Stage Tournament: Pokemon Stadium 2 Vs. PictoChat

You can have more fun on Warioware Inc, Mario Bros is too confined.

WarioWare Inc.

Alright, time to get this analysis started!

Again, tl;dr noobs, for the sake for your short attention spans, my decision is for WarioWare, but the purpose of this analysis is for personal justification. read on if you wish.

Stage L&L (Layout and Legality):
I'll start with Layout. Let's begin things off with WarioWare. This stage starts off with a small box-shaped platform in the center with no under section. There are also four platforms above, two small, and two slightly longer. The left platforms are left-aligned to the left ledge of the stage, and the right platforms are right-aligned to the right ledge of the stage. Now, every 30 seconds, the seemimgly docile stage trnasitions into 1 of 9 different microgames. The layouts of these microgames are all identical: a simple flat stage with walk-off edges. A major note about these stages is that some of them have delayed hazards, such as "acid rain", giant stomping feet, *ground pounding* backgrounds, etc. After one of these "microgames" is completed, if anyone succeeded in the inital goal "Don't Move, Taunt, etc." they'll receive 1 of 3 bonuses, Starman invincibility, Super Mushroom Growth, or random Food Recovery. Now that I've covered WarioWare's layout, I'll move onto Mario Bros. This stage is an exactly replica of the first level of the arcade game of the same name. Four long platforms on the side, leading past the boundaries, and two shorter platforms in the middle that also lead past the boundaries. The seventh platform is a long one in the center of the stage. The pipes in each corner of the stage allow the enemies to enter/escape the stage. There is also a POW block between the two lowest platforms. Hitting it causes enemies to flip over.

Now that I've given you the layouts of the stages it is easier to picture any problems you could have with those stages. With that, I move on to Legality. With WarioWare, the inital stage has almost nothing unfair. The stage is small enough so projectile spammers won't try to take advantage of you, the platforms on the sides give heavy characters like Bowser easier access around the stage. The only downside is a lack of an under-section, which only hinders Pit and Charizard. The microgames, however, can be dangerous hazards, some of them quite fast, others continuous, and the raining arrows have very high knockback. Plus, the bonuses received from successfully completing a microgame give unfair advantages over those less fortunate. This stage is banned because of those unfair factors. Although, if the stage were frozen and only the inital stage existed, it would be considered a definite Neutral (as in Brawl+). Unfortunatly, compared to Mario Bros., any Banned stage could be Neutral. Mario Bros. is without a doubt, in my righteous and popular opinion, the most bannable stage in the game. Where should I start? The platforms are so close together, mobility is irrelavent, because no one can move around properly, except for the smallest charcters, like Kirby and Olimar. Enemies pour out of the tunnels like wildfire. These enemies have HUGE knockback, especially if they've "evolved" to their final colour. Also, have you ever seen some be juggled by two shellcreepers for 100%+ damage + KO? I've seen it one too many times. Plus, these enemies can be used as items if knocked over. How do you knock them over? It's not like in the arcade game, noooo! That would be more balanced. All you have to do is hit them. Then they become your *****. This stuff is all bad enough, but then the stage has walk-offs. Walk-offs! Walk-offs + Shellcreeper Juggle = x.x

Now that I've discussed the physical elements of the stage, it's time for the next section: Artictic Value

Saying that WarioWare has artistic value is a strange thing to say. This stage is very ugly, but seeing how the intent is to make it look silly and absurd, it's not that bad. It's also a bit on the basic side. Still, some of the level designs are actually quite funny, like that little guy who runs back and forth on the raining arrow stage, who eventually gets hit square in the head. It's funny and cute to see something like that. That, however, is exactly what the designers are aiming for, so they actually hit the nail on the head. Or, I guess they hit the arrow on the little ninja's head. XD Moving on...OK, when I tried to put Mario Bros. with Artistic Value, I lol'd. Hard. This stage is **** to look at. I know it's supposed to have a nostalgic feeling to it, but come on! This stage is ugly! It was more appealing back in 1983 than it is now. Trying to mix 8-bit graphics with modern day graphics is a very dangerous thing to do. This is one of those cases where it didn't work at all. Don't get me wrong now, I'm not trying to show bias against 8-bit graphics. I personally loved the artwork done for other arcade games. In my opinion, they should done the stage more like Mushroomy Kingdom, and I don't mean showing what it looks like 20+ years later. I mean having the stage updated graphically to the 21st century.

