Super Smash Bros. for 3DS/WiiU - Stage Contest - Round 14 - Kid Icarus

[TORNADO BUS DRIVER]

The Monkey Museum
Game of Origin: Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest

Description: Cranky's hut has been decked out to look like a big museum. The players fight on the main floor as cranky himself sits in the background and the background its self is filled with cameos * Statues of kongs , arcade cabinets of the classic dk games , that kinda thing * , it then moves on deeper and more and more cameos are shown off , it goes on for a good bit before going back to the first room

Gimmicks/Hazards: The stage is scrolling stage, as said above.
Canon balls shoot down from the sky and smash in to the stage and then the stage will crash and fall apart and cranky kong will run out

Unlocked:
Finish a game in under 20 seconds that has Donkey , Diddy, Dixe and k roll in it.

Music:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cu0GeCOv1B4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=45xjrfzMwHM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EhFV5-qbbIw
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SOCq5XJghnA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sCAM0OdwWNQ

 

[Croco]

Name of Stage: Mine Cart Madness
Game of Origin: Donkey Kong Country (Mainly the entire series)
Description: The mine carts have been around since DKC1.. even appearing in the most recent 'Tropical Freeze'. Stage is stationary and plays like Melee's 'Mute City' stage. Yes you can walk on grounded portions of the track but it will send you flying off screen. The center cart will stay in the middle but will angle/tilt just a little. Occasionally smaller carts might appear and add additional sections to the stage. These 'new carts' will damage overtime and blast into pieces. Players will see it coming from just the cosmetic changes to the cart's damage. Some small carts will have banana piles or the occasional 'barrel' filled with explosives or a possible item. Even barrels with flames flying out with the word oil painted on them appear. Think of it like one giant rollercoaster with large flips and occasional jumps/ramps into the air. The cart will travel from different familiar locations from the DKC games and even have a 'cameo' nod to the Donkey Kong arcade with a red building structure in the distance among the jungle. Stage begins in 'DK's Banana' collection cave type room. Passes through a standard jungle.. water falls etc. Into the cold icy snowy mountains.. into a volcano.. into a factory building and back into a cave and around again. There will be elements and characters taken from the recent tropical freeze, DKC Returns, and some structures from DKC 1-3. Basically industrial meets jungle theme.

Gimmicks/Hazards: Falling on to the grounded track will send you flying backward. The carts might fall off the track from damage.. and barrels occasionally explode.
Unlockable?: No

Extra:

Music:

Donkey Kong Country Returns - Mine Kart Madness
Donkey Kong Country Theme
Donkey Kong Country Returns - Krazy Kart
Donkey Kong Country Returns - Mine Cart Cruise
Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze - Trunk Twister
Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze - Sawmill Thrill
Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze - Volcano Dome (Lord Fredrik) [Final Boss]

 

[Ascended]

Looks like we're gonna have to have a brutal battle between Violenceman and Croco for the best Mine Cart Madness stage.

 

[Croco]

Looks like we're gonna have to have a brutal battle between Violenceman and Croco for the best Mine Cart Madness stage.

Oh golly.. haha. Didn't know that he thought of a mine cart idea. Glad we weren't too similiar except for the title and mine cart usage. This will be interesting how the judges compare us.

 

[Violenceman]

I accept your challenge, sir.

 

[Croco]

I accept your challenge, sir.

 

[D-idara]

FIGHT!

 

[Gunla]

I assume the deadline is tomorrow? It's been 4 days since Sunday.

 

[BridgesWithTurtles]

I assume the deadline is tomorrow? It's been 4 days since Sunday.

You are correct, sir.

EDIT: One-thousandth post!

 

[evildevil97]

Wooooo! I know what stage I'd vote for. I just wish it were mine!

 

[Starphoenix]

Well, isn't that a coincidence. I find this thread, notice the theme is Donkey Kong; all after having completed my new DK stage idea.

Spoiler

So it's finally here, performing for you, if you know the stage, you can join in too. Coming straight from Tropical Freeze it is the Bright Savanna region! The inspiration of the level is an amalgamation of the many themes found inside the world -- none of which I'll go too in depth about since there are probably a few people who've yet to purchase and or download the game. Shame on you bunch, but for your lots' sake I'll try to keep spoilers to a minimum.

