This is a stage idea I've come up with to represent the Crash Bandicoot franchise as a whole with one stage. I call it the Warp Room, the hub location for many of the games. The one I've come up with is modeled after the Crash 3 iteration.
Basic layout:
You have a basic platform with 2 floating platforms above it. The center of the main platform can rise up and down (Crash fans would remember this as leading to the 'secret' warp area). The 2 floating platforms can move any way the coder desires, I just don't want boring floating platforms. Coco, Crunch, Aku Aku, Pura, and Polar can be sitting on the main stage in the background.
Now, for the gimmicky part: You see above there are 3 paths leading to behind the stage. These are the 'warp sections', or whatever they were called in Crash 3, where there are a bunch of buttons and the portal to warp to the many locations. Now, instead of causing the players to use the warps, these will activate on their own and bring hazards to the stage! (Note: There are also 2 'off-stage' to the left and right, just not visable. These also bring hazards) This will allow us to rep many of the important things from the Crash universe without having more than 1 stage.
Most things are of course, the main baddies. Here are a few examples of hazards I've come up with:
N. Tropy - Walks out of the middle warp, stands on the bridge, and raises his staff. Electrical beams are formed on the sides of the stage and sweep accross. Happens a few times, then he steps back into the warp.
Tiny - Comes out of the visible left warp and leaps to the stage to dead center. Attempts to grab a player and smash them to the ground, dealing massive damage and stunning. Eventually jumps back to the warp.
"HERE COMES TINY!"
N. Gin - A blue flash comes from the right side of the screen, and N. Gin inside of her flying robot flies above the stage, dropping bombs and rockets to bombard the players. Exits out of the left screen via a blue flash.
Ripper Roo - A blue flash comes from the left side of the screen, and Ripper Roo hops onto the stage. He frantically jumps about dropping TNT and Nitro crates, before falling off the edge.
Pinstripe - Walks out of the visible right warp. Looks at the battle going on, takes out his machine gun, and starts firing at the stage. Very difficult to dodge but doesn't do too much. Backflips into the warp when he's done.
N. Oxide - Flies in from above the stage in his UFO. Attempts to ram into the players, and occasionally launches missiles or pinballs. Flies off after a short time.
N. Cortex - Flies up from the bottom of the screen with his jetpack. Fires his laser gun in a similar fashion to his Crash 1 fight. After a short time, calls for Uka Uka to sweep through the stage. After a couple sweeps, rams into Cortex, causing his jetpack to malfunction so he falls off the screen.
So, thoughts, opinions, ideas, etc?