Alright, I've covered Layout & Legality, Artictic Value, now for Music.

WarioWare's selection of music is as odd as every other factor of the series. Mike's Song, Ashley's Song, and Mona Pizza are interesting tunes. While some people may find them annoying, they truly reflect what the series represents, and in my opinion, I think they're pretty catchy. Plus, they have Japanese versions! How cool is that? There are two other tracks though, which are very good tracks in general. The WarioWare mix and medley are great to listen to. The craziness of this stage is only magnified by the music selection. Mario Bros. music is hard to critique, because most of it is original music from game released in the late eighties to early ninties. The Gyromite cover is nice and refreshing for anyone who actually played the game, although those who haven't will simply pass it off as another average track. The Mario Bros. remix is interesting to here, and the Famicom Medley will fill you with pure nostalgia, but right as you're really about to get into a part of the track, it flips off, leaving hardcore fans disappointed. Overall, don't expect much with the music, because A) It's overall average, and B) You won't have enough time to enjoy the music, because by the time you notice the music, you and your opponent would've already been three-stocked to sudden death by Shellcreepers.

Alright, the last category. Always my favourite, the Fun Factor! Alright, WarioWare! This stage is very fun. The neutral part is interesting because you can navigate all over easily, so it's fun regardless of character. The transitions barely have an effect on people, and vivid hazards are a nice challenge to get around, especially when beating the crap out of your friends. Also, prancing around as a giant or with invincibility is killer in any mode. Overall, a VERY fun stage. Alright, now for Mario Bros. This stage is a huge hassle. Your options are limited. Your have almost no freedom. This stage could be played War-Style (See my Smashville Vs. 75m post), but it's unfair, because you can just throw something behind you and mess everyone up. This stage is only fun when played 1v1, and even then, only someone who is extremely proficent with items is going to get anything out of it.

Again, my decision was a clear-cut choice for WarioWare. Ratio? Hmm...90:10

Pokemon Stadium 2.
The changing terrains make it much more interesting.

While you can easily get a cheap kill in Green Hill Zone by standing near the edge and back throwing people with an average amount of damage. Has unfair written all over.

Did I force you to get rid of Post of the Day? Lulz.

Working tonight, so my response will be a little late. Plus, this one's hard. Hmmm....

Look at my name.

Pokemon stadium 2

Green hill is meh, the slope and edges don't appeal to me.

Pokemon Stadium 2. It is a little more fair and it has great music. Green Hill has better music, but can spawn much more cheap gameplay. I hate the sky and "thunder" transformations.

Pokemon Stadium 2

Pokemon Stadium 2

Pokemon Stadium 2

Pokemon Stadium 2, even though the transformations bother me. PS1 is where it's at.

Pokemon Stadium 2.

Pokemon Stadium 2

My avi commands it!!

Pokemon Stadium 2.

Alright, this might be a bit lousy, because it's rushed. I only have a little bit of time to do this.

I'm actually leaving my decision for the end because I can't decide yet.

Layout/Legality:

Pokemon Stadium 2 is another transition stage. Each transition is unique. This Pokemon Stadium stage has 5 "Types": Ground, Ice, Electric, Flying, and Normal. The first part of the stage, the "Normal-Type" stage, is the foundation of the stage. It is flat, and has two floating platforms, one on each side. The ledges are nearly shaped like rectangles, but the side of the ledge is tilted inward towards the bottom. The stage underneath is flat, and there is a pillar leading from the stage downward, so you cannot travel from one side to the other underneath. The Ground-Type version of this stage is quite different. It has two platforms "stacked" on the right side, one platform on the left side, and a small, sharp hill on the left side, almost in the center. The Electric-Type stage is also a bit different. It has two "stacked" platforms in the center, and two conveyor belts on each side, which lead outward, toward the ledges. There is a small part of the stage underneath the platforms where there are no conveyor belts. The Ice-Type stage is actually quite similar to the normal stage. The only differences are the icy floor, which lowers traction (duh), and the platforms, which are spread further apart and are tilted slightly clockwise...and are made of ice. The last part of this stage is the Flying-Type stage. It is no platforms, but generates an updraft that covers the whole floors of the stage. Characters will naturally jump and fly much higher, and fall a lot slower. Now that I covered that, time for Green Hill Zone. This stage is medium-small in size. The edges are flat, but in the center of the stage is a half-circle pit. The floor of the pit is destructible, and when destroyed, becomes a temporary abyss. In often intervals (gr?), a "check-point" from the Sonic games will appear. This checkpoint serves as a hazard for whoever doesn't activate it. It can be activated by simply hitting it. The edges are walk-offs.

Now, concerning Legality, Pokemon Stadium 2 has some tricky sections, but doesn't have anything that truly screams out "BAN!" The ledges are less of problem than PS1's ledges, although those with awkward recoveries may still have a problem with it. The Ground-Type stage will definitely favour those with a plethora of physical force, while those with projectiles are very disadvantaged, because of the hill. The Electric-Type stage with only benefit fast characters, because slow characters will be nearly useless here. Take Ganondorf for example, at running speed, he cannot move. When walking, he is pushed back. This stage also helps projectile freaks in the same manner. One could stand in the center and fire away at weary opponents trying to make their way over, but failing miserably. The Flying-Type stage is hell for light characters with bad d-airs. 0% ceiling kills are waaaay too easy to achieve on a light character, especially if their air speed is crap. This stage has its obvious problems, but again, nothing too majour to ever consider it banned. Green Hill Zone has definite problems and reasons for banning. First of all, the obvious reason, the walk-offs. This is normally fun for characters with good throws and follow-ups, but this stage has something special to it. The edges are the highest part of the stage, and are small spaces compared to the rest of the stage. because of those edges, most projectile users can also be given an advantage. If a character had all of those, a good b-throw, a good follow-up attack, and the projectiles for a lure, this is your stage.Well, there is such a character. King Dedede. Moving on, the other majour problem with this stage (because frankly, the checkpoint is only really going to affect people stupid enough to go near it) is the destructible land on the pit. When this unexpectedly happens to someone, any actions they'll be doing on the ground will be interrupted, and you'll start to fall to your death. Of course, it is possible to grab the newly created ledges, but if you happen to be in one of these holes when the land starts to re-appear, you'll receive upward knockback, which could leave you in a bad position. This stage could banned, or left as a counter-pick. It is left to the decision of your TO. I'd definitely have to say that PS2 is the better stage in terms of Layout and Legality.

Next is Artistic Value:

Pokemon Stadium is actually a pretty appealing stage to look at. While it isn't a masterpiece to gawk at, it certainly has its graphical merits. From a gameplay perspective, it looks very nice. The big screen in the background sometimes zooms in on certain players, which is pretty neat. There is also a nice array of buildings in the back. While the stage sometimes might feel like it lacks in colour, the Pokemon among the backgrounds are nice and refreshing to see. Just don't ever focus on anything in the background with an infinite camera. It's not pretty. Green Hill Zone is sometimes difficult to look at as artistic, but it truly is. It has a very abstract look to it. It really is a nice update from the Ninties. Look carefully, you can see Tales, Knuckles, and Silver running the loop in the background, and they don't look like moving blobs! :O Oh, and this is one of the few stages which the infinte camera was deeply meant for. If you scroll around more, you can see that the portion of the stage you're playing on is only a small part of it. Granted, most of what's outside the boundaries are plain, winding paths, but it's still a really pretty stage. This was probably the easiest part of the analysis to review, and it definitely goes to Green Hill Zone.

Now, Music!

