Masahiro Sakurai recently ended the content he planned for his YouTube Channel "Masahiro Sakurai on Creating Games." Sakurai spent just over two years posting videos about his views on game development. In his final video, he broke down what it took to make each video for the channel. This includes the roughly $630,000 (90,000,000 yen) ?he spent to ma??ke it a reality.

Sakurai, known for creating franchises like Super Smash Bros. and Kirby, also explained the rather intense process he set for himself. He starts the video by asking if we think he looks older than he does in his other videos. It seems like a silly thing to ask, partially because the man hasn't aged since 2001. But it turns out, everything that has aired on the channel over the last two years was scripted out and recorded in 2022. The exception to that is this current video. He's known for his atten?tion to detail and thor?ough planning, but even this is kind of crazy.

In his video, he explains how he got to this $630,000 price tag. For starters, Sakurai does not monetize any of the content on his channel. He states that it's all on here to help uplift the game industry as a whole. Whether your a game developer, manag??er, or even just a fan, he hopes that his channel can help you appreciate and create better games.

The bulk of the costs came from editing. While he recorded the videos in 2022, they didn't receive the slick visual packaging all at once. That's where the work has been going into over the last 2 years. Another company, Hike, was given the responsibility of editing his videos with footage and a shiny presentation. The cost shows in the editing, which has been extremely professional-looking from the start. That doesn't mean Sakurai was hands-off, however, as he would go through each video and request changes. This was work he did ?at night when his day job was over.

By the way, Sakurai has been working on an unknown game since 2022. Just in case you thought he would rest on his laurels after Smash Bros. Ultimate.

As for the rest of the budget, localization was the second biggest piece. While he thought about only doing the channel in Japanese originally, he decided to do an English version as well. For that, he enlisted the help of the well-known localization company 8-4 Play. The company has helped with a number of incredible games including Fire Emblem, Deltarune, and so many more. The final sliver in his budget was marked "other." That includes some special events he hosted with Retro Game Master and a few other licensing bits.

Overall, this money is being considered a donation to the industry at large. He considers his time to be volunteer work. Sakurai knows he's getting older, and wanted to give something that could help the industry for years to come, rather than just make another game. If you haven't seen the channel, it's a great look at the video game industry from one of the best to do it. He even did a video all about his cat, as any good pet owner would do.

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Kirby and Super Smash Bros. creator Masahiro Sakurai's pivot to content creation has been a treasure. Ever s??ince the developer spun up his YouTube channel, it's become a trove of game design knowledge and history. It's also how I ??learned that, apparently, you can just horizontally dock your Nintendo Switch and no one will stop you.

I've personally purchased two Nintendo Switches: an original launch edition, and then later, I upgraded to an OLED. (Side note: OLED rules.) While I might have, on occassion, entertained the notion of docking a Nintendo Switch horizontally just to see what ha??ppened, I have always returned my docks to their tall, upright positions.

Yet in a new video detailing his extremely fascinating methods for physical game storage, Sakurai shows off a fancy gaming cabinet that includes a horizontal Switch dock set-up. As the creator notes, it works perfectly fine, though it can also be stood up ?if need-be.

I have to admit, this bewildered me. Social media posters also seemed to pick up on this, so I know?? I'm at least not alone. But seriously, have other people been out here doing this?

Naturally, I had to try this set-up out for myself. And sure enough, horizontally docking your Switch does work. In fact, for cabinets like what Sakurai has, it makes a lot of sen??se. While it might seem strange to slide it in, rather than letting the heft of the console secure the connection, it makes removing the Switch a heck of a lot easier if it's in a storage cube like this.

The docking situation, along with Sakurai's entire setup, really made me reflect on how the home entertainment situation is shifting. A cabinet was the norm for me, growing up, but with wall mounts and flatscreens, we seem keen to r??educe any amount of framing or storage. Sleek, minimal, nothing but what's necessary. But looking at Sakurai's set-up, I love the discrete sections and how it frames all the consoles. The sliding glass is a really nice touch, and looks so much cleaner than the little doors I'd leave open as a kid. My apologies to my family members' shins.

Nowadays, I've had to come up with bizarre solutions for housing monsters like the PlayStation 5. And thou?gh having my Switch dock upright makes it easier to set it down to charge and pick it back out later, I t??otally see the use-case here for someone who plays a lot of docked Switch.

