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This week, Masahiro Sakurai gave his final character presentation for Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, with interest and anticipation for the final broadcast reaching a climax. With over 24 million last count sales and substantial DLC absorption thanks to the many and varied guest fighters, it’s a game that’s been a big part of Switch’s success. More than that, however, few games can have nearly three years of big headlines in the modern industry, and the unique cultural impact of Smash Bros. – and its shockingly diverse list – can’t really be overstated. It’s a monster.
Now that a game is over, the discussion will quickly move on to “the next step”. Questions will arise as well as speculation as to whether future hardware will get a shiny port of this all-in-one extravaganza, or whether Nintendo will maintain the record for one Smash per generation since the late ’90s. It is often assumed that it’s entirely up to the series designer, for better or for worse.
Sakurai-san is indelibly linked to IP – it’s his creation and he’s creatively at the helm from the start, with the first prototype produced alongside the late Satoru Iwata. He has been involved in notable games outside of the franchise, but since GameCube Super Smash Bros. Melee took the franchise to a new level that he only led a project that was not part of the franchise: Kid Icarus: Insurrection.
Masahiro Sakurai appeared to be his fun and entertaining character throughout the broadcast, and was rightly proud of his team and the incredible collection of content put together in Ultimate. There was no question that this would be his last Smash Bros., no hint of a big farewell beyond the end of this project. Everything was very positive and suitably festive.
Fans will be scanning the interviews and remarks he shares, as there have been several statements in the past where he has discussed retirement. Highly stressful workload and repetitive strain injuries have been mentioned publicly by Sakurai-san in the past. He’s now devoted more than a decade to the continuous and seemingly uninterrupted development of Smash Bros., and the concept for Ultimate has been just that – a ultimate version of the game to beat all the others. Of all the modes and features to the dizzying list, it’s hard to see how it can be surpassed without the game getting almost too big.
And here’s the thing – Masahiro Sakurai is an outstanding game designer. His attention to detail, his work ethic, his intrigue in the industry at large and his varied games, make him a unique creative force. Then maybe, just maybe, it’s time to see him do something else. Yes he wants, of course.
The aforementioned Kid Icarus: Uprising is a good (and the only) relatively recent example. His control scheme was divisive, but the experience he offered on the humble 3DS was unique and very impressive. For this scribe, even struggling against the scheme of control, it was impossible to suppress it. A good point that we have seen elsewhere is that it is a game that just wouldn’t be enlightened these days as it is the antithesis of modern trends and provides accessibility in the controls. As a product of its time, however, it’s fascinating.
Also consider what Sakurai-san’s leadership and talent has done for Smash Bros .; it’s gone from a rambling but intriguing approach to the fighting genre on N64 to an integral part of the gaming scene. Even on systems that have struggled to sell like GameCube and Wii U, its entries nonetheless continued to move millions of copies and thrill fans. If Sakurai-san has unrealized creative ideas, we love to see them become a reality, because it could no doubt produce something special outside of the realm of platform fighting gaming.
And as with Smash Bros. ? This could continue with a new creative team and, if Masahiro Sakurai so desires, he could be a consultant. The original creative minds in franchises like Mario, The Legend of Zelda et al are all now retired or doing other work on a more independent basis, with Nintendo finding young talent who have taken the lead on projects. A similar approach could be taken if Nintendo and Sakurai-san agree that Smash Bros. continues, even if he is no longer at the helm.
And new leadership can bring freshness too, sticking to the principles of a franchise while trying new things. Look at the evolution of some of Nintendo’s other big franchises and the emergence of younger IPs like splash, and it’s clear that Nintendo still fosters a brilliantly creative development culture. Not only can Sakurai-san potentially spread its wings with new creative ventures, but a new take on Smash Bros. could move away from approaching each entrance bigger and bigger and make a difference. When there is change, there is also potential.
Super Smash Bros. is a remarkable franchise, and Masahiro Sakurai is the creative force that has driven multiple teams to create iconic entries. Maybe now, after the ultimate entry – the ultimate expression of the series’ potential – it’s time for some bold new projects from the ultimate game creator.
It is entirely his call; if nothing else, he has earned the right to choose what he does next. Maybe what he really wants is more development of Smash Bros. We will see.
Further reading on the final Smash Bros. :
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