Sakurai says he has no current Smash Bros. successor
And he can’t imagine another entry without him.
Super Smash Bros. is certainly a household name in the fight game genre nowadays and with good reason. One of the crucial factors for that status lies in the series’ boss Masahiro. As seen in many talks given via his YouTube series, he feels a sense of ownership of it. And you know what? It’s completely justified.
Judging by the brand-new video (that you can watch below), not even Sakurai knows what is coming next for the franchise. In a video titled “The Team Behind Super Smash Bros. Brawl [Grab Bag],” he talks about Brawl and how it was made behind the curtains. He recalls how Satoru Iwata said that if he (Sakura) wasn’t involved, the scope would be significantly smaller since the team faced “unique difficulties and challenges” while working on the game. At the end of the day, Sakurai joined the crew and everything was done right.
At one point in the video, Sakurai gets serious and tries to answer “What happens next time?” and goes on 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.”
A great answer, no doubt. I am very optimistic about the future of the Smash Bros. series and I can sleep peacefully knowing that the franchise is in good hands.