Preston Ward Condra Ranks All 35 Super Smash Bros 64 & Melee Stages

by Preston Ward Condra

A project I initially made back in June 2009. I critiqued, discussed and ranked all of the Super Smash Bros 64 and Melee stages from worst to best. I wrote this down, when I was 15 years old. As with all of my other stories, I wrote over 10 years ago? I won't be fixing any of the spelling mistakes, that may or may not be present here. Enjoy reading this now ladies and gentlemen.

31. 6 - Temple Hyrule Castle (Melee)

The Zelda stages in the Smash Bros series are...strange. The stages from the franchise in the series can range from being fairly bad to being one of the best stages in the series and in so with the case with Hyrule Temple from Melee or better known as regular Temple in Brawl. The stage one of the best in Melee and let alone in the series to date, thanks to the great animation, music and personality in the stage. The main gameplay flows well on the stage and the stage is extremely enjoyable, thanks to the stage being the largest stage in Melee and making up for countless fun action with your friends, no matter how many times you play and fight with them on Temple / Hyrule Temple.

The best gameplay element I enjoyed from Temple and most other fans in the series in general would agree with is, the stage is extremely large. The stage is the largest stage in Melee and even one of the largest so far in the series. Because of this and thanks to the stage not being to large like New Pork City from Brawl, the main fighting action flow is solid and just plain fun on the stage. You fight on a variety of platforms such as possibly going lower and lower underneath the stage to the point on fighting on a small circle platform in the middle right corner of the stage to fighting on battling with your opponents on the top of wooden like platforms from the Zelda series. Thanks to the variety in the platforms on the stage and thanks to the stage being large enough for the action never slowing down, Temple offers one of the best pure gameplay skill fighting in the series and in Melee, in general. The stage was well designed and overall, this leads reasons why and more reasons below in the write-up, why I have Hyrule Temple / Temple near the very top of this list.

The animation and personality on the stage was, well done. The main theme is a remix tune from Zelda II on the NES and it fits the style of the stage well and the castle like platforms you fight your opponents on in the stage from the Zelda series, also fits the personality and style of the stage well.

Despite the stage not having any real gameplay changing hazards in it, a stage that is very big like Hyrule Temple / Temple, doesn't need it as while battling your opponents and your friends on a big stage like this, can make the matches fun still without it. Thanks to the stage being very large more often then not, every single time you battle your opponents on the stage can make the gameplay feel different and enjoyable. I really enjoy stages that always make the combat fresh unlike many others in the series, let alone in most fighting game series in general.

Overall, Hyrule Temple / Temple remains as one of my favorite and best stages from Melee and let alone one of the best in the series, thanks to the stage being very large and always changing and making the main gameplay fighting action feel fresh with you battle your friends and opponents on it. Every single fan of the Smash Bros series, should definitely give this stage a try and see how well it appeals to it. It was great for me and it should remain enjoyable and great for you. Amazing stage and very enjoyable.