Event - E3 Invitational 2014 I'm Attending the Super Smash Bros. Roundtable at E3. Any Questions For Sakurai?

[Gnarleysquid]

Hey, everyone! My name is Riley Little, I'm an editor for a video game site known as Game Rant, and I'm fortunate enough to be in a position that I'll be attending E3 2014. More importantly, Nintendo has invited me to attend the roundtable for Super Smash Bros. during the big event.

I'm sure the bulk of the press will be addressing many of the questions you fine folks have for Sakurai, and I can definitely think of a handful I've got for him, but since I'll be in a room with the guy I figured I'd reach out to the community and see what kinds of questions you guys have about the upcoming games!

I'm just trying to compose a list of Q's, so if you have any pressing questions let me know! The content drawn from the roundtable will appear on Game Rant, so I'll be sure to update this thread with a link when the content goes live. Although please forgive me if I'm a little tardy in doing so as E3 is understandably a hectic work environment.

The roundtable kicks off on Tuesday, June 10. It starts at 7 p.m. PT and will run for an hour and a half. Understandably, I won't be able to hog the mic that's traditionally passed around at these things, but I'd love to hear your questions and hit the right notes with the community that ultimately reads all of my articles.

As a point, I'm not going to ask questions about the potential an unrevealed character has for being included, because if they haven't been announced yet then they likely won't be addressed by Sakurai at the roundtable. With that in mind, let me hear 'em!

Cheers.

QUESTIONS SELECTED THUS FAR:

"How important has the competitive Smash scene been to the development team during the creation of Super Smash Bros. for Wii U, and what kind of influence has it had on the final games? Will that core audience remain a bigger focus for the franchise going forward through community-suggested patches, additional Nintendo-sponsored tournaments, etc.?"

"What are the origins of the Smash Bros. logo and title? And why did you stick with the ‘Super Smash Bros. for Wii U’ and ‘3DS’ titles instead of keeping it in line with past iterations like Melee and Brawl?"

"Why was the transformation mechanic removed? Do you feel it could take away from the appeal and effectiveness of some characters and could it return?"

"How important is balancing the number of playable representatives between Nintendo franchises? Do you enforce limits pertaining to how many playable characters can be included from a single franchise?"

"What were your biggest development challenges when making the jump from Brawl to Smash Wii U? Overall, did developing for Wii U prove more stressful due to the standards set by the most modern games, or did the increased capabilities of the Wii U make development go much more smoothly compared to Brawl?"

"Sakurai, do you or anyone on your team monitor forums on major gaming sites or fan sites, before, after or during development? If so, how important is this insight when building the roster and implementing mechanics?"
"How closely do you work with third and first-party developers when adding their characters to the roster? Does Miyamoto give you suggestions or guidelines for fighters like Rosalina? Capcom for Mega Man? Intelligent Systems for Fire Emblem?"

"Do you believe that Super Smash Bros. is best fit for one iteration per console generation? Given the immense success of every installment, why doesn't Nintendo create Smash sequels on the same hardware in a similar style to other blockbuster fighting games like Street Fighter or Tekken?"

"After reintroducing players to Pit through Super Smash Bros. Brawl, you went on to resurrect the series with Kid Icarus Uprising. Would you be interested in reviving any other franchises represented in Smash Bros. (such as Ice Climber or F-Zero)?"

"It's no secret that you've been developing Super Smash Bros. whilst enduring immense pain, and first and foremost I think all fans and the members of the press wish you a speedy recovery and to not put the titles above your own health. That said, will Super Smash Bros. for Wii U/3DS be the last entries in the series that you will personally direct, or can you see yourself returning to helm in years to come?"

"Given that there's a lot of depth in the series, have you or anyone on your team ever considered adding a training mode that covers some of the more advanced techniques found within the games?"

 

[HatsuneMiku]

Is there a possibility for DLC in the future, and if so, in what way do you plan to implement it?

Is my question to Mr. Samurai.

 

[Praxis]

I would ask Nintendo what their views are on the competitive scene, and if this game has had any specific efforts to make the game a faster paced competitive game than Brawl was, such as through increased hitstun.

For your own knowledge- the biggest issue with Brawl is that hitstun was dramatically lowered (presumably so that new players would feel more "free" to move after being hit), which had the unfortunate result of heavily reducing followup and the reward for approaching (many attacks gave so little stun that the opponent could hit you back for hitting them).