The stage is split up into three parts: a main totem platform in the middle carved in the shape of an animal head like the ones seen in Grassland Groove, two land masses on both sides which have platforms in the form of baobab trees with branches that act as extra platforms. The main platform bobs up and down at times, occasionally tilting to the spirit of wild nature. Underneath the totem lies bunches of bramble that, if a player falls into, will yield damage and cause the players to fly back into the air. Think of the spike blocks in stage builder, except not as powerful. Oh, and the stage is not able to be walked off.

In the background, the vivid nature of the African savanna can be seen. Animals, large bouncing animal puppets, Snowmad flunkies, distant islands representing the various worlds in Tropical Freeze, and good ol' fashioned bananas. Lucky players who happen to load the innocuous alternate stage are treated to a nasty thunderstorm which will brew and wreak havoc for the players. A tornado will appear in the background, causing wind to swirl in the stage in an attempt to push players into the bramble, or off the stage. Bolts of lightning will strike one of the two landmasses, sparking a small wildfire which will burn down one of the baobab trees. Touching the fire will yield small damage and knock back, but will also leave a residual burning effect that will sap away some strength. Don't try to be a hero. And watch out for debris.

Stage Name: Bright Savanna
Stage Icon: DK logo

Stage Example:

-Tracks-
Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze - Grassland Groove
Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze - DK Island Swing
Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze - Scorch N' Torch
Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze - Twilight Terror
Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze - Busted Bayou
Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze - Big Top Bop
Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze - Alpine Incline
Donkey Kong Country Returns - Sunset Shore
Donkey Kong: Barrel Blast - DK Jungle Theme 1 (Brawl)
Diddy Kong Racing - Darkmoon Caverns ~ Credits

Competition Details:
Origin - Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze
Hazards - Bramble, Wind, Debris
Stage Orientation - Non-Walk Off
Availability - Starting Stage

​

 

[Ascended]

This round is officially closed! (Despite the fact that I can't change the title, I'm still a judge.)

 

[BridgesWithTurtles]

This round is officially closed! (Despite the fact that I can't change the title, I'm still a judge.)

You keep telling yourself that.

Spoiler

Just kidding. Us judges are BFFs.

 

[Ascended]

You keep telling yourself that.

Spoiler

Just kidding. Us judges are BFFs.

 

[Ascended]

My grades are in!

 

[Violenceman]

I find it interesting that everyone (except for ryuu seika's inspired Hot Top Volcano stage) did a Donkey Kong Country series stage. It was still a very unique assortment of locations and ideas, but I kind of expected to see some classic Donkey Kong/Donkey Kong Jr. stages or a JDK64 stage.

 

[BridgesWithTurtles]

I find it interesting that everyone (except for ryuu seika's inspired Hot Top Volcano stage) did a Donkey Kong Country series stage. It was still a very unique assortment of locations and ideas, but I kind of expected to see some classic Donkey Kong/Donkey Kong Jr. stages or a JDK64 stage.

I did expect (and hope) to see such stages myself, but you never know with this contest, which is one of the things that make it so great, in my opinion. I will say that despite this relatively small reference pool used by most participants, the various locations, themes, and concepts used were otherwise quite varied.

 

[Gunla]

I find it interesting that everyone (except for ryuu seika's inspired Hot Top Volcano stage) did a Donkey Kong Country series stage. It was still a very unique assortment of locations and ideas, but I kind of expected to see some classic Donkey Kong/Donkey Kong Jr. stages or a JDK64 stage.

I think people might be worried that those classic stages could be mostly unplayable or uncreative. See: 25 M.

People gotta think outside the box, you know?

 

[BridgesWithTurtles]

I think people might be worried that those classic stages could be mostly unplayable or uncreative. See: 25 M.

People gotta think outside the box, you know?

If anyone does have this fear, allow me to assuage the sentimentt. It's entirely possible for such stages to be both creative and playable. 75m's problems derive from, simply put, dull imagination and an intention to make the stage more of an homage/recreation than anything to be seriously played on. It really could have been a fantastic stage archetype if it had been edited to work in the Smash environment, instead of being recreated to its original appearance exactly.

