The Team Behind Super Smash Bros. Brawl [Grab Bag]

[@KaiSchSp]

Iwata recruiting Sakurai like he's Nick Fury is hilarious.

[@ArtelindSSB]

Mr. Sakurai, you’ve become part of a bigger universe. You just don’t know it yet. Who the Hell are you? Satoru Iwata, President of Nintendo. Ah. I’m here to talk to you about the Smash Bros. Initiative.

[@SudsyDiamond]

Looks like someone’s been watching Secret Invasion

[@mechashadow]

He was the Nick Fury before Nick Fury

[@foolyunfiltered]

Should have left him at home

[@SsbPrime]

Sakurai and Kevin Feige are really one and the same

[@realbartsimpson]

5:09 I love how the team is presented like the Brawl characters in that iconic cutscene.

[@Pejelo]

Kuddos for the Editor for that great gag.

[@Felipera_]

yep, that was too cute!

[@yonrexgameryt8494]

Super team bros brawl

[@randomnobody5074]

NPC tries to start a comment without "I love how" challenge (IMPOSSIBLE)

[@arctohru]

I want a smash bros brawl reimagining, but all the fighters are the staff

[@FoxerTails]

Man, hearing this story makes me miss Mr. Iwata. What a great individual he was.

[@YoshiAngemon]

i have the hardcover edition of Ask Iwata. It's an interesting read. One of his earliest Famicom works is a port of Atari's Millipede developed by HAL Labs.

[@CyberDragon10K]

There's something special about a CEO who rose up from the trenches alongside his fellow grunts/peers. You get a thorough view of the company with a journey like that. **Edit:** Misplaced slash for grunts/peers earlier.

[@JanneSala]

​@@YoshiAngemonHardcover edition of Iwata Asks? Is this still available somewhere? The webpage will forever be archived, but it would be neat to have a physical copy.

[@ProxyDoug]

@@CyberDragon10K And who jumped back to the trenches when needed since he helped code Melee when the game was late.

[@UnparalleledDev0]

@@JanneSala Ask Iwata edited by Hobonichi compiles some of the "Iwata Asks" website and interviews. it goes into his life and career. I also have the hard cover book. fastest book I ever read. RIP to the legend, Satoru Iwata.

[@MeesterTweester]

Imagine being surprised by your own game's announcement

[@Hysteria98]

That's corporate for you. Act now, work it out later.

[@sterninator]

Like bro imagine your watching a Nintendo direct and its and its your game that you haven't even thought of making yet 😭😭😭

[@ProxyDoug]

Feels like that's somewhat common in the Japanese industry. Heard it more than twice.

[@chrisbarrera7202]

Happened to bioware with anthem lmao. What made it worse was the reveal trailer was showing what they had to create before they even started development

[@alessiocece2098]

​@@ProxyDougoh really? 🤔

[@000marioshi000]

This sentence about Sakurai not currently knowing who could take the reins of Smash hit me a bit, and I hope he does not feel trapped in this series much, knowing how varied he likes his projects to be. But if I was him, I would not be too worried. Just on the Nintendo side, successors rise eventually: from Miyamoto to Koizumi for Mario, from Miyamoto to Aonuma to Fujibayashi for Zelda, from Sakurai to Kumazaki for Kirby... Someone could come out eventually to take something like Smash, and even if it does not have a certain Sakurai touch, it could still turn out very good!

[@nicocchi]

It also takes a massive toll on his health. Everyone knows about the IV drip incident, mr. Sakurai is a workaholic to a dangerous extent-he feels the games need to be even better than he thinks he can make them, and pushes himself beyond what any reasonable person should expect. If he doesn't feel like he can pass the torch, at the bare minimum he needs someone that can tell him "ok, enough is enough, take a 3 day vacation"

[@snuffysam]

To an extent, I get it, because Smash doesn’t just have to please players, it also has to please all the developers who contribute characters to the game. If Zelda does something weird and new, worst case scenario is that it doesn’t sell so they try again next time. If Smash goes really off book and doesn’t do well, it could cause other developers to lose faith in the franchise.

[@LegionIvory]

Sakurai is retired. If he doesn't find a successor, there will simply be no more Smash.

[@pjs232]

@@LegionIvory Hmm, I took this video as basically confirming the opposite. He states: 1) He thinks there will be another Smash Bros because it's important to Nintendo 2) He can't see anyone but him in charge of the project 3) He then states at 6.24 that he wants to "keep working with Nintendo however he is able". If you put those three together, doesn't that suggest he might be going to be directing the next Smash game after all?