I asked Bill Trinen about the competitive scene back in 2009 and got a very canned brushed off response (I used to work with a game site and get in to E3 similarly), but he might have a different attitude now since he seems to have loved the documentary.

 

[Sol0ke]

Ask about if his cat being in Brawl is true

Serious question: already asked above

 

[Morbi]

The only aspect of the game that I wish to understand further is in regards to alternate costumes. It would be great if each character had a designated alternate; however, the community as a whole prefers questions that we will not learn without asking. So; for instance, asking Sakurai if every character has an alternate would be immediately gratifying, but we will objectively know once the game launches. So perhaps you could try and take it into a different direction: ask about his decision making, what takes priority over what, what he does to balance such a large roster, his thoughts on competitive or Project M, etc.

 

[ChikoLad]

Congratulations mate! Here are my questions for Sakurai:

The Wii U has a lot less limitations than what the Wii had. What were your biggest development challenges when making the jump from Brawl to Smash Wii U? Overall, did developing for Wii U prove more stressful due to the standards set by the most modern games, or did the increased capabilities of the Wii U make development go much more smoothly compared to Brawl?

Did your experience working on Kid Icarus: Uprising make the development of Smash 3DS go more smoothly? And in general, what were the biggest challenges you and your team faced when trying to make Smash Bros work on a handheld?

Out of all of the newcomers you have revealed so far, do you have a favourite that you prefer to play as? And who has been the character you enjoy playing as the most in previous entries?

When you decided to not create a Story Mode for Smash Wii U/3DS due to the Subspace Emissary cutscenes being put on the internet, was this a decision you made with a degree of regret, or do you think it ended up being for the best on all fronts?

Ask about if his cat being in Brawl is true

Serious question: already asked above

It is his cat, he's posted a lot of pictures of it on Twitter.

 

[Deleted member]

What is the overall roster size? Were some cuts made because of the 3DS version?

Do you take the competitive Smash scene into consideration while developing this game?

Which character do you play as the most in every game? (AKA Who is your main in every game?)

 

[hichez50]

I fully support praxis's question. Other reporters will ask about DLC and general info.

 

[LiteralGrill]

I'm going to second Praxis here but also add 2 of my own.

Nintendo has previously been very edgy on allowing people to stream their games, are they going to make streaming this newest title difficult?

Also, does nintendo plan on hosting or sponsoring any tournaments or events outside of E3?

 

[RIDLEY is too SMALL]

Some of the questions that I would ask Sakurai if I had the opportunity:

1. On the topic of character balance, how do you approach balancing the roster?

2. How important is the number of playable characters from each Nintendo franchise relative to the other Nintendo franchises? Are there limits to how many playable characters can be included from a single franchise?

3. What are your thoughts on patching the game after it is released?

 

[dezeray112]

1. What was it like developing the game alongside Bandai Namco and why have you decided to choose Bandai Namco to help with the development?

2. Were there any other 3rd party characters (other than Megaman and Sonic) that you had considered during development?

3. What decisions/factors do you consider with regards to selecting 3rd party characters as well as the roster selections?

 

[SpaceJell0]

How did you choose the newcomers in this game and what was your reasoning?
How will single player play on the 3DS and Wii U versions of Super Smash Bros?
How do certain music tracks get in the game?
Any comments on the criticisms the last 3 games received?
How are you looking to streamline an polish the Smash gameplay in this game?

 

[Dr.Megaman]

What is the roster size?

What cuts did you have to make cause of the 3ds version?

Will there be DLC?

 

[RIDLEY is too SMALL]

My recommendation would be to avoid asking the super obvious questions that every other news outlet will inevitably ask. The more valuable questions are the ones that are very specific.

 

[APC99]

My questions are:

Was there a piece of content cut from development that you're disappointed didn't make it into the final version?

With the inclusion of more classic fan favorites such as Midna, Skull Kid and Mother Brain, who haven't appeared in several years before Brawl, does this mean we'll see other popular classic characters in the roles of Assist Trophies or even playable fighters? (I can't really explain this better, but I'm talking about characters who aren't recent/modern, but aren't even really retro either. Like King K. Rool, Geno, the Masked Man, those kinds of characters.)

 

[Gnarleysquid]

My recommendation would be to avoid asking the super obvious questions that every other news outlet will inevitably ask. The more valuable questions are the ones that are very specific.

