With E3 nearly upon us and information about the new Super Smash Bros. trickling out in steady succession, my mind has been stirring with thoughts of what may come to be. You can browse just about any gaming blog and find a most wanted character list, or even now some of the confirmed characters for the game. But the game isn’t just about the combatants: the stages you play on are just as important and memorable as the fighters! Any Smash fan will have their favorite stage, or a special moment thanks to some background element being thrown into the fray. While many stages have already been announced, here are a few of the stages I want to see in each version of the game.

It’s also worth nothing that the 3DS version of the game will be slightly different than the Wii U version. Some of the stages in the 3DS game are going to come from exclusively portable games, opening up a whole barrel of awesome, unique ideas for stages!

Any Stage From Zelda II: The Adventure of Link (Wii U & 3DS)

This is a  dream level for old school Nintendo fans! Literally any of the side scrolling sections of this oft-forgotten yet incredibly amazing sequel to one of the greatest games of all time would make an amazing Smash stage. Maybe it’ll be set in a town, and you can go in and out of the houses to gain back health of get items. Or maybe it’ll be in one of the dungeons, where you can ride those elevators that sounds like someone tooting to get to the higher levels of the stage. Or maybe it’ll be in the deep forest area, with thick trees limiting your movement, and enemy spiders and Moblins to watch out for. See? Literally any stage would be great! A greater chance of this happening is thanks to the game being included in the recently released NES Remix 2 on Wii U!

 King Dedede’s Arena/Mt. Dedede (3DS)

The inclusion of this stages makes sense for three very big reasons:
1) It’s already a battle arena, complete with boxing ring and crowds cheering for more
2) It was included in the recently released Kriby Triple Deluxe on 3DS as a special battle arena stage.
3) It’s a Kirby stage, and Kirby was created by the director of the Smash games, Masahiro Sakurai
Beyond that, the above screen makes it look like a pretty Smash Bros.-like stage anyway, so just throw it in and let us tear it up!

A Kid Icarus Stage (Wii U)

I’m sure a Kid Icarus stage is already planned (and could already have been revealed), but my thinking here is for a totally different type of level. Usually in Smash you can defeat your opponent by hitting them off the sides of the stage. But in this stage if you walk all the way to right of the stage you’ll pop out on the left side of the stage, thus making the level feel like something out of Kid Icarus and something different for Smash fans. If this is the case, you’ll have to defeat your enemies by hitting them off the top of the stage. Maybe they can include a pit (Haha, get it?) in the middle of the stage to knock foes into as well, but let’s not get ahead of ourselves.

Kirby’s Epic Yarn (Wii U)

Kirby and King Dedede are already confirmed for the game, and Meta Knight may or may not be joining the fray, so including a few levels from the series could be possible. Kirby’s Epic Yarn would be a pretty sweet alternative for the aforementioned 3DS exclusive Kirby level. It’s unique and fun enough to fit into the Smash mold, and with some stage hazards and clever design choices (like players being able to tear and pull the scenery like Kirby can in the actual game) it could become a fan favorite!

Pushmo/Crashmo (3DS)

The basis of the 3DS exclusive puzzle game Pushmo and its sequel Crashmo is to vertically scale up a construction that may or may not look like some other object. There are three levels of depth for each object, and you can pull out and push in the levels to create paths to climb upward toward the goal. This could translate pretty easily to a vertically scaling Smash level not unlike Icicle Mountain from previous Smash games. These aren’t my personal favorite types of stages, but it’s a neat way to include a more obscure 3DS game!

 Advance Wars (3DS)

The series has been dormant for nearly six years, but the possibility of a resurgence on the 3DS coming at this year’s E3 makes me excited to play Smash in a stage themed after the wargame series. It could work out really well with lots of random attacks to evade from the background: units attack with bazooks and tank shots, and even a special CO power that can sweep across the whole screen, kind of like Brawl’s WarioWare stage! Honestly, this stage sounds like it’s be an amazing and perfect fit for the series!

Tetris Party (Wii U)

Nintendo might need to get the rights to use the name “Tetris”, but a stage themed after the legendary puzzle game would be great! The Wii game Tetris Party was the basis for this pick. There is a mode (which is pictured above) where two players work together to play a twice as big game of Tetris. The stage could be the blocks that fall from the top. This can create dynamic gaps in the flooring as well as cause damage if the blocks land on you. There could be a guide on the ground so you know where it’s falling, as well as different rates of speed the blocks can fall. If the stage scrolls a bit, too, it can create a neat, constantly changing, effect.

The Desk (Wii U & 3DS)

The Super Smash Bros. series has been a celebration of all things Nintendo, so why not celebrate a franchise that is one of Nintendo’s biggest: Smash itself! If you recall in the intro to the original Super Smash Bros., a hand places toy versions of a few combatants on a desk. With some imagination the toys come to life and the desk becomes a battlefield. Fans of the series will love to see this real-world locale as a stage in the next game. Not only would it function as great fan service to a game already full of fan service, but it could be a new favorite for series vets and a damn good stage on its own!