Super Smash Bros. Ultimate: Stage Creation Contest (Complete)

[Kevandre]

He-HEY, Kevandre , looks like we have ourselves a new challenger! Granted we already knew he was going to make a stage this round, it's still good to see new competition!

I swear if he beats us...

 

[Deleted member]

So guys. Remember how I said that the week before E3 we'd have people take the Top 5 entries from this contest they think are most likely to be featured at E3?

Well I still need some feedback from you guys on whether or not we should still have a regular round going that week.

 

[Kevandre]

Definitely always the regular round

 

[GolisoPower]

I’d be fine with a regular round during that week.

 

[Deleted member]

Sounds like Round 17 will be going during the week before E3 then. Couple things to note though.

For the Top 5 gatherings of most likely stages, Round 17 submissions will be eligible. So if you see a stage come up that would be on your list after you already posted the list, just make a new post for the revised list, but be sure to edit the post with the previous list saying that it changed and the final revision is further along in the thread.

 

[Deleted member]

Alright guys. Round 15 is officially closed.

 

[TheMarioaddict]

Hey psb, I got a couple real quick questions:

1 - For the anything goes round, we're not allowed to submit stages we already submitted in the past, right? Well, technically I never submitted the Castle Bleck stage I showed off a while back... but at the same time, you did give me grades for that stage, so just as clarification: if I wanted to, could I submit that stage for the anything goes round? (I mean, I probably won't even if I can, because I feel like that would give me an unfair advantage, which in turn would make me feel bad about submitting it... still, I'm curious.)

2 - Is there any word on the possibility of going back to having 3 (or more) judges? I know we were short handed before, but I also recall we were planning on the 2 judge format being a temporary thing. Just curious what the current situation is.

 

[Deleted member]

Hey psb, I got a couple real quick questions:

1 - For the anything goes round, we're not allowed to submit stages we already submitted in the past, right? Well, technically I never submitted the Castle Bleck stage I showed off a while back... but at the same time, you did give me grades for that stage, so just as clarification: if I wanted to, could I submit that stage for the anything goes round? (I mean, I probably won't even if I can, because I feel like that would give me an unfair advantage, which in turn would make me feel bad about submitting it... still, I'm curious.)

2 - Is there any word on the possibility of going back to having 3 (or more) judges? I know we were short handed before, but I also recall we were planning on the 2 judge format being a temporary thing. Just curious what the current situation is.

1. Me giving grades for that Castle Bleck stage was more so a gesture I just felt like doing. I'd feel pretty bad excluding it because of that. Stage ideas submitted previously for fun are something I'm going allow in the Anything Goes Round. Including your Castle Bleck Stage.

2. Shoot, I never did clarify that did I? Well better late than never. The planned 3rd judge lost interest in being a judge. And with how much of a hassle it was to try to find more judges in the first place it's just going to be me and Cosmic for the rest of the contest unless someone comes to me with an interest in judging.

 

[Deleted member]

Time for Round 15 grades!

psb123's grades:

Garfont Village by GolisoPower

Iconic Status: 5/5

I'll keep this brief to avoid spoilers. This place is home to some big moments for the protagonist, the introduction of a very impactful character, and where you unlock an entire type of sidequests. Any Xenoblade 2 fan will know what this is.

Originality: 10/10

Part of me thinks the blade mechanic here could work as a regular item but at the same time there's a lot of detail here that makes me think it would be better off as this stages exclusive gimmick. And quite the unique gimmick it is. Very faithful to Xenoblade 2 and doesn't offer much in the way of interfering with a fight.

And the special victory screens with a blade are an extremely nice touch that I could actually see the developers going for.

Playability: 7/10

The mechanics of the blades may take some time for people to really get a grasp for. But the bigger issue is the layout. The walls at the sides make it so that there's too much of a need for only vertical KO's.

Overall Score: 22/25

Gramp's Back by Kevandre

Iconic Status: 5/5

Let me just start by saying that I am not the biggest fan of the Gaur Plain stage in Smash 4. But one thing it did do right was using a simple, early game area that is still recognizable enough to even those who haven't played the game. It did so by utilizing the imagery of Mechonis in the background in a Grassy Field. Just like on the boxart.

This stage is iconic in a similar way. Even if you haven't played XC2 yet the promotional footage Nintendo gave the game will let you know that the Cloud Sea is a big deal. This stage is essentially that same Cloud Sea atop the back of one of the first main characters you meet in the game. People will recognize this place.

Originality: 10/10

While similarities to things like Corneria are there the idea of just fighting on top of Gramp's Back with him just being chill about the whole thing is by default pretty creative. Especially given the other locale's from XC2 you could use.

There is one thing I feel is missing though. Not something worth taking off points for, but not adding in the feature of having Palutena's Guidance-like dialogue when Rex & Pyra are on the stage is a big missed opportunity. These kinds of codec calls even have a perfect name straight from the source game. Just call them Heart-to-Heart's.

Playability: 10/10

No issues here. Only thing that would come close is the crane but since a player has to purposely activate it I think it's okay.