That's definitely my game plan after talking to you guys a bit. Someone there will inevitably bring up DLC, online play, roster size, etc., but getting a little more insight into the design process could help us get a draw on how the series is created and what Sakurai had in mind when implementing new features and characters in these iterations.

Plus there will be heaps of additional news dished out on the games prior to the roundtable, so there will be a ton to talk about. I wouldn't be surprised if it has a character reveal either – they unveiled Wii Fit Trainer at the E3 Showfloor Event that Nintendo held directly after the Direct presentation that day. Reactions from the press during that trailer were priceless.

 

[Sonic Poke]

I don't know if it's the kind of character question you said, but here I go:

Does the cut of transformation mechanic mean that Ivysaur and Squirtle are actually cut?
Is Ridley too big!?
Do you have plains for cut characters?
How do you feel about cutting characters?
Does the Original 12 status meas something?

Now, other, possibly more valuable:

When you were developing smash 64, have you expected the current sucess of he series?t

 

[Shagadelic_Baby]

What is the roster size?

What cuts did you have to make cause of the 3ds version?

Will there be DLC?

Please ask these three questions and I'll love you forever.

 

[ToothiestAura]

Mr. Sakurai, as big fan of your work, I have seen you many times in videos and pictures over the years. However, something irks me about you: you appear to be getting younger, more attractive. How does one reverse the aging process?

I can't be the only one who's noticed this.

 

[Jumpman84]

If it isn't too much trouble, could you ask him how his arms are doing and if he'll take a well-deserved rest after Smash for 3DS and Wii U are finished?

 

[aldelaro5]

Hum... I remember that Sakurai stated to be feel really stressful because of the pression to make this game good. I don't remember the exact statement but I was wondering if now, as close as we would be to the 3ds version release, how this stress became since them? I was curious because it was similar to melee when he described this life period as "destructive" (and frankly, he meant it).

 

[Khao]

I'd ask for information about his design process, why has he made X decision about the game, or what are his views on certain other things (like the questions about the competitive community other people have suggested)

You know, all those kinds of stuff we wouldn't be eventually finding out anyway as soon as the game's released, you should probably avoid asking questions about in-game content and mechanics, as they will likely just be answered with non-specific hints and I-can't-talk-about-this-right-nows, which is just a waste of precious interview time.

 

[SmashChu]

Pretty nice deal

I say as long as you don't come up with the same lame question most journalist come up with, you'll be fine. The only two questions I could think of......

• Why did you decide to go with the title "Wii U/3DS" over another moniker like "Melee" or "Brawl"?
• Why was the transformation mechanic removed. Do you feel it takes something away from the characters?

I might come up with more. If you ask mine or not, whatever. I wont lose any sleep over it. I say consider the best questions in this thread. You may not be able to do all of them.

 

[Dott]

I would like to know if the developement time for this game have been more than Brawl, and if that let him work better some things in the game.

@ ChikoLad Can i steal your signature?

Haha jk, but i love it.

 

[PLATINUM7]

Do you plan on releasing balancing patches?
What will happen to the PotD's when the 3DS version is released?

If Palutena is shown:
When the Palutena leak was first seen, you released a series of Kid Icarus pictures. Was this intentional or coincidental?

 

[link2702]

ask sakurai if he plans to release balance patches later on in the games life.

Likewise, ask if he'll seriously take into consideration any of the competitive scenes input on what should be changed.

Also, is he aware of project M, what does he think about it? insulted? flattered? and did anything in it effect any decisions made in smash4?

 

[NewGuy79]

If it isn't reveals maybe you can ask him just how he plans on implementing custom move sets in SSB4

 

[Vann Accessible]

Is the stage building back and if so, how will it be improved on?

 

[CyberWolfBia]

I'd suggest to not ask anything about characters or roster... (besides the fact, of course, he wouldn't reply clearly this kind of question), ...could spoil the party. ... just ask him developing things, and about his inspirations for making the game. =)

 

[HeroG]

Is he aware of Fan games/mods and what does he think about them and the community?
Specifically Project M and Super Smash Flash

 

[Empyrean]

"How do you decide when a character is balanced enough in regards to others?"

"What makes you go for certain layouts on certain stages? Do you consider the accommodation of the different playstyles (hardcore, casual, etc.) while making new stages?"

