Interview with the creator of Kirby!

From Nintendo Power August 2008:

"If there's a formula for gaming sucess, Masahiro Sakurai must know it. He's not just the man reponsible for directing the incredibly popular Super Smash Bros. Brawl - he's also one of the series' original creators. As the visionary that has been with Smash Bros. every step of the way, Sakurai has helped establish the franchise as one of Nintendo's top brands and quenched fans' relentless thirst for information via more than 300 daily updates at the Smash Bros. Dojo (http://www.smashbros.com). But there's more to Sakurai than just this one series. Long before he formed his own studio, Sora Ltd., Sakurai worked in the employ of HAL Laboratory, where at age 19 he designed and directed the first game in the Kirby series (Kirby's Dream Land for Game Boy), thus propelling te pink puffball to stardom as one of Nintendo's leading characters. We're not sure what Sakurai will be working on next, but given his track record, we're eager to find out - just as we were eager to probe into what makes the talented game designer tick."

Nintendo Power: Can you tell us how you got into the video games business?

Masahiro Sakurai: I have a vivid memory from my childhood of being incredibly impressed that objects on a TV screen could be manipulated. I got involved because I wanted to challenge that sense of wonder about games.

When you were a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?

I did not have a specific goal for what I wanted to be.

We understand that when you worked on the first Kirby game, you were 19. What was it like directing a game at such a young age?

Because everyone else was older than me, in my mind, I felt rather uncomfortable giving them directions.

How has the video game industry changed during the time you've been involved with it?

I'm concerned that it's losing it's ability to get people to dream. I feel the environment in which players are able to enjoy the pure fun of gaming has deteriorated as more information about game creators becomes available and as unsolicited commentating on games becomes rampant.

Why did you decide to leave HAL and eventually form your own company, Sora Ltd.?

It is because I believe that making stuff in the same company with the same staff for an entire career is out of place in this age. Also, the collaborations with other talents should be emphasized.

Since you used action figures to create the animations in Super Smash Bros., we have to ask: are you an action-figure collector yourself?

I am not action-figure collector myself. I have started collections of things in the past, but in more cases I soon get bored.

What are some of the coolest tricks that you've seen played do in a Smash Bros. game that perhaps you didn't expect?

There's no particular attack or defense by a player that comes to mind, but replay data that players send to us always surprises me. We send these out to users via the Smash Service every day, so please have a look at them when you have the opportunity.

How much of the information that's listed on the Smash Bros. trophies did you already know from memory, and how much of it did you have to look up?

I still double-check things even when the information seems to be obvious, because I might be wrong.

Who is your personal favorite video game character?

I like everyone in particular, I tried to know everything about the characters in the Smash Bros. so I could highlight the most attractive qualities of their personalities.

Why do you think Super Smash Bros. continues to be so popular even though interest in traditional fighting games has dwindled?

I think it's because it is, in fact, not a fighting game. The nature of it is similar to a sports game in which the player shoots an opponent as if it were a ball. The results are different [everytime you play], which, I think, is also a unique and attractive quality of the game.

Would you prefer to make games with established game characters, or create a game featuring totally new characters?

Both are attractive to me. All I can do is to do my best in each case in order to live up to people's expectations.

Meteos seems very different from the other games you've worked on. Why did you decide to work on a smaller-scale project like that (as opposed to a large scale project such as Smash Bros.), and what are the advantages and disadvantages?

I was given the task of producing a falling-block puzzle game. I did not think this type of puzzle game would be popular or even receive a modicum of attention. However, I also thought that such a prejudice would limit the number of possiblities in our industry, and I wanted to create a falling-block puzzle game that was totally different from others.

What's another game genre you'd like to try your hand at?

I'll do anything as long as it's fun: RPG, adventure, simulation, or FPS. Even nongame projects are fine as long as they're fun.

What aspect of creating a video game do you enjoy the most?

I enjoy freely manipulating objects that are displayed on a TV screen.

When you're stumped by a particularly difficult problem while creating a game, what's your process for working through it?

Depending on what the "difficult problem" is, I adapt to the circumstances in order to deal with it. I might get mad at my staff, I might try to calm them down or I take care of the issue myself.

What other games or game creators do you most admire or respect?

There is no single individual in particular that comes to mind, but I admire anyone who creates excellent games.

Whose works in other forms of media, such as filk or literature, do you most admire or enjoy?

