Time for Round 40 grades!
psb123's grades:
Pandora's Labyrinth of Deceit by
Kevandre
Iconic Status: 5/5
Sure it's an early game Chapter. But it features a unique experience, a classic boss to the original game, and the creation of one of the game's more pivotal characters. Seems pretty memorable to me.
Originality: 7/10
I like the idea behind this stage. But I don't feel the layout allows it to be executed the best. It kind has the vibes of "trolly stage made to not be playable" from back in Brawl's Stage Builder. I think a layout with more solid ground to it would have allowed the idea to flow better. You could still have fake platforms and whatnot, but this stage could have layouts that cause more people to find it be a cool twist instead of an annoying gimmick.
Playability: 4/10
Like I said. Not the best layout you could have used. Even if all the platforms are solid the placement of them isn't that great. Cave of life with the intersection of the two non-passable's, the spots for the passable's are kind of awkward, it just isn't a very solidly built layout. And the fact that certain platforms can be fake poses even more of a problem. Especially if a non-passable is made fake.
Overall Score: 16/25
Hades' Belly by
GolisoPower
Iconic Status: 3/5
It's got the name of the extremely likable main villain in the title. But all in all it's not that memorable. The setting, while unique, is kind of a one-off thing that's not explored much. Add in the generally hated boss fight and the overall lack of impactful stuff happening here and I don't really see this one sticking out too well.
Originality: 6/10
I like the setting of fighting inside a Monster's Stomach like this. Though the impact of that could be a little lower for some considering Bowser's Inside Story. Outside of that, the cells are kind of bland. They don't really do a whole lot that's interesting and I'm not too keen on having to deal a certain amount of damage to get them to do anything.
Playability: 5/10
35% is at kind of an inbetween point between manageable and too much, but honestly the fact that you have to damage the cells that way at all for them to do anything sounds pretty annoying. Plus this is the kind of stage that characters with weaker recoveries struggle with. And campers would probably be encouraged to do their annoying "tactic" here as well.
Overall Score: 14/25
Aurum Island by
TKOWL
Iconic Status: 4/5
It took up 3 chapters and gave us the at least somewhat notable Phyrron. But all in all the Aurum arc was pretty much filler. It doesn't have a huge impact on the game as a whole. This was actually pretty darn close to a 3 honestly. But Aurum troops do show up in a couple other chapters, this does last longer than some other filler related things, and there are a few Aurum brand weapons you can earn. I think it just barely earns a 4.
Originality: 8/10
It's got some similarities to, as you mentioned, Umbra Clock Tower. So I don't think I can award it a 10. But I feel like that gimmick has more character on this stage than on Umbra Clock Tower. Mainly because the Aurum troops are a bit more varied in what they do compared to simple stone platforms.
Playability: 10/10
I don't really see anything wrong here though. Size seems okay, Aurum Troops don't feel like they get in the way too much, and Phyrron can't actually hurt the players.
Overall Score: 22/25
Reaper Fortress by
Primid
Iconic Status: 5/5
An early game chapter that is honestly pretty intense compared to some of the other ones. Plus it's crawling with reapers. Anyone who played the original Kid Icarus can tell you that those stick out like a sore thumb.
Originality: 10/10
It doesn't do much besides travel but I like how it gets the traveling done. In a high speed action filled way that the background scenery compliments. Not a lot of crazy gimmicks here. But I think that works out well in the end.
Playability: 9/10
It seems as though the reaper in the ravine just comes in an instantly fires it laser. I think it would be better if it took some time to aim at a fighter first.
Overall Score: 24/25
Kid Icarus (NES) by
Good Guy Giygas
Iconic Status: 4/5
Feels very weird, and a little wrong in some ways, to not give the original game a full 5 here. But Uprising overshadowed it so much that I honestly can't justify a 5.
Originality: 9/10
There are a lot of cool ideas here. The Eggplant Wizard is a simple, but tricky obstacle, The doors in world 1 are a minor, but neat little addition, and the Angel's Feathers make for a cool boost. Though personally I think they should be on a timer even within world 2 so as to not make recovering too easy.