[@reeksphync565]

Sakurai will do one more smash if he is allowed to use the dev time to train a new lead for future titles. This video is proof of that. With the new Nintendo hardware kit soon to be announced I'm sure the current situation is close to what he described brawls to be

[@jorgearguetaface1206]

Hearing about the development side of such monumental games is always fascinating

[@thecunninlynguist]

if you haven't checked his channel out, Matt McMuscles does deepish dives on those type of games (quality of the game itself, subjective 🤣)

[@FerreroMan]

Nothing short of a privilege to have this videos Sakurai is making…

[@EscapeCondition]

Agreed. Behind the scenes books are good too.

[@tmcttf8087]

Seriously......

[@supergordo64]

Specially Nintendo games! They like them secrets

[@SoShiBias]

This story is actually crazy. We may think Mr. Iwata forced a step on the franchise, but in retrospect it's a step that leads to a leap we now know.

[@FedoraKirb]

I mean, it is still a step he forced, even if it lead to Ultimate.

[@MarioSonic46]

@@FedoraKirb Iwata tripped so we could run.

[@kyurei4478]

I hardly believe Iwata would just have made a Melee HD with a Wi-Fi connection though. It would have been so bad. They certainly had other ideas in mind for a new Smash.

[@GlobeStan]

​@@kyurei4478the wii doesn't have HD

[@kyurei4478]

@@GlobeStan I know that's just how Melee players constantly call a potential Melee remake.

[@ElChicoBush]

I've heard this story a million times before, but now being told by Sakurai himself in one of his videos is just incredible. Even though I knew it was real, it feels like a legend coming true.

[@rêvekeeper]

Just wanted to chime in and say 5:08 is genius on the editors' part, and made me burst out in laughter. I think not enough credit is given to them with how nicely these videos flow, so well done!

[@hilariousskullnamedcatzo647]

I remember making a stage called "King DeeDeedee's revenge" in the stage builder, after absolutely losing horribly against my cousins as king DeeDeedee, it would eventually become one of my favorite childhood moments, along with many more just from the game alone, so thank you Sakurai, for not only making this franchise, introducing me to many obscure Nintendo characters, but for also making my childhood a good one :)

[@davebob4973]

just like superstar ultra

[@latissimusdomsi]

Of course Sakurai of all people can just casually namedrop Eiji Aonuma 😂

[@anthonygerardotorresgonzal6269]

Zelda's Big Cheese Speaking for Him...Cool.

[@Aperez]

“Our last line of defense will be Sakurai-san!” -Aonuma

[@cjlite0210]

​​@@Aperez_TotK saxophone starts going ham_

[@Deoxys911]

Not to mention Miyamoto!

[@renren47618]

​@@cjlite0210It's not a Saxophone tho, it's a suona.

[@MarakamiSG]

Bless the video editor for making the Brawl intro with the staff

[@M64bros]

Iwata told Sakurai to make Super Smash Bros. Ultimate before he died, He would be very proud of the game success The fact that Nintendo mentioned Iwata in the credit scene of the Super Mario Bros. Movie and Sakurai mentioning him is proof that Nintendo still cares about his legacy and never died with him.

[@Dairunt1]

I was surprised to see him in the credits. As far as I know development of the movie began after Iwata passed away so there was no need to do that. I'm glad they did.

[@bullwrinkle29studiosshow37]

I keep seeing you everywhere.....

[@kevinlovegame]

I'm really proud to say that Brawl was my introduction to the series and the whole Nintendo world. I remember spending hours on the Wii in the Nintendo Channel watching all the trailers and tutorials from the game, you can't imagine the joy when I finally bought the game! Thanks for your work!

[@jellycore1316]

Same here, I get you! ^^ Thank you so much, Sakurai and everyone else in the dev team and such!

[@ROFLOLGAMER]

Checking the Smash Bros. Dojo was my morning ritual as a grade school kid 😁

[@im_Spade_]

​@@MCAnimationofficialas a competitive smash player I absolutely do NOT miss Brawl Meta Knight 😂 But brawl was a great game despite that, especially leading up to the release w/ the dojo, announcement of sonic was the hypest smash announcement to this day, and best single player mode in a smash game ever.

[@Datapitstopyaps]

same, i was addicted to it

[@Galaxia_EX]

Same here! It's been quite a journey, hasn't it?

