A Proposal for the Next Super Smash Bros. From A Series Veteran

While the excitement of finding out new characters is always at a fever pitch, Smash Brothers is the only franchise where I get just as excited to see the new arenas. “What have they adapted now?” I’ll ask myself as more new stages come to light. Whenever Dojo updated with a new stage, I would look at every screenshot, memorizing its layout and prepping possible Smash strategy way before the game was even in my hand. I’m looking forward to once again seeing what kind of crazy stages the new Smash will present, so much so that I’ve prepared an extensive list of stages for consideration.

My total stage list sits at 51, with 17 returning from previous Smash games. I’ll start with the obvious ones:

Battlefield: The standard “three platforms floating above a fourth main platform” setup that the tournament players eat up. I don’t see any changes here, expect for maybe an active, changing background a la Brawl’s Final Destination…

Final Destination: …speaking of which, Final Destination is back and flatter than ever. One large platform floating in mid-air, that’s all it is. This time, unlike Brawl, where the stage traveled galaxies, oceans, and other settings, I want the background of Final Destination to travel through the history of Nintendo. Have some retro games and trailers play back there while the fighting takes place up front, moving from the days of the NES to now. That’d be a whole lot more interesting.

Those two are Smash standards, and only a fool would think that they won’t be back in the new game.

The next batch of stages are returning arenas from previous Smash games. Melee had stages from the original SSB, and Brawl had stages from Melee, but I really think the new game should have stages from all three Smash games. Here would be my picks:

Planet Zebes (Original)
Hyrule Castle (Original)
Venom (Melee)
Princess Peach’s Castle (Melee)
Poke Floats (Melee, with new Pokemon floats!)
Termina Great Bay (Melee)
Fourside (Melee)
Yoshi’s Island (Brawl)
Distant Planet (Brawl)
Castle Siege (Brawl)
Skyworld (Brawl)
Luigi’s Mansion (Brawl)
Lylat Cruise (Brawl)
The Summit (Brawl)
Pictochat (Brawl)
Halberd (Brawl)
New Pork City (Brawl)

Some of these stages are personal preferences (both original SSB stages), others are necessary because the characters they represent aren’t getting a brand new stage in this scenario (Castle Siege, Distant Planet, Fourside/New Pork City).  Either way, this is a nice mix of retro stages that deserve a spot in the new game.

But enough of the old stuff… 32 brand new stages follow, sorted by franchise, that I feel would be excellent additions to the next Smash Brothers game. I’m also including a list of possible “My Music” entries for each stage, and an asterisk (*) next to a song’s name means the song will be the original in-game track, NOT a Smash remix.

Super Mario Galaxy (Mario) – Players would battle during a tour of the many galaxies in Mario’s two Wii adventures, traveling from area to area aboard Starship Mario. This would be a morphing stage a la Delfino Plaza in Brawl, where one central platform would transport the battle to and from different fighting areas. It’s a given that the Galaxy games will factor into the new Smash somehow, so it may as well be a sweet stage.

Possible Music Selection: Super Mario Galaxy “Super Mario Galaxy*”, “Gusty Garden Galaxy*”, “Galaxy Plant*”, “Nemesis King Koopa*”, Tetris DS “Mario Tetris*”

Bowser Castle (Mario) – Of all the castles we’ve fought on in the three Smash games, Bowser’s Castle has gone inexplicably ignored… but not anymore. There could be lava hazards, Koopalings flying the Koopa Clown Car and dropping items/bombs/etc., and who knows what other obstacles. Also, I could see this level being flat, a la Bridge of Eldin in Brawl, hearkening back to the last boss fight of Super Mario World. How cool would that be?

Possible Music Selection: Super Mario World Final Bowser Battle, New Super Mario Bros Wii Final Level/Boss Battle, Mario Kart: Super Circuit Bowser Castle, Super Mario Galaxy “Final Bowser Battle*”, Super Mario RPG Bowser’s Theme

Rainbow Road (Mario) – Much like how Mario Circuit made its way into Brawl, Rainbow Road should make its Smash debut in the new game. Mechanically, it’ll be same as Mario Circuit: cars driving through the track as the fight rages, damaging anyone who gets hit by one. The major difference here will be the floor; one couldn’t die through the floor of Mario Circuit, but Rainbow Road is a different story. If anything, Rainbow Road could end up being a more difficult stage to maneuver… but there’s nothing wrong with that!