Overall Score: 25/25

Fallen Arm by TheMarioaddict

Iconic Status: 5/5

Based on you're description of this area's importance it sounds like a 5. I haven't actually played XC1 yet so I'll give you the benefit of the doubt here.

Originality: 10/10

As I said in Kevandre's grades, I'm not a fan of the Gaur Plain stage but I do like the view of Mechonis in a Grassy Plain. However I think this stage is a much better execution of the concept. It has the same imagery pros as Gaur Plain but on a much more playable and creative area. Being on a Mech Ship that cycles through Sea and Air with an actual Xenoblade Village in the background is the kind of stage Xenoblade should have gotten in the first place.

Playability: 10/10

With the wind when in the sky being the only hazard I don't see any problems here. The wind itself is akin to that of Whispy Woods and it blows you in a direction that keeps you on the stage.

Overall Score: 25/25

Cosmic77's grades:

"Garfont Village" by GolisoPower:

Iconic Status: 5/5

Might not be the most notable area of the game, but I still think you chose something that does a decent job of representing XC2.

Originality: 10/10

Really like the driver and blade theme you went with. That's probably one of the most fitting things you could do for a Xenoblade 2 stage, and the way you implemented the blades with certain weaknesses was also very unique

Also, nice touch with the victory animations.

Playability: 6/10

Even though I like the gimmick, some of the blades could interfere with a battle way more than they need to.

Then there's the layout of your stage. The gate and the tree make it harder to get KOs. Don't think either was really necessary.

Overall Score: 21/25

"Gramps' Back" by Kevandre:

Iconic Status: 5/5

We don't get to see Gramps later in the game, but I think this an excellent "area" to make a stage from. Definitely goes along with the theme in Xenoblade.

Originality: 9/10

The concept is similar to the Great Fox, but it's still got it's own simplistic charm. The layout is unique, and I really like the use of the crane in the back as a way to force players off of it.

Playability: 10/10

Honestly, I don't see anything worth deducting points for. The stage itself is pretty simple, with no real obstacles or hazards aside from that crane.

Overall Score: 24/25

"Fallen Arm" by TheMarioAddict:

Iconic Status: 5/5

I mean, this place isn't TOO important. You meet some random chick, but she ain't worth remembering.

Originality: 8/10

Not the most exciting stage, but it's still nice regardless. Sometimes, we need more simple stages.

The wind goes along with the stage nicely. Compliments the (somewhat) aerodynamic shape of the front of the ship.

Playability: 10/10

Seems fine to me. The only thing that could get in the way is the wind, and I don't really think that's major enough to warrant losing points.

Overall Score: 23/25

Total Scores:

GolisoPower: 43 points

Kevandre: 49 points

TheMarioAddict: 48 points

The Winner is...........
Gramp's Back by Kevandre

CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!!!!!​

 

[GolisoPower]

Congrats, Kevandre in this three-way battle! I’m happy with the bronze medal I received this round!

 

[Kevandre]

Argh! So close to a perfect score!

All the same, great round even with less entrants!

 

[TheMarioaddict]

Damn, ya beat me by one point!

Ah well. Congrats to kevandre!

 

[GolisoPower]

By the way, Cosmic77 , which Blades were you talking about in the Playability section? Ice Cannon? Earth Hammer? Wind Ball? Just asking out of curiosity.

 

[Cosmic77]

By the way, Cosmic77 , which Blades were you talking about in the Playability section? Ice Cannon? Earth Hammer? Wind Ball? Just asking out of curiosity.

The Ether Cannon, Greataxe, and Shield Hammer were the ones I was most concerned about. Aside from high damage output, it seemed like quite a few of the attacks could cover long distances and really interfere with the battle. Kinda hard to have a match when someone keeps firing an attack that's similar to a Ray Gun or the Daybreak.



Also, I'd like to point out that we currently have a three-way tie. If the tie isn't broken soon, we might have to choose the winner ourselves or go with the one that got the most votes first (and I have no idea which category reached six votes first, so hopefully psb123 was paying attention).

 

[Kevandre]

Star Fox had six votes for several days

 

[Munomario777]

fixed the tie

 

[Kevandre]

fixed the tie

You suck, that's the one I don't have one ready for... Lol

 

[Munomario777]

You suck, that's the one I don't have one ready for... Lol

muahahahaha

 

[TheMarioaddict]

fixed the tie

I can't believe you've done this

 

[Deleted member]

You know it's quite funny. Normally in the event of a tie I just pick one of the options in the tie to be the next round. Of course, now that Munomario777 has broken the tie himself I won't need to do that. But the funny thing is, he ended up voting for what I was going to choose out of the 3 rounds that tied anyway

So winning the poll at 7 votes, Round 16 is...............

Indie Games

​

This one will be a lot like the 3rd Party round that Round 14 was. Indie Games technically are 3rd Party after all. But they're a very different kind of 3rd party game with a whole nother ball game in the realm of Smash Speculation. The rule of having had to have been on a Nintendo System still applies. And it has to be an indie game.

As always, feel free to ask if you're unsure. But here are a few examples of games that do qualify as Indie Games.