I wouldn't administer a lower score for re-using the "arcade" motif any more than I would for re-using the "jungle" one. While aesthetic qualities may factor into the judging (you'd have to look at us judges individually), stage creativity is a lot more than just the location type.

 

[evildevil97]

More than anything, I'm surprised how many entries were specifically Tropical Freeze based.

 

[Dairz]

More than anything, I'm surprised how many entries were specifically Tropical Freeze based.

Yeah, I was too; I did it because it was the only DK game I've played. I'm surprised nobody did a Mario vs DK stage or something.

 

[ryuu seika]

Likewise with me and Diddy Kong Racing, lol.

 

[Hippopotasauce]

Yeah, I was too; I did it because it was the only DK game I've played. I'm surprised nobody did a Mario vs DK stage or something.

Probably because Mario vs DK is a handheld series.

 

[Dairz]

Probably because Mario vs DK is a handheld series.

Oh yeah, duh.

 

[Forcerounds]

The grades are in! Overall, I felt that this was yet another fantastic round! Thank you all so much for participating!

Ascended's grades:

Spoiler

BigAxle/Sunset Shore:
Popularity: 9/10
Creativity: 9/10
Playability: 9/10
Total: 27/30
Comments: An excellent and obvious idea! I remember the first time I saw this stage on DKCR and being blown away by the visuals. I think seeing the stage in HD will be a big nostalgia blast, and also look really cool. Not much else to say, except I think it's interesting that you were the only one who came up with this idea. (Although, since there isn't much else that can be done with it, maybe the other participants had to come up with another idea?) Overall, an excellent submission.

evildevil97/DK's Banana Horde:
Popularity: 8/10
Creativity: 9/10
Playability: 8/10
Total: 25/30
Comments: I love these out-of-the-box entries! Who would have thought to make the banana horde a stage? It's pretty simple and I like the idea of the enemies taking the bananas away, but I think the 80% chance of tripping towards the end is a bit much. Although I don't know how often that will happen if players are constantly killing the enemies and stopping them from taking the bananas.

Hippopotasauce/Bramble Blast:
Popularity: 9/10
Creativity: 10/10
Playability: 9/10
Total: 28/30
Comments: Really cool and well thought out idea! I like that the layout changes and I like the changes you made to the barrel cannons. Would love to see them come back and I would totally play on this.

bentendo222/Autumn Heights:
Popularity: 8/10
Creativity: 9/10
Playability: 7/10
Total: 24/30
Comments: Very interesting idea. I had to take some points off playability because it sounded like the players would be spending more time fighting the stage than each other, but that could just be me not fully understanding your description. If so, I apologize. If it's more like Rainbow Cruise rather than Rumble Falls, then I could totally see myself playing on this stage.

Dairz/Savannah Cycle:
Popularity: 8/10
Creativity: 10/10
Playability: 9/10
Total: 27/30
Comments: Nice idea! I like that it changes up, but I also like that the different layouts are rather balanced and don't seem to be much of a pain to fight on. I can imagine this stage having a lot of awesome looking colors to go along with its transitions. A nice, solid entry.

Violenceman/Mine Cart Madness:
Popularity: 9/10
Creativity: 10/10
Playability: 9/10
Total: 28/30
Comments: Are first MCM stage is straight out of the DKC1 version of the stage! Very in depth explanation and I think it would be a lot of fun to play on! Not much else to say other than good job!

ryuu seika/Dino Domain: Hot Top Volcano
Popularity: 8/10
Creativity: 9/10
Playability: 7/10
Total: 24/30
Comments: A Diddy Kong Racing stage, huh? Didn't expect to see one of those! I think it would be cool to see a cult classic game getting a stage, so points for that. Being a scrolling stage and the way it's described, I'm not so sure how playable it would be so I took some points off for that. Nice idea though.

TORNADO BUS DRIVER/The Monkey Museum:
Popularity: 7/10
Creativity: 8/10
Playability: 8/10
Total: 23/30
Comments: As mentioned earlier, I love out-of-the-box ideas. However, it felt like there wasn't much description on what exactly would be happening in this stage. While I like the idea of the cameos, I think it would be cool to include cameo stuff from other franchises that are represented in Smash, like Cranky's Hall of Heroes at the end of DKC2 having Sonic's shoes and Earthworm Jim's gun. You mention that it moves and changes, but don't explain how or what it moves and changes into. I'm not so sure I like the idea of the cannons, so I would take those out. Overall, this was a good idea, but I think it needed a more in depth explanantion. Would love to see you come back in future rounds though!