Keeping the classics

Anyways, the rest of the video is fantastic, and highly worth a watch if you're into retro game storage. Or even just to g??awk at Sakurai's frankly impressive col??lection. From the HDMI switcher to the actual game storage methods, you can see just how much care the designer puts into his collection.

A personal favorite ??of mine is his storage method for Famicom games: using an old cassette tape shelving unit. Pulling those little drawers out to reveal a filed set of cartridges just looks satisfying.

This video shows that Sakurai still has a wealth of knowledge to impart, whether it's game design, ret?ro collecting, or simply a new way to stash your Switch.

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Super Smash Bros. has cemented itself not just in fighting game history, but the gaming pantheon as a whole. It's not just an all-star fighter; it also has a ton of heart to it, and redefined just how far crossovers could go in the industry. As a result, series boss Masahiro Sakurai feels a justifiable sense of ownership of it, as evidenced by his many talks in recent months via his semi-new YouTube series.

Th??e almighty question is: what happens next? Not even Sakurai knows for sure if his new video is any indication.

Sakurai talks about the uncertain future of Smash Bros.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=MammcQ3XkpY

In a new video posted to his official YouTube account titled "The Team Behind Super Smash Bros. Brawl [Grab Bag]," Sakurai talks at length about Brawl, and exactly how it came to be be??hind closed doors. He recalls how then-president Satoru Iwata mentioned that if Sakura was not involved, the scope would be significantly smaller; as there were "unique difficulties and challenges" behind developing the game. As a result, Sakurai joined up so it was done right.

At the five-minute mark, Sakurai perks up and gets serious, in an attempt to answer "What happens next time?" As in, how another Smash Bros. entry after Ultimate would pan out.

Here's what he had to say:

"One option would be to separate the series itself from the original creator. But for now, at least, I can't really imagine a Smash Bros. title without me. You might think that's a natural stance for someone in my role, but I say so speaking objectively. I feel the same way President Iwata did when we formed the team for Smash Bros. Brawl. At present, we don't have someone who can? simply take the reins."

Well?, that's a pretty comprehensive answer! Sakurai follows up by noting that it's a massively popular series, "so it's fair to assume there will be another one at some point." He would "like to keep working with Nintendo however [he is] able."

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I've been asking for years, bring it on

In 2012, Nintendo released Kid Icarus: Uprising to the masses, and I was enamored. I couldn't put that game down for hours at a time, and amid some odd 3DS controls (that I did get used to!): it was one of my favorite games of that year, and that entire era. It was bubbling with more personality than the vast majority of games released even still, and it was like watching a cartoon in game form. 10 years later, Masahiro Sakurai is ready for it to make a return. 11 years ago, I was too!

In his latest game creation/development class video, Sakurai muses on difficulty: specifically, how Kid Icarus approached the concept with "the fiend's cauldron." In case you skipped over Uprising entirely (which is extremely likely!), the gist is that players can set the tone of how they approach each level. You can swipe the difficulty up on a slider all the way to 10, or slide it down to make it easier, with the rewards appropriately increasing with that slider. There's also a gamb?ling?? mechanic, where you lose some hearts if you fail a level.

One recent similar take is the "heat" system in Hades, where you can add extra challenges and parameters on to each run. Sakurai still believes in this "clever" mechanic, and walks us through how the system works, and how it was implemented to give players a wide variety of experiences (while offering a fun risk/reward mechanic). He als?o talks about the game's faults, and how it could have bene implemented ?better (specifically some individual level designs, the unclear nature of the slider, and how it can potentially scare away players).

At the end of the video, Sakurai coyly states: "It sure would be nice to play Kid Icarus: Uprising on a home console??. I wonder if someone out there will ever port it?" then smiles. The video abruptly ends. Sneaky!

I think I speak for the small legion of Uprising fans in that we'd love to see it. I don't think it'll happen, but?? maybe this video will help push?? Nintendo in that direction eventually.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=ai7pBxHAcvU

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A new Sakurai video gives us a quick rundown

The creation of Super Smash Bros is a multifaceted miracle, and Masahiro Sakurai is here to give us a breakdown thanks to his YouTube channel game design series.

Sakurai recalls how he started work on the Nintendo 64 era following his efforts on Kirby Super Star, and moved on to "inde??pendent study" for 3D visuals. As usual, Sakurai provides a very digestible look at this endeavor, including a brief overview of some of the more technical hurdles required in the generational leap.

