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

Kevandre

Ivy WAS Saurly missed
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PIKMIN PARADE
(From PIKMIN 3)

Firstly, I've really enjoyed participating in these contests every week and seeing what stages you guys cook up for each round; my only regret is not finding this thread sooner! To drive this point home, my final entry is a Pikmin stage since I missed that round. Pikmin is one of my all-time favorite Nintendo franchises, so I thought I'd show it some love.

I originally was going to do a traveling stage that took players around to various areas of PNF-404, the planet from Pikmin 3, but I knew this would be too time-consuming. Instead, I opted for a different type of traveling stage: one in which Olimar and Alph's trusty pals carry the stage themselves! I'll do my best to explain how the stage works, so hopefully this won't be too confusing.

The stage itself is made up of various fruits being carried by the Pikmin. The Pikmin continuously walk from left to right and the background scrolls behind them. The background changes between the game's locales as they make their way across PNF-404. Basically the main portion of the stage and the winged Pikmin that hover above remain in the same position, and it's the combination of the scrolling background and the animation of the marching Pikmin that give the illusion that the stage is moving. (Think the Mushroomy Kingdom stage, only the background moves. The speed at which the Pikmin move is also very similar to the speed of other scrolling stages). More on the standard layout's boundaries can be found below.


Like I mentioned, the stage is a walk-off. The fruit sometimes shifts up and down as the Pikmin walk, similarly to the logs on Kongo Falls. The cheers carried by the lone Winged Pikmin is solid with grab-able ledges, while the Pellet being carried my the other winged Pikmin is pass-though. The Nectarous Dandelfly is also pass-through, and its body moves with a wave-like movement.

Red = solid ground
Green = pass-through


As they trek across the surface of PNF-404, the Pikmin must avoid some of the planet's deadly fauna, including this Yellow Wollywog. After spotting the Pikmin, it will jump from the background, float in the air momentarily (just as one would in the game) before bouncing onto the orange and into the foreground offscreen. Anyone caught below will be dealt ~35% damage. If confused about how the Wollywog works, see the spoiler below.


The Blue here represents the Yellow Wollywog's path. While it floats in the air before slamming down onto the orange, it's body serves as a solid object that can be stood on.


Next, the Pikmin wander to the home of a Shaggy Longlegs, who will approach from the background and step over the battlefield, crushing some unsuspecting Pikmin in the process. Players can walk through his, um... hair... if they are standing in the middle of the stage as it steps over it. Once he steps into the foreground and offscreen, a few more Pikmin will quickly run onscreen to fill in the spots of the recently deceased ones. R.I.P. little guys.


The next stop on their journey is the Twilight River. As you can see, the platform arrangement changes slightly.


These poor Pikmin thought they were safe, but alas, more dangers are afoot. The Pikmin will march through an Arachnode web and unfortunately some of the Winged Pikmin will get caught in it, eliminating the cherry-platforms. The two other groups will fly above the web. Players can also get caught in the web and will be carried offscreen if they don't break free in time.


The next segment is more of a transitional area. The platform arrangement is fairly straight forward and a few sleeping Bulborbs can be seen in the background.

Now in the rainy Garden of Hope, the Pikmin will encounter a Puffy Blowhog that will blow all the platforms offscreen. Anyone standing on them will simply fall onto the main "platform." The Blowhog is in the background and cannot be interacted with.


Nearing the end of their long march, the Pikmin will carry players to the Formidable Oak, the final area of Pikmin 3. Two groups of winged Pikmin will fly in to provide the two pass-through platforms. The Plasm Wraith will also take form in the background and eerily watch as the parade passes through its domain.


The final stop on the journey is the Distant Tundra. Here, the fruit will be abducted by the Spero and the Pikmin will return to their Onion. The stage stops scrolling at this point and players will be dropped off onto the snowy ground to duke it out. A Whiptongue Bulborb will patrol the background just to keep the background interesting. For the ending stage boundaries, see below.


So yeah, this part is a flat walk-off. The propellers of the Onion are pass-through and the Spero is a solid object with grab-able edges.

Thanks for making all the way to end, hopefully everything made sense! I know this was pretty long, but I wanted to make something interesting and different given that it's the final round. Like I said earlier, I've had a blast working on these stages and while I'm sad to see this contest series come to an end, I'm truly glad to have been a part of it.
Holy hot damn. This is absolutely what the next Pikmin stage should be.
 

TheMarioaddict

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Yeah so that's gonna be an automatic 25/25 from me for anyone who makes a stage for the new character that got announced

/s, obviously
 
D

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Peridot and Giygas both need an extension. So the new deadline is towards the end of the day on Sunday until further notice.
 

PeridotGX

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Pokemon Heart Gold/Soul Silver
Johto Safari Zone
Final Round.png
Pokemon Heart Gold and Soul Silver, remakes of Pokemon Gold and Silver, added many new features, such as walking with your Pokemon, the Pokeathalon, and a Safari Zone. HGSS's Safari Zone is generally considered the best in the series, due to the customization aspects and the removal of a step limit.

Anyways, in Smash JSZ is a relatively large, being 1.5x the size of Battlefield. It's divided into two different segments 0.75x the size of Battlefield, called Zones. The zones are randomly chosen from a group of 6, and two of the same zone can appear. Here are the six.
Final Round images.png

Going Clockwise,


  • The Desert has two small rocks that function as platforms. They go half as high as the outer battlefield platforms. You can't walk through them
  • The Forest has one large tree as a platform. It goes as tall and wide as the center Battlefield platform. It can be walked through.
  • The Savanna is somthing of a fusion of the above two. It's like an inverse of Battlefeild, with two Trees and one rock (that's a little longer than the Battlefield platforms).
  • The Wetland has two puddle of water. They make your run speed slower while in them. They aren't swimmable (and drownable by extension)
  • The Plains is the most basic one, being completely flay with no additional platforms. two Plains can never happen at once.
  • The Peak is simmilar to my old Dream Palace stage. There's a mountian that takes up 75% of the zone and is in between the size of the two Battlefield platform heights. You can walk up the mountian.
The stage is randomly generated on arrival, and doesn't change in match. The hazardless version of the stage always has the forest on the left and the Peak on the right.