[@TheCanipaEffect]

It's something I'd never considered... Since Sakurai's been freelance for the last three Smash games and assembled original teams each time, there's nobody else with his experience on the series. Most studios have people in the wing who can take up directorial roles, but it makes sense that wouldn't be the case for Smash.

[@spaceglaceon2077]

Idk why but I just got the thought of Sakurai announcing a new smash in the works on this channel and then it turns into like, weekly development vlogs with interviews and more, would be cool but could never happen

[@Ageman20XX]

I'm not done the video yet, but I picked up on something around 3:30-3:35 that kind of blew me away and made me sit for a moment. Sakurai reads this incredibly flattering and emotional quote from Eiji Aonuma talking about how amazing and incredible he is and that Smash Bros wouldn't be worth making without him and it's just so sweet and touching I'm sitting here thinking "wow, I'd be in tears right now" but no. That's not how Sakurai internalizes it. There's no "awww he really likes me" moment or thought process at all - he just immediately goes to the mindset of "he's right, this is my duty". Sakurai has the heart of of hero and I'm just so blown away by him with every video.

[@ncs1999]

The way I see it, in Japanese culture, most people do not like to loudly brag about themselves and their accomplishments. If he were to explain the reasonings for why he picked up the project himself, it would sound like he's bragging about how he's the only one who's able to do it when it's not his intent, so the much better way to put it is by having a third party like Eiji Aonuma instead to explain the reasoning for why he picked up the project while staying humble.

[@somethingnothing4430]

I mean you don't know, Sakurai could've had both of those thoughts. It's just weird to start bragging about it on screen so it's normal he would show it in a more professional way. Sakurai does seem like a very responsible person so you're probably not too far off

[@draxdrilox]

Mr. Iwata was like: "I'm here to talk to you about The Brawl Initiative"

[@PhilipMurphy8Extra]

Always great to hear about the development side of games from Masahiro Sakurai.

[@thecunninlynguist]

it's always interesting/funny to find out when creators etc. find out about projects they're supposed to be apart of when the audience finds out. I've seen it in music. RIP Iwata, you were/are a real one. Game Arts also was part of the lunar series (RIP Working desgins)!

[@RoxasTheBest89]

It's like Nomura when he heard he was going to be the director of FF7 Remake all over again ahaha

[@Oscar97o]

I don't think it's funny. Nintendo were jackasses doing this and forcing Sakurai to give up on other projects he was working on. I understand that he had to leave projects that had already begun to work on it, which isn't something you should do as a professional, and it might have pretty much ensured he wouldn't work for anybody other than Nintendo...

[@TheAwesomeDarkNinja]

It still feels weird to imagine the future after Super Smash Bros Ultimate honestly.

[@changel711]

Feels like ultimate would have been the last

[@Felipera_]

@@changel711 the next one will probably reboot the whole thing and start differently.

[@TheAwesomeDarkNinja]

@@changel711 Even if they do another entry, I doubt they can get everyone back. Heck, even Sakurai admitted this. Honestly, if they just port it and have new costumes I'd be fine with it.

[@lucaantinori4834]

@@TheAwesomeDarkNinja With how hard it would be to renew each and every single licence, I doubt a port will happen. IMO starting from scratch seems way more likely than making a port just because of it.

[@Dairunt1]

Considering how nightmarish licensing must have gotten for Sakurai, and how having EVERYONE agreeing to make a port would be impossible (Sakurai already said it was a near-impossible task before the next dozen DLC fighters), and that a graphical leap would mean recycling assets won't be enough this time, the only way I can see the franchise being relevant for the next generation is to make a full reboot. And only include and revamp fighters from companies that agree to the reboot.

[@dmgdude2183]

That's cool that you pitched the character design to each person individually

[@solarblitzX]

It would be wise if Sakurai began grooming a successor or two to take the reins eventually, allowing Sakurai to act in an advisory role so a new generation can lead the series...

[@timothydarden6133]

That's precisely what I've been thinking.

[@BlueBoboDoo100]

I agree. The fact that almost 20 years later, Sakurai is still the only one that can helm the series says a lot about Sakurai's immense skill and passion. BUT at this point it has to also say something about Nintendo and Sakurai's inability to train or trust someone else to learn to direct Smash.

[@bugsisland3061]

He could be supervisor/producer

[@AS-lg4yf]

I think the challenge is you need to find someone with the skill but also the love of video games. I think what makes him unique is he actually loves such a wide variety of games. He doesn’t just make games, he plays games. He has such a deep understanding of every character that gets added and knows how to make them feel like they jumped right out of their own series into Smash.