Shovel Knight
Shantae
Cave Story
Freedom Planet
Azure Striker Gunvolt
Bloodstained: Curse of the Moon
Yooka-Laylee
Hyper Light Drifter
Owlboy
Celeste
Rivals of Aether
Blaster Master Zero
Poi
Axiom Verge

And there is one particular example I'm going to list here that's a bit odd in terms of it's indie status. And it was was directly asked to me via PM by a contestant. That game is Minecraft. It's received a massive amount of success and might very well be owned by Microsoft now (I don't know the full details of that). But for all intensive purposes, it is still an Indie Game despite being owned by a non-indie company.

Think something like No More Heroes: Travis Strikes Again. NMH did not start out as an Indie Game series but the upcoming one is most certainly indie. It's got the Indie Style and is being made by an Indie developer (though with that game not having released yet it's kind of impossible to submit a stage from it). Minecraft is the same case. It may have ties to things that are not Indie but it's an Indie Style game that was originally made by an Indie Developer. It is allowed for this round.

And with that, on May 28th 2018, Round 16 has begun. You have until Friday June 1st to submit entries.

Good Luck!

 

[Kevandre]

Rivals of Aether isn't on Nintendo, is it?

 

[Deleted member]

Rivals of Aether isn't on Nintendo, is it?

It's set for release on the Switch this year.

 

[PeridotGX]

Is Rocket League Indie? I'm 90% sure it is, but I want to make sure.

 

[GolisoPower]

Stage Name:
Runbow

Origin:
Runbow

Gimmicks and Hazards:
Color changing

Description:

The colorful stage is from one of the most popular indie platformers to debut in the Wii U era. The layout shown is one of many that will be used per stage select, similarly to Mario Maker.

At the start of a match, the background being shades of grey. This plays a good role in the stage's gimmick. Across the map are platforms of the eight different colors that correlate to the amount of players that can be playable (This stage is also accessible in 8-Player Smash, if that wasn't any indication). There is a glowing platform at the center of the map. If a player stands on that glowing platform alone and uninterrupted for 5 seconds, the background color will change to the color of the player number. The platform that shares the same color will be inaccessible as long as the background is of that color, with the black platforms being accessible regardless of the background color. Any other players that hop onto the platform in the middle of the process will interrupt it, regardless of progress.

Unlockable:
No.

Music:
A Scroll in the Park (Runbow)
Two Feet and a Heartbeat (Runbow)
Gotta Lock it Down (Runbow)
Sand in my Shorts (Runbow)
Shovel Knight Medley
Steamworld Medley
Bit.Trip Run Medley
Azure Striker Gunvolt Medley

 

[Kevandre]

Okay. It's a good thing it's a work-from-home day for Memorial Day cuz I got to get a stage together this morning (Thanks for ruining my planning, Munomario777 )

The Lich Yard
(Shovel Knight)

​

The Lich Yard is one of the first areas Shovel Knight goes to in his journey, to take down Specter Knight. Specter Knight is one of The Order of No Quarter (And one of the playable characters in Shovel Knight: Treasure Trove! I'd even say he has the best campaign of the three currently available).

The Lich Yard is a spooky place in the base game, filled with Ghosts, zombies and electric frogs (?). Luckily, there aren't any enemies here to attack you, but that doesn't mean that we get off scot-free...

Specter Knight floats in from the side!
​

Donovan isn't here to fight us though, but he's fine with inconveniencing us. With one quick shake of his fist and a whispered "apagando las luces," the lights go out!

"Hey, who turned out the lights?"
​

The stage layout is exactly the same as before, but the playable characters and the platforms are all pitch black. Sneaky players can jump around on the top platforms and obscure where they're at, if they're quick on their feet! But, bare in mind that it's only pitch black like this for a few seconds before lightning strikes!

"Gah!"​

Lightning only strikes for a split second, but it's enough to find yourself or other fighters that might be sneaking away! Then it goes back to pitch black.

The pitch black/lightning section that Specter Knight sets off only lasts for roughly 10 seconds before the stage goes back to normal like the first screenshot above. But it's enough to really shake up the gameplay for this stage as well!

In addition, Specter Knight is attackable when he floats in. If you do enough damage to him, he'll float away rather than begin the blackout. But he'll be back.

Music:
La Danse Macabre (Shovel of Hope): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UDJMKv2Old8
Hidden By Night (Specter of Torment): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZTtrxKMF3Yc
Tools of War (Specter of Torment): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hrmuH4aqfi4
Flowers of Antimony (Shovel of Hope): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kq-IFeszWwo
Aqua Vitae (Specter of Torment): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pZEvg7qVzdo
The Magic Mirror (Specter of Torment): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oSKjNJe35Sw
Embraced by Darkness (Specter of Torment): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gF7bRpfcLrQ
​

 

[Deleted member]

Is Rocket League Indie? I'm 90% sure it is, but I want to make sure.

Rocket League is an Indie Title

 

[Deleted member]

Poll for Round 17 is up. Now that we have the Indie Games round going the voting option of Kid Icarus and F-Zero has returned. Also keep in mind that the week of Round 17 is when we'll have the little side game of choosing your Top 5 entries from this contest most likely to be featured at E3 going on.