Notes: I'm... dissapointed with how this stage came out. It really doesn't live up to being part of the final round.
 
D

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Good Guy Giygas Good Guy Giygas

Tomorrow is Sunday and at 11:00pm Pacific Time that day the final round is for sure getting closed. Sorry man, but if you don't get your submission in by then I'm still going to have to call it. I don't think it should go for any longer than that.
 

Good Guy Giygas

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"ORANGE STAR SKIRMISH"
from Advance Wars (GBA)



Let's get right to it then. The battle takes place on a 3D, miniature battlefield map (similar to the one shown above). At the start of the match, you'll start on the cargo carrier underneath a transport helicopter.



The green represents pass-through platforms, and the pink represents solid ground. The bottom platform has grabble ledges and can be passed through from the bottom, just not dropped through (think Delfino Plaza and other traveling stages). Also note that the helicopter at the top is purely there for design purposes, i.e. it's not solid and cannot be interacted with.
The helicopter will swoop around over the battlefield as the battle wages on below (the units on the map will move around in real time in turn-based combat). As it flies, the stage and its platforms will shift slightly to the left and right in tandem with the helicopter's movements due to their suspended nature, but the changes aren't too drastic. This phase will last between 15-20 seconds, as the helicopter will eventually settle on a random site to drop the characters off at. It will descend onto its target on the mini map, which will then dissolve into one of three different battle locations: Air, sea, or land (depending on where it decided to land). I'll describe each of these separately.

AIR BATTLE



Green = pass-through, Pink = Solid. Yes, you can technically stand on the helicopter's rotor. Visually, you'll kind of slightly "hover" up and down above it like you're being held up by its wind power. Don't really know the best way to describe that...but I hope that helps.


These two aircraft will fire at each other, though their attacks won't affect players. However, this is war after all, so it is possible for one of the units to defeat the other...

If the helicopter wins, Andy will pop out of the cockpit. The jet will start emitting black smoke for several seconds, then it'll descend slowly off the bottom of the screen and disappear. The pilot will eject from the cockpit, and his parachute will become a new platform where the jet used to be. The surface of his parachute is slightly curved and acts as a pass-through platform with grabbable edges. (see spoiler below)

However, it is also possible for the jet to win. When that happens, the helicopter will go down in a similar fashion to the jet (smoke and then descend slowly offscreen). Andy will eject out of the cockpit and his parachute will function in the same way as the other pilot's. Also, the jet will shift slightly closer to the center of the screen. (see spoiler below)

This phase (and the other phases/battles for that matter) will last for 30 seconds before the transport helicopter comes back to pick you up. It will fly around in search of another battle site to deploy the fighters at.

SEA BATTLE



Green = pass-through, Pink = Solid, and the blue squiggly lines in the middle represent swimmable water. The water functions the same as water typically does in Smash. Also, you don't take damage by touching the sides of either vessel while in the water (unlike Pirate Ship).


Once again, these two vessels will visually wage war on each other (without damaging players too). Who will become the victor? Well, let's take a look at what can happen here...

If the submarine wins, Max will climb out of the sub and stand cheerfully on top of it in the background. Similar to the Air Battle, the battleship begins smoking, and then will slowly sink into the water and disappear. The sub will then move into the center of the screen for the remainder of this segment. (see spoiler below)

However, if the battleship wins, something else will occur. The submarine will smoke and then sink, and Max will emerge on an inflatable life raft, which will serve as a replacement platform. It will rock up and down slightly with the waves of the sea. If you jump onto it, you'll also bounce off it a little. (see spoiler below)

LAND BATTLE



Green = pass-through, Pink = Solid. The anti-air gun platform that Snake is standing on will slightly re-angle itself through this phase.


Down on the ground, Sami's infantry and mech soldiers (not shown in the above image) will fire at the opposing forces. The fun thing about ground battles is that the background changes depending on where the battle's taking place on the map. Here we see the battle in a field of wide open grass, but it can also take place in a city or in a forest as well. Once again, the exchanging fire between each side here is only visual and won't hurt fighters. And as with the other two battle areas, there's a possibility that one side will prevail...

If Orange Star wins the battle, the car will be destroyed and disappear. The artillery vehicle will still remain, but it will move forward and the driver will retreat inside, as if waiting for reinforcements to help out. Sami will hop down from her perch and celebrate with her troops. (see spoiler below)

If Blue Moon wins, the anti-air tank will be destroyed and disappear. The large anti-air missile launcher will remain in the background, but it will move forward. Sami will retreat behind it for cover. (see spoiler below)

So those are all 3 of the battle situations you can encounter here. Just as a reminder, each battle lasts for 30 seconds. After each battle, you'll be picked up again by the transport helicopter, which will fly around over the mini map before deploying you for another random battle.