[@svenbtb]

Yeah, for his own sake it would be nice if he could find someone he trusted to be the director and then took on more of a supervisor/advisor role, and let himself focus more on other projects.

[@random481r]

The recreation on the Brawl Opening at 5:09 makes me want a Smash Bros but with the Dev Team's Miis

[@noirlavender6409]

This story almost made me cry, Iwata truly IS a great man, even though he doesn't walk among us anymore.

[@sudospective]

im so glad sakurai has gotten to the point in his career that he can talk about all of this like a legend in and of itself, theres a reason hes the game designer i look up to!

[@lucasn0tch]

The thumbnail made me shed tears... Thank you Mr. Iwata.

[@lrgogo1517]

When I saw the thumbnail I thought I was looking at a late-night show host interviewing Sakurai

[@cryarionic8321]

Gigachad right here! This story is a real epic one, its crazy! Should deserve one of the crucial and important video game storys in history.

[@deltadragon117]

I love how he made the dev team coming together analogous to the fighters in Brawl coming together lol.

[@ReitheOffbeatOtaku]

It really is pretty wild to think that a game as massive as Brawl only had about 4 months of pre-production, from June 2005 to October 2005. Just about a 3rd of a year to assemble a development team, come up with most of the game design, and presumably begin creating early drafts of the story for Subspace is a pretty short time to get all of that done.

[@jumpmadmadness1222]

Rest in peace Mr. Iwata

[@GellertGreer]

This story hits differently with Sakurai telling it directly to us. He is very proud of his team and the results.

[@yindee-games]

Loved seeing the thumbnail of Iwata in this cute SD form and how his legacy still carries on to this day. 😭

[@NetBattler]

The guy was goated 🐐

[@Aperez]

I like the cute art and animation when Sakurai is being asked to make a new Smash game. He’s such an interesting guy towards many of us, the fans and his dev team! 😅

[@BJGvideos]

Sakurai, train a successor! I love the shot of the dev staff on the cliff from the intro. That's such a great touch! Props to the animators!

[@Shimazaki00]

He is allready doing it, us, every person watching this channel, but for our personal projects! as for smash....that is just another issue!

[@MrAnsatsuken]

I also agree with Iwata's vision. So probably the most logical thing to do would, in fact, be Iwata's "plan B". _- "Release the last game again, but with new characters and features, keeping the rest unchanged"_ Much like they're doing with Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, I suppose. "Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Deluxe" or something

[@Millicente]

I don’t think that’s possible given the licenses. I doubt someone like Disney or square signed a deal where Nintendo could just keep reusing their characters if they just made a smash bros ultimate part 2 or something

[@mukomaryan4919]

I don't think it would've been even that. Like, it would've just been Melee but with online support, as Iwata said "...but just with added network support, the 26 fighters from Melee would remain completely untouched!"

[@MeesterTweester]

MK8DX significantly changed the gameplay though, double item boxes, ultra-mini turbos, removal of firehopping, and rebalancing everything

[@sonomni]

Hell Smash for Switch was at first speculated to be a port of the Wii U version with all DLC and Ice Climbers, *Ultimately* that wasn’t the case.

[@Aereto]

​@@MillicenteBut then there's Snake. He was kept as is, likely to avoid any shenanigans from Konami.

[@MrNo1fan]

Just shows the huge amount of respect both Mr.Iwata and Eiji Aonuma had for Sakurai. ❤👍

[@nprnilk]

I think an interesting topic Sakurai can delve into is FPS games. For example, in a Famitsu column, Sakurai brought up how the appeal for that genre is that it makes the gamer feel immersed.

[@dragonicmicrophone6594]

Smash Bros. is just an overall massively important game franchise period. It isn't just the gameplay itself, it's also the way it brings people all over the world together, introducing them to franchises through character moves and abilities, as well as all the content that's not in the main gameplay loop. Take Lucas for example. At the time of launch, I don't think as many people knew about him until Brawl released. Melee was what put Fire Emblem on my radar. Smash Bros. is the ultimate collab.

[@N0AHVEGA]

I’m so grateful for him deciding to work on brawl. I have had so much fun making stages, playing with my brothers and friends all night. Thank you for the memories

[@awakenedcrowl]

I'll be happy to see whatever you produce in the future. Whether it's Smash Bros., or something else - there's a core identity to your games that just makes it so fun. And thanks to this video series, we get a better understanding of just what makes that identity!

