Editing Green Hill Zone

|image = {{tabber|title1=Ultimate|tab1=[[File:SSBU-Green Hill Zone.png|300px]]|title2=3DS|tab2=[[File:SSB4 Green Hill Zone.JPG|300px]]|title3=Brawl|tab3=[[File:Green Hill Zone.jpg|300px]]}}

|caption = [[File:SonicSymbol.svg|50px|class=invert]]<br>Green Hill Zone as it appears in ''Smash''.

==Stage overview==

Green Hill Zone debuted as the starting stage in ''{{iw|wikipedia|Sonic the Hedgehog|1991 video game}}''. Located on South Island, it is an area consisting of distinctively checkered ground with a grass surface and a lush biome, including palm trees and multiple flower species. Various other structures are found, such as shuttle loops and totem poles, as well as bridges, tunnels, and swinging platforms that connect the various parts of the stage. The conventions and aesthetic of Green Hill Zone have since been reiterated multiple times throughout the ''Sonic'' series, either in the form of its reappearance, or it serving as the basis for a stage with a similar theme, including [[Windy Hill Zone]].  

Green Hill Zone also introduced various elements now prominent in the series. Crumbling ground is a piece of terrain often found at the edge of cliffs, and quickly deteriorate once stepped on. A Checkpoint Marker is an object activated upon running past it, momentarily spinning the orb on its top and then making the orb glow red. It records the player's score and time, and maintains their progress in an Act should they lose a life.

The layout of the ''Smash'' stage is loosely based on the beginning stretch of Act 1, with the starting area and raised cliff with a Ring Monitor being modeled offscreen, and the stage itself being a condensed version of the following stretch of the level, in which there is a wooden bridge followed by a curved divot in the ground. However, the crumbling floor and Checkpoint Marker do not appear in the part of the level the stage is based on.

On March 17th 2009, the [[SmashBoards|BBR]] announced that the stage should be banned, as opposed to its former status as a counterpick, and the stage has since been universally banned in tournament play. Many players take issue with Green Hill Zone for its extremely campy nature: the most effective strategy when fighting here is to camp the signposts, which have a centralising effect due to their significant defensive power for an already highly defensive game,  can severely elongate the flow of the match.  Another major issue with the stage is its deep slope design, which, besides being awkward to fight on, can create a [[cave of life]] effect since players can [[DI]] and [[tech]] into the ground. Furthermore, both sides of the stage have permanent walk-off edges, favoring [[chain throw]]s or simply camping the edge; the frequent absence of a lower blast-line also negates any off-stage play.

Green Hill Zone is universally banned for many of the same reasons as in ''Brawl''. While turning off stage hazards mitigates some issues like camping, other issues are left unadressed.

*In ''Brawl'', due to the slope being destructible and triggering [[hitlag]], the bridge will sometimes slow down attacks like [[Spin Dash]] or [[Wario Bike]]. This is rather ironic considering that, in the ''Sonic'' series, a player would ordinarily use the Spin Dash in an area with this stage's layout in order to quickly accelerate to max speed and jump high into the air.

*A mistake currently exists in the Spanish and United Kingdom versions of the [[Smash Bros. DOJO!!|DOJO!!]] of this stage's page: instead of displaying the ''Sonic'' universe icon, Sonic's head's silhouette, it has the symbol of the [[Mario (universe)|''Mario'' universe]], which is a mushroom.<ref>[http://www.smashbros.com/wii/es/stages/stage27.html]</ref>

*The musical selection for Green Hill Zone in ''Brawl'' makes a subtle reference towards [[Sega]] in the first letters of each track that ends in "Zone": '''S'''crap Brain Zone, '''E'''merald Hill Zone, '''G'''reen Hill Zone, and '''A'''ngel Island Zone.

*In ''Ultimate'', [[Knuckles]] cannot be summoned by an [[Assist Trophy]] on this stage, due to Knuckles being a background element of this stage.

**Additionally, [[Midna]], [[Color TV-Game 15]] and the [[Squid Sisters]] (due to the center of the stage not being a flat surface) cannot be summoned here.

*The following [[Poké Ball]] Pokémon cannot be summoned on this stage: [[Abra]] (because the stage has walk-offs on both sides), [[Entei]], [[Suicune]], [[Kyogre]], [[Palkia]], [[Giratina]], [[Zoroark]], [[Keldeo]], [[Lunala]] and [[Marshadow]].

*With a total of eight, Green Hill Zone has the most default tracks in a ''Brawl'' stage.

*Green Hill Zone is the only third party stage in ''Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS'' to use music from two separate games.