"How much do fan demands and input influence your decisions?"

"While making the new features supposed to appeal to the hardcore fanbase, where did you get your inspiration? Were there certain aspects in the competitive community that you felt needed to be addressed?"

These are the questions I'd like to see answered.

 

[Ghirahilda]

What about the characters that was cut from Melee? For example, Mewtwo, Roy...?

Is relevance important for characters?

About the retro characters, what is the criteria for selecting them?

Did you listen to the fanbase's desires?

 

[Shin F.]

I'd like to know how he decides on how many characters each franchise is worth getting. How he determines what the limit for each series might be.

 

[EdgeTheLucas]

"Do you have any desire to change Ganondorf to not play similarly to Captain Falcon anymore, or do you feel completely comfortable keeping him that way, and why?"

"Do you ever keep up with how fans play the game competitively and, if so, does it affect changes to characters in the next game?"

"Why did you feel that Final Destination was the ideal stage model for the For Glory mode and not, say, Battlefield?"

This last one may seem a bit weird, but

"Regarding the immense pressure you must inevitably face when creating a new game's character roster, do you ever feel that Super Smash Bros. would have worked or been successful as its own fighting game, devoid of any Nintendo characters?"

But ANinyMouse suggested this alternative question as well:

"We all enjoy your work on the Smash series, Sakurai. After this, would you ever consider making a game like Smash with original characters?"

I think about this question whenever I see people disappointed in the newest Smash because their favorite character didn't make the cut, even if not only a load of wanted characters made it in but they altogether make up a unique and interesting fighting game even without that character.

While I love Smash for the characters and such, I wonder every now and then how he would approach a Smash-like fighting game with completely original characters. He'd be able to come up with characters based purely on gameplay mechanics rather than adhering to how a Nintendo character would ideally play in the Smash setting. It's just something I've always wondered ever since I heard that Captain Falcon's moveset came from Smash 64's earliest inception, before it had any Nintendo characters.

Edit: Especially since I always feel bad for Sakurai whenever he has to decide on a new roster. No matter what he does, he knows he's going to disappoint someone. Knowing that that must he going through his head at all times makes me feel bad for him

 

[PLATINUM7]

Are the any things he wishes he had done differently in previous installments? If so how has he worked to change them in the new games?

 

[Yitsul]

Giygas Assist Trophy?

 

[relaxedexcorcist]

"How did you come to the decision to design For Glory and For Fun mode the way that you have?"

"Are you aware of the Smash modifications scene, specifically Project:M? If so what are your thoughts?"

"Looking back, is there anything you would have done differently for past Smash Bros. games?"

 

[Hammer B]

1. "What is your position on the Forbidden Seven characters from Brawl?, did they ever were planed or they were just a urban legend?"
2. "How did you changed your mind in regards to the Villager's fighting capabilities?"
3. "Are you and your team aware of the Gematsu and Palutena leaks and what do you think about them?"
4. "Did Game Freak asked you for keeping Jigglypuff in the series as they did with other Pokemon or the decision was all up to you?"
5. "Do you consult popularity polls in internet and other media when choosing the characters for the roster?"

 

[Swift Fox]

Will there be any Melee veterans making a return?
Lucario's Mega Evolution = FS?
Being one of original 12 mean they're safe? And what about two-time veteran status?
Why can't we use customizable movesets with anyone online?
Do the customizable movesets affect clone veterans' fates?
--
Are you going to reveal all characters before release?
Will there be any post-release reveals? <- better question than "dlc yes/no"
Any previously playable character getting demoted to A.T./Pokeball?
--
Character reveals tend to relate to game releases and anniversaries, but we weren't able to find the reasonings behind Marth and Ike's reveal. Can you point it out for us?
is 50 characters roster size optimistic? what approx roster size should we expect?

more to come

 

[RomanceDawn]

If there is no reveal of Ridley during E3 could you please ask:

"Mr Sakurai, among many Smash Bros communities, the topic of Ridley as a playable fighter is somewhat controversial. Are you and your team aware of this? What are your thoughts on the subject?"

There is no Smash character as debated and argued over as Ridley. Sir, I think you need to be that guy who brings it up.

Phrase it any way you want but I would love to hear what he has to say on the subject.

Also whether you use my question or not I appreciate that you actually came here to gather specific questions at all.