Croco/Mine Cart Madness:
Popularity: 9/10
Creativity: 9/10
Playability: 9/10
Total: 27/30
Comments: And here we have the second Mine Cart Madness! If it were up to me, I'd put both stages in the game, but I don't think that would happen. Anyway, I like that your version scrolls through iconic locations of the DKC franchise, but I gave Violenceman more points because I felt he was more thorough in his explanation and incorporated the entire original stage into his idea. That doesn't mean yours isn't an awesome idea though! I would love to play on both stages!

Starphoenix/Bright Savanna
Popularity: 8/10
Creativity: 8/10
Playability: 9/10
Total: 25/30
Comments: I like the idea of two versions of this stage. I think a thunderstorm stage would look really cool in HD. Other than that, this a pretty solid stage with not much else to say about it. Nice entry.

D-idara's grades:

Spoiler

BigAxle - Sunset Shores
Popularity: 10/10
Creativity: 9/10
Playability: 9/10
The BIG ONE! Sunset Shores represents what might be one of the greatest DK levels ever! I mean, there's really not much to nitpick here, the stage's charm relies on the silhouette effect, although I do love how you added actual gameplay from Returns on the background, reminds me of Green Hill Zone's shuttle-loop, except this one's actually canon and exciting. I took a single point from playability because of Awks, even though I've never found the water on Jungle Hapes that threatening, and this one lacks the only thing that makes it a pain, the current. Overall good stage, I'm almost certain there will be a SS stage on the same.
Total: 28

evildevil97 - DK's Banana Hoard
Popularity: 10/10
Creativity: 8/10
Playability: 8/10
I could argue that some people didn't ever go back when starting up DKC to see what was inside the cave, but those people are like 5% of the world population! It's certainly a very relevant location and I really like how you adapted it to a stage, although I think you could've done a little better than just the flat cave floor, the enemies walking in and stealing the bananas is a nice touch, although it messes up with playability a little, especially that 80% tripping chance. I like the fact that Cranky reacts to the Banana Hoard being stolen, sounds really cool and funny.
Total: 26

Hippopotasauce - Bramble Blast
Popularity: 10/10
Creativity: 9/10
Playability: 10/10
Another memorable location from the DK series...I'd actually like the background to be like on DKC2, except HD! Maybe with a light-filter~! Even though the stage uses gimmicks that have been present on Smash before, it mixes things up with new applications of those gimmicks. I gave 10 on Playability because I believe that stage hazards that utilize player skill or lack of it to do damage make a match much more exciting without 'random factors', and the three platform layouts seem balanced and interesting at the same time, I like that.
Total: 29

bentendo222 - Autumn Heights
Popularity: 9/10
Creativity: 10/10
Playability: 6/10
To tell the truth, nearly every location from Tropical Freeze already feels memorable and timeless, especially Autumn Heights because of Wing Ding and Alpine Incline. I absolutely love how you made a Rainbow Cruise/Halberd-like stage that tells a story and takes you through World 2! Now...the bad news...I absolutely love Rainbow Cruise and moving stages when they're balanced like this, but both the 'bunch' of Hootz and the destructive lava rocks prevented me from giving you 8 or 9 on Playability, I wouldn't have minded it so much if the Hootz were bounce-able platforms or something, but dodging flying obstacles as you fight...? I didn't give lower playability because those hazards are only on certain parts of the stage and not at the same time. Also, on a personal note, I think the Windmill platforms should spin.
Total: 25

Dairz - Savannah Cycle
Popularity: 9/10
Creativity: 7/10
Playability: 9/10
Scorch N' Torch and Grassland Groove are probably two of the most popular levels from Tropical Freeze. Now, I'll explain the creativity score. I absolutely love Bright Savannah, but one of the main parts of the world's popularity relies on atmosphere, and while Castle Siege feels fast-paced and generic enough to do it, 30 seconds aren't nearly enough to take the sights and enjoy the different looks of the Savannah, and I can't help feeling that the transition would be odd, especially with changing music between each version, it feels like the level's rushing itself to show all of these memorable locations, although the loading screen transition does sound interesting, I'll give you that. Now, the hazards seem manageable enough and the tilting platform sounds pretty interesting to fight on!
Total: 23

