(EXPLAINATION)
Welcome to my ranking for every stage in SSBU Ultimate! This tier list will be based on how accurate they manage to recreate the locations of the games they're based on. Today's stages will be Pokémon Stadium, Onett, and Mushroom Kingdom II.


(Pokémon Stadium)
This stage would have gone into the exclusive SS tier if it featured the announcer . This stage seems to be based off the arenas in Pokémon Stadium (the N64 game), but it also shares some similarities to the gyms from the main games. Just like the Saffron City stage, this one seems to pull some inspiration from the anime with the differing terrain, which fighters can use to their advantage just like the Pokémon in the show. It's a nice touch for an already amazing recreation, so it definitely earns a spot in S Tier.

(Onett)
I wonder if I can spot the house that contains the Beatles reference ? This stage is based off the hometown of Ness in Earthbound, and it's a perfect choice for representing down-to-earth, yet colorful & bizarre nature of Earthbound. It contains plenty of small references, such as the drug store with the goofy sign, the Runaway Six Fire mercilessly running fighters over, and in the background you can spot Ness's home, Porky's home, and even the meteorite that contained Buzz Buzz.

For as appealing as the stage is, I do have some gripes with it. If you compare the stage's layout to the original, it's obvious that they're drastically different. Understandably, the stage features way fewer buildings and relocates the drug store and hospital for gameplay reasons, but it excludes many of the more note worthfully buildings, such as the town hall, library, and arcade, in favor for generic buildings that bare little resemblance to anything from the original game. Even Ness's home uses a generic model, which I know sounds like a odd detail to fret over , but it's one of the many inconsistencies that I can't get over. Because of this, I feel that this stage just barely misses S tier, and instead lands a spot in A Tier.

(Mushroom Kingdom II)
This is another retro stage, so you know it's going to rank high. On top of mimicking the pixel art, it also features plenty of the same hazards you'd see in the original game - Birdo shooting out eggs, floating logs serving as temporary platforms, and the Pidgit enemy flying around on a flying carpet. It's an easy S Tier for sure.

(TIER LIST - 23 STAGES)