The Next Smash Bros. Should Add These New Stages

Speculation about the next Super Smash Bros. game typically centers on character rosters, but stages matter just as much. They set the scene, reference beloved games, and add variety to battles. Some stages have simple layouts suitable for tournament play, while others introduce chaos and unpredictability to matches.

Bowser's Castle remains the most iconic Mario location that has never appeared as a Smash stage. Despite appearing in nearly every Mario game and Mario Kart spin-offs, no Smash Bros. title has featured it. The location would offer natural stage hazards like lava, Thwomps, and Bullet Bills. The giant Bowser statue from Mario Kart 8 could punch both sides of the track as an obstacle. It's a puzzling omission given how frequently lava appears in Super Mario games, with Super Mario Maker being the only Mario stage in Smash that features lava, and even that appearance is randomly generated.

From Pokemon, Area Zero from Pokemon Scarlet and Violet presents a compelling option. The location has a unique, calm, and unsettling atmosphere that would translate well to Smash. A stage could feature a raised platform moving through different sections of the crater. Fighters could start at the top with light-green grass and waterfalls, then descend deeper through blue cave rocks and crystals. At the bottom, Terapagos could appear and flash white to send fighters back to the beginning, creating a loop. Paradox Pokemon could serve as stage hazards for extra ambition. The ninth-generation Pokemon would fit if the next Smash is in active development now but releases before the tenth generation arrives.

The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom could provide the Stormwind Ark as a stage. It would differentiate itself from the existing Great Plateau Tower stage. Colgera could attack from the background while updrafts serve as stage hazards. The concept shares some similarity with the Pirate Ship stage from Wind Waker but without water mechanics. This stage might be likely for inclusion in the next game.

Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze (referred to in the material as Donkey Kong Bananza) offers Ingot Isle, the game's first level, as a stage option. Destructible terrain like construction girders and gold lumps could serve as stage gimmicks. A more ambitious approach could feature multiple layers from the game, though that seems less likely. Void Kong could attack from the background as a stage hazard.

Kirby and the Forgotten Land, the best-selling game in the Kirby series, deserves representation beyond the Sakurai-produced titles that currently feature in Smash. Alivel Mall stands out as a notable location, offering something distinct from existing stages. Very few Smash stages take place indoors, making this a fresh direction. Alternative options include the Natural Plains world or locations like Winter Horns or Redgar Forbidden Lands.

Pac-Man's Smash representation relies heavily on Pac-Land, a somewhat arbitrary choice given its minor place in the franchise's history. In Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, there is no Pac-Maze stage or anything tied to Pac-Man's arcade origins. The Pac-Land stage itself has drawn consistent criticism for its visual presentation, resembling what players describe as a cheap Microsoft Paint drawing. In the next Smash, Pac-Man deserves either a proper Pac-Maze stage or something like Pac-Village from Pac-Man World 2. Negative feedback on Pac-Land has been universal among players.

Other franchises could receive stage additions. Xenoblade Chronicles 3 could get a stage like the Great Sword's Base, Millick Meadows, or Eagus Wilderness to complement stages from the first two games. Metroid Prime 4: Beyond could contribute Fury Green or Volt Forge. Yoshi and the Mysterious Book seems a likely candidate given that Yoshi's Woolly World and Yoshi's Crafted World both received Smash content before their releases. Sonic could feature the Starfall Islands from Sonic Frontiers. Pikmin might see the Sun-Speckled Terrace stage. Animal Crossing faces fewer options, as Tortimer Island already exists and New Horizons' island setting wouldn't offer much new variety.

Some franchises that haven't received significant new Smash content since Ultimate, including F-Zero, EarthBound, Kid Icarus, and Punch-Out, remain possibilities but seem less likely candidates for new stages in the near future.