Violenceman - Mine Cart Madness
Popularity: 10/10
Creativity: 9/10
Playability: 8/10
Mine Carts, the bane of my existence! I love how the stage consists of two platforms but manages to mix them up together and feel varied enough, even with some funny cameos on the background and on the stage itself! (I find the Kremlin crashing and flailing arms the best thing ever!) Playability was going to be 9 but the Madcap Helix just sounds a little too bat****-crazy for a fight, I mean, how would that work while attacking or trying to jump!?
Total: 27

ryuu seika - Hot Top Volcano
Popularity: 10/10
Creativity: 8/10
Playability: 5/10
Pretty much every location from Rareware's golden era that's not from DKC3 counts as memorable and timeless.
Now, I really like how you adapted the race on top of the carpet to the actual track and made a stage from the alternating laps, but I still think this feels too similar and C/P from the source game, so I docked 2 points from Creativity...and GOOD GOD! This stage's crazy! Lava shooting up the sides, stalactites, alternating platforms, KO-preventing roofs...I love the chaos, but I can't give it a higher Playability score!
Total: 23

TORNADO BUS DRIVER - Monkey Museum
Popularity: 9/10
Creativity: 7/10
Playability: 8/10
Monkey Museum's a popular location, but I can't help feeling that I'll lose some appeal due to the few Rare cameos not being shown due to them betraying the light side of the force. Now, the scrolling makes sense because there's quite a few Museums on DKC2, but I can't help but feel that the cannonballs make no sense with the stage, also, you didn't describe what happens when the stage 'falls apart'...
Total: 24

Croco - Mine Cart Madness
Popularity: 10/10
Creativity: 10/10
Playability: 7/10
Pretty amazing Mine Cart Madness stage, Croco! I absolutely love how it goes through the different locations on the DKC series and the cameo of the original structure from the Arcade DK...I think this'd be a really thrilling stage to fight on, but maybe the damaging floor and the exploding barrels are too much, feels like Big Blue with EXPLOSIONS!(Which sounds pretty awesome, but still takes points from Playability!).
Total: 27

Starphoenix - Bright Savannah
Popularity: 9/10
Creativity: 9/10
Playability: 8/10
Again, another stage based on the amazing Bright Savannah world from Tropical Freeze! I really like how you managed to represent almost all of the different enviroments on BS with a standard stage layout! I also love how you managed to let Grassland Groove and Frantic Fields shine without overshadowing each other, although I would've preferred Frantic Fields to completely turn into Scorch N' Torch after a while, but the burning tree will do! Docked 2 points from Playability because of the bramble and the burning fire on the side, although I didn't mind the wind much...quoting Palutena..."It's just wind! It could be fire or lasers!"
Total: 26

BridgesWithTurtles' grades:

Spoiler

Sunset Shore by BigAxle
Popularity: 8/10
Creativity: 5/10
Playability: 9/10
Total: 22/30
Why am I not surprised that this idea cropped up immediately? Sunset Shore has got to be the most requested - dare I say demanded - stage from this series, and for seemingly good reason. The silhouette filter could certainly be applied just as effectively to every character we know of so far, though something would have to be changed with Mr. Game & Watch; I suggest coloring his outline. The layout itself, I'll admit, isn't that impressive. It's essentially Battlefield with water, which is nice and all, but aesthetically, it's dissimilar to the source game. The Awk spiking opponents also doesn't seem to make much sense. It's quite a balanced stage, though, which shows me that you found a nice balance between aesthetic and gameplay gimmicks.

DK's Banana Horde by evildevil97
Popularity: 4/10
Creativity: 8/10
Playability: 7/10
Total: 19/30
I like how you mentioned that you avoided Tropical Freeze locations because they were unlikely, but ended up giving us one of the most unlikely stages we've seen in this contest. But just because it's unlikely, doesn't mean it's not a good entry. Simply put, this is a delightful idea. I love how you use the stage as an opportunity to highlight the basic plot of just about every Donkey Kong game, and to facilitate a wide number of enemy cameos from a range of games. There are a few glaring balance issues, however, notably in the fact that, as a small cave, it makes no sense how star KOs would work, and that some enemies would be practically unbeatable by certain characters. If Bowser and Captain Falcon, for example, are the only two characters in a match, how are they supposed to defeat the Tiki Torch?