Playability: 5/10
The sealed off blast zones in World's 1 and 2 are the biggest problems here. The blocked of ceiling in world 2 makes traditional ko's too much of a chore and that problem is even worse with the blocked off walls in world 1. The Eggplant wizard in world 3 isn't as bad, though it seems like you can still attack when under the curse. At least, that's how it seems. It's a little hard to understand what the curse is supposed to do from you description honestly.
Overall Score: 18/25
Underworld Tour by
Admiral Pit
Iconic Status: 5/5
It is a crying shame how something as important to the Kid Icarus series as the Underworld almost dooms you to not being able to get a full 5 no matter how you slice it. Your stage is based on Uprising, but the problem there is that so little of the game is actually spent in the Underworld. And if you had based it off of the original game? Then you would have missed a 5 for the same reason Good Guy Giygas did.
However, the key point here is ALMOST doomed to a 5. The addition of other notable locations like the Reaper fortress and Gaol's Castle bumped you up to a full score.
Originality: 6/10
I don't like layout 5 due to the rotation of a solid and non-solid platform. But every other layout as well as all those possible background changes shape this up to be an amazing traveling stage.
Which makes it such a shame that you overused the enemies as much as you did. Enemies as stage hazards in general has become such a cliche idea already and this stage honestly uses them too much. Had you left them out this would have been a phenomenal stage.
Playability: 1/10
The enemies are an even bigger problem here. Even ones like the monoeye and mik that are only minor annoyances are still, well annoyances. Especially given how big a group of them can be. The Daphne's and the Reapers are examples of enemies that just pose too much of a threat for a standard Smash match. And the Ornes are too big of a pest due to the instakills. Though I will admit that being able to kill them with light based attack is a safe zone I didn't expect to be implemented. Even so, it's far too restrictive. And the Clubberskulls? If one shows up you're dead. Unlike the others they can stick around for multiple layouts and considering you're using the Smash Run variant, that means they would cover a lot of the arena when you look at the sizes of the two. Something that powerful shouldn't take up so much space.
Overall Score: 12/25
Cosmic77's grades:
I feel like this was the harshest I've ever been with my grades for a single round. Not sure why though.
"Pandora’s Labyrinth of Deceit" by Kevandre:
Iconic Status: 5/5
I'll be honest, I never got the chance to pick up Uprising. I have seen a few playthroughs though, and this seemed like a fairly notable chapter. Dark Spit Pit was made here, right?
Originality: 9/10
This stage feels like a creepy warped version of a fun house, which I presume fits the theme of Pandora's chapter.
The fake platforms are a first I believe. Don't think we've seen anything like that before in Smash. I also like the little reference to Dark Pit's creation through the use of the mirror cloning characters. You found a very creative way to implement that part of the game into your stage.
Playability: 6/10
The two main platforms are a little too squished together; might have wanted to separate those a little more. And then, as if I really needed to point it out, the disappearing platforms can cause some antics.
Could be better with a few tweaks, but certainly not unplayable as is.
Overall Score: 20/25
"Hades’ Belly" by GolisoPower:
Iconic Status: 3/5
I'm gonna be a stickler and say this isn't a stage people would immediately associate with KI. Regardless of Hades being in the name, people who haven't played Uprising will have no idea what franchise this is from.
Originality: 6/10
The setting is a nice change, but I'm still not seeing that creativity in your stages that I'm looking for. The cells are interesting, but I don't think they're anything that helps this stage stand out among the other KI stages.
Maybe adding some background elements or more KI-exclusive gimmicks would've helped.
Playability: 6/10
I don't like the fact that characters with better recoveries have an advantage on this stage, but 35% for activating a harmless immobile (it is immobile, right?) platform isn't too bad. You could probably activate it with two Smash attacks.
Overall Score: 15/25
"Aurum Island" by TKOWL:
Iconic Status: 2/5
Just to reiterate what's already been said, I've never played Uprising. I could be underselling a truly remarkable section of the game.
From what I've seen though, it's not nearly as important as other parts of the game, and it doesn't really screams KI. This is something I'd associate with Metroid or Star Fox.
Originality: 4/10
Not to downplay the effort you put in your stage, but this looks like Battlefield with an outer space theme. The layout is decent, nothing to sneeze at, but I don't think the stage's few gimmicks do enough to contrast this stage from Battlefield. Visually, they look very similar.