Possible Music Selection: “Rainbow Road” from Mario Kart SNES, Mario Kart 64, Mario Kart Double Dash, Mario Kart 7*, F-Zero X*

Mario Party (Mario) – Aside from Smash Bros, Mario Party is Nintendo’s biggest local multiplayer game. Why these two franchises haven’t been joined yet is beyond me. The stage could be designed like a Mario Party level, with different colored spaces either healing or damaging the fighters depending on color. If a fighter collects a Star, they get any one of a number of perks: invincibility, super-size, instant Final Smash, etc. A Mario Party stage in Smash Brothers could end up being one of the most unique arenas ever!

Possible Music Selection: Mario Party “Mario’s Rainbow Castle”, Mario Party 4 “Koopa’s Seaside Soiree”, Mario Party 6 “E. Gadd’s Garage”, Wii Party “Main Title”, Mario Super Sluggers “Mario Stadium”

The Golden Temple (Donkey Kong) – This stage is based off of the hidden extra level in Donkey Kong Country Returns. It is a land in the clouds, with giant pieces of fruit acting as platforms. The design could be filled with giant bananas, strawberries, and other assorted fruit. The stage would move, from left to right, but not so fast that the fighters couldn’t focus on the battle. I loved the level in DKCR, and I’d love it even more here.

Possible Music Selection:  Donkey Kong Country Returns “Golden Temple*“, “Jungle Hijinx*”, Donkey Kong Country “Fear Factory,” Donkey Kong Country 2 “Disco Train”, Punch-Out Wii “Donkey Kong Theme”

Gangplank Galleon (Donkey Kong) – If you go back to the list of returning stages, Pirate Ship from Brawl will not be returning to the next game, but that doesn’t mean we’re ship-less. K.Rool’s inclusion as a playable character means that Gangplank Galleon should replace the current pirate ship. If this were to happen, I feel like cannonballs would have to fall from the sky at an alarming rate, a la the final Donkey Kong Country battle.

Possible Music Selection: Donkey Kong Country “Gangplank Galleon”, “Bad Boss Boogie“, DKC2 “Final Boss Theme”, “Gangplank Galleon“, “Boss Bossanova“

Skyloft (Zelda) – I don’t need to go into too much detail on how Skyloft would work, because the amazing modders of Project M have already done that for me, as referenced in the video above. Wouldn’t that be awesome? If not that specific format, then the battle could take place on the roof of the Bazaar, with characters from Skyward Sword flying by. Oh, and while I’m on the subject, GROOSE FOR ASSIST TROPHY.

Possible Music Selection: Skyward Sword “Skyloft*”, “Faron Woods*”, “Ballad Of The Goddess*” , “Ghirahim Battle*”, “The Sky*”

Spirit Tracks (Zelda) – Fighting atop a runaway train on the Spirit Tracks just sounds awesome, and it would give some attention to an underrated Zelda title. I also envision tunnels that would turn the stage completely black (save the characters), then coming out of the tunnel with a different stage layout, each representing a different train car: Spirit, Dragon, Golden, sometimes Demon, etc.

Possible Music Selection: Spirit Tracks “Overworld”, “Aboda Village”, Lokomo Medley, Phantom Hourglass Medley, Minish Cap Medley

Overworld (Legend of Zelda) – Mario has had plenty of 8-bit stages throughout Smash history, and last game DK got in on the retro action. Now, it’s Link’s turn. An 8-bit retro Zelda stage, complete with little 8-bit enemies that will throw spears/shoot objects/etc. I’d be in love.

Possible Music Selection: Legend of Zelda “Overworld*”, “Dungeon*”, Zelda II “Overworld*”, Tetris DS “Zelda Tetris*”, Oracle of Seasons/Ages “Overworld*”

The Bottle Ship (Metroid) – Yeah, Metroid: Other M wasn’t exactly the most successful of the Metroid games, but the Bottle Ship that housed the entire game would make an excellent Smash arena. I’d imagine it would be gigantic in scale, a la Hyrule Temple or New Pork City, with each of the different areas of the ship included. Perhaps each section could hold its own obstacles? That would be quite a stage.

Possible Music Selection: Metroid Other M “Theme of Super Metroid*”, “Escape from Bottle Ship*”, “Queen Metroid*”, “Approaching Sector Zero*”, “Goyagma Boss*”

Patch Land (Kirby) – This is a stage I am REALLY excited about. Imagine the stage starting out small, but just like in Kirby’s Epic Yarn, extra areas/platforms/etc could be zipped, ripped, pulled, or however else the game makes more areas. The yarn-style graphics of Kirby’s Epic Yarn were mighty impressive before, but just think about how awesome it would be to make this stage grow or shrink ourselves. I’d play it all the time.