Bramble Blast by Hippopotasauce
Popularity: 9/10
Creativity: 10/10
Playability: 10/10
Total: 29/30
The always iconic Bramble Blast shows up in its original glory. What I immediately noticed is that you placed emphasis on the stage's unique gameplay features rather than its aesthetic qualities, which is excellent. Adapting Bramble Blast's memorable barrels into the core focus and feature of the stage was a creative move to make. I for one find both layouts equally playable and highly enjoyable in theory, and the barrel interactions open up a lot of possibilities.

Autumn Heights by bentendo222
Popularity: 6/10
Creativity: 7/10
Playability: 8/10
Total: 21/30
Our first Tropical Freeze stage. The entire stage seems incredibly interesting from an aesthetic standpoint, with unique scenery and music not typical of a DK stage. I suppose that's one of the reasons why this world became so popular to begin with, isn't it? The way you adapted some of the most memorable parts of this brand new location is suggestive of the spirit of inspiration we as humans generally tend to experience when exposed to something novel. Commendable effort here.

Savannah Cycle by Dairz
Popularity: 7/10
Creativity: 7/10
Playability: 9/10
Total: 23/30
I honestly don't know what to say here. It's the most, uh, well...standard stage this round, I suppose. The switching feels a little too quick, and since the music also changes during the stage shifts, I can imagine that getting kind of annoying. Other than that, it's good. I honestly am at a loss for words here. Please don't hate me.

Minecart Madness by Violenceman
Popularity: 10/10
Creativity: 10/10
Playability: 9/10
Total: 29/30
People have been suggesting a mine cart stage for years, but I've rarely if ever seen anyone successfully explain how one could work, but your Minecart Madness stage answers all of those questions I've wondered for years, and I think this sort of creative thinking is what this contest delights in. This is a very impressive stage, with a lot of thought being put into keeping it realistic, sensible, workable, and fun; it succeeds in all of these areas.

Dino Domain: Hot Top Volcano by ryuu seika
Popularity: 5/10
Creativity: 9/10
Playability: 7/10
Total: 21/30
Despite a middling score, I rather do enjoy this stage. Unlike the F-Zero stages, there's a lot more consistency in stage layout while also an inclination to more cleverly spur the players to adapt to new situations. Since the route that the stage takes is different every other lap, it also requires players to pay attention to the pattern and memorize the stage layout in order to maximize their chances of survival on the tiny single platform. While there are some balance issues to be had, obviously, none of the hazards are too insurmountable.

The Monkey Museum by TORNADO BUS DRIVER
Popularity: 4/10
Creativity: 3/10
Playability: 5/10
Total: 12/30
Sorry to say, but this stage lacks detail. You'll need to go into a little more detail if you want your score to be better. When you don't provide enough information (especially if you lack a picture), it makes it much harder to visualize the stage, and the more easily I can understand the stage, the more inclined I am to give out a better score, as I'm able to understand where the participant's effort is being allocated. The Monkey Museum's main problems stem from being unrecognizable to its source appearance, doing nothing particularly fresh, and being nearly indiscernible concerning its layout. For example, after the cannonballs destroy the museum, how does the layout change? This isn't explained. Try to be a little more detailed next time, and you can earn a much better score.

Mine Cart Madness by Croco
Popularity: 10/10
Creativity: 7/10
Playability: 5/10
Total: 22/30
Another Mine Cart Madness stage, and this one's quite different from Violenceman's. It's much more like a conventional F-Zero stage (I think you meant to compare it to Big Blue, by the way, and not Mute City), but the shuttle loops make it feel more like a conventional rollercoaster, which is another memorable level archetype from DKC. I like how this stage chooses to, instead of remaining within the confines of a cave, venture across the whole of DK Island to give the player a glimpse of a number of iconic locations from the series.

