two Splatoon games, New Horizons, Pikmin 4... we'll be fine.



I feel like you may be underestimating some of these less currently fruitful series' odds of getting new stages, because even disregarding the fact that these series have not seen much brand new content introduced... it's not all that different than the situation in Smash 4, where they were given new stages anyway. I think if you're a longstanding staple series like these, the possibility is strong that they'll continue to see new material. I may even extend that over to Kid Icarus (Uprising) at this point, in a similar light to how Kirby Super Star is a common basis for new stages.

I will say that you can only do so much with Star Fox or F-Zero without retreading ground, assuming most will take place on a ship or a racetrack respectively, but the Mother series has an actual surplus of dynamic locations including some pretty obvious slam-dunks like Saturn Valley. On the heels of F-Zero 99 maybe all you need to do is bring back Mute City 3DS. Star Fox I dunno, but Star Fox Zero never got anything.

Nah, I've prattled on and on about wanting a stagelist revamp. Too much Grassy Level Ones (Most of which are from Mario), too much cheap retro stages that clash with the fighters, too many traveling stages without a memorable layout, yadda yadda. Out of all the stages, I barely ever use more than a quarter of them.

 

[TheFirstPoppyBro]

Is it controversial for me to say that the stagelist was one of Ultimate's heavier disappointments for me, even at the time? Mind you, DLC picked up the slack after everything was said and done, but I feel that the surplus of returning stages rung a bit hollow when it could not be the full set anyway. If bringing back 100% of the stages was infeasible, then I would have been perfectly fine with just getting 60-70% and a few more new stages instead of like... I think 85% and a few loose ends. The fact that series like Pokemon and Kirby didn't get any new stages is pretty egregious to me, as others have stated Incineroar not having a home stage (other than Boxing Ring, lol) was kinda baffling. I dunno, EIH is cool but "almost every stage is here, but not quite" doesn't do that much for me to make up for the lack of new content.

In any case, I don't think it's much of a question that next game will put a big emphasis back on an updated stagelist. More significant releases have happened between now and the release of Ultimate, whereas Smash 4 -> Ultimate was barely any time at all. Mario Wonder, TOTK, Metroid Dread, Forgotten Land, two generations of Pokemon, two Splatoon games, New Horizons, Pikmin 4... we'll be fine.

Yeah, this is my other thing with stages, the Switch has been a juggernaut for a lot of franchises, hitting hard with big top sellers left and right, and I have no doubt that Sakurai's team and Nintendo especially will want to do something with all that, not to mention if new franchises that have never had a stage get added to the playable lineup, like Golden Sun or Rhythm Heaven for example. Still hoping Forgotten Land being the new best seller in the Kirby series kinda makes something happen there lol

Do I think this Franchise will get a new stage?

YES


NO

I think a lot of these in the No category still have something to give. Star Fox/F-Zero/Mother/Kid Icarus are full of locations to pull from (SSF2's Sand Ocean comes to mind, even though it is mostly set on the Falcon Flyer), Ice Climbers don't really have anything specific, but just like Icicle Mountain and Summit they could just make something up, there are plenty of other Game and Watch games to use for a theoretical Flat Zone 3, FF7 and King of Fighters have tons of locations to work with, and Kingdom Hearts has places like Twilight Town at the very least (and I still think the idea of Timeless River with Mickey and Pete cameos since the Steamboat Willie versions are public domain now would be hilarious).

 

[Arcanir]

Is it controversial for me to say that the stagelist was one of Ultimate's heavier disappointments for me, even at the time? Mind you, DLC picked up the slack after everything was said and done, but I feel that the surplus of returning stages rung a bit hollow when it could not be the full set anyway. If bringing back 100% of the stages was infeasible, then I would have been perfectly fine with just getting 60-70% and a few more new stages instead of like... I think 85% and a few loose ends. The fact that series like Pokemon and Kirby didn't get any new stages is pretty egregious to me, as others have stated Incineroar not having a home stage (other than Boxing Ring, lol) was kinda baffling. I dunno, EIH is cool but "almost every stage is here, but not quite" doesn't do that much for me to make up for the lack of new content.

In any case, I don't think it's much of a question that next game will put a big emphasis back on an updated stagelist. More significant releases have happened between now and the release of Ultimate, whereas Smash 4 -> Ultimate was barely any time at all. Mario Wonder, TOTK, Metroid Dread, Forgotten Land, two generations of Pokemon, two Splatoon games, New Horizons, Pikmin 4... we'll be fine.

I agree, and I think another problem is that a number of the stages overlapping in function and aesthetic made it unintentionally feel more like bloat in some cases. DK is a good example of that as Jungle Japes, Kongo Jungle, and Kongo Falls all overlap in aesthetic to varying extents, and when DK only has four stages in total that means the majority of the franchise's stages are blending together in some respects. If they picked more unique locales across the series having these stages would be more appreciated, but as is it's more of a novelty, especially when Tropical Freeze was an option for a new stage and likely would've provided something unique with a snow theme.

As you said though, no matter what form the next game takes we will likely get new stages with all of the major releases providing options. My only hope is that they don't go back to defaulting to the usual over picking something more unique, we do not need Cataris over Ferenia (which would give us a Chozo stage for once) or Burenia (one of the more standout locations) for Dread for instance.

 

[Swamp Sensei]

As you said though, no matter what form the next game takes we will likely get new stages with all of the major releases providing options. My only hope is that they don't go back to defaulting to the usual over picking something more unique, we do not need Cataris over Ferenia (which would give us a Chozo stage for once) or Burenia (one of the more standout locations) for Dread for instance

Honestly I'd argue that Cataris would be incredibly unique compared to the Metroid stages we have in Smash, so I'd be okay with it.

EDIT: Wait. Cataris is the lava world. I got them mixed up. I take it back.