Playability: 8/10
It's not bad by any means. The conveyor and slippery surface effect of the platforms make your stage a tad more interesting, but they also take a small nibble from your playability score. Other than that, seems completely fine.
Overall Score: 14/25
"Reaper Fortress" by Primid:
Iconic Status: 3/5
It's visually appealing, but overall, it's a little bit generic without the Reaper. It's honestly the only thing that would've keyed me in on this being a stage from KI.
Originality: 8/10
I love the attention to detail you put in your stage. Small little additions like the crumbling stairs really help your stage to stand out. The layouts are fairly unique too, and I like how you chose to transition between them instead of sticking with a single one. A single layout can get old very quickly.
Playability: 8/10
My only issues with your stage are in the first phase. The reaper dealing 15% damage is a fair but still notable amount, and the cliffs have a strange, wonky layout. I can definitely see players camping in the corners.
Overall Score: 19/25
"Kid Icarus (NES)" by Good Guy Giygas:
Iconic Status: 5/5
I think the NES game is still somewhat iconic. Definitely not up to par with Metroid or Zelda, but it's still a classic within the KI universe.
Originality: 9/10
Going back to the original game was a bold move, but it paid off. This whole stage feels like a tribute to KI, and I really like how much you packed into it. Eggplant Wizard was easily my favorite gimmick, and I'm a little suprised that no one else used him in their stage.
Playability: 5/10
World 1 and World 2 are basically one big cave of life. Not really a fan of those. I also didn't see what Eggplant Wizard does in your stage, but going off the assumption that he'll function similar to how he does in the game, he's an issue to be sure.
Overall Score: 19/25
"Underworld Tour" by Admiral Pit:
Iconic Status: 4/5
I’m having a hard time deciding what score would be appropriate using my limited KI knowledge. I know the Underworld is obviously an important part of KI, but the areas you chose seem a bit random and inconsistent. Instead of going for an "Underworld theme", it might've been better if you stuck with a single chapter.
Originality: 6/10
Don't get me wrong, this stage is creative x10. Layout is unique, descriptions gave me a vivid image of what the stage's background would look like, and the enemies are very fitting. I'm just completely burnt out on enemies being the main gimmick of stages, especially when the gimmick is enemy swarms. It's an overused concept that's been used time and time again, and I'm beginning to feel like enemies are a generic way of making a stage seem more creative.
If you had left out the enemies entirely, or just put less of an emphasis on them, I would've absolutely loved this stage.
Playability: 2/10
Let this be another incentive to take it easy with the enemies. The stage you've created is nearly impossible to play on. With so many enemies swarming the screen, many of which are far more annoying and OP than they should rightfully be, I honestly think it's unrealistic to assume any genuine battles could take place here.
The stage would be infinitely better if hazards were turned off, but I'm not taking that into consideration. Toggling the hazard switch off shouldn't be used a fail-safe if a gimmick goes too far. I'm looking at this stage in it's original form and nothing else.
Overall Score: 12/25
TheMarioAddcit's grades:
"Pandora’s Labyrinth of Deceit" by Kevandre:
"I
believe there was a stage made in the previous contest based on this chapter, but I don’t recall the details of it, so forgive me if anything is duplicated "
Yeah, there was, Kev. It was
my stage. I’ll be sure to grade you extra harshly on anything you stole from my design, you dirty thief.
Not really tho.
Iconic Status: 5/5
With the creation of an important character and a unique and trippy aesthetic, Pandora’s Labyrinth is definitely among the more memorable locations in Kid Icarus Uprising. It’s easily worth a high score - I mean, there’s a reason I chose the same level to design a stage around.
Originality: 10/10
First off: congrats, you didn’t steal any aspects of my stage. Your points shall be spared.
I like how you made the platform layout mirrored, and I really love the “fake platforms” gimmick - perfectly fits the theme of the Labyrinth, and is something completely new to Smash (I think). I also like that you incorporated the story elements in as a hazard, by way of the mirror. Although, it begs the question: what comes out if Dark Pit enters the mirror?
Dark Dark Pit?
Pink Gold Dark Dark Pit? Or even… the dreaded
Zero Suit Pac Mr. Metal Dr. Toon Ice Game Pink Tanooki Baby Gold Dark Dark Pit Jr. Knuckles & Watch Climbers… and Knuckles, featuring Dante from the Devil May Cry series!?