Bright Savanna by Starphoenix
Popularity: 6/10
Creativity: 7/10
Playability: 8/10
Total: 21/30
Glad to have the legendary Starphoenix join the stage creation contest. Bright Savanna is an excellent example of a stage with high aesthetic quality in conjunction with balanced playability. It relies more on the unique topography and landscape of the original location (which you excellently molded into a workable stage layout) than any sort of hit-or-miss gimmick in order to set up a mood and gameplay niche for itself. The random chance of the stage having more hazards than normal is a little questionable, I'd say, but these hazards should be easily avoidable anyway, and they help contribute to the stage's atmosphere.

Forcerounds' grades:

Spoiler

Sunset Shore by BigAxle

Popularity: 8/10
Creativity: 10/10
Playability: 5/10
Total: 23/30

Ah yes. Sunset Shore is something many people expect from a Donkey Kong Country Returns stage. Furthermore, the visual filter is quite nice and never been done in Smash Bros. before. You did however sacrifice your playability score to keep your Popularity and Creativity scores high. One concern I have with the visual filter is that mirror matches and team matches with duplicate characters will become very confusing. Also, the Awks seem quite potent. If it were me, I would make the visual filter the only hazard of a DKCR stage that appears occasionally and lasts for about 30 seconds. Overall, you did quite a good job.

DK's Banana Horde by evildevil97

Popularity: 8/10
Creativity: 8/10
Playability: 6/10
Total: 22/30

Interesting choice of location. I also find the gimmick to be interesting, but it's a bit distracting and tripping is an unfortunate punishment for focusing on your opponent instead of the enemies grabbing the bananas. You didn't mention this specifically in your description, but when the banana pile is depleted, the tripping is triggered by banana peels left behind yes? Anyway, I think it's pretty cool

Bramble Blast by Hippopotsauce

Popularity: 9/10
Creativity: 7/10
Playability: 8/10
Total: 24/30

Fantastic layouts! You chose one of the most iconic level themes in the DKC series, and it looks quite playable to boot! There's just one bit of confusion in your description. You said that enemies can damage you if you wait inside of a barrel and will be able to knock you out of a barrel with a move with a lot of knock back to prevent stalling. However, later on you said that you cannot get out of a barrel unless you shoot yourself out of it. Which is it? Either way, it didn't affect your score.

Autumn Heights by bentendo222

Popularity: 7/10
Creativity: 7/10
Playability: 7/10
Total: 21/30

I like this idea. It's a well balanced traveling stage, and it would be pleasant to look at. Forgive me for not going into much more detail. I haven't actually played Tropical Freeze, so my opinion on the location is completely based on media coverage on it.

Savannah Cycle by Dairz

Popularity: 8/10
Creativity: 7/10
Playability: 7/10
Total: 22/30

I may have not played Tropical Freeze, but I do know that people that have really love the Savannah levels. I like looking at them too. The stage seems to take the Castle Siege formula, but apply it to a much better location. Good work!

Mine Cart Madness by Violenceman

Popularity: 9/10
Creativity: 9/10
Playability: 8/10
Total: 26/30

Brilliant! The track events make the stage really exciting without harming the players that much aside from the newbie who has never played on the stage before and doesn't anticipate one of the platforms moving.

Dino Domain: Hot Top Volcano by ryuu seika

Popularity: 6/10
Creativity: 7/10
Playability: 7/10
Total: 20/30

Kudos for choosing a Diddy Kong Racing stage and implementing it faithfully into Smash without too many drawbacks. It would be great to see this track in HD that's for sure, but it isn't a very iconic location. At least not like it may have used to be.

The Monkey Museum by TORNADO BUS DRIVER

Popularity: 6/10
Creativity: 5/10
Playability: 7/10
Total: 18/30

Interesting choice for a location. It doesn't really do anything new and I don't understand the context behind cannonballs falling from the top of the screen. The potential is here for a fun stage, but it needs more pizazz.

Mine Cart Madness by Croco

Popularity: 9/10
Creativity: 7/10
Playability: 6/10
Total: 22/30

Yet another swell traveling stage, I see. I don't think the Mute City formula fits Mine Cart Madness much, but it still looks like a fun ride similar to your Legend of Zelda stage. The exploding barrels cut into your Playability score unfortunately.