 

[TheMarioaddict]

Y’know, I’m really glad this stage contest is going on again. Forgive me for constantly bringing up the old contest, but it’s very nostalgic to me. There are a ton of stages I had designed back then, but then once the contest closed down, had to be relegated to a side thread, seen by few (if any) people. But now, those old stages of mine have a chance in the spotlight once more, not to mention a chance for me to improve them with the new knowledge of game and level design I have! And here for you today is one such stage!

Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Minecraft!

So this stage…

…

This… this stage, uh…

It, uh…

...

...hm. This doesn’t feel right.

Hold on, let me just…

Let’s see, so I move this here…

Break this block, and… there!

Much better!

Name of Stage:
Minecraft

Game of Origin:
Minecraft

Description of Stage:
The stage takes place atop a mountain overlooking the world of Minecraft. The top and sides of the mountain make up the base platform, while the leaves of a tree form another solid platform just above it. And yes, I said solid - the tree is not passable.

I’d give more detail, but thanks to the wonders of Minecraft itself, I think that seems a little redundant, don’t you? If nothing else, I will mention that there’s a day/night cycle, with days and nights lasting around a minute each. During the day, you’ll see small pockets of farm animals roaming about the background, while at night, larger hordes of zombies and skeletons will do the same.

Gimmicks and Hazards of the Stage:
In fact, this stage has a very notable hazard! You see, on occasion (around 20 seconds after the start of the match), a creeper will appear from behind the cabin and walk towards the stage. Once he reaches the center, he’ll start his classic hissing, and then…

Please excuse the change in camera angle, it’s hard to line up shots in Minecraft.

...kaboom! The creeper explodes, dealing 25% damage and medium knockback to anyone caught in the blast. Furthermore, the explosion will destroy some of the blocks, getting rid of the tree platform and leaving a big crater in the stage! Things will stay this way for around 20 seconds, after which a minecraft player will emerge from the house, using his building skills to quickly rebuild the stage back to how it was before, allowing the cycle to repeat.

Music:
Minecraft (Minecraft)
Sweden (Minecraft)
Wet Hands (Minecraft)
Mice on Venus (Minecraft)
Subwoofer Lullaby (Minecraft)
Haggstrom (Minecraft)
Danny (Minecraft)
Cat (Minecraft)
Far (Minecraft)
Calm 4 (Minecraft)

There ya go! I went just that little bit extra for this stage, so I hope you enjoy!

 

[Kevandre]

Y’know, I’m really glad this stage contest is going on again. Forgive me for constantly bringing up the old contest, but it’s very nostalgic to me. There are a ton of stages I had designed back then, but then once the contest closed down, had to be relegated to a side thread, seen by few (if any) people. But now, those old stages of mine have a chance in the spotlight once more, not to mention a chance for me to improve them with the new knowledge of game and level design I have! And here for you today is one such stage!

Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Minecraft!

So this stage…

…

This… this stage, uh…

It, uh…

...

...hm. This doesn’t feel right.

Hold on, let me just…

Let’s see, so I move this here…

Break this block, and… there!

Much better!

Name of Stage:
Minecraft

Game of Origin:
Minecraft

Description of Stage:
The stage takes place atop a mountain overlooking the world of Minecraft. The top and sides of the mountain make up the base platform, while the leaves of a tree form another solid platform just above it. And yes, I said solid - the tree is not passable.

I’d give more detail, but thanks to the wonders of Minecraft itself, I think that seems a little redundant, don’t you? If nothing else, I will mention that there’s a day/night cycle, with days and nights lasting around a minute each. During the day, you’ll see small pockets of farm animals roaming about the background, while at night, larger hordes of zombies and skeletons will do the same.

Gimmicks and Hazards of the Stage:
In fact, this stage has a very notable hazard! You see, on occasion (around 20 seconds after the start of the match), a creeper will appear from behind the cabin and walk towards the stage. Once he reaches the center, he’ll start his classic hissing, and then…

Please excuse the change in camera angle, it’s hard to line up shots in Minecraft.

...kaboom! The creeper explodes, dealing 25% damage and medium knockback to anyone caught in the blast. Furthermore, the explosion will destroy some of the blocks, getting rid of the tree platform and leaving a big crater in the stage! Things will stay this way for around 20 seconds, after which a minecraft player will emerge from the house, using his building skills to quickly rebuild the stage back to how it was before, allowing the cycle to repeat.

Music:
Minecraft (Minecraft)
Sweden (Minecraft)
Wet Hands (Minecraft)
Mice on Venus (Minecraft)
Subwoofer Lullaby (Minecraft)
Haggstrom (Minecraft)
Danny (Minecraft)
Cat (Minecraft)
Far (Minecraft)
Calm 4 (Minecraft)

There ya go! I went just that little bit extra for this stage, so I hope you enjoy!

Do you have any idea how many stages I put into that second thread, just for fun? Lolololol. I totally agree, too. I look forward to this all the time. Hell, I probably wouldn't be using Smashboards at all if this new contest didn't exist (At least until after we had some more knowledge about the next game). But I'm enjoying the crap out of it, seeing what new things I can do. I like having an outlet for creativity.