[@MULTIGI]

I'll say that no matter what, I'll always respect Sakurai as a creator and how he chooses to apply the teachings Iwata gave him. In regards to Smash though, my worst nightmare would be Sakurai feeling confined to be the only one to head a Smash project, especially since developing these games requires a lot. In my heart, I would always love to have another Smash game, but if it came down to it, I think having Ultimate be the final entry would be perfectly fine. It's brought so much to us from release until now, and I have trouble imagining how it would go if you constantly tried to replicate that every time. I think ultimately the decision to continue lies in Sakurai's hands, and whether or not he wants to put the series to rest for the sake of newer projects is a decision I'll support either way.

[@FixTheWi-Fi]

Masahiro "Literally Couldn't Make This Game Without Me" Sakurai

[@AS-lg4yf]

This man is so cool. I have always loved smash since that very first commercial with the mascots fighting in an open field. Pikachu and Mario in the same game! All of it culminating in Sora shaking hands with Mario is still my favorite moment in gaming history. I don’t think we will ever have another Smash game as special as this one.

[@ShadowEl]

The "massive game" Sakurai mentions Game Arts having finished is likely Grandia III, originally released for the PlayStation 2 in 2005.

[@BLOODY__FATALITY]

I played a ton of Super Smash Bros. Melee and Super Smash Bros. Brawl growing up. I will forever be a fan of the series. I wish they would return the Subspace Emissary or some sort of story mode with various cutscenes of the characters working together as brothers towards a goal. The Subspace is one of my favorite things about Brawl and something that makes me want to go back to it time and time again. I'd at least like Adventure mode from Melee to return if nothing else. Either way I love Smash Bros. I am excited for the series to continue.

[@Darockam]

This must be an extremely uncomfortable position to not be able to just rest and be proud of your past work, always being pushed to produce a sequel, knowing that your creation will go on with or without you. But at the same time, this means you produced something of such value that you cannot keep it to yourself, so this is something Mr. Sakurai can be proud of.

[@Laughy-Flaaffy]

One of my favorite memories as a child was waiting for the midnight launch of Smash Bros Brawl. We all dressed up as the characters, we had a Smash tournament with Melee at our local Game Crazy (it was an old video game store), and we got the game at midnight, got home, and fell asleep playing it at around 3am. Best memory ever of my childhood

[@athy8763]

i absolutely love the recreation of the cliff scene from brawl

[@TheSnappo]

Haven’t watched your videos in sometime! Glad to see you’re still passionate as ever in making your videos. The development of Brawl was very interesting and always made me look back in awe as I look back on the newcomers for the game. You’re a very amazing game developer and your involvement in the Super Smash Bros series shows how well you take at directing big games such as Brawl and even Ultimate! Hope you’re doing well and I wish you the best!

[@TheB3AP]

And thats exactly the reason why Tabuu controls with chains the master hand, Iwata being Tabuu forcing Sakurai doing Smash Brawl and Sakurai being Master Hand

[@HammerGalladeBro]

It goes to show how much Iwata trusted Sakurai: wanting him for Smash despite going freelance and his input on the 3DS that he mentioned in the Game Concept of Kid Icarus: Uprising.

[@logicalfundy]

Imagining where Super Smash Bros would go after _Ultimate_ is difficult to imagine. I don't imagine anything like that would be possible in the future, especially with all of the third party IP. I'm sure there will be more games in the series, but I don't think we'll be able to see such a roster ever again.

[@renren47618]

I know other people also pointed this out but Iwata casually recruited Sakurai to form the developers' Avengers for the game lmao

[@pirc_]

It's interesting to hear that neither Sakurai nor us know the future of Smash

[@Neoxon619]

He probably does, as this was likely filmed earlier this year. It’s like how he was only talking about a hypothetical next Smash game after finishing 3DS/Wii U when he secretly began work on Ultimate.

[@johnmaco]

I believe there's going to be a new Smash until Switch 2 console releases (maybe around 2025-2026). But personally, more new and interesting IPs and game mechanics are still required, to have an actual new game, and not just some kind of "Smash Ultimate 2" or smh

[@syrindigo26]

Daaaaang that’s a good story. I’m so glad Sakurai is still willing to work with Nintendo, I hope he’s done with smash bros. But only because I hope we get to see a new all original Sakurai game some day. I feel like the series is holding him back a bit honestly. He’s so creative and original and smash bros just is what it is and can’t change a whole lot without upsetting people.

[@SB-ex8nt]

I think a lot of people are of the same mindset: that even if Sakurai were to return to Smash Bros., they would MUCH rather see him make something else first.