Bright Savanna by Starphoenix

Popularity: 8/10
Creativity: 7/10
Playability: 8/10
Total: 23/30

I like this layout, and of course everyone loves the Savanna levels! It seems very balanced and translates the location well into Smash. One thing I would improve from the layout is to make the stage shorter vertically otherwise parts of the baobab trees or all of the Brambles might be difficult to display on the entire screen, but this detail didn't affect your score.

FINAL SCORES:

Spoiler

BigAxle: 100
evildevil97: 92
Hippopotasauce: 110
bentendo222: 91
Dairz: 95
Violenceman: 110
ryuu seika: 88
TORNADO BUS DRIVER: 77
Croco: 98
Starphoenix: 95

THIS GAME'S WINNER IS…

Spoiler

HIPPOPOTASAUCE AND VIOLENCEMAN WIN!!!
THEY REALIZE BANANAS ARE MORE IMPORTANT!

 

[Hippopotasauce]

YAY
Congrats to Violenceman as well.
Also, sorry for the confusion Forcerounds; when I said that the only way to get out was to shoot yourself, I was referring to the player in the barrel's inputs. For example, you wouldn't be able to just drop out of the barrel; you have to stay dedicated if you decide to enter it. However, someone can kick you out with a strong enough blow.

Edit: also violenceman did you seriously win two times in a row

 

[Croco]

Guess I have to try harder with my descriptions and less stage hazards.


Congrats guys!

 

[evildevil97]

Glad to see Hippopotsauce's stage at least tied for victory. It seriously deserved it. Best one, in my opinion. Congrats to Violenceman, too.


I need to learn to be a bit more specific in certain areas. All enemies in mine were defeatable with items, and the trippiness was based only on the empty banana pile, but I legitimately didn't like my stage the best anyway.

 

[liets]

okayy another round i basically don't qualify for is over, hopefully the next will be more suited to me. hopefully

 

[ryuu seika]

Seems fair enough, I did think my stage would lose points on playability.
Lets see if the next round is conductive to something less movement orientated and extreme.

 

[Gunla]

Bronze again. Congrats to our two winners!

 

[Dairz]

Awesome stages guys, and of course props are needed for Violenceman and Hippopotasauce. I'm also happy to see I've improved from the last round.

Now, how about a Sonic round? Mario? Pokemon..? please don't let it be Fire Emblem

 

[Violenceman]

Hippopotasauce ______________________ Violenceman


Wow, a tie for first...bet we won't see many of those. I am quite astounded (but very grateful) to have won twice in a row.

I must say that I owe credit to Croco for making me step up my game this round.

BTW, I thoroughly appreciated the reference in the Winner Announcement.

 

[TORNADO BUS DRIVER]

I'm hoping for mario , i have an idea for a good stage.

 

[bentendo222]

This is pretty fun, I can't wait for the next round. Hopefully it will start before next Monday because I'll be going on a cruise that week.

 

[Dairz]

This is pretty fun, I can't wait for the next round. Hopefully it will start before next Monday because I'll be going on a cruise that week.

I think its supposed to start today, but I'm not sure..

 

[bentendo222]

I think its supposed to start today, but I'm not sure..

I'll check on it later on.

 

[Toxicroaker]

Come on... I can't do a good Zelda stage due to my very limited knowledge of the series. I can do a Kirby stage, but I miss it because for some reason I wasn't watching the thread. And I can't do a DK stage, yet again, due to not knowing the series well. Let's hope for Pokemon, Fire Emblem, or Mario.

 

[BridgesWithTurtles]

Bananas not really your thing? How about mushrooms?

Mario (3DS)

You all know him. We all love him. It's Mario! Spanning over 30 years of gaming history and appearing in several hundred video games, there's hardly a type of environment the famous plumber hasn't visited in his adventures. If Donkey Kong's jungles stifled your creativity, you're in luck! The sky's the limit this round. Just keep in mind that you're limited to the handheld part of Mario history (not that there's any rusty pipes in that side of the wall). Oh, and keep the focus on the adventuring games in the series, okay (like platformers and RPGs, and whatever it is Luigi's Mansion is)? Mario Kart and the sports games are a whole different beast, and if we delved into those too, this round would be spicier than my mama's lasagna.​

 

[evildevil97]

If Mario Kart doesnt count, why is the Rainbow Road stage in the image?