...well, in any event, it’s good. Well done!
Playability: 4/10
For the record, I do actually quite like this platform layout, and would probably play this stage a ton (with hazards off). But even so, there are some
very glaring issues that bring your score down immensely. Most notably being the massive, practically textbook-definition Cave of Life right in the center of the map. I’m pretty sure every fight ever would just devolve to people fighting to stay in that center bit and never getting launched offstage. Plus, obviously, disappearing platforms and ability to get free clones to help you can really screw with the flow of a fight.
Overall Score: 19/25
"Hades’ Belly" by GolisoPower:
Iconic Status: 5/5
Admittedly, I forgot about this part of Uprising, but as soon as I saw the stage name, I was like “Oh yeah, that did happen, didn’t it?” I’m surprised I forgot, because it’s definitely a more interesting part of the game. It doesn’t look super Kid-Icarus-y on the surface, so I nearly took a point off for the sake of people who didn’t play Uprising… but then again, Hades’ name is literally in the title of the stage, so if that doesn’t clue people in, I dunno what will.
Originality: 9/10
There are a few things about this stage that make me think of Brinstar, but that’s just about the only criticism I have. Fighting in someone’s insides is such a staple of video games (which I only just now realized is kinda weird) that it’s high time the concept became a Smash stage, and this is a pretty good execution on that front. Nice job!
Playability: 3/10
I was so,
so close to cutting you some slack for the layout of this stage. After all, it’s pretty obvious you put in those elevator platforms to solve the issue of characters with poor recovery being unable to reach the higher platforms, so it’s all good, right? And it would be… except that you made them take
35% damage to activate. That is an absurdly high amount, meaning that even with dedicated effort, it would take longer than reasonable for someone to trigger an elevator. And with that being the case, all the other issues that would come from a tall stage like this rear their ugly heads, thus bringing the playability down. If the elevators had been 1,
maybe 2 hits to activate, then this would’ve scored a lot more points.
Overall Score: 17/25
"Aurum Island" by TKOWL:
Iconic Status: 3/5
It feels weird to say this, but I don’t think the Aurum invasion was really all that memorable. By all means, it should be - we got an awesome character in the form of Pyrrhon, and an entire new enemy to fight! But it… it still feels out of place, you know? Such a random note, even within Uprising, that it just kind of comes and goes without leaving much impact. Definitely not a location I think of when I think “Kid Icarus” (I think most people would look at this and think “Star Fox”).
Originality: 3/10
I hate to be harsh here, but you shot yourself in the foot by mentioning Umbra Clock Tower. I don’t think I’d have made that connection on my own, but now I can’t unsee just how similar these stages are in concept and design. Plus - and this is more the game’s fault than yours, but still - there’s a lot of visual similarity with Ultimate’s Final Destination and Battlefield, enough so that it’s hard to ignore. You do enough differently to avoid getting a straight-up 1, but… well, not enough for a high score. Sorry.
Playability: 7/10
On that note, it seems like it’d have about the same level of playability as Umbra Clock Tower. Which is to say, it’s not perfect - Kolma could create some caves of life, and the walls on Dohz could mess things up from time to time, but it’s still decent beyond that. I do want to say that the scale of the characters on your image makes the stage look
huge - I’m not sure if that’s intentional, but if it is… well, let’s just say it would make my view of the stage a lot less favorable.
Overall Score: 13/25
"Reaper Fortress" by Primid:
Iconic Status: 3/5
Eh… I do quite like this level in Uprising, but as a stage, it doesn’t exactly scream “memorable”. Or even “Kid Icarus”, for that matter. The reaper fighting Pit in the third phase helps, but without that, it’s just a… canyon, thing. A cool looking canyon, to be sure, but… still just a canyon.
Originality: 8/10
This is a good example of doing a lot with a little. The platform layouts aren’t
100% original - the first one makes me think of Shadow Moses, and the second of Lylat Cruise - but they’re tweaked enough to be their own thing. The reaper and the crumbling blocks also add some nice detail to the stage, helping it stand out a little more. And I know I said that this stage is essentially just a canyon, but… again, it’s a
really cool looking canyon! High marks, to be sure.