[@EbolaGW]

Mr. Iwata really did chose the right dialogue options with you, Mr. Sakurai. I am really grateful for what you did for the series and I do wish for you to continue working on it, but at the same time, I know you can do more games beyond Smash. No matter what your next project is, I'll definitely look forward to it!

[@rotallyPumpered]

I really appreciate the openness of this discussion. As much as I want Sakurai to have the freedom not to shackle himself to this series, I know that by the next generation of Nintendo hardware, fans will be begging for another Smash Bros, and it's difficult to imagine something that wouldn't disappoint them if Sakurai wasn't involved. I trust his judgement, and whatever the next title will be, I'm sure it'll be the best it can, given the surrounding situation.

[@mikejonesnoreally]

Given the "surrounding situation" the simple truth is not all of the Creators that have worked with $mash before, are willing to now. Most of them don't like the idea of their characters being in $mash anymore. They don't want them associated with all the trouble or "the scene life." :3

[@Howl_3DN]

@@mikejonesnoreallygenuinely curious of the articles or interviews where you heard that devs don’t want their chars in smash anymore.

[@Cless]

​@@Howl_3DNthe source: bro trust me

[@kaiguerider]

Sakurai-san words at the end of this video are very heavy knowing that the Switch 2 is getting more closer than we think since devkits rumors started to appear.

[@moyai5317]

I loved the animation of the story

[@AlexandreLema]

And we all want you to keep working with Nintendo, Mr. Sakurai!

[@starpetalarts6668]

That's true, but we need to be realistic here. Sakurai Sensei Sama has a legacy with this series that he needs to pile onto the next director of Smash Brothers before Nintendo has somebody in charge that isn't capable of Iwata caliber decisions.

[@cardinmalone4974]

@AlexandreLema Are you trying to kill him?! Let Sakurai retire already and find someone else to replace him. This is lunacy.

[@chozo_artifact2]

​@@cardinmalone4974Sakurai himself said "I'd like to keep working with Nintendo however I'm able" literally in this video. Why is it lunacy to support him in his desires to not retire and keep working?

[@koolio6760]

That Video was beautiful. Thank you Mr. Sakurai :)

[@Trimint123]

Thinking about what would the future of Smash after Ultimate is... concerning. At one hand, it's nice to see that the series is going strong, but on the other hand, without the supervisor of the man who invented the series, it's scary how they may went in the future.

[@Brawltendo]

Well had he maybe trained someone to be his successor earlier on, it probably would’ve worked out just fine like how Kirby’s been all these years without him. Instead he’s built up all these industry connections over the years so now he really is the only one that could do it as long as this much third party content is still part of the series. Also there might be a little too much pride there but that’s just my interpretation lol

[@Brave_New_Tube]

I don’t think I’ve ever been as hyped for a game as I was with Brawl. I was checking the Dojo site for updates every day at school during my study hall period. It’s wild to know that it almost didn’t happen (at least with Sakurai at the helm)

[@snugglebunnyskullcrusher]

The art and editing for this video is absolutely top-notch!

[@ToonGohan]

I love how it’s stated “opinion as of 2023 video” basically saying don’t be upset if he changes his mind.

[@nekou_tora]

I had no idea Game Arts staff (Grandia, Lunar series) were part of Sakurai's staff back then. That is so cool.

[@superflameking03]

Thanks for sharing that story of blackmail with us! It was very touching, and one of my favorites!

[@phdbot4483]

It's amazing hearing more about what Iwata's done in the past. His push for Sakurai to make Super Smash Bros Brawl, lead to an incredible game that would gain a following on our love for bringing people together! ^^

[@Kellan__they-them]

It's so cute how the artist(s) for this series draw some people (like Iwata and Aonuma) in such good detail you can tell who it is right away, but then they draw Sakurai himself with just a generic chibi face and his iconic hair XD

[@losalfajoresok]

Masahiro tells Nintendo if he wants to work with them, not the other way around, that's a power that only few humans got.

[@kyurei4478]

Is he just human tho?

[@agp6106]

Brawl was my favorite game growing up. My friends would come over to my house to play after school and we would play for hours. This game allowed me and my friends to make a lot of great memories, so thank you for doing such a great job!

[@richardx1157]

I never thought about it but that's true, a freelancer creator with a newly formed team, I've never heard of another game doing it that way, Sakurai is truly special if Nintendo and other industry members trust him that much. Well deserved trust.

