Sakurai Famitsu column summary – Smash Bros. eSport thoughts and more
Super Smash Bros. director Masahiro Sakurai is back with another Famitsu column in this week’s magazine. This time around, Sakurai tackled a few questions from fans.
Here’s a summary of what was shared:
What’s better: printed or digital manuals?
Sakurai points out that he only reads manuals when he’s really stuck, so either way is fine. But for digital versions, it’d be better if they load up as fast as possible. (Note: Many people consider printed guides to be more convenient because they’re not located on the same screen).
Thoughts on remaking games that aren’t from Sakurai
Sakurai has feelings about wanting to play a game’s sequel rather than making it himself. In part because it’s other people’s works, he’d rather be on the player’s side. However, Smash Bros. itself can be considered as including remakes of various games.
On the basis of creating games, and whether it’s decided from the beginning or midway
Sakurai starts out by stating that the concept can change based on time and circumstances. He began making beginner-like games, which became Kirby. But when the touch generation (think DS/smartphones) started trending, he wanted to make a little challenging game, which was why he created Kid Icarus: Uprising. Sakurai says it should be flexibly changeable, but from thinking about the concept to finishing the game as a result could take a number of years.
Sakurai on StreetPass
Sakurai says they’ve been implementing StreetPass, but he personally couldn’t really grasp it well. When you receive data from multiple undetermined sources, it’d be more convenient to use network features instead. You won’t have to worry about overpopulated and sparse areas, and you wouldn’t have problems overseas. Sakurai believes that in order to make StreetPass more enjoyable, using location information such as GPS is inevitable.
Sakurai on Smash Bros. Melee receiving the same amount of popularity as Wii U/3DS in terms of eSports
Sakurai is glad about this, and also surprised. This indicates that players have been understanding the concept in the right way. A huge gap of skills, which in other words means a high competitive factor, is in Melee. However, he wants to avoid a situation where strong players dominate over weak ones. He wants to have things so that new players can also enjoy, too. This is something Sakurai has talked about in previous columns.
He goes on to say that those who are interested in the strategy/competitive nature of player-vs-player may find that regular fighting games are more suitable for them. Games like Virtua Fighter 2 had exaggerated attacks, but he doesn’t see the title being played in tournaments overseas. Sakurai wonders if this is due to a difference in culture.
On who has supported Sakurai the most until now
This goes to the late Nintendo president Satoru Iwata. However, Sakurai feels that if you do a good job, allies and people who understand you in the work field will increase.
