Boy Jordan
Smash Cadet
It's about time we quit with the theory crafting and start analyzing what we know. Smash 3DS has a noticeably small stage roster, and plenty of its stages are seemingly unfitting for a tournament setting. Rather than being quick with the ban-hammer, however, it's important that we analyze and discuss each stage in full. This thread will be dedicated to discussing the viability of the Paper Mario stage and its unique hazards. I exhort everyone to allow separate threads for each stage, since there is a ton to go over. The debate on what constitutes a stage ban where general mechanics are concerned should continue to be argued here.
Our first part of the stage has two primary platforms, the leftmost (which we'll call the base) being wider and lower than the rightmost (which we'll call the hill). The base has a walk-off on its left side and runs into the hill, which has solid walls on either side as well as a ledge on its right. Hanging above the base is a single cloud platform that dangles. Sitting directly on top the hill is a pipe, which is solid and stationary, and a windmill, which has four rotatable platforms.
After 20 seconds a giant fan will spawn from behind the stage and start blowing air for roughly 10 seconds. The wind pushes all fighters toward the right of the stage with considerable strength. The windmill will be spinning for this duration, and although fighters can still be moved by its spinning platforms, it won't cause any damage. The cloud platform will also be blown past the right blast zone. After this, the fan disappears, the cloud dangles from the sky again, and the stage remains static for the next 15 seconds until we make our first transition.
The primary ground here is the ship's deck, which is comparable to Final Destination in width and has ledges on both sides. Its stern and bow are raised, forming a concave of sorts. Three masts provide three platforms that resemble Battlefield's own, albeit slightly higher and disjointed. After about 10 seconds, waves will start crashing into the boat. Although they don't interact with the players in the slightest, they will teeter the ship back and forth, and some waves may get in front of the camera's view of the players.
Roughly 25 seconds later, either a giant squid (Blooper) or a giant whale will spawn:
Two platforms on both sides of the stage that move up and down and one Bowser head in the center. The platforms have ledges, whereas the Bowser head does not. Bowser's snout and mouth can be walked on, the latter being considerably cramped. There are flames in the background, but they have no impact on the players. Bowser's jaw may or may not slam shut before opening again, presumably damaging players. After about 10 seconds, Bowser's head will rotate near 80 degree. 5 seconds after that, another rotation, this time around 55 degrees. And 8 seconds after that, a final rotation, completing the 360 twirl. From what I can tell, Bowser's statue will follow this exact pattern for every match.
And immediately following this, we make our final transition back to Windy Hills for a full loop. Each transition takes about 5 seconds to complete. For that duration, both sides of the stage become walk-offs. This means that 1 full minute out of each loop incorporates walk-offs, where each loop takes 2 minutes and 35 seconds total to complete. It's important to note that 45 seconds of that minute host a walk-off on only one side of the stage, and of those 45 seconds, 10 seconds are spent making sure blast-camping is ineffective through use of the wind.
Those are all the details that I can think to highlight. If I'm missing anything, please make a detailed post so I can keep us all updated. I might need help finding screens or video of Blooper's interactions during the second transition. I will make my own personal comments and arguments in later posts to keep the thread opener as unbiased as I can. The question to keep in mind is this: Can this stage properly determine the better player?
If you guys have more videos of this stage in action, please either PM me the link or post it here! That'll help us observe the interaction between the stage and players.
First Area: Windy Hills
Credit for the above images and video goes to GameXplain.
Our first part of the stage has two primary platforms, the leftmost (which we'll call the base) being wider and lower than the rightmost (which we'll call the hill). The base has a walk-off on its left side and runs into the hill, which has solid walls on either side as well as a ledge on its right. Hanging above the base is a single cloud platform that dangles. Sitting directly on top the hill is a pipe, which is solid and stationary, and a windmill, which has four rotatable platforms.
After 20 seconds a giant fan will spawn from behind the stage and start blowing air for roughly 10 seconds. The wind pushes all fighters toward the right of the stage with considerable strength. The windmill will be spinning for this duration, and although fighters can still be moved by its spinning platforms, it won't cause any damage. The cloud platform will also be blown past the right blast zone. After this, the fan disappears, the cloud dangles from the sky again, and the stage remains static for the next 15 seconds until we make our first transition.
Second Area: Ship at Sea
Credit for the above images goes to GameXplain and ParanoidDrone.
The primary ground here is the ship's deck, which is comparable to Final Destination in width and has ledges on both sides. Its stern and bow are raised, forming a concave of sorts. Three masts provide three platforms that resemble Battlefield's own, albeit slightly higher and disjointed. After about 10 seconds, waves will start crashing into the boat. Although they don't interact with the players in the slightest, they will teeter the ship back and forth, and some waves may get in front of the camera's view of the players.
Roughly 25 seconds later, either a giant squid (Blooper) or a giant whale will spawn:
- Blooper will rock the ship back and forth, generating more waves. Unsure how long this hazard in particular lasts--presumably 10 seconds to match the whale. Will update as soon as I learn more.
- The whale will burst water from its blowhole, raising the ship up and bouncing it moderately for about 10 seconds. This puts all players closer to the above blast zone, making top kills easier and recovery from below more difficult.
Third Area: Bowser's Castle
Credit for the above images goes to GameXplain.
Two platforms on both sides of the stage that move up and down and one Bowser head in the center. The platforms have ledges, whereas the Bowser head does not. Bowser's snout and mouth can be walked on, the latter being considerably cramped. There are flames in the background, but they have no impact on the players. Bowser's jaw may or may not slam shut before opening again, presumably damaging players. After about 10 seconds, Bowser's head will rotate near 80 degree. 5 seconds after that, another rotation, this time around 55 degrees. And 8 seconds after that, a final rotation, completing the 360 twirl. From what I can tell, Bowser's statue will follow this exact pattern for every match.
And immediately following this, we make our final transition back to Windy Hills for a full loop. Each transition takes about 5 seconds to complete. For that duration, both sides of the stage become walk-offs. This means that 1 full minute out of each loop incorporates walk-offs, where each loop takes 2 minutes and 35 seconds total to complete. It's important to note that 45 seconds of that minute host a walk-off on only one side of the stage, and of those 45 seconds, 10 seconds are spent making sure blast-camping is ineffective through use of the wind.
Those are all the details that I can think to highlight. If I'm missing anything, please make a detailed post so I can keep us all updated. I might need help finding screens or video of Blooper's interactions during the second transition. I will make my own personal comments and arguments in later posts to keep the thread opener as unbiased as I can. The question to keep in mind is this: Can this stage properly determine the better player?
If you guys have more videos of this stage in action, please either PM me the link or post it here! That'll help us observe the interaction between the stage and players.
Videos
Stage Tips
Last edited:
