Time for Round 39 Grades!
psb123's grades:
Wrecked Ship by
Kevandre
Iconic Status: 5/5
Being the icon that Super Metroid is, I think it would kind of be hard not to have an iconic area from that game. Maridia might be debatable but all in all it's hard not to give a 5.
Originality: 7/10
I don't have a problem with basic stages. But this one seems a little too basic in some aspects. Most of the really neat basic stages we've been getting lately have had cool setting or astounding faithfulness to the source material. Sorry man, but this one feels a little lacking in both of those categories.
Playability: 6/10
Phantoon's pretty manageable. But the sealing of the top blast zone hinders your stage a bit too much. Honestly the least risky blast zone to seal off is the bottom one since outside of competitive play, it's the least pivotal. The other two are far more necessary and sealing them off hurts playability more.
Overall Score: 18/25
Space Pirate Mothership by
GolisoPower
Iconic Status: 5/5
The Space Pirates are a big deal in Metroid. So this can stand out for that for starters. But it's also from Metroid Zero Mission, which is widely considered to be among the top 3 of 2d Metroid games. And it's where we were first introduced to the Zero Suit. Which caught on so well that it became a playable character in Smash.
Originality: 10/10
Pretty faithful recreation. Stealth, Searchlights, Traps, Space Pirates. This stage nails faithfulness to the source material quite well.
Playability: 7/10
Those Space Pirates might be a little too fast in some cases. And I can see them adding point totals in Time Matches getting on people's nerves. But their attacks aren't super devastating aside from hit stun. And you can KO them are early percents. As for the doors, well, where are they? I can't figure out where they appear and if they interfere with a match. Be sure to clarify things like that in the future. That alone cost you a full point here.
Overall Score: 22/25
Bryyo by
Primid
Iconic Status: 5/5
So is this place's name pronounced with an "eeeee" or with an "eye"? Either way it's the home planet and battle arena of one of the few examples of a memorable Metroid character. I don't see any issues here.
Originality: 10/10
Well I'm sure this place would be bound to cause some salt for those who want Rundas to be playable. But I think everything works out pretty well. Nice and basic with some cool additions. It's also nice to see and Ice oriented stage that DOESN'T belong to the Ice Climbers =P
Playability: 10/10
I guess the slippery-ness of the ice platforms might be a bit tricky. But it's not like you're ever forced to be on them.
Overall Score: 25/25
Nightmare Chamber by
TKOWL
Iconic Status: 4/5
It's a memorable boss and if I recall correctly a lot of people were relieved to have the Gravity Suit after defeating him. I don't think it's quite enough for a 5. But it should stick out well enough.
Originality: 10/10
This stage kind of reminds me of Midgar in a way. Very basic layout. But very creative gimmick to go with it. I do kind of like Midgar's gimmick better. But this one fits the source material well and originality wise, I don't see any reason to remove points.
Playability: 8/10
That gravity effect can be pretty nasty. But it's only active at specific points in a fight. Warrants points being removed. But not that many.
Overall Score: 22/25
B.S.L. Research Station by
Good Guy Giygas
Iconic Status: 5/5
Was debating a 4 I will admit because of the lack of time spent here in the source game. But even so, any Metroid Fusion fan will be able to recognize this. And the X parasites do it some good here to.
Originality: 10/10
The layout is fine. And everything else gimmick wise is all about the X Parasites which work out pretty well. Got to say though, because of the dead researchers body on the stage, RIP any chance of getting into the E10 rated Ultimate.
Playability: 7/10
The decrease in points here is all because of the Red Parasite. 50% heal is too powerful. I might have removed less points if it was more rare but it seems just about as common as the others. And they can all show up pretty frequently.
Overall Score: 22/25
Phaaze Genesis Chamber by
A
apaulieg
Iconic Status: 5/5
Phazon is too important to the Prime series for a planet covered in it to receive anything less.
Originality: 4/10
I do like the layout and the Phazon tentacle. But the concept behind the Leviathan womb I'm not too keen on. Even with only being able to be by projectiles it's still too much of an obstacle since if you break it, you get trapped in an extremely hazardous area with no escape. And it has so much of a presence that trying to avoid hitting the womb would be too much of a focus. Not an idea I can claim to be a fan of.
Playability: 1/10
No matter how you slice it there just isn't enough room here for a comfortable fight. Projectiles are too restricted in the first phase. The boss is too powerful in the 2nd. And when the boss goes way you're left with an area that only has a top blast zone. Everything else is blocked off. This stage would be too annoying to play on.
Overall Score: 10/25
Cosmic77's grades:
"Wrecked Ship" by Kevandre:
Iconic Status: 5/5
This feels like one of the more memorable areas from a classic Metroid game. The use of Phantoon combined with the staple door on the ceiling are bound to make people recognize this as a Metroid stage.
Originality: 8/10
The setting is unique, and surprisingly, we haven't seen anything like it before in a Metroid stage. The layout is fairly simple, and while it does resemble a few existing stages, it suits the stage. Really liked the use of Phantoon. Seems like a tame way of adding a stage boss without making the stage near impossible to play on.
Playability: 4/10
Phantoon warranted a point or two, but the ceiling was this stage's downfall. While I understand that a ceiling covering the entire stage makes sense given the area the stage is based on, I think it restricts players too much. A lot of characters depend on getting their KOs through the upper blast zone.
Then again, Bayo would be terrible on this stage.
Overall Score: 17/25
"Space Pirate Mothership" by GolisoPower:
Iconic Status: 4/5
Zero Mission wasn't the most memorable game in the franchise, but the area you chose fits the Metroid theme well. Not sure if anyone besides the more dedicated Metroid fans would know the game this stage came from, but I'm sure most people could at least tell you this is a Metroid stage.
Originality: 8/10
Stealth mechanics have been implemented in stages before, but your stage manages to implement them in its own unique way. The laser security was different, and I don't think I've seen it been used before. The layout was also unique, helping your stage to be even further memorable.
If I could give one piece of criticism though, I'd suggest dropping the enemy gimmick. It feels like you've used that a lot with your stages.
Playability: 6/10
Aside from the Space Pirates, the stage is fine for the most part. Although, I really would've like some clarification on the doors. As far as I can tell, there isn't even a spot on your stage where doors would make sense. Are they in the background?
Overall Score: 18/25
"Bryyo" by Primid:
Iconic Status: 5/5
Excellent choice for a Metroid stage. Game of origin is very memorable, and the setting is very suiting for the typical theme of Metroid.
Originality: 9/10
Fantastic work on the layout. Looks extremely unique and it strays from the previous Metroid stages we've gotten.
The use of Rundas was also something we haven't seen implemented in a stage before. While I don't think it was the best way to represent him, it certainly made your stage a lot more interesting to play on.
Playability: 10/10
Ice can leave players a little more vulnerable when moving, so I think a single point deduction would be warranted. Other than that though, no real issues with your stage.
Overall Score: 24/25
"Nightmare Chamber" by TKOWL:
Iconic Status: 5/5
A very memorable boss for many reasons. I mean, how could you forget a face like that?
But seriously, there's no mistaking this for anything but a Metroid stage.
Originality: 7/10
Background sounds interesting as heck. I'd love to see that in HD.
Anyways, your stage has an interesting gimmick that suits Nightmare perfectly, but I don't feel like it's really all that creative. When you dumb it down, characters basically get heavier and harder to launch. Then the layout itself is a little too simple, being almost identical to a few existing stages in Smash.
Playability: 7/10
To the suprise of no one, I had to deduct points because of the effect the gravity can have on the game.
Overall Score: 19/25
"B.S.L. Research Station" by Good Guy Giygas:
Iconic Status: 3/5
You chose a great game to base your stage off of, but this may have not been the best area to go with. To be honest, without the gimmicks, I could see someone mistaking this as a Star Fox stage.
Originality: 10/10
The X parasites do a phenomenal job in making this stage stand out. I love the way you implemented different kinds into the match. Layout also looks unique, and the setting is different from what we've gotten with other Metroid stages. Great job all around.
Playability: 7/10
The parasites raise a few concerns, particularly the red one. A full Final Smash meter and 50% damage being healed could decide the winner in most matches.
Overall Score: 20/25
"Phaaze Genesis Chamber" by apaulieg:
Iconic Status: 5/5
I think I'm basically saying the same thing with all of the Prime stages at this point.
Well, regardless, your stage is based off a very important and memorable part of the Prime series.
Originality: 6/10
Looking at the background and the setting of your stage, I wanted to say this was a very unique and creative stage. Unfortunately, your gimmick feels very similar to existing stages, particularly Luigi's Mansion. I'll give you credit for making it look aesthetically unique, but I don't think this was the best gimmick to implement.
Playability: 3/10
I’m sorry, but as much effort as you put, I think this stage is borderline impossible to play the way you intended. The womb can only be hit by projectiles (so that basically knocks out more than two-thirds of the swordfighters), the ceiling is ate up almost entirely by the sheer size of the womb, and the tentacles, while not very harmful, are large enough to obstruct the path under the womb even more than it already is.
Overall Score: 14/25
TheMarioAddict's grades:
"Wrecked Ship" by Kevandre:
Iconic Status: 5/5
I think the wrecked ship is one of the most memorable areas in all of Super Metroid - everywhere else in the game is a cave of varying topography, but the Wrecked Ship stands out for being the one man-made area (well, I guess there’s Tourian too), as well as having a very memorable boss battle (which… I guess also describes Tourian pretty well). So yeah, I’d say this play is well deserving of a high Iconic score!
Originality: 9/10
There’s a ton to talk about here. For one, I don’t think any stage
ever has completely blocked off the ceiling, so that’s worthy of praise on its own. And then there’s the setting of a creepy space station, which… I guess was sorta done by Frigate Orpheon, but let’s gloss over that for now. Then there’s Phantoon, who just makes sense for this stage. I will say it would have been nice to see some other things from the wrecked ship (ike those robots you can push around, for example), but that’s hardly worth noting. Very nicely done!
Playability: 6/10
Phantoon’s not losing you many points here, surprisingly - he’s annoying, but seems pretty easy to deal with. No, the big point drain is the ceiling. To put it simply, you’ve turned the entire stage into a cave of life. That’s an exaggeration, but considering that the vast majority of attacks launch opponents
up, and that aerial combat is a big part of Smash, the top blast zone was probably the most crucial one to
not get rid of. And no, the door doesn’t fix it.
Overall Score: 20/25
"Space Pirate Mothership" by GolisoPower:
Iconic Status: 4/5
Was Zero Mission popular? I mean, I know it was essentially a better version of the first game, but was Zero Mission actually popular in its own right? Well, in any case, the Mothership is memorable for having a completely different style of gameplay from the rest of Zero Mission, but I don’t think it’s the best choice for an iconic Metroid stage.
Originality: 9/10
So to be technical, we
have seen a stage with stealth mechanics before, and I don’t mean Shadow Moses Island - I mean Gamer. Still, you implement the stealth idea very differently, so I’ll give that a pass. The tripwires do add some really interesting elements to this stage, too, forcing players to decide whether to trip a wire or go the long way around. It’s got a pretty interesting layout too, so for all of that I’d say it’s worth a high score in originality.
Playability: 4/10
So. Let me address my biggest problem. You say that, “if a player is detected, doors will trap themselves shut”. And to that, I have one burning question: where are the doors? I don’t see any doors in the picture (though that might be on Kev if he helped you with the pic), and I cannot picture where they would logically be. Plus, regardless of where they pop up, they would
have to cause massive interference with the match, just based on how the stage is laid out. But it’s not like the tripwires are easy to avoid either, so that could lead to lots of camping as well, and… well, you get the idea. Needless to say, it’s rough.
Overall Score: 17/25
"Bryyo" by Primid:
Iconic Status: 5/5
I never got to Prime 3 (I own the Trilogy, but haven’t even beaten Prime 1), so I can’t say much for the memorability of Bryyo… but I
can say that about Rundas, who seems to be the top choice of new Metroid rep for like… everyone ever. So I think it’s safe to say he’s pretty dang iconic, and if Bryyo is where you fight him, then that extends to the stage too.
Originality: 10/10
Real talk - I could have
sworn there was another stage in Smash that could randomly apply ice to the stage. I thought for sure that Unova Pokemon League did it, and was prepared to take off a point for that, but lo and behold, that’s not the case! Which is good news for you, because that was my only problem! The look, the feel, the layout, the gimmicks… it’s simple, but it’s perfect!
Playability: 10/10
I don’t see any big playability concerns whatsoever. Can’t say much more than that!
Overall Score: 25/25
Congrats - you’re now the second person to get a perfect score from me!
"Nightmare Chamber" by TKOWL:
Iconic Status: 5/5
Hot take: Nightmare is, hands down, the most memorable boss fight in the Metroid franchise. Yes, even more so than the Mother Brain Dinosaur thing at the end of Super Metroid. Yes, more so than Ridley or Meta Ridley. Yes, more so than
any of the Prime bosses. Fight me on that if you want, but one way or another, that freakish gravity monstrosity has earned you a perfect Iconic score.
Originality: 8/10
Once again, I could have
sworn there was a real stage that already used this gimmick. But there isn’t as far as I can tell, so points for the gravity manipulation! Loss of points, however, for immediately making me think of Spear Pillar. True, there’s no massive cave of life in your version, but the platform layout beyond that is identical. Everything else is great though - I can already visualize the weird techno junk in the background, and it’s awesome.
Playability: 8/10
Obviously the gravity can cause issues during play, but that’s the only major issue here. Without that, it’s basically just Spear Pillar without the one thing making Spear Pillar annoying to play. Which is to say, this stage is good.
Overall Score: 21/25
"B.S.L. Research Station" by Good Guy Giygas:
Iconic Status: 3/5
I’m conflicted. On the one hand, Metroid Fusion is a pretty memorable game, but… I dunno, something about just using the generic starting area feels off to me. The X parasites certainly spice it up a bit, but… I dunno, there’s lots of Space Stations in Metroid, and this one doesn’t really stand out to me.
Originality: 10/10
The X parasites go a long way towards making this stage into something really special - walls enemies, platform destruction, healing… they really can do everything! Couple that with an interesting platform layout and a nice outer-space-y background, and this stage gets high marks from me!
Playability: 7/10
Yeah, the parasites cause some problems in playability. The wall and platform destruction are actually fine on their own (if a bit annoying), but the rest of the abilities are a bit more concerning. An instantly full Final Smash meter is pretty dang game-changing, but even with that off a 50% heal is nothing to scoff at either, and the other two parasites have the capability to cause some damage to the players. They’re not the
worst, mind you, but they aren’t the best either.
Overall Score: 20/25
"Phaaze Genesis Chamber" by apaulieg:
Iconic Status: 5/5
I may not have gotten to Primes 2 or 3, but I’m well aware of how important Phazon and the planet Phaaze are to the Prime series as a whole. So pretty much anywhere on Phaaze would be worthy of a perfect 5 here. Good job!
Originality: 6/10
Hmm. With the boss and the tentacle and stuff, I want to say this is a really unique stage, but… hm. The main issue is that the Leviathan Womb is something we’ve seen quite a bit before - that is, a destructible object that drastically changes the layout of the stage. We’ve seen it in Luigi’s Mansion, Shadow Moses Island,
and Great Plateau Tower, just to name a few. Hell, the Luigi’s Mansion one even has the same properties as the Womb. Add that to a stage whose layout seems like one I’ve seen countless variations of (though the asymmetry is a nice touch), and you end up with a lackluster originality score.
Playability: 2/10
I’m not even going to talk about the Aurora Unit, because there’s a far bigger issue at hand - I don’t think the Womb is
nearly as unobtrusive as you think it is. It covers such a huge area above the stage (which, remember, Smash has a lot of aerial combat) that I’d be more surprised if people
don’t accidentally break it in, like, 100% of their matches. You mention that it’s only affected by projectiles and items, meaning that certain characters won’t even be able to hit it, but that actually just makes things worse - characters with projectiles could get their attacks eaten by the Womb when they meant to attack an opponent, which is a huge nerf. Plus the people who
do want to break the womb will be forced to pick a projectile character, even if they don’t want to. And as the coup-de-grace, you can’t go back once the stage transforms!?
WHY!? The Genesis Chamber is
far more interesting than the bare-bones Shadow Moses Island clone down below. You really should have left the destructible Womb out of this stage, because
boy did it tank your score.
Overall Score: 13/25
Total Scores:
Kevandre: 55 points
GolisoPower: 57 points
Primid: 74 points
TKOWL: 62 points
Good Guy Giygas: 62 points
apaulieg: 37 points
The Winner Is............
Bryyo by Primid
CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
