The passing of Nintendo's former president, Satoru Iwata was a sudden and tragic event that still remains in the minds of many to this day, even nearly five years after the fact. This is highlighted especially by last year's release of the Japanese book "Iwata-San", which chronicles multiple "Iwata Asks" excerpts and comments from his friends, such as Shigeru Miyamoto. The publisher behind the book, Hobonichi, is led by another one of Iwata's colleagues, Shigesato Itoi, who recently posted an interview regarding the late CEO. In it, Super Smash Bros. director Masahiro Sakurai discusses how he felt when Iwata passed away, and how completing development on Super Smash Bros. Ultimate was "the final mission given to [him] by Iwata". You can see a few highlights from the interview, translated courtesy of Siliconera.

Do you remember how you processed his passing?

Masahiro Sakurai, director: “Before I took the phone call, I felt sluggish for some reason. Like my body felt heavy…

When my grandfather and grandmother passed, I had the same feeling. Like ‘I feel sluggish today’, and then finding out they passed away. Something like that happened, and for some reason, a similar thing occurred. Although I’m not one to talk about spiritual things. I wonder if I had a feeling…

But I decided that either way, I’d finish the Smash Bros. project. That was the best way I could make it up to Iwata-san, I felt.”

Ahh, I see.

Sakurai: “So Super Smash Bros. Ultimate released, right? In fact, that was the final mission given to me by Iwata-san. That game sold that much not just in Japan but overseas as well, and became the highest-selling title in 2018 in Japan. People all around enjoyed the game, and it brought around the best results, and I feel thankful for this.”

So you were talking with Iwata-san up to the Switch version of Smash Bros., I see.

Sakurai: “When I was making Super Smash Bros. for, the topic of making a Switch version of Smash Bros. naturally came up. We’d bring along the same development team, and create a definitive Smash Bros. game that took the best points of the handheld and console titles.”

And so, for your mission after this, will you be deciding that for yourself, Sakurai-san?

Sakurai: “Only god knows. (laughs) The current DLC we’re developing right now already falls outside the mission.”

At the end of the interview, Sakurai is questioned on what his next mission will be, once the upcoming DLC plans for Super Smash Bros. Ultimate are complete, to which Sakurai jokingly replies, "God only knows".

Source

 

[HarveyHouston]

Final mission, eh? I wouldn't be surprised if he works a while to bring just about every character that ever appeared in Smash Bros. to this version, and adding others besides. While I'm not a fan of the series, I admire his dedication.

 

[JavaScribe]

the next Nintendo console.

I guess it has been nearly three years since the Switch was released. Given how long designing something like that takes, I suppose they probably are working on the initial stages of the next one...

 

[x65943]

I guess it has been nearly three years since the Switch was released. Given how long designing something like that takes, I suppose they probably are working on the initial stages of the next one...

On the one hand nintendo consoles have a life of about 5 years, so we might expect the switch successor soonish. On the other hand, the handhelds seem to go longer. DS was around for 7 years before the 3ds, and the 3ds was around for 6 years before the switch.

So I think an estimate of 5-7 years is probably fair.

Spoiler

 

[windmill]

Sakurai, take a f*cking break for gods sake.

 

[Chary]

So I think an estimate of 5-7 years is probably fair.

Nintendo's prez just said the Switch has "entered about the middle of its life cycle", at "4" years (counting the fiscal years rather than actual years since launch.)

sourcey

 

[AkiraKurusu]

While I agree Melee was the best, I was still happy to play sm4sh and believe the 8 player mechanic actually added something to the game

I think we can all agree Brawl was trash, but it brought us Project M which is one the single best fighting games ever made

Oi! Brawl was my first SSB game, and I freaking loved the Subspace Emissary!

 

[Anxiety_timmy]

Sakurai, take a f*cking break for gods sake.

Or even better Actually take like a 7 year vacation!

 

[raxadian]

I honesty found the game kinda disappointing. I still bought it but my favourite is still Brawl.

 

[SonicRings]

He literally always says the current game is his last game. Wonder why.

 

[Deleted User]

As stated prior, Sakurai has suggested in interviews twice before that "this" Smash Bros. title will be his last, so I'll believe it when I see it.

I also will never understand the x is best crap either. I've always viewed each one the same as the last, fun with friends, boring as hell solo.

 

[Vorde]

When people say Brawl is trash, they're specifically referring to the gameplay mechanics (with the most famous being tripping), but they're entire removal of what made the movement so fluid and great at a casual and competitive level in Melee and 64 was a big deal for many people.
With that being said, if you're not interested in tournament play or learning techskill, then casually speaking Brawl was a great game. It was fun with lots of content, and by far the best soundtrack in the series. The Emissary was really fun.
But if you compare Melee and Brawl against eachother from a competitive stand point, it's kind of sad to see what happened.

 

[IncredulousP]

But if you compare Melee and Brawl against eachother from a competitive stand point, it's kind of sad to see what happened.

Didn't Sakurai intentionally make Brawl as anti-competitive as possible because of his dislike of the competitive smash scene? This alone left a sour taste in my mouth. I loved Nintendo when I was a kid but they would always take great ideas and lead them in a strange undesirable direction, or just squander potential entirely. Just my opinion.

 

[MarkDarkness]

Hope to see this book in English at some point.

I'm sure it's more customary in Japan, but that kind of workaholic behavior just screams unhealthy to me. Makes me wonder if Sakurai even has a home life, or a hobby outside of his self imposed duties.

For all the joy he's brought to the world with Smash Brothers, I just want the devs involved (Sakurai included) to be able to be happy in turn. To be able to reap the reward for such an amazing product. That shouldn't be too much to ask for, right?

