Hyrule Castle

Hyrule Castle (ハイラル城, Hairaru-jō) is a playable stage in Super Smash Bros. and home to Link. It did not return in Super Smash Bros. Melee, although another Hyrule-based stage, Temple, did. This stage is considered among the most neutral of all SSB stages and is often the first stage in competitive matchups (outside of, in some cases, Dream Land).

Origin
This version of Hyrule Castle comes from The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. The stage takes place on top of the castle itself. It is an accurate remodel of the castle in Ocarina of Time. The music for this stage is a remixed version of The Legend of Zelda's main theme.

Layout
The stage has a large main platform in the center. Three platforms float about midway across the main platform, with the middle to the right of the top and bottom ones. To the right of the main platform is a lower, connected platform with a gazebo-like structure in the middle of it. This area is sometimes known as the "Combo Tent" as characters can use aerials and throws to knock opponents off walls and into combos or kills. This was made famous by Isai's "Greenhouse" Pikachu combo, which is multiple back throws into a down air, back air, Up smash, and then a thunder kill. Characters may stand on top of it, but may not jump through it. Connected to the left of the main platform is a slightly lower, slanted platform. In competitive play, Fox dominates on this stage.

Features
The only terrain effect is tornadoes which appear randomly over the stage. They tend to last around 10-20 seconds, and move randomly in a direction, although they may suddenly speed up and home in on a character. If caught, a character is held for about 2 seconds before being dealt 14% and thrown upward, killing near 100% depending on weight.

As a small Easter egg, Death Mountain can be seen in the background.

In Super Smash Bros. Brawl
Although Hyrule Castle isn't a playable stage in Brawl, it can be seen in the background of the Bridge of Eldin. It should be noted that this is the Twilight Princess version of the castle. It is also a common level for players to rebuild in the Stage Builder.

Trivia

 * Maxim Tomatoes never appear on this stage. If the Maxim Tomato is the only item turned on via Item Switch, all the crates and capsules that appear will be explosives or a "dud".