Also, nice stage man. I've never been much of a Minecraft fan but this seems like an excellent representation of the game.

 

[GolisoPower]

Y’know, I’m really glad this stage contest is going on again. Forgive me for constantly bringing up the old contest, but it’s very nostalgic to me. There are a ton of stages I had designed back then, but then once the contest closed down, had to be relegated to a side thread, seen by few (if any) people. But now, those old stages of mine have a chance in the spotlight once more, not to mention a chance for me to improve them with the new knowledge of game and level design I have! And here for you today is one such stage!

Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Minecraft!

So this stage…

…

This… this stage, uh…

It, uh…

...

...hm. This doesn’t feel right.

Hold on, let me just…

Let’s see, so I move this here…

Break this block, and… there!

Much better!

Name of Stage:
Minecraft

Game of Origin:
Minecraft

Description of Stage:
The stage takes place atop a mountain overlooking the world of Minecraft. The top and sides of the mountain make up the base platform, while the leaves of a tree form another solid platform just above it. And yes, I said solid - the tree is not passable.

I’d give more detail, but thanks to the wonders of Minecraft itself, I think that seems a little redundant, don’t you? If nothing else, I will mention that there’s a day/night cycle, with days and nights lasting around a minute each. During the day, you’ll see small pockets of farm animals roaming about the background, while at night, larger hordes of zombies and skeletons will do the same.

Gimmicks and Hazards of the Stage:
In fact, this stage has a very notable hazard! You see, on occasion (around 20 seconds after the start of the match), a creeper will appear from behind the cabin and walk towards the stage. Once he reaches the center, he’ll start his classic hissing, and then…

Please excuse the change in camera angle, it’s hard to line up shots in Minecraft.

...kaboom! The creeper explodes, dealing 25% damage and medium knockback to anyone caught in the blast. Furthermore, the explosion will destroy some of the blocks, getting rid of the tree platform and leaving a big crater in the stage! Things will stay this way for around 20 seconds, after which a minecraft player will emerge from the house, using his building skills to quickly rebuild the stage back to how it was before, allowing the cycle to repeat.

Music:
Minecraft (Minecraft)
Sweden (Minecraft)
Wet Hands (Minecraft)
Mice on Venus (Minecraft)
Subwoofer Lullaby (Minecraft)
Haggstrom (Minecraft)
Danny (Minecraft)
Cat (Minecraft)
Far (Minecraft)
Calm 4 (Minecraft)

There ya go! I went just that little bit extra for this stage, so I hope you enjoy!

Round of applause to you, my good man! Super well thought out, and your intro was funny too.

 

[Sarki Soliloquy]

Hulloes! I haven't shown up since Round 15 thanks to my recent priorities, but I thought I'd still pop in this time around (*Xenoblade* isn't my forté).

What else could I say? @psb123 & Cosmic77 's gradings had me humbled. Last place finish, ouch! Although, its funny, even if its incredulous to take my word for it after the fact. Since I would be remiss to admit a lot of the same flaws they pointed out in Nonary Game's design, I actually considered early on would gain me low performance in Iconicity & Playability. I definitely have a solid 1st draft if anything, so if I were to revisit my stage, perhaps I could get something to working form? Still, I just wanted to show my love for Zero Escape, and the fanfare for just repping it was worth it enough.

Now, onto the current Indie round. It might be cutting a little too close to finish if I were to start now, but it does irk me a bit to leave one of my concepts hanging. Perhaps its a good time to design it thru a minimalist scope? Whether or not, I plan to submit for the 2nd Kirby round & in the event of a 2nd Fire Emblem round for sure. Maybe I could take some stabs at some of the smaller franchises if I deem fit, however.

Speaking of which, I have a suggestion for a future round I want to drop by the judges & contestants. If you look at 64 & Melee, there's a notable number of stages that theme themselves off an entire game like N64 Yoshi's Island, an iconic location a la Hyrule Castle or N64 Dreamland, or take parts of a series & take it to the extreme thru PokéFlots. What if we leave a polling option for a Series Custom/Themed Stages round?

 

[Jubileus57]

I'm not much interested in Indie games (unless they are from the AMAZING Failbetter Games studio (Sunless Sea and Sunless Skies, which aren't even close to Nintendo Consoles). But I have played ONE indie that will be on Switch in the future, and this game is...

Stage: Mini Metro
Origin: Mini Metro.

(Damn the green and purple lines should have gone all the way to the border of the picture. My bad). The coloured lines are not platforms at all.

Mini Metro is a micromanagement game from Dinosaur Polo Club which is already available on Steam and will come to the Switch later this year I believe. The basic concept is very simple: dots of varying shapes appear, you connect them with metro lines and the trains will transport passengers (which are the shape of one of the station) to a station with the same shape. The design is incredibly simplistic and in essence looks a lot like my bluepint TBH.

This stage starts as vanilla as a stage could get, akin to Final Destination. But soon stations appear randomly and the lines create themselves between them with wagons coming and going on the lines. The kicker? Should an opponent be on a station at the time a wagon comes around, he will be considered a passenger and be trapped in the wagon for some time. The player can fortunately button mash to get out before the train goes out of the screen past the blast lines.