[@jorgeabaezp9365]

Thank you, mr. Sakurai. Smash ultimate really made me happy. It's an excelent game that I'd find very difficult to surpass or top. Your attention to detail can be seen everywhere in the game and the overall experience is great. Even if smash ultimate is the last smash, thank you dearly

[@MattDunn-gx6mr]

Sakurai - I remember following Smash Bros Dojo when you were developing Brawl. I woke up and checked it every day, and was almost offended when there were not updates, but it holds a special place in my heart. When I turned the game on the first time and heard that swoosh and punching/impact sound, I was giddy and so excited. We all know how much love you put into these games and we all appreciate it. Thank you so much for your work.

[@olteration]

Best bit about this is that Sakurai knows exaclty how good he is, basically saying himself "you couldn't do this without me". Brash confidence but he backs it up everytime, a true game development legend.

[@yggdrasilsaltar]

the ending of this video has kind of convinced me that we’re going to be waiting a WHILE until the next game, probably the end of the decade if we’re being generous

[@thecunninlynguist]

what would they even call it? Ultimate is such a heavy and pretty big name. What could top Ultimate in name and scope?

[@Neoxon619]

The Switch 2 is probably coming sometime next year, & going most of the system’s life without Smash would be too much of a financial risk for Nintendo. By 2029-2030, we’ll be close to the Switch 3.

[@thecunninlynguist]

@@Neoxon619 if anything, they'd pull a MK8 and port it as a deluxe.

[@Millicente]

@@Neoxon619I really wouldn’t use financial risk to describe not having a smash bros. A pity yes but it’s not like switch 2 will fail if it doesn’t have its own smash bros

[@mystman1210]

​@@Neoxon619The thing is if the Switch successor has backwards compatibility then there won't be much need for a new Smash Bros. with how good Ultimate is. It's not like the jump from GameCube to Wii where the Wii provided new opportunities to add online multiplayer.

[@Lfcme]

Damn. Those final words about Smash Ultimate sequel are poignant. Not wanting to see it directed by someone else. However, he's lost a lot of drive to do it himself. I guess we will all have to wait and see for the next generation of Nintendo console

[@renren47618]

I liked it because i feel the same. Smash without Sakurai is not Smash Bros. If he ever leaves the series i wish his sucessor is someone worth of taking the role, but as long he wants to keep working on Smash i don't ever want Sakurai being replaced.

[@mrshmuga9]

He didn't say he doesn't want to see it directed by someone else, just that he's acknowledging he's the face of it and it's a problem Nintendo didn't and doesn't know how to solve both publicly and development wise. Hence why Brawl would've been a port Melee with online. They didn't know another person who could direct the series. It's not like their other franchises where they have employees working through the ranks. It's just random Namco staff that only get formed once every 5-10 years (when they start developing). Whereas internal Nintendo studios are always working on something, or with big franchises releasing something almost every year.

[@shay9807]

Frankly I hope he takes an advisory role like some of the other big names have over the years (Miyamoto to Koizumi, Masuda to Ohmori) They don’t just retire and leave the company, but they’re not in charge of the games’ development either, and provide input and advice to the current series’ directors.

[@Palendrome]

Where in this video did he say he's lost the drive to do it?

[@justdoityourself7134]

It is implied. I can see it too.@@Palendrome

[@HDGamerofficial]

I think this is my favourite Sakurai video! Hearing this whole story from the source is so awesome and quite honestly, it got me emotional to think such an important game for that introduced me to so many franchises over the years might not have been made the way it ended up being made 😊 thank you Sakurai 🙏

[@TNight00]

This was an awesome journey and history through all this years, thank you sakurai

[@Jake_Vox]

I’m so glad I got to experience brawl as a kid. It was one of the coolest games of all time for me, and I’ll never forget the countless memories of playing it with my sister and my friends. Knowing that Sakurai cared so much about it makes me respect him even more than I already did. Such an incredible person.

[@KrvaviAbadas]

6:13 this “opinion as of 2023” text feels like something added in response to Sakurai mentioning that it “would be nice” to see Kid Icarus Uprising in HD multiple times, which people kept mistaking as an ACTUAL tease for a Switch port. 😐

[@Neoxon619]

Considering that this was likely filmed months ago, I wouldn’t be surprised if this was a last-minute addition because of what you mentioned.

[@fixedfunshow]

@@Neoxon619 it doesn't appear in the Japanese version, yes

[@TheMegaMarshtomp]

It can not be overstated how good the thumbnail is for this video! It's a cartoon depiction of my third favorite story about Masahiro Sakurai!

