This video shows the after and before of the stage:
Basically, what I've made:
1- The models were both moved and sized, so I've used my block tool to apply those properties to the polygons themselves. That's done by writing the model names in the parameters section of the tool, and clicking the 'apply' button with the 'to model' option on.
2- For the background, I've exported it as .dae and imported it into 3DSMax. I've colored the few objects in the stage by selecting the polygons/vertices and, in the right menu, changing the color. To see the changes, I've applied a 'vertexpaint' modifier to everything, and selected the options to see the vertex colors. Once done with it, I've made a clone of the main ground to make the character shadows. I've changed the material it uses, so the new one uses the TShadow1 texture. I've also moved it up by 0.2 units. But not the object, but its vertices, so the model is still in the (0,0,0) position. After assuring that everything is controlled by the main bones (tools->open explorer / CTRL+Alt+O) I've exported as .dae and put it back to Brawlbox.
3- For Bongo Bongo, I've exported it as .dae and put it into 3DSMax too. Once open, I've used the 'meshsmooth' modifier to get rid of that ugly polygonar look. After that, I've selected each hand and detached them as new objects. I've made them use different materials, but keeping the same texture. After that, I've made a screenshot of one of the hands from the top and I've made a shadow-like texture with it. I've added 2 2D shapes just under the hands and made them use the new shadow texture. I've exported it as .dae and put it back into Brawlbox.
4- Once in Brawlbox, I've imported the stage as stage/item and Bongo Bongo as character. I always check the first 3 options when importing, and only check the 4th one when importing as character. I don't use to check any other option. I've Changed the ParamChanCtrl2AlphaC1 value in every material of the stage to 1 to make it ignore the lighting, and I've changed the ColorScale value in the shader from 4 to 1 to compensate the change. I've also made changes to the shader for Bongo Bongo so Color1 animations affect the different parts of his body. Basically, I've made Stage1 to use the color channel 1, and I've multiplied the previous color with that color channel 1. Thanks to this, Bongo Bongo casts the lighting, and can also be darkened with a color animation. You need to tell the materials that you're using 2 light channels for this to work.
5- I've edited the lighting for characters, it's made by 3 different lights, instead of 1, which was before. One is green, the other is purple, and the other is white. One comes from the right, the other from the left, and the other from below. Well, the 3 of them come from below in some way. I've also made the external ground thing to have 2 layers of the same texture, and I've animated both of them with a SRT0 or texture animation.
6- I've made the shadow material for the hands to be transparent with the EnableBlend option in true, and I've made it color-editable by changing the ParamChanCtrl2ColorC1 value to 0. This way the transparency of these can be edited and have a nice effect when the hands move up/down.
7- I've edited a little the collisions. You can see the exact placement of the model in max, so make use of this. If it's an horizontal floor like this, it has to be exactly horizontal and in the exact height. In the case of the external floor (which hurts you in Ocarina of Time), I've made it go a little under the actual model, so it seems like it's some kind of liquid you get a little buried into. I've not used character shadows there, it's too dark to even notice them.
8- Talking about character shadows, I've made the MShadow material I made for the clone of the floor to use the TShadow1 texture. It's necessary to have this texture in the stage, if not it will crash. I've made the material to work by itself my own way, in your case it's okay if you follow my shadows tutorial, you replace the MShadow material with the one in the download and use an additional shadow model to get the properties from. I've not needed those cause I can make my models to have those properties by themselves.
9- Animating Bongo Bongo. I've had to change the bone extructure in Brawlbox, adding some bones in a clever way so one bone moves both hands and theirs shadows, and another moves just the hands for vertical moves. I've used a CLR0 animation for the shadows of the hands and making appear and dissapear Bongo Bongo and his hands. This has been the hardest part for me, specially cause I've had to synchronize both model and color animations, with hands moving up and down and shadows getting more or less intense.
Well, this is it. As you can see, making a stage isn't just making the model reach Brawlbox, making an inaccurate collision and a proper lighting to go with it. You may need vertex colors, you have to make the character shadows, and it's interesting if the stage has some kind of life, movement, anything. Smoothing the polygons is necessary if you're letting the lights to affect them, and you have to keep in mind that everything can always get better. Maybe what's shown in the video looks amazing for you, but people are already complaining about the rythm of Bongo Bongo, a possible vibration of the floor, etc. I've already thought of that vibration thing before making the video, I've rigged the Bongo to a bone so it can get deformed in some kind of vibration. And Bongo Bongo's animations can always be changed to match the original rithm.
There's no perfect work, but you have to at least try your best. Hope some of this is useful for you or for anybody else.
I'll send you the stage tomorrow, I hope you replace the old version with it and add me as a collaborator to it. When somebody makes an important part of a hack, the ownership has to be shared in some way. And, as you created the hack originally, you have to edit that submission, add me as a collaborator, and not making a new entry for something that you've already shared. Many people don't follow these rules, and there are many versions of the same things in the vault. I'm against this even if my download rate is decreased when I don't put up a new entry for an updated hack.