Playability: 7/10
My biggest issue in playability comes from the reaper in phase 1. Going from your description, it sounds like he shows up without much warning, fires a shot with little time to react, then vanishes into the night. If he only did one or two percent, that’d be fine, but he does 15, which makes it a little harder for me to ignore. Phase 1 also has some pretty hefty walls, which can be problematic in competitive play, and phase 3 has that center pit which could just
destroy Ness and Lucas. It’s not terrible, though, and the pros outweigh the cons, so overall I think this stage would be pretty fun!
Overall Score: 18/25
"Kid Icarus (NES)" by Good Guy Giygas:
Iconic Status: 4/5
I mean, it’s the original game, so it’s bound to get a high score as far as the Kid Icarus series goes. On the other hand, Uprising overshadows the original game so much that I don’t know that it’s quite worthy of a perfect score. In the end, I settled on giving you a 4, which is still pretty good for a… what, 30 year old game now? Something like that.
Originality: 8/10
I want to say you were the first person to do a stage with no side blast zones and a stage with no upper blast zone, but Kevandre beat you to both. But even so, you got a lot of good stuff in this stage. The infinite flight in World 2, the Eggplant Wizard in World 3… it’s all very good. I
am gonna take off a couple of points for the retro aesthetic, though - it’s been pretty overdone in Smash by this point.
Playability: 5/10
So I’m gonna break this down World by World. World 1’s biggest problem is the Cave of Life in the middle of the stage, though the Ness-and-Lucas-eating pits on the sides cause some concern too. The walls could be problematic, but they’re less of a concern than what I mentioned before. World 2 is… hard for me to judge, actually. I said it to Kev when he did the ceiling thing, so it’s only fair to say here too - the giant ceiling effectively turns the whole stage into a big Cave of Life, and it’s more of an issue than the walls. However, the flight mechanic throws everything for a loop, and I honestly don’t know whether it would be good or bad. World 3’s biggest problem is, of course, the Eggplant Wizard. I’m actually not sure whether the Eggplant Curse is supposed to be harmful or helpful, since you don’t really explain what it does (other than aesthetics). Is it just visual? Or, like in Kid Icarus, is it supposed to stop you from being able to attack? Either way, he’s a problem. Overall, this stage isn’t the
worst I’ve seen, but it’s not the best, either.
Overall Score: 17/25
"Underworld Tour" by Admiral Pit:
Iconic Status: 3/5
I’m on the fence here. On the one hand, your stage
does visit important underworld locations. But on the other hand, it mostly visits random spots in the underworld, and that feels just a little too generic to be iconic. Underworld representation is a good thing, but I think you’d have been better served picking one location and sticking to it.
Originality: 9/10
It’s occurred to me just now that adding enemies to stages is something of a theme amongst you stage creators. Even so, you’ve managed to put a lot of variety into this stage, from the enemies, to the layouts, to even the stage backgrounds! It’s clear that you put a lot of effort into fitting a lot of stuff into this stage, and at least as far as originality goes, it was well worth it!
...for playability, however...
Playability: 4/10
I’ll be blunt; this is not a Smash stage. This is a minigame.
Underworld Tour, as you’ve presented it, would play out more like 100-man Smash than anything resembling a normal Smash Brothers match. Which is to say, a normal Smash match would be practically
impossible. And to be honest, I wanted to grade it lower than I did. The only thing keeping this above a 2 is the fact that the stage hazard toggle exists, because the stage layout underneath the endless horde is… well, it’s not perfect, but I’ve seen a lot worse. But
holy mother of god, you absolutely smothered what could have been a decent fighting stage with a barrage of unneeded enemies, some of which are way too strong for their own good. The worst offender is Orne, who is both an instant KO merely from
touching a player,
and can’t be killed unless you happen to have a “light” attack (rip Little Mac, I guess). I know you wanted to get some underworld representation into Smash, but this was
not the way to do it.
Overall Score: 16/25
Total Scores:
Kevandre: 55 points
GolisoPower: 46 points
TKOWL: 49 points
Primid: 61 points
Good Guy Giygas: 54 points
Admiral Pit: 40 points
The Winner is............
Reaper Fortess by Primid
CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!