At first, Sakurai proposed two games for the N64: a "free for all four player fighting game" (you guessed it), and an "RC robot adventure game where you hack security cameras." The catch? The first title was referred to internally as "Dragon King: The Fighting Game" before any first party mascot business was added. Sakurai gives us a brief look at the Dragon King prototype at 1:30 into the video, which looks an awful lot like Smash Bros: down to the ?level design, percentage meter, and general vibe of the c??haracter models.

Originally there were no items or special moves (though it did have smash attacks); just raw fighting, which is something that changed after the project got a little more involved. Sakurai recalls how both of his prototypes had "high praise" from Nintendo, but there was a labor shortage due to developers working on other projects: like "Mother 3," and "a snowboarding-like version of Air Ride" for the then-in-development the 64DD.

Feeling as if the RC concept would take too long to develop (two years), the four player free-for-all fighter was chosen. Sakurai injected a lot of his own sensibilities into the game that became Smash, including his conflicted feelings about combos (as well as "extremely complicated commands"), and how he felt there was "less room for strategy." Instead, Sakurai wanted more "interplay and improvisation" to be at the forefront, and thus the core mentality of Smash was born.

From there, Sakurai took his love for the stable of Nintendo characters, and argued for their inclusion. Sakurai said that the "sales team" and other executives disliked the idea of Smash characters fighting each other, but ultimately, thanks to the support of fans and developers alike, Smash came to fruition.

The story of the creation of Super Smash Bros.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=i3IOWaVDbx0

Early Super Smash Bros. design documents from Sakurai:

[gallery link="file" ids="348021,348022,348023"]

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We wished it to happen, and it was so

Masahiro Sakurai's YouTube channel is chugging along since it launched just nine days a?go, and now he's amassed ?nearly one million subscribers already.

Having watched every video so far, it's easy to see why! Sa??kurai is essentially bringing a game development boot camp to the masses, with his signature calm and easy-going approach. He's touc??hed on topics such as accessibility, technical considerations, design mechanics, and game philosophy.

At the time of publication, here is how his YouTube situation is goi??ng:

• 405,000 English language subscribers
• 355,000 Japanese language subscribers

Below are a few of the videos Sakurai's YouTube channel has shared since our last update. I've been checking back in daily! The bite-sized format is such a g??reat way to end the day.

Risk and Reward

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=FXqEykD5Ub4

In this video, Sakurai uses the ever-popular game Space Invaders to illustrate the concept of risk and reward, and how a careful balance of both can lead to a?? more engaging experience.

Game Development Isn't a Game

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=jlFkxfkICO8

In the vein of many, many GDC and DICE-esque talks (albeit wi??th his signature light touch), Sakurai warns folks that making games isn't always fun and games.

Down with Lag!

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=gjoKKyskco4

In a segment called "grab bag," Sak?urai talks about miscellaneous topics: this one deals with response time and input delay in a more digestible, less technical format. It also has?? a nice little anecdote about how he was shocked at the amount of lag during a live Nintendo game demonstration!

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Revealed directly after he stopped doing the "daily Smash Ultimate screen" tweets

Just this week, we were reminded by Super Smash Bros. boss Masahiro Sakurai that the "daily Smash screens" fun was coming to an end. On August 22, 2023, the dream was over, and the last screen was posted. But the beloved designer had another trick up his sleeve: an entire YouTube channel! The era of Sakurai YouTube has begun.

Dubbed "Masahiro Sakurai on Creating Games," the channel will deal with creative topics pertaining to game design; with Sakurai speaking in Japanese, alongside English subtitles. It has a similar feel to his humble Smash DLC reveals, with ??Sakurai hanging out and talking (with purpos??e!).

At the time of publication, he's put out three videos on his channel ??to kick things off. If you're remotely inte?rested in game design and/or Sakurai himself, all of these videos could be considered must-watches. They're generally two to seven minutes long, and concisely touch on various topics utilizing Sakurai's level of expertise.

A Sakurai YouTube "About This Channel" rundown:

Sakurai walks people through why he started the channel, and states upfront that people shouldn't expect him to stream games from ??it. Rather, he'll be "talking about topics like game development and what ma?kes games fun." Part of the purpose of the channel is to provide a wide net of education, which Sakurai says is more effective than speaking at an event to a limited crowd, or even giving talks at conferences like GDC.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=7M-DnOIeasA

Masahiro Sakurai's Creative Works:

This extremely short sizzle reel is a quick speechless rundown of Sakurai's career. His credentials, as i?t were! Some text is provided to explain a few c??oncepts.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=frNXwWqZpkI

Game Design Specifics: Stop for Big Moments:

As the first major game design video, this clip has Sakurai explain "stop effects"; specifically "hit stop," something he uses liberally in the Smash Bros. series. In short, he explains how stuff like zooming in and slowing down the action when finishing someone off in Smash Bros. can create more dramatic tension. Fascinatingly, he showcases that he's been using that concept since the early days of the Kirby series, when you finish off a boss.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=OdVkEOzdCPw

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'I've been thinking about starting something new'

The last Sakurai Smash Ultimate screen has been posted, as the Smash boss warned us this day would eventually come.