Possible Music Selection: Kirby’s Epic Yarn “Green Greens*”, “Hot Land*”, “Vs. Capamari*”, “Flower Fields*”, “Fountain Gardens*”

Krazoa Palace (Star Fox) – Look, Star Fox Adventures happened. It is, in fact, a thing. While it wasn’t a normal Star Fox game, it certainly wasn’t a bad game, either. There’s no sense in continuing to ignore it. Krazoa Palace would be a fitting representation with a few obstacles to overcome: an invasion by General Scales or Andross, ethereal temporary platforms created by the Krazoa Spirits, and more. It might not be the most popular Star Fox game,  but it’s certainly worthy of acknowledgment in the new Smash.

Possible Music Selection: Star Fox Adventures “Krazoa Palace”, “Andross Battle”, “Meteo Rock Remix*”, Star Fox Assault “Sauria”, “Aparoid Queen 1”

Pokemon Stadium 3 (Pokemon):  Nothing we haven’t seen before from a Pokemon Stadium stage: starting normal and morphing into other settings based on Pokemon types. I’d like to see a Steel-type arena this time around, to be honest.

Possible Music Selection: “Pokemon Main Theme” (new version), Pokemon Gold/Silver/Crystal “Gym Leader Battle”, Pokemon Heart Gold/Soul Silver “Vs. Champion Lance/PKMN Trainer Red”,  Pokemon Colosseum “Cipher Peon Battle*” Pokemon XD: Gale of Darkness “Shadow Lugia Battle*”

Castelia City (Pokemon) – A fight on the rooftops on Castelia City doubling as a homage to my favorite Smash stage of all time, Saffron City from the original game. This could be another giant stage, as Castelia is easily the biggest city in Pokemon. Also, as with Saffron back in the day, there should be a door that periodically opens and let loose a random Pokemon, who will either attack or support the fighters in battle. Saffron needs to come back somehow, and re-doing it as Castelia is the best option.

Possible Music Selection Pokemon Black/White “Castelia City”, “Final N Battle”, “Victory Road”, Pokemon Black 2/White 2 “Nimbasa City Gym“, “Team Plasma Battle“

Pokemon Gym (Pokemon) – As with the Zelda “Overworld” above, Pokemon is also well-deserving of a retro-themed stage. Imagine a stage in classic Game Boy screen colors, while a Gym Leader defends his or her turf in the background with classic Pokemon graphics. My first choice would be Viridian’s Gym and Giovanni, but I’ll leave the idea open

Possible Music Selection: Pokemon Red/Blue “Opening Theme*”, “Wild Pokemon Battle*”, “Gym Leader Battle*”, “Silph Co*”, “Lavender Town*”

Aeropolis – Multiplex (F-Zero): A new F-Zero stage in the vein of Melee’s Mute City and Brawl’s Port Town Aero Dive, moving from section to section of track while cars drive in from all sides. Eventually, the track will stop at the supercomputer that controls all of Aeropolis… which will then attack the stage. This was also the first track to include mines in F-Zero GX/AX, so naturally the Smash stage will feature those as well. As if F-Zero tracks didn’t have enough to worry about, right?

Possible Music Selection: F-Zero GX “Aeropolis”, “Cosmo Terminal”, “Outer Space”, F-Zero X GUITAR ARRANGE “Endless Challenge*” (yes, it’s Mute City, but THIS VERSION), “Crazy Call At Cry*”

That Burning Town (Kid Icarus) – The town where the third chapter of Kid Icarus: Uprising takes place will be Pit’s brand new Smash stage. It will be a simple stage, perhaps with no floor pits (solid ground, after all), but a major battle will be raging in the sky, rife with obstacles raining down on the stage.  I’m fully confident the new Kid Icarus game will get a stage, as Sakurai was the head of that project, too. Why WOULDN’T he feature his previous work in the new game?

Possible Music Selection: Kid Icarus: Uprising “Main Theme*”, “Magnus’ Theme”, “Dark Pit’s Theme”, “The War’s End*”, “Dog’s Theme*”

WarioWare II (WarioWare) – A new stage format, new microgames, same old havoc. Just like the Brawl stage before it, WarioWare II will drive players nuts by making them fight AND play WarioWare at the same time. Only those with high levels of patience need apply.