Other Important Notes:
- It's pretty unlikely that a unit will be destroyed the first time you visit a battle site. It can happen, but it usually doesn't until the second time you visit that site. So let's say you visit the Air Battle first and the stage stays the same for its 30 second duration. The transport helicopter carries you out, but the next time you visit the Air Battle again, one of the units is almost certainly going to get destroyed. To use percentages, I'd say there's a 20% chance of a unit getting destroyed on the first visit, which increases to a 90% chance on the second visit.
- On a similar note, once a unit is destroyed in a certain battle site, it will respawn the next time you visit it. Example: On your first visit to the Air Battle, the helicopter is destroyed. The next time you visit that battle during the match, the helicopter will be there again.
- It is also possible for the transport helicopter to take you immediately back to the same battle site. So say you went to the Air Battle and then the transport helicopter came back to pick you up. It flies around for its 15-ish second period, and then it takes you back to that battle on the map. It's not super likely, but it can happen. It really just depends on what the real-time units are doing on the mini map.

Unlockable: Yes. Land a combined total of 50 hits with Snake's Nikita/remote missile.

Music (All new remixes):
Nell's Theme / Olaf's Theme (Medley)
Andy's Theme
Max's Theme
Sami's Theme
Sturm's Theme
Super Power! (Advance Wars 2: Black Hole Rising)
Jake's Theme (Advance Wars: Dual Strike)
Rachel's Theme (Advance Wars: Dual Strike)
Sasha's Theme (Advance Wars: Dual Strike)
Grimm's Theme (Advance Wars: Dual Strike)
CO Power Theme (Advance Wars: Days of Ruin)

Thanks for reading! And thanks to @psb123 for hosting this contest and to the other judges for offering their feedback on every round. I had a lot of fun on this forum and even when I didn't enter, I still enjoyed reading everyone else's submissions. I've always loved designing my own Smash stages, so I'm glad to have found other people who enjoy and appreciate it as much as I do.

(Also, sorry for taking so long on this submission. I had to really tone down and rework my original idea several times because it was initially just too ambitious. Though, this version of said idea isn't exactly what I had planned to do with this concept, but I think it ended up being a good compromise between my original idea and what I could feasibly do. Still took a lot longer than I anticipated, but I enjoyed working on it all the same. Hopefully I did a decent job explaining it all too.)
 
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Kevandre

Ivy WAS Saurly missed
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Thanks man.

Seems like I'm always bringing up the rear, but alas, I'm finally done. Judges, you may now do your thing.
Better late than never, and you might just have stolen this last round. Crazy in depth and really showing what the series is capable of. Exactly, in other words, what a stage should do.

I should probably get around to playing it
 
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D

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Now that Good Guy Giygas has submitted his stage I'm going to call it here. The 43rd and final round is at an end. All we need now are it's grades and the contest will be complete.
 

Kevandre

Ivy WAS Saurly missed
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I'm simultaneously excited and dreading the grades for the final round. It's like Christmas Eve- You really want it to happen but once it's over, it's over and you're sad lol
 
D

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All the grades have been received. But I’m pretty booked today and won’t be home for a while. Once I am though, it’s on.
 
D

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Man, what an adventure this contest has been throughout the year. But now we have reached the Final Destination. It's time for Round 43 grades!!!

psb123's grades:

Lordran by GolisoPower:

Iconic Status: 5/5

But of course. Through both memes and legitimate methods, Dark Souls is one of the most iconic franchises in the modern day. And it's Switch port was highly anticipated. Definite 5.

Originality: 10/10

This is the perfect transitioning Dark Souls stage. The way it transitions with the fog, the areas each having a gimmick that fits for it, and the bonfires across all layouts offer a really unique mechanic of changing re-spawn points.

Playability: 7/10

Not too bad all in all. But there are a few hazards that can mess with people. Most notably the Guillotine and the Soul Signs.

Overall Score: 22/25

The Collective Unconscious by Kevandre:

Iconic Status: 3/5

A hidden gem for sure. But that hidden status leads to enough obscurity to prevent a favorable score.

Originality: 10/10

I'll admit it. I'm one of the scrubs who has yet to play this game. But based on how you've described the levels, it really seems like you recreated them in Smash very faithfully. The Collective Unconscious serving as the hub, the giant Raz in Lungfishopolis, and the Mobius Strip platforms in the Milkman Conspiracy. This all looks really well adapted.

Playability: 8/10

My main concerns are the bull in Black Velvetopia and the overall layout of Milla's Dance Party. The bull is powerful, but easy enough to keep away from. And the layout of the Dance Party can lead to tricky recovery attempts to pull off. But it seems workable enough.

Overall Score: 21/25

Primp Town Magic School by TKOWL:

Iconic Status: 3/5

Puyo Puyo has got itself a fanbase (more so in Japan if I recall correctly) but it is a more obscure series. Not super well known, but not down in the depths of niche either. Middle ground seems perfect here.

Originality: 10/10

This kind of "things falling from the sky" puzzle game has a lot of different games that utilize it as a Smash Bros. stage such as Tetris. Though none of them have ever actually had a Smash Stage before. But even if they did, this one takes the unique twists Puyo Puyo has from the rest of those games and uses them to it's advantage. You've essentially got a game going on in the background that is a nice reference and for the most part doesn't get in the way of a fight and can be ignored by players. Key term there being "for the most part".

Playability: 9/10

The only things that can cause concern here are the Garbage Puyo and a platform being removed due to fever. But both are rare and not all that difficult to work around if they do happen.

Overall Score: 22/25

Angel Island by apaulieg:

Iconic Status: 5/5

Your iteration of this idea is based on Angel Island from Sonic Adventure. But in both that game and the Sonic series as a whole, Angel Island is one of the most memorable locations.

Originality: 10/10

This is a great way to incorporate Angel Island as a stage. It captures it's notable traits of the master emerald, falling without it, and collecting it's broken shards to restore it all in a nice, simple stage. I also like the easter egg with Perfect Chaos and Tikal, rare as it is. Though I do find it kind of interesting being able to trigger it earlier by equipping theoretical DLC spirits.

Playability: 9/10

The temporary alterations in gravity are my only concern. But they're short enough to only be a minor issue.

Overall Score: 24/25

Pikmin Parade by Primid:

Iconic Status: 5/5

You're fighting on top of a bunch of fruit being carried by Pikmin. People will know what this is. Especially people who have played Pikmin 3.

Originality: 10/10

Brilliant idea for a Pikmin stage. Fighting on top of a bunch of fruit they're carrying with obstacles that are hazardous to Pikmin appearing along the way and ending by fruit being gathered as the Pikmin get to safety in their onion. Great idea.

Playability: 9/10

The Wollywog and the webs could cause some annoyance. But only in minor ways. And those are the only concerns I have.

Overall Score: 24/25

Johto Safari Zone by PeridotGX:

Iconic Status: 4/5

The Safari Zone is a neat little addition for places like Kanto and Johto. We've seen it in a couple games since, but not many. And it's not as notable as some other types of Pokemon locations.

Originality: 7/10

I like how the stage randomly chooses two possible layouts to be in every time you start a match. But that's all the stage really does and it's not creative enough for a higher score on it's own.

Playability: 10/10

None of the layouts cause any problems though. So you're fine in this regard.

Overall Score: 21/25

Orange Star Skirmish by Good Guy Giygas:

Iconic Status: 3/5

Advance Wars is in a very similar boat as Psychonauts honestly. A cult classic that's popular with it's group of fans, but it is still relatively unknown.

Originality: 10/10

I don't think there's a more perfect way you can make an Advance Wars Stage. You basically have an entire Advance Wars battle, the very core of the game, going on while you fight in a stage that meshes background elements with a playable arena in probably the best possible way.

Playability: 10/10

And the most impressive part by far is that there is not a single concern to be had in the playability department. Even if vessels get destroyed, you incorporated an absolutely genius back-up that still leaves room to fight on.

Overall Score: 23/25

Cosmic77's grades:

Not gonna lie to you guys, I didn't expect this to hit me as hard as it has. Working as a judge for this contest for the past year has made every week exciting and interesting, and it's hard to imagine that it's finally coming to a close. I'll really miss seeing those wonderful stages, and more importantly, I'll miss seeing the wonderful users who made them.

Thanks to everyone who's participated over the course of this contest. Perhaps in the distant future, I'll be the one making stages while you guys critique my terrible art skills.

"Lordran" by GolisoPower:

Iconic Status: 5/5

This game, as good as it it, is probably more memorable because of the stupid meme that always accompanies it. When was the last time a game's difficulty wasn't compared to Dark Souls?

Originality: 10/10

HUGE improvement from your previous stages. I love the simple layouts, and it seems like you spent more time on thinking of a truly unique gimmick instead of rehashing an old idea.

Speaking of gimmicks, the one you came up with is completely original. Stays true to the source game while also adding something that's never been seen before. The campfire was a brilliant addition that adds a lot of variety to your stage.

Playability: 7/10

There's more than a few hazards that I feel like were a tad unnecessary. Every layout doesn't need a unique hazard to make it interesting; if anything, the layout itself should be enough.

But other than that, your stage is decent with only a few areas of concern.

Overall Score: 22/25

"The Collective Unconscious" by Kevandre:

Iconic Status: 3/5

I've never played this game, but I've definitely heard of it before.

It's memorable, and if the series was more active, I'd feel comfortable giving you a perfect score. However, I don't feel like it's a franchise that can compete with the iconicness of other third-parties. Add on to the fact that it's never been on a Nintendo console, and I feel like there's enough reason to worry about people not knowing what this is.

Originality: 10/10

Setting is great, layouts are great, stage is...well, great.

Not a huge emphasis on a gimmick or anything, but the different layouts more than make up for it (that Mobius strip though). I also love how many times you referenced the game with your stage. Nice to see people take inspiration from the game of origin and mesh them together with their own ideas to make something original.

Playability: 8/10

The odd layouts, particularly the one from Basic Training, make me feel like characters with poor recoveries could suffer a little on this stage.

The charging bull is also an issue, but I don't think you needed me to point that out. You've participated in every round, so if you haven't figured out by now what would cause us to deduct points...

Overall Score: 21/25

"Primp Town Magic School" by TKOWL:

Iconic Status: 3/5

Nooooooo!! Why'd you have to make this as your final stage!?

Well, Puyo Puyo is a monster in Japan. Overseas? Not so much. If Smash were a series exclusive to Japan, this would get a perfect score. Sadly, a series like this eludes the rest of the world.

Originality: 7/10

This is a unique way of representing Puyo Puyo, but the concept is very similar to the popular Tetris and Dr. Mario stage ideas. Luckily, you managed to implement yours a bit differently than those two, so I'll acknowledge the creativity you put in your stage.

Playability: 7/10

The Garbage Puyo falling from the sky are an issue. To avoid them, you'd essentially have to jump from one screen to the next.

Besides that, looks fine.

Overall Score: 17/25

"Angel Island" by apaulieg:

Iconic Status: 5/5

I doubt I need to explain my score. Very iconic and notable area from the Sonic universe that everyone should be able to recognize.

Originality: 9/10

It looks like a hodgepodge of other stages already in Smash, but I do think you came up with something original that not many people would've thought of for a Sonic stage. The use of the Master Emerald, the shards, and the little scavenger hunt is pretty unique, and I feel like this would be an amazing stage to have in Smash.

Playability: 9/10

Aside from the falling/rising island, I really don't have much else to nitpick. Looks great.

Overall Score: 23/25

"Pikmin Parade" by Primid:

Iconic Status: 5/5

This stage is literally a bunch of Pikmin. If you can't guess what franchise this came from, then there's not much else I could show you to make you recognize this.

Originality: 10/10

How have we not gotten a stage like this before!? This is easily my favorite Pikmin stage for this entire contest!

Well, if you couldn't tell, I love what you created. Very original, represents the games beautifully, and it's nothing like what we already have in Smash. Kinda sad this isn't real.

Playability: 7/10

Enemies such as the Wollywog are an issue. Not bad, but personally, I would've cut back on the hazards a little. Maybe make a few enemies background elements instead.

Overall Score: 22/25

"Johto Safari Zone" by PeridotGX:

Iconic Status: 5/5

The Safari Zone is a notable area in practically every Pokemon game. May not be the most memorable part of those games, but it's a staple to the series regardless.

Originality: 4/10

...I hate having to critique a stage on the final round, but this feels like Mario Maker 2.0.

Maybe this sounded better on paper, but it's really bland and underwhelming. It doesn't do a very good job of representing the Pokemon franchise, and there's barely anything here that would even make me think this is the Pokemon Safari. At the very least, some description of the background would've helped.

Playability: 10/10

The layouts aren't perfect, but I figured I could be a little more generous in this area. Honestly, there's not much in your stage that warrants a deduction.

Overall Score: 19/25

"Orange Star Skirmish" by Good Guy Giygas:

Iconic Status: 2/5

Advance Wars is basically dead. I know it has a fanbase, but man, I'd be surprised if anyone besides those dedicated Nintendo nerds knew what it was.

Originality: 10/10

A truly remarkable stage. I love how much effort you put into describing the battles and the multiple outcomes of each one. The setting is unique, and this sounds like it would be a blast to play on. We've never had a stage like this before, and it's a darn shame we (likely) won't be seeing it in Smash.

Playability: 9/10

Suprisingly, a stage that focuses on fighting with large machines built for battle doesn't have a lot of hazards. My only issue lies with the small gap between the ships in the ocean segment. I feel like that would be an area that would leave you pretty vulnerable.

Overall Score: 21/25

TheMarioAddicts grades:

The last round, huh? I can’t believe we’re really here. I gotta tell you all, this has been fun the whole way through - both the making and judging of stages. Since this is the last round, I’m sure you’ve all pulled out all the stops, right? Well then it’s only fair that I do as well. I joked about this once before, but this time I’m serious - I expect nothing but the best from you guys, and will judge your stages accordingly. This is your final exam, let’s go out on top!

"Lordran" by GolisoPower:

Iconic Status: 5/5

Obviously this gets a perfect Iconic score. I mean, it's Dark Souls! The game that's practically an entire genre in and of itself! If I gave it anything less than a 5, I'd need to git gud.

Originality: 9/10

Goliso, you've certainly stepped up your game for this final round! These are some of the most interesting mechanics I've seen from any of your stages, and that goes triple for the bonfire mechanic - a mechanic that's so perfect and simple that I'm honestly kind of surprised nothing like it has shown up in Smash (or even the stage contest itself) before. Toss in some varied layouts and this is a solidly creative stage! Well done!

Playability: 7/10

There's definitely some problems in the mechanics, but they're not so bad this time around. The worst offender is probably Blighttown's Stopwatch mechanic, which... yeah, that'd be a massive pain to deal with. But for the most part, the rest are all pretty manageable or easily avoidable, so good job!

Overall Score: 21/25

"The Collective Unconscious" by Kevandre:

Iconic Status: 4/5

Cult classics are tough for me to judge in iconicness. I mean, sure, they're good, and they have fanbases now, but the whole reason they're Cult Classics is because no one bought them when they came out. But to be fair, Psychonauts is probably the biggest Cult Classic there is, so that warrants a pretty high score. I think just one point shy from a 5 is fair in that regard.

Originality: 8/10

I mean, you were pretty much guaranteed a high creativity score the moment you started making a stage based on Psychonauts. The game is oozing with creativity in its own right, so a stage based off of it would surely follow suit. The only thing I'm docking you for is that a number of your platform layouts feel pretty familiar, and I'm not talking about the Final Destination platform at the start - Basic Braining echoes Warioware, Lungfishopolis echoes the Shine Sprite Tower portion of Delfino Plaza, and I swear I've seen that Black Velvetopia layout before on a different stage. But the rest is so creative (mobius strip platforms!!!) that you still get a really good score here!

Playability: 8/10

The point loss comes from Basic Braining and Black Velvetopia - the bull in the latter is obviously a problem, but the walls and walkoffs in the former is nothing to scoff at either. Still, on the whole, the stage is perfectly fine, and I think it'd be a ton of fun!

Overall Score: 20/25

"Primp Town Magic School" by TKOWL:

Iconic Status: 3/5

Ah, Puyo Puyo. I’ve only played Puyo Puyo Tetris, but I loved that game very much - for all these years, I never knew that what Tetris was missing (and desperately needed) was anime girls... I'm a changed man now, and I've seen the light. However, there's no denying that Puyo Puyo is a series whose fame is pretty much exclusive to Japan. If I were Japanese, I'd give you a 5/5, no question. But I'm a dumb American, and the series ain't as popular over here, so I have to grade accordingly. Sorry.

Originality: 9/10

This is my favorite Game-in-a-Stage idea I've ever seen, I think. I've often lamented that every fan take on stages for these sorts of puzzle games (Tetris, Dr. Mario, etc.) is the same idea of fighting in a big bowl while blocks try to crush you to death. Your Puyo Puyo stage could have turned out very similar, but you took it in a very different direction, and thank god for that! This is a much more interesting idea, with the Puyo Puyo fight happening in the background, but not completely isolated from the fight at hand. It's the best way of doing this sort of stage I've ever seen, so thank you for this gift!

Playability: 8/10

Obviously, the walls of falling Garbage Puyos are cause for concern, but I've played enough Puyo to know that the really deadly ones probably wouldn't happen that often. And aside from that, this stage is perfectly good to play on!

Overall Score: 20/25

"Angel Island" by apaulieg:

...wow. I don't think we have ever, ever had a stage entry with this much detail given to it. Way to go above and beyond!

Iconic Status: 5/5

I shouldn't need to explain this. The Master Emerald and its shrine are so central to Sonic as a whole that it'd be a crime to score this less than perfect. Well chosen!

Originality: 6/10

It feels wrong of me to give you such an average Originality score, but the more I look at your stage, the more similarities to other stages I see. The platform layout? That's every Pokemon stage ever. The falling/rising stage and gravity? That's Summit. Summit even does the same stage-falls-into-the-ocean-and-becomes-a-swimming-stage thing, so that's an extra negative. You have original stuff, of course - the bouncy clouds and the part where you gather emerald shards are unique as far as I can tell - but the stage as a whole feels a little underwhelming, if I'm being honest. Which, again, it feels like a crime to say that with how much detail you gave, but... well, my opinions are unchanged. Apologies.

Playability: 8/10

These are some pretty good, pretty well playable layouts you have. The water concerns me a little, but it's hardly worth noting, really. Well done, well done!

Overall Score: 19/25

"Pikmin Parade" by Primid:

Iconic Status: 5/5

This was tricky for me. It's not really a given location from Pikmin, which would be a negative... but at the same time this stage represents the central core of all Pikmin games, which is a huge positive... then again, you did show much of the Pikmin 3 world in the background, so... eh, screw it, take a 5. You do enough right that I think it's fair.

Originality: 9/10

This is a very interesting take on a traveling stage, and I love it! Riding along a stage as the stage itself is carried to it's destination is something we haven't seen before, though if that had been all your stage had to offer it would have been a bit bland. Thankfully you spice it up by having the areas the stage goes to affect the stage itself, which helps out a ton! The wide variety of things to encounter and the incredibly unique central concept make this a stage worth praising!

Playability: 7/10

Hazards like the Wollywog are a concern, of course, but I'm more worried about the flying cherry platforms and the caves of life they create. Plus, an ever-present walkoff isn't the best in my eyes, but aside from that, this stage seems like it'd be pretty fun to fight on! Nicely done!

Overall Score: 21/25

"Johto Safari Zone" by PeridotGX:

Iconic Status: 4/5

The Safari Zone is a classic element of pretty much every pokemon game in existence, so this was a really good choice of stage. I wanted to give you a 5 for that, but... well, for as common as it is, it's not really a big focal point of any of the games, is it? Like, I'd love to say that the Safari Zone carries the same weight as the Pokemon League, or the Pokemon Gyms, or any of the areas you catch Legendary Pokemon, but... well, it doesn't. But still, it's more than worth of a high score here!

Originality: 5/10

It's weird for me to say this, but this stage is kind of... bland. The randomization mechanic is nothing new (Mario Maker, Tortimer Island), and you don't really spice it up enough to make it its own thing. And outside of that, there's... well, there's very little to talk about. It's different from other Pokemon stages, so you have that, but... eh. It's kind of lackluster.

Playability: 8/10

The only playability concern is the rocks in the Desert set. The walls are short, but I still think they'd be a bit problematic. Nothing else springs out as being too terrible though, so I'll give the rest of the stage a pass. Good job!

Overall Score: 17/25

"Orange Star Skirmish" by Good Guy Giygas:

Iconic Status: 3/5

Advance Wars, huh? That's... a series that exists. Like... ok, I know it introduced people to the Fire Emblem style of combat... I think... but I'm super in the dark about the rest of it. It's definitely not a huge franchise, that's for sure, but I know it has its fans, so... eh.

Originality: 10/10

I love this stage! Battles atop tanks and submarines is something completely new to Smash, and the whole stage is just oozing with charm! I particularly like that the battles between units affects the stage layout without risking harm to the players - any other stage would have the guns and weaponry damage the fighters, but you smartly avoided that trap. The setting, the layouts, the outcomes, just... I love this stage. It's beautiful.

Playability: 9/10

And on top of that, you kept the stage perfectly playable! That's the most impressive part of all, I think. I had to take off a point for some of the geometry in the Ground Battle section, but beyond that, I see no major problems. Well done, well done!

Overall Score: 22/25

And now

For one final time

The Winner is
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Pikmin Parade by Primid!!!!




Total Scores:

GolisoPower: 65 points

Kevandre: 62 points

TKOWL: 59 points

apaulieg: 66 points

Primid: 67 points

PeridotGX: 57 points

Good Guy Giygas: 66 points



And that's that! I discovered the Smash 4 version of this contest all the way back in January this year and with my Smash Stage fantasizing at an all time high I just had to see if I could repeat it's magic for the now released Super Smash Bros. game on Nintendo Switch.

Fortunately I could, and as I deeply appreciate all of you for submitting stage ideas and allowing this contest to thrive, I believe some special thanks are in order.

First, all of the judges who at one point or another graded stages and allowed this threads status as a contest to shine. So a big thanks to.........

Cosmic77 Cosmic77
TheMarioaddict TheMarioaddict
Guh-Huzzah! Guh-Huzzah!
Nani? Nani?
NintenRob NintenRob
Oddball Oddball
Hinata Hinata
Fenriraga Fenriraga


And of course a special thanks to all our contestants

Kevandre Kevandre
GolisoPower GolisoPower
TKOWL TKOWL
PeridotGX PeridotGX
Primid Primid
Good Guy Giygas Good Guy Giygas
A apaulieg
TechPowah TechPowah
Luminario Luminario
splat splat
Munomario777 Munomario777
AlphaSSB AlphaSSB
Iko MattOrr Iko MattOrr
Jubileus57 Jubileus57
Sarki Soliloquy Sarki Soliloquy
Russell_SSB Russell_SSB
S Salcan
Opossum Opossum
Varia31 Varia31
Kirby Dragons Kirby Dragons
@VGamer01
Roberk Roberk
MegaMarioMan9 MegaMarioMan9
GreenOfRain GreenOfRain
SquashiniKun SquashiniKun
Verde Coeden Scalesworth Verde Coeden Scalesworth
MrRoidley MrRoidley
SwagGuy99 SwagGuy99
Jamisinon Jamisinon
ottobot ottobot
Cetus Cetus
S SkySkipper
Bozikins Bozikins
ryuu seika ryuu seika
KiwiK KiwiK
Admiral Pit Admiral Pit


And a big thanks once again to Legendary Spirit Tamer as well as Cyn Cyn for helping with all of the round selection polls throughout the contest.

Thank you all so much!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 
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TheMarioaddict

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Congratulations, Primid! And great job, everyone!

This has been a wild ride, so thanks for being here throughout it all! And thank you, psb, for hosting it!
 
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Kevandre

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It's all so bittersweet. I hope to see you all for the next contest, whenever that may be!
 

GolisoPower

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Congratulations, Primid Primid for your March to victory.

To the judges: for the Blighttown stopwatch gimmick, I wanted to reference even some of the small things in Dark Souls, but it looks like I replicated the Blighttown gimmick perfectly, for better or worse. Said gimmick is supposed to be a reference to the infamous frame drops Blighttown had in the pre-Remastered days of the game, though I can see why TheMarioaddict TheMarioaddict said that was the worst offender in his playablilty score.

And with that, I must say that we’ve all been through so much together, it’s been a fun ride. We’ve had our ups and downs, our blasts from the past and dabbles into the future, our unearthing of the obscure and attachments to the famous. But all good things must come to an end, and with that, I say it has been a big damn honor competing in this contest and standing before the judges! I believe this sums up my experience in this contest leading up to this.
 
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SquashiniKun

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How's about we add one more song to this thread before it locks up? This one goes out to all of the wonderful stage ideas this thread has given us, and in honor of our latest newcomer.

 

Iko MattOrr

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I loved this contest, even if I didn't contribute that much.

Thank you!

(by the way, I loved the Advanced Wars stage too)
 
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PeridotGX

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I can't belive it's over. It was fun.

Shame there's no stage builder in Ultimate, I liked it in 4 (I couldn't make anything half worthwile though)
 

Primid

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Wow, surprised by the win because there were a lot of great entries in this round! (as evidence by how close the scores were)

Just want to say thanks to everyone, this was a super fun distraction to occupy my time during the arduously long wait for Ultimate and I truly had a blast checking this thread every week! I've always liked designing Smash stages, so it was cool to be a part of a small community that also enjoyed doing so!
 
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TKOWL

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Would absolutely love another contest like this, maybe for new potential game modes or assists or something? This helped my creative juices flow and I'd love to do something like this again.
 

TheMarioaddict

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Hey, since the contest is over, would anyone object to one last stage for the road?

Before I signed on as a judge, there was going to be a round based on Final Fantasy. I made a stage for that round, but then... well, the round never came up, and then PSB removed it from the polls, so the stage I made was left sitting on the sidelines. I think it'd be a shame to leave it unseen, so here for your viewing pleasure is that one forgotten stage!

---------------------------------------------

So fun fact: I’ve never played Final Fantasy. Any of them. I know a couple of the major plot points of FF6 and FF7, but that’s as far as my knowledge goes. Still, I wasn’t gonna let that stop me from making a stage, so I searched and searched and searched to see if I could find a place or moment that lots of fans seemed to remember. It took me a while, but find one I did, and I ran with it. I’ve now watched the moment in videos many times, studied the look and feel of the place, listened to the music, and (with only some difficulty) managed to make a stage from it that I can be proud of.

So, ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the Opera House!


I was gonna detail the castle more, but then I was like “screw that, it’s a stage prop anyways.”

Name of Stage:
Opera House

Game of Origin:
Final Fantasy VI

Description of Stage:
As you can see, the stage takes place on the literal stage! The Opera House’s main stage makes up the floor, which extends all the way to the blast zones (IE: it’s a walkoff). There’s an additional bump in the middle of the stage, and don’t let my drawing fool you - the stairs act as a ramp, not individual steps. Additionally, you can see the castle setpiece on the right side of the stage, and all three levels of it act as passable platforms! In fact, the lowermost level is actually inside the setpiece (the pillars will turn transparent as players pass behind them). Lastly, there is a catwalk high above the left side of the stage, which acts as yet another passable platform (although one that is very hard to reach from the ground).

You might have also noticed that this stage seems rather big. Well, it should, because it’s 8-Player compatible! You don’t have to use 8-Player Smash to play on this stage, of course, but I feel it enhances the experience.

Gimmicks and Hazards of the Stage:
Actually, this stage doesn’t have any hazards or gimmicks! At least, not ones that affect battle in any way. There are two purely aesthetic (or should I say “theatrical”?) gimmicks to the stage though. The first one is very simple - the orchestra will move and play in sync with whatever song is playing on the stage!

The second is a little more fun. On occasion, the lighting in the stage will dim slightly (not enough to affect battle), and then a spotlight will shine on something offstage… it’s Celes, posing as Maria! If she isn’t interrupted, then she’ll go through her entire opera solo, walking along the platforms just as she does in FF6! Once she’s done, she’ll take a bow, exit stage right, and the lights will come back up.