F for respect

 

[JavaScribe]

On the one hand nintendo consoles have a life of about 5 years, so we might expect the switch successor soonish. On the other hand, the handhelds seem to go longer. DS was around for 7 years before the 3ds, and the 3ds was around for 6 years before the switch.

So I think an estimate of 5-7 years is probably fair.

Spoiler

Interesting... and yeah, it's probably some five years away, but developing a console takes a pretty long time. We won't be hearing about it any time soon, obviously.

Oi! Brawl was my first SSB game, and I freaking loved the Subspace Emissary!

SSB4 was my first Smash game, and even I was pretty disappointed at the lack of a Subspace Emissary successor.
...yes, the 3DS version. At least that got something better than Smash Tour.
And here I wonder why I'm bad at SSB, only having owned the version with no external controller options. It's near impossible to tilt attack on the 3DS...

 

[AkiraKurusu]

SSB4 was my first Smash game, and even I was pretty disappointed at the lack of a Subspace Emissary successor.
...yes, the 3DS version. At least that got something better than Smash Tour.
And here I wonder why I'm bad at SSB, only having owned the version with no external controller options. It's near impossible to tilt attack on the 3DS...

I didn't even bother with the 3DS version, since I had previously gone through several Circle Pads playing other games - namely, I believe, Super Mario 64 DS.
If there's one major flaw with the 3DS line, it's gotta be the Circle Pads; the adhesive sticking it to the stick just wears out too easily, and it's near-impossible to fix. I love the system, its wide library including backwards-compatibility, and the stereoscopic 3D; the Circle Pad, however, is just...ugh.

 

[banjo2]

I didn't even bother with the 3DS version, since I had previously gone through several Circle Pads playing other games - namely, I believe, Super Mario 64 DS.
If there's one major flaw with the 3DS line, it's gotta be the Circle Pads; the adhesive sticking it to the stick just wears out too easily, and it's near-impossible to fix. I love the system, its wide library including backwards-compatibility, and the stereoscopic 3D; the Circle Pad, however, is just...ugh.

I'm going OT here, but I've never understood why people think the Switch revisions should/would use the circle pads if they're so bad. I get that the current sticks have drift, but one is a stick and the other isn't....

 

[AkiraKurusu]

I'm going OT here, but I've never understood why people think the Switch revisions should/would use the circle pads if they're so bad. I get that the current sticks have drift, but one is a stick and the other isn't....

You want to know my opinion?
Nintendo should bring back the Wii U Pro Controller, and just slap "Switch" over the "Wii U" logo. I'm using mine to play on my (docked) Switch, and it's fantastic - by far my favourite Nintendo controller.
Oh, the JoyCons...screw'em; they need to be redesigned. Make them slightly larger and add more space between the stick and the buttons; also, align the sticks so they're actually comfortable. Nintendo, you do realise your standard controllers for the past decade (Wii & Wii U) have had aligned sticks? That your competitor, Sony, has had aligned sticks since the PS1 controller revision, back in the late 90s or something? Don't copy Microsoft with its controllers; go with what you know best!

 

[Deleted User]

You want to know my opinion?
Nintendo should bring back the Wii U Pro Controller, and just slap "Switch" over the "Wii U" logo.

I loved my Pro controller because it never once seemed to need a charge in all the years I've had it. But it's a couple years old now and the left stick has started acting up, just like I've heard people comment about the gamepad.

If we ever do get a Wii U Pro inspired Switch controller, that left stick crap has to go. I've had my eye on the Switch GameCube controller though it looks deceivingly brilliant.

 

[AkiraKurusu]

I loved my Pro controller because it never once seemed to need a charge in all the years I've had it. But it's a couple years old now and the left stick has started acting up, just like I've heard people comment about the gamepad.

If we ever do get a Wii U Pro inspired Switch controller, that left stick crap has to go. I've had my eye on the Switch GameCube controller though it looks deceivingly brilliant.

Huh; I still have my GamePad from launch, and apart from being a bit dusty and stuff (nothing a good damp wipe-down won't fix), it still works perfectly well. No issues with the touch screen, analog sticks or buttons.
I bought my Wii U Pro Controller a year or two after launch, since I didn't need it immediately, and despite having been largely ignored in a drawer (I did occasionally use it, but it didn't receive heavy use until last year) until I got my Magic-NS dongle, no issues except for a bit of grime.

GameCube controllers, though...never really liked them. Firstly, on the official early-2000s GameCube controllers, the C-stick is too nubby and stiff - no idea if this was fixed in any official or unofficial remakes, though. The design itself; unaligned analog sticks are uncomfortable, I can never remember where X and Y are in relation to each other, and the L and R buttons require deep presses to fully press them - that could've been halved and still work just fine.

 

[DarkKaine]

About Melee:

The franchise creator did lament that the game did have a problematic accessibility level, as he targeted it toward those "well-versed in videogames." More revealing was the following quote:

"There are three Smash Bros. games out now, but even if I ever had a chance at another one, I doubt we'll ever see one that's as geared toward hardcore gamers as Melee was. Melee fans who played deep into the game without any problems might have trouble understanding this, but Melee was just too difficult."

And this is where the franchise completely changed, and why people still play Melee to this day.
I'm sure there will be more smash games in the future, but they'll most likely just be a port of Ultimate with some extras.
Maybe they'll arrive before my inputs register in Ultimate, approximately 5 years.

tl;dr casual is leet now so fuck you - Sakurai and Nintendo since the Wii.