Since December of 2019, Masahiro Sakurai has been posting Smash Ultimate screens with a twist. With access to developer tools (Sakurai calls it the debug version), he can bend some scenes to his will, and he's crafted some ?really funny/dazzling stuff in that engine. But all things must come to a close, and late on August 22, 2022, the run from December 2019 ended.

There is a bit more to this story though: as one era ends, another begins. Now we have no idea what this means, but Sakurai posted the following in that same message: "However...I've been thinking about startin??g something new (this time it won't be daily, though)." He tells his fans to "check back around this time tomorrow for more info." For referen??ce, that's roughly 11PM ET tonight.

We could all use more of Sakurai's infectious love for gaming; so ass??uming this is a new Twitter posting adventure, this sounds perfect. Also not doing it daily should give him more time to rest, which is always a good thing. He needs it!

The end of the daily Sakurai Smash Ultimate screen era:

//twitter.??com/Sora_Sakura??i/status/1561911110214860803

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That horizontal Switch dock setup has everyone asking questions

Masahiro Sakurai isn't doing Smash Ultimate DLC streams at the moment or working on another entry (that we know of), but he's still taking ?to Twitter constantly to talk about the hobby. His latest set of tweets involves his update??d Sakurai gaming setup,? which has decidedly gone vertical.

In a series of photos, he shows off his made-to-order shelves, ??which house numerous gaming consoles. Visibly, we can see an Xbox Series X, PS5, Switch, PS4, PS3, Wii U (!), Famicom (NES), Genesis, and SNES. The top plate and back are removed to push out heat, and he leaves the door open when playing. Adorably, he has a few controllers labeled with tiny little stickers, like "Xbox X" or "2" (presumably for player two). Those same labels adorn the power cables that plug into the wall (and the power supplies can be turned off individually).

An updated look at the Masahiro Sakurai gaming setup:

//twitter.com??/Sora_Sakurai?/status/1559806360329392128

The most curious element is easily the horizontally-docked Switch. He even ??had to post a response tweet because of it! Here's what he said: "There was a reaction to the Switch dock horizontal placement...it's not recommended by the manufacturer, so do it at your own risk. This is just my personal experience, but I had no problems using it until I cleared Xenoblade Chronicles 3." Well, if Sakurai says it's okay! To be frank I never even really considered it, but it loo?ks awesome on certain shelves.

If you're curious, PushD?ustIn chronicled Sakurai's previous setup in 2019 here. You can compare and contrast!

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A landmark event for the uncertainty of the series

As we move further and further into the era of not knowing what's happening to Smash, Smash Ultimate screenshots have run their course.

The news comes directly from Smash Bros. boss Masahiro Sakurai, who confirmed it on Twitter with the following message:

"Posting daily Smash Ultimate screens has been part of my workday ritual for a while now...but it's looking like I'll run out sometime in August. I even took around 200 new ones as we were wrapping up development, so it's hard to believe they're already gone.?? Time sure does fly!"

Sakurai has been sharing Smash Ultimate screenshots for several years

For reference, Sakurai has been taking and sharing screenshots of Smash Ultimate for some time, typically showcasing oddball scenarios or pushing the engine to its limits/breaking it with development tools. Amazingly, ??Sakurai confirmed that he'd have to st??op doing it eventually on December 26, 2021, but has kept going since th?en. The reason for the shift is because he is no longer using development kits/tools.

It's been a fun run! So if everythin??g comes to a ??close in August, he has less than 30 more to go, following the one shared today of Game & Watch and Wii Fit Trainer.

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I hope it brings him joy

If there's news that Sa?kurai is working on something, no matter the context, I'm going to perk ?up. He's earned that right.

Shared by Famitsu after his win for "?most valuab??le creator" for the Famitsu Dengeki awards, Sakurai is being coy about his next proj??ect. In fact, he's setting people's expectations right?? now by noting that it may not even have anything to do with gaming. As translated by GoNintendo, he had the following to say about his future:

"I have been away for awhile now, but I am working on something. My eyes may be a little tired. You may see me in the near future in a place that has nothing to do with game production. You may or may not be able to see me. I ho?pe ??to see you again in the future. Thank you very much for your time."

