Neutral stage
In many official tournaments, neutral stages are stages that can be chosen randomly for the first match in a set.
List of neutral stages in Super Smash Bros.
Dream Land is usually considered the most neutral stage in Smash 64 by a considerable margin in most rulesets, due to the stage's simple layout and lack of major stage hazards. Congo Jungle is also considered a neutral stage in the American ruleset.
Hyrule Castle was considered the second most neutral stage behind Dream Land for a long time, but in the American ruleset, it is currently banned. This is primarily because of the tornado stage hazards, that appear completely randomly and also speed up at random times, which can unexpectedly cover a player's option that would have otherwise been completely safe. In addition, the stage's large size can allow rather significant camping in certain positions of the stage, where it is very difficult for one player to approach safely, though this depends on the matchup. Bane is often credited for being a significant contributor to the banning of Hyrule Castle, creating a Smash World Forums thread named A Case Against Hyrule that pointed out the disadvantages of the stage. However, Hyrule Castle remains a popular stage among many players, and due to the Gentleman Rule (which allows banned stages to be used if both players agree), certain matches being played on Hyrule Castle are still seen even in tournaments that ban the stage.
Certain other Smash 64 rulesets vary. In the Japanese ruleset, Dream Land is not only the only neutral stage, but also the only legal stage, whereas in the Peruvian ruleset, Hyrule Castle is the only neutral and legal stage in a similar fashion.
List of neutral stages in Super Smash Bros. Melee
- Yoshi's Story
- Fountain of Dreams
- Battlefield
- Dream Land (N64)
- Final Destination
