Omega Stages, while obviously an attempt at appealing to the competitive community, fell short in that regard - enough so that only three are allowed in tournament play. For all of their potential, they felt like an afterthought more than anything else, one based on a very surface level idea of what the community wants. With a new game on the horizon, there are plenty of ways Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo Switch could improve this option.
The one alternative that most of the competitive scene wants is a "no gimmicks" option that retains the core layout, much like the one featured in Rivals of Aether. In that game, each stage has two variations - an Aether version and a Basic version. The former usually features a hazard of some sort - a giant spring on Air Armada, rising flames on Blazing Hideout, etc. The basic versions retain the core layout, sometimes with some minor changes, but remove the stage hazards.
Of course, for some stages, a "no gimmicks' variation may necessitate more than simply disabling certain elements - for instance, Hyrule Temple lacks any real hazards - the main issue there is the sheer size of the stage, though there are still ways to make a basic version of such a stage. Project M offered a stage based on the upper-left section of Hyrule Temple, and a similar treatment could be given to other stages like Palutena's Temple, The Great Cave Offensive, or whatever new large stages Smash for Switch might offer.
On top of this, organizing the stage list by more than just the series would certainly be desirable, or even the option to choose a sorting method. It would be nice to be able to see the stage list organized by their size, or by what kind of hazards they have.
Some other options for adjusting the influence of stage hazards could be interesting. Stages could have multiple "levels" of hazards, allowing players to not only remove them entirely, but also tone them down or crank them up. It's an intriguing thought - imagine Poke Floats or Rainbow Road moving twice as fast, Halberd with the Heavy Lobster's beam, cannonball and claw all active at once, or Wily's Castle with an even stronger Yellow Devil!
Author's note: I'm excited to see if this option returns, and if it does, what it will bring. What are your thoughts on it? Let us know in the comments below!
