The image is from Nintendo.
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate is done. After launching with a roster that included every single character from the series, it has since been updated with new fighters, including Sora from Kingdom Hearts. The last major update was on December 1st.
Three years and countless charming video presentations later, series creator Masahiro Sakurai seems to finally be taking it easy. He tells The Verge that he has more free time now than he ever has before. He has been a key developer on Smash for more than two decades, and his career has been intertwined with it. He says that he has no regrets because he worked on Super Smash Bros.
There has been a lot of discussion on the future of the franchise, particularly whether Sakurai would still be involved. I had the chance to ask the director a few questions over email, and we talked about working on new fighters, taking time off, and where Smash Bros. goes from here.
The interview has been edited for clarity and length.
You told me how difficult it was to create a large roster when the game was first announced. The initial development process was compared to the post-launch development.
DLC fighters are more unique than standard fighters on the roster. A new in-game system is implemented, their Final Smash is accompanied by a visual sequence, they have a relatively elaborate stage setup and guests, and their battle tactics and in-game systems clearly set them apart from other existing fighters.
Fans are paying more for these additional characters, so we have to do our best to deliver content that is more deserving. Adding one piece of DLC fighter and their accompanying stages, music, and other content proved to be a greater challenge than adding one piece of base game content.
How does the final product compare to what you had in mind? Are there elements that you are proud of?
We envision the finished product and aim for that as we work on the game, so where we landed is certainly not far from that initial vision. I feel that there are still some things that are not perfect. I don't want to brag about what we have accomplished with this project, but I think the idea of being proud of is different between Japanese and English.
I knew it would end one day if we continued to work hard.
It was hard to step away from the game after working on it for so long. What was it like when you realized your work was done?
I knew it would end one day if we continued to work hard. Even though this was a large-scale project, we still apply the same amount of effort to each step as we would any other project.
Have you taken any time off since Sora launched? What does a break look like other than riding horses?
I like to drive. I have more free time now than I ever have before, so I sometimes go on short trips, like an overnight trip or a day trip. I like to make stops here and there. The COVID-19 situation in Japan has improved.
Have you ever regretted not being able to work on projects outside of Smash?
I have no regrets about working on Super Smash Bros. because it was an opportunity I could not have missed.
What would make you want to make another Smash? Do you think your role would change if you came back?
I think we have reached the limit in terms of the amount of fighters and content. If I were to work on another Smash Bros. game, we would have to shrink the roster, but we need to think about whether fans would be happy about that.
The current Smash Bros. has too much of my personality poured into it.
I have been doing too much of the work myself, so I would need to resolve that as well. The current Super Smash Bros. has too much of my personality. We need to think about eliminating the dependence on just one person in order for the series to continue.
We weren't successful in splitting the vision between multiple people before. This would be a challenge for the future and something that needs to be discussed with Nintendo, if there were to be a next iteration in the Super Smash Bros. series.