But I did use the word “uninterrupted”... because if any player attacks Celes in the middle of her scene, she’ll immediately be launched off the side of the stage. Furthermore, the spotlight will move to shine on the player who knocked her offstage! From that point on, the spotlight can be stolen by dealing at least 15% damage to the player who currently has the spotlight! This doesn’t really do anything, of course - there’s no in-game benefit, and after a minute, the spotlight will go away and the lights will come back up anyways - but who doesn’t want to steal the show every once in a while?

Music:
Aria di Mezzo Carattere (Final Fantasy VI)
Battle Theme (Final Fantasy VI)
The Decisive Battle (Final Fantasy VI)
Dancing Mad (Final Fantasy VI)

I hope you like it! And to those of you who DO play Final Fantasy; I sincerely apologize if I ruined everything.

---------------------------------------------

[Before you mention it: yes, I'm aware this stage has many design flaws that I normally look down on in grading. Do as I say, not as I do.]

Welp, that's it! That's the last stage I had!

...well, the last stage I had finished, anyways. There's a couple more ideas I had floating around that never got completed. Sigh... if only there were a place we could post misc. stage ideas without the need of a contest...

OH WAIT

Yes, that's right! We've got ourselves a brand new Stage Idea thread! I'm sure some of you also have some stage ideas that never fully got fleshed out, so be sure to go and post them over there! There's no attached contest, so no need to worry about what the judges will think! Go wild, and have fun!
 
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Cosmic77

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I know I'm a bit late, but thanks to everyone who made this contest so great. It's been a thrill being a judge for this contest, and I find it almost unbelievable that after roughly a year of submitting grades for your stages, I'll no longer be doing that. Hopefully I wasn't your least favorite judge during the contest. I totally was. It's okay, I know.

Thanks to @psb123 psb for letting me join. I know this contest meant a lot to you, and I hope I was able to take just a little bit of stress off your shoulders. And thanks to the other judges who helped with the grades throughout the contest. Sometimes I was afraid that psb and I would be stuck as the only judges, but we were fortunate to find help here and there, especially when TheMarioaddict TheMarioaddict joined toward the end.
 

TheMarioaddict

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I know I'm a bit late, but thanks to everyone who made this contest so great. It's been a thrill being a judge for this contest, and I find it almost unbelievable that after roughly a year of submitting grades for your stages, I'll no longer be doing that. Hopefully I wasn't your least favorite judge during the contest. I totally was. It's okay, I know.

Thanks to psb123 for letting me join. I know this contest meant a lot to you, and I hope I was able to take just a little bit of stress off your shoulders. And thanks to the other judges who helped with the grades throughout the contest. Sometimes I was afraid that psb and I would be stuck as the only judges, but we were fortunate to find help here and there, especially when TheMarioaddict joined toward the end.
Still waiting on you two to accept or decline my challenge for a judge 1v1v1

You can't handle my Mii Gunner skills
 

PeridotGX

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Spring Stadium
Origin: ARMS



Description:
This is Spring Man's home stage in the fighting game ARMS where it takes place in a futuristic boxing arena. This stage has the layout where it is big compared to the Boxing Ring from Punch Out, which could be great for 4-player fights.


Gimmicks/Hazards:
The edges have trampolines you can bounce on and gives you extra height or you can have your opponents bounce off of them. The trampolines and the increased air mobility they provide allow players to dodge an incoming punch as well as to gain a higher ground and punch from above. Bouncing players off of the trampolines also lead to additional combo options, such as using an extra grab attack to deal 20 additional damage while the opponent is in midair.


Unlockable:
No


Extra Stuff:
Since ARMS is one of the most popular fighting games in the Nintendo Switch as of now, why not combine both that and Smash Bros. in this installment with a stage that both of the players can enjoy.


Music:
- Spring Stadium (ARMS) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wAbdbJutpf4
- Ribbon Ring (ARMS) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uFNBVT_905U
- Ramen Bowl (ARMS) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=siiH2XfoVvE
- Via Dolce (ARMS) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ml9MSsTSV2U
- Main Theme (ARMS) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gi0Y9Vu-L28
- Training Theme (Mike Tyson's Punch Out!) (An Easter Egg, because why not?) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KSZf6QKxxkI
Two years later, we finally get another stage from the contest. nice job, Russell_SSB Russell_SSB
 

Kevandre

Ivy WAS Saurly missed
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Gramps’ Back

(Xenoblade Chronicles II)




First off, I apologize for my art here… It’s not amazing lol.


Anyhoo, one of the most memorable parts of the beginning of Xenoblade Chronicles 2 is riding around on the back of a titan which Rex refers to as “Gramps.” Rex is a salvager and he likes to spend his days with Gramps, fly-swimming through the Cloud Sea, searching for salvage.


The stage is relatively simple, with an incline to the left side going up Gramps’ neck, as well as an additional platform as Rex’s little wooden house on the back. On the right side is a crane that extends over the cloud sea. The crane’s neck is drop-thruable. The crane holds a platform as well that you can stand on! But… Campers beware, for tactically-minded folks might notice a big box with a large red button on it near the crane…




Robin drops the crane into the cloud sea to look for salvage! And Shulk is gone with it, getting KO’d! Generally, the cloud sea is something you can swim in, but with the velocity the crane goes down with, it just carries you to the depths.


Quick thinkers can jump into the sea before the crane goes down though , but they’re gonna want to get back into position when the crane comes back up or they might drown.


When the crane comes back up, it’ll turn around and dump all cargo into the middle of the stage.




“You’re mine now, Shulk!”



And then the crane moves back around to the backside, leaving the treasure behind.


There’s not a lot else of import here, it’s but a simple salvaging area for Rex and his Gramps!


Just gonna go ahead and pat myself on the back for this one right now
 
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