Probably George Lucas. I think Star Wars is one of the most outstanding pieces in any medium.

What is your favorite nongaming pastime?

I enjoy going for drives.

If you could have one superpower, what would it be?

I would like to have a doppelganger so that I might be able to accomplish two or three times more than I do now.

kindarspiritPosted by kindarspirit - 6:55pm July 8th, 2008
First Post!
Posted by Omansi on 7:33am July 9th, 2008
Well, I guess the part about him liking Star Wars explains A LOT about the ending of the anime. Anyways... I wish they'd make an official Kirby RPG, or even a Kirby simulation.
Posted by HeavyMetalHalberd on 9:53am July 9th, 2008
It seems likely that he probably got some of his ideas from Star Wars and slapped it onto the Kirby anime. I knew there was something fimiliar about those space scenes. :\
Posted by zero-slash on 10:22am July 9th, 2008
Thanks SO much for posting this! I really wanted to see the interview....

...Ugh, come back, Sakurai! XD It doesn't help the other good Kirby games director, Shinichi Shimomura, died in 2003. It will never be the same again.... .

You're right, it does make sense! XD
Posted by Lei on 10:41am July 9th, 2008
I read this last night while I was eating Chinese food and watching the X-Files.
Anyway, yesterday when I went on Rainbow Resort, the layout was all... scripty.
There were all these directions and everything, and I was really confused.
Was someone working on the website yesterday?
Ha, I have to mention the Star Wars thing to my friend- he'll probably laugh.
I wish he would give some more specifics. Although it's nice to know that he didn't say he had a favorite, I suppose, he didn't seem particularly specific with some of his answers.
Oh well, at least it was an interesting read!
Posted by Blu on 12:51pm July 9th, 2008
where are daily comics
Posted by god on 1:29pm July 9th, 2008
A while back I emailed Nintendo Power for permission to put the interview on my website, and they never replied.

...And now if I do, people will think I'm copying you. O_o A lot of times I put something on my website, and you all happen to have it, too, and people think I'm copying you. TT.TT
Posted by Alice2 on 1:21pm July 10th, 2008
I have an Nintendo Power of August 2008 earlier this week and read an interview of Sakurai on that magazine. It's a shame that he left HAL, but luckily for Itoi for being a new boss of that company. But Kirby is still licensed by HAL right? Well, I just don't want him to leave his one of his companies of HAL. HAL Lab did a great job for making Earthbound/Kirby series. And for pete's sakes, those games are epic!
Posted by Girla PurpleHeart on 2:09pm July 10th, 2008
Well, you have to remember, Alice2, they have a lot of other e-mails to read. It's best to send them actual mail. It works for me, but I don't know whether or not if they allow letters anymore.
Posted by zero-slash on 2:20pm July 10th, 2008
Quote from Alice2: A while back I emailed Nintendo Power for permission to put the interview on my website, and they never replied.

...And now if I do, people will think I'm copying you. O_o A lot of times I put something on my website, and you all happen to have it, too, and people think I'm copying you. TT.TT

I feel like that too!! I thought I was the only one, but since we're both other Kirby site webmasters and KRR is so massive, I feel bad even if it's not my fault at all. If it were like the Zelda community, there'd be too many sites so you wouldn't accuse just one! There NEEDS to be more Kirby sites. D:
Posted by Lei on 5:42pm July 10th, 2008
actually you can legally only take excerpts from magazine articles, etc. in the way it's being done right here, but realistically if someone was only planning to buy an issue of nintendo power for this interview they could just sit in the magazine aisle of a store and read it so nobody is gonna come slam on krr for this


where are daily comics
Posted by lord emperor rmd on 12:50am July 11th, 2008
Heck yeah for George Lucas! Indiana Jones ftw
Posted by DeathlyH on 2:14pm July 11th, 2008
Man, Sakurai is just the best Video Game Designer I've read about.
Posted by Prince Flarema on 8:31pm July 11th, 2008
so cool.
Posted by metyfan on 4:40pm July 14th, 2008
Man Sakurai makes me forget all about Miyamoto. I mean come on, Kirby and smash bros that some dedication to Nintendo. Oh and by the way tetris came in first beating all gameboy games including Kirby dreamland 2
Posted by Dean on 4:32am July 15th, 2008
sukarai is so aswsome!
Posted by kirbygood on 4:48pm July 15th, 2008
Last Updated - July 30th, 2009