The more damage you get the harder it will be to get out of the wagons. There are three kinds of them:

• Long rectangular ones that go at medium speed. If you are trapped on it from approximatively the middle of the stages, It will KO circa 100% with full button mashing. 65% of the wagons;
• Smaller rectangles that are much slower than the previous ones. KO at 150% when mashed.
• Long pentagonal ones (alongated rectangle with a pointy front side, like the Shinkansen in game) which are much faster and can KO at 80% when mashed.

NB: while inside the wagon, the player disappears inside of it and is symbolized by a little dot inside. They cannot be hurt while trapped.

Maximum 10 stations will appear on the stage. So it is not too overcrowded.

I have no hope of winning this round but it was fun nonetheless.

 

[Sarki Soliloquy]

1st Sumeragi
Releasing the Anthem

Sumeragi Tower watches over the city above all, as air traffic beacons & spotlights break through the noisy neon nocturne.

(Azure Striker Gunvolt - 3DS/Switch/PC)

DESCRIPTION

One of the sights of Gunvolt’s breakout from the clutches of the oppressive Sumeragi Group, he is tasked by QUILL to retrieve Lumen, the Muse - a popstar adept that has the power to control all adepts with her entrancing songs. After wrecking through their HQ, he must navigate the length of a Sumeragi cargo train carrying her cell.

Whereas there was a single, unified liner in Azure Striker Gunvolt, the railroad has split into two tracks parallel to one another on the Y-axis. The upper track is considered intangible & will always be passable. But the bottom track trails with the forward scrolling of the stage.

GIMMICKS & HAZARDS

Like Big Blue or Spirit Train, stepping off the platform of the bottom track will force the player backwards into the blast zone if left, and forward to be knocked airborne by the right edge of the platform if right.

The carts of the two tracks have a dynamic relationship to their layout. The bottom platform can be positioned by hitting the control panels on the left or right to move the platform in its respective direction.

Don’t try to chase onto a moving train, kids.

Hitting both at the same time will halt the platform entirely! Use this emergency stop function to trick your opponents.

A 6 second cooldown after the platform has moved about 12 ft./6 SBB or when both control panels have been activated prevents the platform from moving from its current position. This creates a stable period of ground for the fighters to reconvene & try to maintain control before moving any further.

How will you use the cart levers? Will you plan an escape from the chaos upon the top track? Do you want to constantly have your opponent’s feet off the ground?

At the start of each match, the layout of the top platforms is pretty basic. You have 3 shunting carts creating a wide arena. The links serve as passable platforms a la Battlefield’s tri-platforms.

Don’t touch the grinding wheels though! They’ll scrape ya!

The top track will change every 50 seconds. There’s a variety of layouts that can roll in at random.

Looks like we’re hauling freight.

So it looks like we’ll be making it to the station without delay, right? Well, who said Sumeragi would be fine with a bunch of rowdy trainhoppers making a mess of their op?

The Mantis has been deployed!

The Mantis isn’t a stage boss, but it will occasionally interrupt the in order to suppress the fighters with its explosive ordinances. It instinctively targets whichever track has the most fighters at a time. In the span of a standard 2 min. Time Smash, you should encounter it twice.

From the top track, it will hover by to deploy ballistic missiles that rain along the top.

But from the bottom track, that’s when it will appear from the screen’s edge for its most menacing attack.

Don’t get vaporized! But what if I hit the fuse?

Looks like it needs a reboot. Makes a nice extra platform until then.

It takes about 5 seconds for the Mantis to get back up, retreating from the battle until 33 seconds have passed.

UNLOCK METHOD

Whenever Gunvolt gets unlocked - via DLC, updates, or otherwise - he’ll bring this along as his home stage & where you have to fight him for his unlock battle. He also comes with Trophies for Gunvolt, Gunvolt (Alt.), Voltaic Chains, Copen, Joule, Lumen, Lola, Mantis, & 1st Sumeragi.

MUSIC

1st Sumeragi ~ Infiltration (Azure Striker Gunvolt)*
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=La79j8S5lAc

Reincarnation (Azure Striker Gunvolt)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u7Kn1cZgmRw

Beyond the Blue (Azure Striker Gunvolt)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PHJ8d_O4N-o

Biochemical Plant ~ Conflagration (Azure Striker Gunvolt)**
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QPh8RD15UnI

Sinner’s Row ~ Kaleidoscope (Azure Striker Gunvolt)**
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQK1Go2ZAP8&index=27&list=PLNFxflsE6IYzcXj0ky7Pu7XcLcLpfWGHK

Eridu ~ Streak (Azure Striker Gunvolt)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZIIT18T3FU4&index=31&list=PLNFxflsE6IYzcXj0ky7Pu7XcLcLpfWGHK

Data Facility (Azure Striker Gunvolt 2)**
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qeKmLnjHAzs

Copen Stage (Azure Striker Gunvolt 2)**
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CMN0xvdHAec

Igniter (Azure Striker Gunvolt 2)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0cdA94Z57W0

Indigo Destiny (Duet ver.) (Azure Striker Gunvolt 2)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IMMw8oNVxjs

City Stage (Mighty Gunvolt Burst)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z5bmw_yXLzU

The Underground Adventure Begins (Master Blaster Zero)**
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=elL1hCsutFs

*: Default stage theme, when no other tracks are adjusted for frequency.
**Remix eligible.​

 

[Deleted member]

Reminder that Round 16 ends tomorrow.