So Sakurai is working on something, but we don't know what yet. As you might recall, a few months ago Sakurai told people "doing anything else is going to take some time, so it's probably best to forget about me for a while." Well, a few mo??nths is like, a decade in Sakurai time, so that checks out.

Of? course, and I say this a lot, Sakurai has earned his rest. Like many greats before him, if he wants to retire from the gaming industry and take on a new challenge,?? I'll be there to check it out.

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Rest!

Masahiro Sakurai has earned his rest. And that's likely what's he's going to be doing for a while: resting. Based on a new interview with 4Gamer (as translated by Twitter user Kody Nokolo), it'll be a ?while until we hear from him again, as Sakurai is laying lo??w.

Here's the news directly from Sakurai:

?"Doing anything else is going to take some time, so it's probably best to forget about me for a while."

He also had the chance to chill out and talk about his favorite things of 2021 as it pertains to gaming (Inscryption), media in general (the MCU), and a specific person (Hidetaka Miyazaki). All interesting picks! With Spider-Man hitting a billion at the box office recently, the MCU seems like a no-brainer pick for someone looking to escape f??rom?? games.

As far as the news goes, I hope that he's able to reflect on his career and realize that he's brought joy to millions of people. And get some rest! If he does return to gaming at some point, maybe he can do something a little less stressful, like a new Kirby game or a follow-up in the puzzle-based Meteos series.

Maybe something a little less stressful than an ongoing cross-IP fi?ghting game that require?s constant attention, DLC, updates, and tweaks.

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This recent It Takes Two joke is gold

Sakurai is done with Smash for now (so you're saying there's still a chance), but he i??sn't done hanging out.

The joke in the tweet mentions how It Takes Two won the top spot at The Game Awards 2021, then talks about how it's a barrier to entry that it's a two-person game that can possibly be tackled alone. Sakurai provides his classic "playing two characters at once" stance as he dons two PlayStation 5 controllers. For those of you who don't follow Smash, this is a stance Sakurai takes often in his char??acter rundown videos.

And you know what? It's amazing to see It Takes Two get some love around the world, given how much same-screen co-op-enabled games have fallen off the face of the Earth. They don't even ship with some games anymore!

I hope to see more of Sakurai enjoying himself like this. He has a huge following of people who are grateful for his impact on the industry over several decades, and it was fantastic to see him just hanging out? with other ??contemporaries recently. With any luck, Sakurai can get some rest, but still? be around and maybe do some consulting here and there.

Or may??be he'll go the Hayao Miyazaki route and just never retire. Whatever makes him happy!

//twitter.com/Sora_Sakurai/status/1469503298?730602498

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I really hope he gets a break first

With the release of Sora as the final DLC character for Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, the curtain is closing on a titanic crossover fighter. Super Smash Bros. creator Masahiro Sakurai was asked about the future of the series in a new interview, where it seems lik??e the franchise doesn't have a future charted out y??et. And honestly, that's probably a good thing.

In a Famitsu interview grabbed by Ryokutya2089 (translation via Siliconera), the Smash creator was? asked about whether he could create a new sequel. He at first said "impossible," and later clarified neither he nor Nintendo have solidified any sequel plans.

A few quotes follow, as translated by Siliconera, discussing the potential of a sequel or the future of Smash. In some, Sakurai seems unsure about a path ahead for Super Smash Bros. without him in it. But the one that jumps out at me is t?his:

"If the series were to continue, I have to talk with Nintendo and have a debate on whether it will succeed or no??t. I must think about this topic seriously."

Sakurai has spoken previously about how he's been considering what the next steps are for his career. And while I appreciate that the future of both Sakurai and Smash Bros. is of high interest, the last DLC just came out. Let the ma?n rest!

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=L-q6Gz_4Yqc

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate is, frankly, one of the most impossible-but-real accomplishments I can think of in games. It's a massive crossover with characters ranging from Nintendo's entire pantheon to the likes of Sora, Steve from Minecraft, Joker from Persona 5, and Kazuya Mishima from Tekken.

So really, the future of Super Smash Bros. in my view is Ultimate. This is a game that could feasibly stand the test of time, and hopefully, give Sakurai and his crew some ??well-earned respite before they start thinking about what's next.

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