Pokemon Stadium 2 has some wonderfully orchestrated music. Road to Viridian City and Pokemon Center are my favourites. They all truly sound amazing. If an actual Pokemon game (from the main series) was released on a console, this is how the music should sound. Exactly. Again, the only real problem is that the music is too predictable. All of the tracks are extremely familiar, because it doesn't have anything original. Most stages don't have any real original tracks, but a nice medley or remix would've spiced things up. Otherwise, very, very nice overall. Green Hill Zone has really good music, with quite a few tracks from the older games. The Green Hill Zone theme is easily recognized by players because of how great a track it is. The Emerald Hill Zone music is also a great track. Some of the Crush 40 music from the newer games is in the stage. These songs are pretty cool. The Crush 40 music, combined with the original music from the games is a really nice contrast to hear over the course of playing on the stage many, many times. Although, any song which has any of the women singing are just terrible, including Super Sonic Racing, and Sonic Boom. Of course, it also has that originality problem that it shares with PS2, but in this, most people just don't seem to care. Overall, when comparing stages music wise, it's a tough decision. Both stages have a really good selection. I think it's a tie.

Fun Factor!!!

Pokemon Stadium 2 plays out like a neutral stage, but with weird quirks. Projectile users will find some parts of this stage fun, while physical users will find some parts fun. It grants a little bit of fun for everyone, but honestly, it's a bit boring, simply because of the fact that it plays out like a neutral stage. The Ground-Type stage would probably be the most fun, considering thatthe platforms and hill give you more reasons to move around. The Flying-Type stage is just boring. Flying up, waiting forever to fall, unless you feel like going towards the edge and getting edgeguarded. A fun stage, but there are other that bring more interesting things to do. Green Hill Zone, now THAT stage is fun! Bouncing around holes, battling on the edges, desperately trying not to die, throwing people into checkpoints, and hitting them afterwards. There is quite a bit to do on this somewhat small stage. Even the hills on the sides offer some priority fun. This is going to be one of those stages where the better and more knowledgeable player will no doubt enjoy it more, but anyone can have fun at this stage. even Ganondorf users can get a good laugh from spiking someon into an abyss he created from his own dtilt. He stage always keeps you moving, and it always keeps your eyes open as to what you're going to do next. Yeah, the walk-offs are **** annoying, but I just try to avoid them if I can. A very fun stage, that is undoubtedly underrated.

After a lot of thought, I have decided that my choice is for Green Hill Zone, 55:45. PS2's gonna win anyway, huh roy?

Lol, just wondering, how much of my obnoxious posts do you guys read? I'm guessing none, but hell, I like writing them. :D Expect another big one from me later on.

PS2, Green hill zone is based upon checkpoint camping. >_<

roy_owns said:

Yep!
(14-4)

Today will be Halberd Vs. Luigi's Mansion

Click to expand...

☆ Forgot to title change didn't you? =P ☆

☆ Halberd, I would vote for Luigi's Mansion but Halberd is a Kirby stage, how can I not vote for it? ☆

camden said:

Lol, just wondering, how much of my obnoxious posts do you guys read? I'm guessing none, but hell, I like writing them. :D Expect another big one from me later on.

Click to expand...

I actually do read your posts when I am really bored...

Imma say Halberd because it's another Kirby stage and it's awesome music

Battleship Halberd

Halberd.

Who the **** wants a rundown house anyways?

Halberd. LAZAH!

Trap Jammer

Translation into Super Smash Bros Brawl.

Any trap placed by the opponent will have smoke coming from them. When you go into the placed trap, it doesn’t affect its effect, but if the opponent does, it explodes on them, and will instantly blow up in the opponents face as soon as they plant another. This lasts for 25 seconds.

How to use:

This’ll teach those trap spamming wannabes a lesson. No one can beat traps that beat traps. Obviously, if you place this down against a Mario, you’ve just wasted that space up for another card (unless you have items on such as the pitfall item), so you’ll hinder yourself. Poor building traps characters that are all of their playstyle. But yeah, do your research for other trap characters before using this.

Halberd .

Luigi's mansion.

Halberd with its buttered building and its wonderful claw and its epic ability to leave people behind once it lifts off at the hangar (happens more than I'd like to me)

RedHalberd

Luigi's mansion theme song is my favs

Luigi's mansion.