 

[PeridotGX]

Rocket League

​

Rocket League is a game that has released on PC, PS4, XB1, and recently, the Switch. It is basically Soccer with cars, and became rather popular. In SSB, the stage takes place at night in an Rocket League arena, with walk offs and two battlefield-esque platforms.

Also, 20 seconds or so into the match or so, a Rocket League ball appears on the stage. It has a percentage bar that appears on the top of the screen. Unlike in the game, it doesnt roll and is very heavy (1.5x Bowser's weight). If someone does manage to knock it off the blastzone, They get healed 35%. In the background of the stage, various cars go by in the background.

Notes: Another subpar stage of mine. I think I'm running out of ideas.

 

[Deleted member]

Alright guys. Round 16 is now closed. With the big site maintenance going on this Sunday I'm hoping we'll have grades ready by Saturday this time.

 

[Kevandre]

I like how Munomario777 chose this round and then didn't submit a stage for it

Classic

 

[TheMarioaddict]

I like how Munomario777 chose this round and then didn't submit a stage for it

Classic

Haha, that's our Munomario!

Laugh track plays in the background

A single tear rolls down TheMarioaddict's face

The laugh track intensifies

 

[Munomario777]

get pranked

 

[Deleted member]

Since Smashboards will be down a lot tomorrow for maintenance, let's get those Round 16 grades posted now!

psb123's grades:

Runbow by GolisoPower

Iconic Status: 4/5

Definitely one of the more well known Indie Games. Not quite to the point of a 5. But enough people should at the very least know about it.

Originality: 8/10

Changing layouts like Super Mario Maker does certainly fits for a Runbow stage. Though it is a little curious how the color changer is always in the center. I do like the color changing mechanic in of itself. But having to go un-interrupted for 5 seconds might be a bit too much.

Playability: 9/10

I do have to take a point off because the layout shifting of Super Mario Maker combined with certain platforms potentially becoming inaccessible does lead to some wonder about well certain layouts would go. But there's nothing else that could really cause any problems.

Overall Score: 21/25

The Lich Yard by Kevandre

Iconic Status: 5/5

Shovel Knight is the most recognizable Indie Character. That might sound like a bold statement but considering the popularity of his game and all of his cameos in other great Indie games it's hard to disagree with.

Beyond that though this is one of the most popular levels in the game AND the home stage to one of the bosses who became playable. Perfect Iconic Score. Hands Down.

Originality: 10/10

There is so much faithfulness to the source material here it's crazy. The blackouts are a part of this stage just like they were in the base game. But also like in the base game, it's a decently manageable blackout. More on that in the next point category.

Playability: 8/10

The blackout being there at all does sadly force a couple points to be taken off. But given the source material of the stage, I would rather the blackout be here then have it removed. And it helps a lot that you've added 3 things that make the blackout a much smaller problem than it could have been.

1. Defeating Specter Knight temporarily prevents it.
2. The Lightning Strike can help you see where everything is.
3. It's only the characters and the platforms that get blacked out. The Background remains the same which can help in seeing where everyone is.

Overall Score: 23/25

Minecraft by TheMarioaddict

Iconic Status: 5/5

Minecraft is a super big deal in todays era of gaming. With how long it's been around and still kept it's popularity throughout all that time it in some ways reaches Mario levels for a lot of younger gamers.

Originality: 10/10

It captures the essence of Minecraft perfectly. A nice, simple build that works well in Smash with a creeper to destroy it and a crafter to rebuild it.

Playability: 6/10

For a stage this small the explosion the creeper leaves covers too much area for too much damage. If you lowered the range and damage while still keeping the crater afterwards you would have had a solid 10 here.

Overall Score: 21/25

Mini Metro by Jubileus57

Iconic Status: 1/5

The fact that I've never even heard of this game until your submission was the first red flag. And honestly, it doesn't seem like a lot of people would know about this game either. It seems very niche.

Originality: 10/10

It's a neat concept. A simple Final Destination layout that adds stuff to happen overtime while staying faithful to the source material.

Playability: 4/10

Sadly if you get caught into one of those vehicles it's too hard to get out of one. A big problem since they can carry you off stage. And the fact that there can be a total of 10 stations only makes the problem worse.

Overall Score: 15/25

1st Sumeragi by Sarki Soliloquy

Iconic Status: 4/5

There's a pretty substantial amount of people who know about Azure Striker Gunvolt and for good reason. It's the Mega Man Spiritual Successor that succeeded in every way that Mighty No. 9 screwed up.

I'm a little hesitant to say it's as well known as games like Shovel Knight so I can't award it full points. But it does help that this stage in of itself will be recognizable since it's the intro level of the 1st game.