Possible Music Selection: A new WarioWare, Inc medley, WarioWare Mega Microgame$ “Crygor’s Bathroom Jam”, WarioWare Smooth Moves “Wario Dance Company”, “Jimmy T”, “9-Volt and 18-Volt”

Flat Zone III (Game and Watch) – Yet another stage set in the Game and Watch handheld. The major difference this time, aside from another layout change, is a door in the middle of the floor, and whenever it opens a player can fall through and die. If Flat Zone lacked anything, it was a floor pit.

Possible Music Selection: A new Flat Zone remix, SSBM “Flat Zone”, SSBB “Flat Zone 2”, Mario Paint Medley* (Main Theme, Push-Ups, Monkeys, Coffee Break, and the chant intro thing. All of it.)

WVBA Arena (Punch-Out!!) – Another flat stage! This time, it’s a boxing ring, but it’s not without its obstacles: every once in a while, one of the many Punch-Out boxers will make their way into the ring and deliver a trademark move. The Great Tiger and his Tiger Punch, Super Macho Man and his Super Spin Punch, and Bald Bull and his Bull Charge will all make an appearance. Also, Glass Joe will occasionally enter the ring, but he’ll just fall down and not damage anything.

Possible Music Selection: Punch-Out Main Fight Theme (both 8-bit and remixed), Punch-Out Wii “Glass Joe*”, “Great Tiger*”, Super Punch-Out “Special Circuit Bout”

Mt. Aleph (Golden Sun) – The mountain where the Golden Sun story begins is the perfect setting for some Smash Brothers action. I envision this stage working like Castle Siege did in Brawl, starting on the top of the mountain, then falling into Sol Sanctum, then an eruption of the mountain will change the landscape of Sol Sanctum, then another eruption will reset the stage. I’m sure there are plenty of locations in Golden Sun worthy of a Smash stage, but for me, Mt. Aleph is the best option.

Possible Music Selection: Golden Sun/Golden Sun: The Lost Age “Sol Sanctum”, “The Elemental Stars”, Rock Medley (Air, Magma, Gaia, Aqua), Golden Sun: Dark Dawn “Fight of Sons*”, Brawl “Battle Scene / Final Boss (Golden Sun)*”

Earth 4 (Sin and Punishment) – I know this is a world from the second Sin and Punishment game and my character choice is from the first, but this stage will be more in the vein of Castle Siege (again!) in that it won’t represent any specific parts of Sin and Punishment, just the world itself. I imagine the Volunteer ship in the background, fighting Nebulox, while others from Outer Space join the battle too. It’ll be ridiculous, just as the games are.

Possible Music Selection: Sin and Punishment “Risk One’s Neck”, “Blood Infactor”, “Within Earshot”, Sin and Punishment: Star Successor “Fukuoka*”, “Blackheart*”

Smash City (Animal Crossing) – This is another unique stage from the Animal Crossing universe for Smash, this time taking its roots from City Folk. Instead of fighting on the rooftops like Castelia City above, I think I’d prefer some street-level Smashing, where the various animals who live in the city can walk by and see the action up close. There could be car obstacles a la Onett in Melee, or some other type of environmental issues to contend with. Oh, and if it’s Saturday night and K.K. isn’t in the match, you know he’ll in the background jamming away. Smashville was cool, but Smash City is the next step.

Possible Music Selection: Animal Crossing “5 P.M.”, “Agent K.K.”, “K.K. Metal”, Brawl “Town Hall and Tom Nook’s Store”, “Animal Crossing Main Theme”
Possible K.K. Slider Songs: “Forest Life*”, “Imperial K.K.*”, “Two Days Ago*”, “K.K. Love Song*”, “K.K. Jazz*”

Mii Plaza (Mii) – The place where all good Miis go to meet. I’d like there to be elements of the Wii’s Mii Plaza, the 3DS’s version, AND Miiverse, but just choosing one wouldn’t matter either. How cool would it be if there were Miiverse updates in the middle of the battle, in the background? That’d be insane. Anyway, there won’t be a lot to this stage, just platforms shaped like Brawl’s Skyworld, random Miis in the background, and every once in a while a whistle will blow and a Mii Parade will charge the stage, damaging those caught in the ticker tape.

Possible Music Selection: Wii “Mii Channel*”, “Wii Shop Channel*”, 3DS “Mii Plaza*”, “Find Mii – Ultimate Ghost*”, Wii U “Miiverse*” (whatever it may be)

Wuhu Island (Mii) – The island of Wii Sports Resort fame becomes a Smash battleground! Hey, it worked as a rack track in Mario Kart 7, why not this? Like Mii Plaza above, there will be random Miis scattered throughout the area, taking part in the resort’s many activities. Gliders from Pilotwings Resort on the 3DS could swoop over the stage as well, creating temporary platforms, a la the Arwings in the old Star Fox stages.

