I noticed just now that I never posted in this thread. It's really hard to pick only 5 stages when the series of DoA present so many good arenas, by the way I will try to do a selection (in no particular order):
Lorelei from DoA3: very likely my favourite stage of the series: In addition to the gothic scenario, I love the vertical and horizontal hugeness of the arena, together with the continuous difference of the shape of the terrain.
DOATEC HK from DoA3: The Hayate vs Bass picture of this stage was my first contact with the DoA world (
http:// static.gamesurf.it/content/articoli/2002/2547/immagini_grandi/34.jpg), but in addition to give me a nostalgic feeling I love the stage in itself with its big variety in the 3 tiers available in the stage: different in both the scenario and the shape of the arenas, from columns like obstacles, to a large street, to a little lab room with electric walls (and naked cloned Kasumi too XD). In particular the starting glass corridor it's always seemed to me stunning.
Aerial Gardens from DoA2: Many people ask for this stage and I can't say to not understand them. Like the previous ones another stage able to give many different playing terrains between them (able like in DOATECK HK to make change your playing style), a trait even more emphasized by the presence of the water and the infinite multi tier levels of the arena. More, the mix between artificial and natural elements in the stage is really well done in my opinion.
Demon's Church from DoA2U: I don't like the original version but I'm in love with the complete redesign of the Ultimate one, able to make of it my favourite stage of DoA2U. I can just imagine the graphic and the effects of light if this was ported nowadays...
Seaside Market from DoA4: the fourth DoA entry has so many good looking stages but, bathed with so many colors and light, Seaside Market is maybe one of the stage visually more stunning in my opinion. The obstacles, the irregularity of the walls, the lower tier, the slope of the ground and the water of the sea make of it one of the stages more various in the game.
I mentioned only the stages from the old games that comes to my mind immediately thinking to DoA, but like I said there are so many great stages in the series for me, some of them able to give me a nostalgic feeling (like the "Danger Zone", sadly absent from DoA4 or Azuchi from DoA3) others with enviroments really inspired (like Ice Cave, Dragon Hills, Great Opera or Ninja Hideout). And actually I love many DoA5/5U stages too: the only minus for me is that they are too much ordinary compared with the previous ones from DoA2/3/4/D (so without obstacles or so irregular shapes) but stages like Sky City Tokyo, Flow, Hot Zone, Home, Aircraft Carrier, Sakura, Lab, Zack Island, Desert Wasteland or Scramble seem to me really good designed for the rest.