Originality: 9/10

Only real gripe here is that I don't think the Mantis was needed. Other than that you have a lot of creativity going on here. Having the rail road split into two tracks is a very nice touch for this kind of stage and I also like how the top track can change cars and how the bottom track has a somewhat controllable car. With a cooldown between movement of course, which is also appreciated.

Playability: 8/10

While I do like how the Mantis is restricted to one half of the stage and it's attack will only toward the half it's on, the attacks it does have are a little too powerful. Laser reaches too far on the bottom half and there's too many missiles on the top half. I also think that the link platforms that you pass through to get to the top half need to be wider since the wheels of carts can hurt you.

Overall Score: 21/25

Rocket League by PeridotGX

Iconic Status: 4/5

Same reasons apply here that applied to Gunvolt. It's recognizable, but not AS much as some other Indie games.

Originality: 5/10

With Rocket League as the source game I feel like there is more you could do with the idea of a stage from it. But I'll cut you a little bit of slack here because I'll admit I can't really think of what that more could be. At the very least, the ball gives a nice touch.

Playability: 9/10

Walk-offs are annoying. But the platforms and the ball that can heal you if you knock it away at least give some incentive not to camp at the edge.

Overall Score: 18/25

Cosmic77's Grades:

"Runbow" by GolisoPower:

Iconic Status: 4/5

I'd say Runbow is more recognizable than most other indie games, but it definitely isn't up to par with some of the other titles submitted in this round.

Originality: 6/10

Maybe there's more that I'm not picking up here, but the concept of standing on a platform for 5 seconds to change the background color doesn't sound all too exciting. Maybe it would look better if I actually saw it in Smash.

Playability: 9/10

Even if it's not the worst obstacle, water is still something that can get in the way. Regardless of what layout is used, I'm assuming water is present.

Overall Score: 19/25

"The Lich Yard" by Kevandre:

Iconic Status: 5/5

People practically worship Shovel Knight for being the king of niche indie games. Don't think many people would be completely unfamiliar with this stage.

Originality: 8/10

The concept isn't extraordinarily creative, but it's still nice regardless. I like how the little candles light up the bottom part of the stage, and the lightning providing a temporary flash of light was a nice touch.

Playability: 7/10

The gimmick doesn't render the stage unplayable, but it definitely can get in the way. Ironically, you pointed out yourself that players could hide themselves on the top platforms. That can definitely be exploited and abused.

To a lesser extent, there's also that gap between the stage.

Overall Score: 20/25

"Minecraft" by TheMarioAddict:

Iconic Status: 5/5

Minecraft? Never heard of it.

Originality: 9/10

It's a little basic, but I still like it. The background scenery sounds nice, and the Creeper carries over the very frustrating experience of having to rebuild everything that you worked so hard on, just like in the game.

Playability: 6/10

Well, the Creeper dealing 25% damage didn't do you any favors. I understand that an explosion should realistically cause a lot of damage, but with such a small stage, I don't think that's a good idea.

The weird blocky layout after the explosion also seems like it could get in the way of the battle.

Overall Score: 20/25

"Mini Metro" by Jubileus57:

Iconic Status: 4/5

I don't think this game would be as widely known as other options.

...

And that's all I really have to say.

Originality: 10/10

Sounds pretty original to me. Really like the simplistic design of it all. The different kinds of wagons also add a little variety as well.

Playability: 5/10

I'm sorry, but being trapped in a wagon that can carry you past the KO line is a huge red flag. The concept is nice, but I don't think you really needed to use the trains like this. Something as simple as carrying players to different parts of the stage would work just as well for me.

Overall Score: 19/25

"1st Sumeragi" by Sarki Soliloquy:

Iconic Status: 2/5

Maybe it's because your competition is Minecraft and Shovel Knight, but I don't think many people would recognize this game.

Originality: 10/10

You put a lot of time in this stage, and it shows. Really like how much creativity you put in your stage and the train theme. The moving carts on the top, the buttons on the bottom platform, the Mantis: it's all very unique.

Playability: 6/10

Lots of hazards in your stage. Honestly, if you wanted to raise your score a bit, you could've left out the Mantis. Even without it, your stage had enough unique elements for it to garner a good orginality score.

Overall Score: 18/25

"Rocket League" by PeridotGX:

Iconic Status: 5/5

Rocket League had a pretty big push when the Switch first came out. I think it has more than enough going for it to be recognized in Smash.

Originality: 3/10

I don't know if you were pressed for time, but this definitely wasn't your best. There's so many awesome things you could do with Rocket League, but you ended up going with something that's admittingly lackluster and somewhat boring.

Overall, your stage just feels rushed. Seems like you may have needed more time to think.

Playability: 10/10

It's certainly not flashy, that's for sure. However, the stage is so basic and simple that there's not really a reason to deduct points.

Overall Score: 18/25

Total Scores:

GolisoPower: 40 points

Kevandre: 43 points

TheMarioAddict: 41 points

Jubileus57: 34 points

Sarki Soliloquy: 39 points

PeridotGX: 36 points

The Winner is........
The Lich Yard by Kevandre

CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!!!!!!!!!​