Stage: Difference between revisions

[[File:Final Destination Brawl.JPG|300px|thumb|The Final Destination stage in ''[[Super Smash Bros. Brawl]]'' is an example of a typical stage in the ''Super Smash Bros.'' series.]]

A '''stage''' ({{ja|ステージ|Sutēji}}, ''Stage''), also called a '''level''', '''map''', '''arena''', '''stadium''', or '''board''', is a location in which [[Fighter|characters]] fight or complete objectives. The word "stage" refers to the entire loaded location, but can also refer to the ground or large central [[platform]] within the level. Though versus mode stages are the most commonly recognized and utilized, single-player mode stages such as [[Race to the Finish]] or [[Trophy Collector]] exist as well for purposes other than fighting others.

Most '''[[versus mode]] stages''' in each of the ''{{b|Super Smash Bros.|series}}'' series games are available from the [[starter stage|start]], though a small number must first be [[unlockable stage|unlocked]] by completing certain objectives. Since ''[[Super Smash Bros. 4]]'' some stages are (or were in ''SSB4''{{'}}s case) made available through updates and are (were) [[downloadable]]. Most stages, like [[Princess Peach's Castle]], are derived from places in playable characters' [[universe]]s. ''[[Super Smash Bros. Melee]]'' introduced two stages unique to the {{uv|Super Smash Bros.}} universe — [[Battlefield]] and [[Final Destination]]. In ''[[Super Smash Bros. Brawl]]'', stages derived from universes without associated playable characters were introduced, namely [[Smashville]], [[Hanenbow]], and [[PictoChat]]. Additionally, not every playable character has a stage from their own universe; the {{uv|Fire Emblem}} universe lacked one in ''Melee'' (though [[AKANEIA|one]] was planned), and the {{uv|R.O.B.}} universe has, for unknown reasons, never had a stage. Since ''Melee'', each ''Smash'' game has included several [[Past Stages]] that debuted in previous games. These stages have either no or minor alterations (an example being [[Dream Land]] in ''Smash 4'', where the top blast line is much closer to the stage than it was in ''64'' or ''Melee''). ''[[Super Smash Bros. Ultimate]]'' changes this, giving older stages a more refined and detailed design.

In [[Tournament legal|competitive]] play for every game, many tournament organizers prohibit the majority of stages (and in ''64''{{'}}s case, all but [[Dream Land|one]]) from being selected due to being considered disruptive, unfair, or unbalanced by many high-level players{{fact}} (see [[stage legality]]). ''Ultimate'' tournaments often also require stage hazards to be disabled.

|[[File:SSB4-U Icon.png|25px|link=Big Battlefield (SSB4)]]

|[[File:SSBU Icon.png|25px|class=invert|link=Big Battlefield (SSBU)]]

|align="left"|[[Dream Land]]{{GameIcon|SSB}}{{GameIcon|SSBM}}{{GameIcon|SSBU}}<br/>Dream Land (64){{GameIcon|SSB4}}

|align="left"|[[Kongo Jungle]]{{GameIcon|SSBM}}{{GameIcon|SSBU}}<br/>Kongo Jungle 64{{GameIcon|SSB4-U}}<br/>Congo Jungle{{GameIcon|SSB}}

|align="left"|[[Mario Circuit]]{{GameIcon|SSB4-U}}{{GameIcon|SSBU}}

|align="left"|{{SSB|Mushroom Kingdom}}{{GameIcon|SSB}}{{GameIcon|SSBU}}

|align="left"|{{SSBM|Mushroom Kingdom}}{{GameIcon|SSBM}}

|align="left"|[[Mushroomy Kingdom]]<ref>In ''Brawl'', the stage has an additional underground version based on World 1-2 alongside the standard World 1-1 version. The version will normally be selected randomly, though either version can be forced by holding down a certain button when selecting the stage. World 1-2 was removed in ''for 3DS'' and ''Ultimate''</ref>

|align="left"|[[Mute City]]{{GameIcon|SSBM}}

|{{bg|#A0F0A0}}|[[File:SSBU Icon.png|25px|class=invert|link=Small Battlefield]]

|align="left"|{{SSBB|Yoshi's Island}}{{GameIcon|SSBB}}{{GameIcon|SSB4-3}}{{GameIcon|SSBU}}

:{{symbol|dk|16px|suffix=preBrawl}} [[Kongo Jungle|Congo Jungle]]

:{{symbol|kirby|16px}} [[Dream Land]]

:{{symbol|fz|16px}} <small>F-Zero Grand Prix</small> [[Mute City]]

:{{symbol|dk|16px|suffix=preBrawl}} '''[[Kongo Jungle]]'''

:{{symbol|kirby|16px}} '''[[Dream Land]]'''

Stages in ''[[Super Smash Bros. 4]]'' differ depending on the version. {{for3ds}} features 42 stages total (seven of which are unlockable, shown in '''bold''', and eight of which were [[downloadable content]]). {{forwiiu}} features 55 stages (six of which are unlockable, shown in '''bold''', and nine of which were downloadable content). '''''Bold and italic''''' text denotes stages that are unlockable in one version, but a starter/downloadable stage in the other. 13 stages appear in both versions (with some having changes), however, the majority of stages are exclusive to each version, with 3DS stages primarily pulled from handheld games and Wii U stages from console games (though, there [[Mute City SNES|are]] [[Balloon Fight|some]] [[Kalos Pokémon League|exceptions]]). In addition, this is the first game where stages from all the past entries return at once.