Possible Music Selection: Wii Sports Resort “Main Theme*”, “Basketball*”, “Swordplay*”, Wii Play Motion “Main Theme*, “Staff Credits*”

Galloy Factory (Marionation Gear) – The Factory would be a giant industrial area with mechs being built in the background. The area would be about the size and layout of the Frigate Orpheon stage from Brawl, with the mechs in the background serving as potential stage obstacles.

Also, no, I couldn’t find a picture of the factory, so this would be completely from scratch, I suppose.

Possible Music Selection: Chosoju Mecha MG “Marionation Gear”, “Final Boss”,  Brawl “Marionation Gear*” “Douchuumen*”, “Shin Onigashima*”

Vigrid (Bayonetta) –  The Eastern European city where all of Bayonetta takes place. It’s essentially a village town hiding catacombs below the ground. It seems peaceful but it’s anything but, and during the Smashing some of the Angels will appear and cause trouble.

Possible Music Selection: Bayonetta “The Greatest Jubilee*”, “Fly Me To The Moon*”, “Riders of the Light*”, “You May Call Me Father*”, “In Forgoing Pleasures*”

Stage 1 (Pac-Man)  – Like 75m in Brawl, Stage 1 will be a nostalgic romp through an iconic 8-bit site: the very first stage of Pac-Man. The layout will be exactly the same, so the stage will be huge. The ghosts will travel through the stage and damage the fighters, unless someone breaks a Power Pellet in one of the four corners. If that happens, just like Pac-Man itself, the ghosts will turn blue and THEY can be attacked and sent back to the middle. I love the retro stages of Smash, and if Pac-Man is included in the roster, then his game should be, too.

Possible Music Selection: Pac-Man Sound Medley (like 75m), Ms Pac-Man “The Chase”, Pac-Man 2 “Mischief”, Pac-Man Championship DX “Pac Rainbow*”, Pac-Man World 3 “Final Battle”

Dr. Light’s Laboratory (Mega Man) – Dr Wily’s Lab is just too predictable; why not have Light’s lab under attack by Wily’s forces instead? The cameos in the background could be infinite: every Robot Master from Ice Man to Sheep Man could appear there, not to mention Light, Roll, Beat, and Auto. Who knows, maybe we’ll hear the trademark whistle and THAT guy would show up?

Possible Music Selection: Mega Man “Elec Man”, Mega Man 2 Medley (Main Theme/Metal Man/Air Man/Quick Man/Wily 1), Mega Man 3 “Snake Man”,  Mega Man X “Storm Eagle*”, “Intro Stage*”

Brain Age – Imagine a fight taking place while Dr. Kawashima asks the player brain teasers, then scatters four possible answers around the arena. Those standing in the correct answer area will get a perk, the others will get damaged. Think the Dreamscape / Buzz Quiz TV mash-up stage from PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale, but with Brain Age. How hectic would that be?

Possible Music Selection:  Brain Age “Title Theme”, “Credits”, Rhythm Heaven “Karate Man (Struck By The Rain)”, Brawl “Big Brain Academy*'”, “Shaberu! DS Cooking Navi*”

(NOTE:  I tried my hardest to not mention PS All-Stars, but alas, it was impossible. Whoopsie.)

Tetris  – The inclusion of Tetris’ music in Brawl tells me that Nintendo has some kind of sway over the rights to the franchise. Why not make a stage where battles rage during a game of Tetris? The only caveat would be letting the character break the blocks, lest they get trapped and the fight be delayed. Other than that, yeah, I’d love a Tetris bash.

Possible Music Selection: Tetris “Type A*”, “Type B*”, Tetris Attack “Boss Stage”, Tetris DS “Mario 3 Tetris*”, “Ancient Tetris*”

The Playroom (Super Smash Bros) – “Wait, what? What the hell is the playroom?” Everyone reading this is asking that question, so I implore to think back to the intro movie for the original Super Smash Brothers. As the Master Hand takes the Nintendo “toys” out of the chests, we see a normal room set up for some Smashing, insinuating that the entire series is simply a child playing with his toys. While that idea has been all but abandoned, making The Playroom a legitimate stage would certainly be a suitable tribute to the original game.

Possible Music Selection: Super Smash Bros “Intro Movie*”, “Menu*”, “Character Select*”, “Credits*”, “Master Hand Battle*”

SMASH TO THE NEXT PAGE…