[@FerreroMan]

Ty for giving an insight on how you go on It personally, shows your human side and it’s nice to remind us you are all human … very talented and unique specially on the Nintendo side. Nothing short of a miracle that such a company like Nintendo exists, we gamers won the lottery with you

[@megamanxfan02]

Thank you to all the brawl Smash X team. I have good memories about the game I’ll never ever forget.

[@SaviorGabriel]

To me, Smash Ultimate feels like the end of an era, but not necessarily the end completely. The end of an era in that Smash can no longer continue to build on its current foundation. I'm honestly fine with that. What Smash has achieved in its 20+ year history is nothing short of legendary. It's a very rare kind of achievement. I don't think the future of Smash needs to worry so much about how to top Ultimate's roster, and instead focus on cultivating other ideas that may not have been possible before. In the meantime, Smash Ultimate can stand on its own for a long time. I think Smash is in a state where it can afford to take an extended break, and allow more time for new ideas to grow organically.

[@HighlandHellboy]

I appreciate just how candid Mr. Sakurai is, genuine about his thoughts and feelings but not boastful. It would be hard to imagine someone else creating Smash and keeping the core spirit of being a fighting game approachable for all demographics.

[@5ch3nk]

I just want you to know all the hard work everyone puts in is extremely appreciated. I'm in my mid-30s now, but I still look back at my days of high school. Just sitting around playing Super Smash Bros with all my school friends. How much fun we all had, and wishing I could go back for one day to spend more time with them all. Games like Smash Bros bring joy to people and create bonds that last a lifetime.

[@martinromero1258]

Mr sakurai i want yo to say thank you for you HARD work to make the smash series a big one, i still play the 64 and the ultimate version they are all just so good, thank you in the name of all the community

[@Bladebrent]

This is a bit of a hot take, but I feel like the best thing for Smash Bros actually would be to find someone else to take the reins. At least if people want to keep it on the pedestal of "A video game hall of fame" like it kind of has. If Sakurai or Nintendo dont see that way, thats fine, but being able to give some love to other franchises and genres would be nice and there is some clear favoritism from Sakurai depending on the game. Like, He literally says in the Terry direct "Street Fighter has 3 button strengths so Ryu can use special moves at 3 different strengths, while SNK has 2 button strengths so Terry cause use special moves at 4 different strengths." However, there is a reason why Sakurai's good in this role. He's widely respected, knows alot of people and (again, despite favoritism) clearly cares alot about Video games as an art form and does his best with what he has to work with. Smash still has a ton of love and care put into it and just looking for 'anyone' to replace him would likely lead to alot more problems than we have now.

[@KeaganZev]

Your hard work is appreciated. I really enjoyed brawl back in the day so your work has had a huge impact on me.

[@sunnyla-bear8265]

In retrospect, that had to be a humbling and gratifying experience. To have someone you may have looked up to state clearly that they could not see how the series you helped create could continue without you. I would think that's the highest praise from one game dev to another

[@awesomecats]

Smash definitely owes much of its success with Mr. Sakurai dedicating himself fully and ensuring it delivers on the expectations of the fans of the many series. I think anyone else taking the lead would be very hard pressed to fill his shoes, in addition to the game having grown so big that a sequel might not even be seen as an improvement and instead just a lateral shift in design. Whatever is done, even if we have less characters or it's just redoing balance and refining Smash Ultimate with , I'd genuinely enjoy another Smash title if Mr. Sakurai was the one directing.

[@TazTheYellow]

Especially with his already impressive library of informational KZbin content, I can't help but imagine Sakurai in a mentorship role for whomever the Smash directors of the future will be. A similar passing of the torch seems to have gone incredibly well for the Zelda series, so it's really easy to envision.

[@mrstardian]

Honestly, incredibly beautiful video.

[@Geneolgia]

Brawl was huge and the amount of content can be understated nowadays, the first two games made Smash into one of Nintendo's flagship franchises and Brawl had a longer development cycle that allowed it to be like a museum of Nintendo, plus the introduction of third parties marked the before and after point. Not to mention the insane prelaunch hype, checking Brawl Dojo everyday was like a ritual and seeing new content pop up made your heart rate go up lol.

[@ImikoMxHun]

Wow thank you so much Sakurai for all of your work and attention to detail to make the games so many of us love

[@kingarth0r]

If the past few years of recent platformers have shown us anything it's that nobody can make a game that feels like smash except sakurai

[@juninamura6375]

I see. Unfortunately no one can currently do Sakurai's job, so he is now teaching people so one day he can pass the torch for a successor. Damn, he is cool.