 

As of March 27th, 2023, due to the discontinuation of the [[Nintendo eShop]] for the Nintendo 3DS and Wii U systems, downloadable stages can no longer be purchased.

:{{symbol|kirby|16px}} {{gameIcon|SSB64}} [[Dream Land|Dream Land (64)]] <small>(DLC)</small>

:{{symbol|smb|16px}} [[Mario Circuit]]

:{{symbol|dk|16px}} {{gameIcon|SSB64}} '''[[Kongo Jungle|Kongo Jungle 64]]'''

[[File:Stage Select Ultimate Normal.png|thumb|250px|The stage select for ''Super Smash Bros. Ultimate'', showing the normal stages.]]

There are 115 versus stages in ''[[Super Smash Bros. Ultimate]]''. 19 stages are unique to ''Ultimate'' while the other 96 comprise nearly every stage from previous ''Smash'' games: 7 from ''Super Smash Bros.'', 19 from ''Super Smash Bros. Melee'', 26 from ''Super Smash Bros. Brawl'', and 44 from ''Super Smash Bros. 4'' (18 from the 3DS version, 18 from the Wii U version, and eight that are in both versions). [[Ω form]]s return for each stage, along with a new [[Battlefield form]] for every stage. All Battlefield and Ω forms have the same size and terrain as {{SSBU|Battlefield}} and {{SSBU|Final Destination}}, respectively. All stages now allow [[8-Player Smash|eight players]].

Not counting either single-player only stages or previous versions of Battlefield and Final Destination, there are only 15 stages that do not return in ''Super Smash Bros. Ultimate''; two from ''Smash 64'' ([[Planet Zebes]] and [[Sector Z]]), four from ''Melee'' ([[Icicle Mountain]],  [[Mute City]], {{SSBM|Mushroom Kingdom}} and [[Poké Floats]]), two from ''Brawl'' ([[Rumble Falls]] and [[PictoChat]]), two from ''for Nintendo 3DS'' ([[Rainbow Road]] and [[Pac-Maze]]), and five from ''Smash for Wii U'' ([[Miiverse]], [[Woolly World]], [[Orbital Gate Assault]], [[Jungle Hijinxs]] and [[Pyrosphere]]). [[Flat Zone]] and [[Flat Zone 2]] do not return either, but [[Flat Zone X]] is an amalgam between them. Another unique case are the World 1-2 version of Mushroomy Kingdom and the black and white version of Dream Land GB that are also absent.

The stage selection screen now precedes the [[character selection screen]] unlike in previous titles.

 

{{GameIcon|SSBU}} '''Ultimate Stages'''

:{{symbol|dk|16px}} {{gameIcon|SSB}} [[Kongo Jungle]]

:{{symbol|kirby|16px}} {{gameIcon|SSB}} [[Dream Land]]

:{{symbol|dh|16px}} {{gameIcon|SSB4}} {{b|Duck Hunt|stage}}

:{{symbol|smb|16px}} {{gameIcon|SSB4-U}} [[Mario Circuit]]

*{{b|Training|stage}}. This only appears on the Training Mode Stage Select screen.

*[[Small]]

*[[New]]

*[[Tutorial Stage]]

''Brawl'' introduced the [[Stage Builder]], a tool that allows players to build their own stages, for use in multiplayer matches, using sets of provided objects, some unlockable. ''Brawl'' includes a set of [[Sample Stages]] that were built using the Stage Builder. The stage builder can also be used to build [[No KO]] stages and "[[CD Factory|CD Factories]]" - exploitative stages used for quickly obtaining [[CD]]s. The Stage Builder returns in ''Super Smash Bros. for Wii U'', with some features removed and other features added. In version 3.0.0 of ''Super Smash Bros. Ultimate'', the stage builder was released with most features found in the Wii U version and significantly more features to make it the most robust version in the series.

Only Versus Mode stages are even considered to be tournament legal, as hacking the game to use single player stages and the requirement for each what would be tournament legal custom stage to be on each console are too much of a hassle for [[tournament organizer]]s. After that, the general requirements for [[stage legality]] are usually minimal random events, no significant mid-match layout alterations, no design aspects that promote camping or stalling, and no design aspects that give a player an unfair advantage over their opponent. For these reasons, relatively few stages are universally agreed as tournament legal, with the rest being banned. While the legality of every stage will forever be contested and debated, most major tournaments abide by the same stage setlist and must unanimously agree to ban or unban a stage.

** If the language is set to Castilian Spanish, European French, UK English, German, or Italian, all logos will use their properly translated European versions.

*In ''Ultimate'', certain Poké Ball Pokémon and Assist Trophy characters cannot be summoned on certain stages, either due to the stage design hindering their abilities or another of them already appearing the stage's background. For example, Nikki cannot appear in Fourside due to the dark background obscuring her drawings, Alucard cannot appear in Wii Fit Studio due to the giant mirror in the background (since he is a vampire, which does not have a reflection), and Knuckles and Palkia cannot appear on Green Hill Zone and Spear Pillar, respectively, due to already appearing on those stages.