Sakurai talks about Sora and Fighters Pass 2 in latest Famitsu column

Shortly following Sora's release in Ultimate, Sakurai has provided his thoughts and other insight on the popular character's inclusion via the latest issue of Famitsu. Source Gaming founder and ex-owner PushDustin has provided a translation of the column.

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The main highlights from the column:

• Sora was indeed the #1 most requested character on the Smash ballot, Sakurai reiterates. Banjo also placed highly too, which was quite surprising from a Japanese perspective.
• Sakurai didn't think it'd be possible to get Sora into Smash. However, that changed after a chance encounter with a Disney representative at an award show. This eventually led to more talks with higher-ups and Sora was then added to Fighters Pass 2.
• Fighters Pass 2 was originally going to consist of 5 characters rather than 6.
• Sora was supervised by both Disney and Square Enix. As such, there were many guidelines that had to be followed.
• Sora's playstyle in Smash utilizes aerial combat and well-timed attacks.
• The development time for DLC was essentially the same as if they were making an entirely new game.
• Sakurai feels that he will only work on a few more games in the future.
• Sakurai feels that he was able to offer a celebration of gaming through Ultimate.
• The next Sakurai column for Famitsu will be his final one, putting an end to his 18 year time making pieces for the popular magazine.

Credits:
Graphics: @Zerp
Social Media: @Zerp
Special Thanks: PushDustin and Kody NOKOLO for translating Sakurai's column

Author's Note: What do you think of Sakurai's recent comments? Let us know in the comments below!

 

“Sakurai feels that he will only work on a few more games in the future.”

so I guess that excludes Smash… I do hope he can find a successor to take over Smash for him. It seems he’s getting ready to retire…

 

No way they're gonna give concrete information of the ballot results, but I am curious how much that influenced Ultimate newcomer choices.
all feel they had or might have had some good amount of votes back when that took place (even if some were likely generalized onto a Castlevania/DQ/Tekken rep), outside of what was already stated on Sora and Banjo.
And just how honest was the whole "Bayonetta was the winner of the ballot, even when taking into account cut characters" thingy back during Sm4sh. She certainly wasn't #1, but was she even a popular request? It kinda makes me believe Cloud was the only addition by popular demand to thats game DLC.
That asides, I do wonder what might the next few games Sakurai works on? Surely not Smash right?

 

the chance encounter thing is so apt for sora

 

Hopefully he gets some rest. The man looks stressed whenever we see him.

 

No way they're gonna give concrete information of the ballot results, but I am curious how much that influenced Ultimate newcomer choices.
all feel they had or might have had some good amount of votes back when that took place (even if some were likely generalized onto a Castlevania/DQ/Tekken rep), outside of what was already stated on Sora and Banjo.
And just how honest was the whole "Bayonetta was the winner of the ballot, even when taking into account cut characters" thingy back during Sm4sh. She certainly wasn't #1, but was she even a popular request? It kinda makes me believe Cloud was the only addition by popular demand to thats game DLC.

It seems so full of ****. I have a hard time believing she was even higher than Ridley, Rool and Simon.

I would love to see the list of "unrealizable characters"... Sora was obviously on it, and I would imagine Ridley as well.

 

It seems so full of ****. I have a hard time believing she was even higher than Ridley, Rool and Simon.

I would love to see the list of "unrealizable characters"... Sora was obviously on it, and I would imagine Ridley as well.

Goku and Spongebob obviously.

 

Based off that article, placed super high, but I wonder how high? Like, I don’t think it was number two, or he would have just said second, so I’d guess too 5.

 

Goku and Spongebob obviously.

and it being an internet poll hitler as well

 

“Sakurai feels that he will only work on a few more games in the future.”

so I guess that excludes Smash… I do hope he can find a successor to take over Smash for him. It seems he’s getting ready to retire…

EASY Shinya Kumazaki the person working on most kirby games since Power paintbrush!
Hes probably even better for the Job than sakurai himself!

 

And just how honest was the whole "Bayonetta was the winner of the ballot, even when taking into account cut characters" thingy back during Sm4sh. She certainly wasn't #1, but was she even a popular request? It kinda makes me believe Cloud was the only addition by popular demand to thats game DLC.
That asides, I do wonder what might the next few games Sakurai works on? Surely not Smash right?

Correct me if I’m wrong but was the bayonetta thing saying the was the most requested fighter for europe?

Also it’s worth noting that the fighter ballot happened at a time where third parties pretty much had to have really strong connections to nintendo, (except for snake maybe) so a lot of people might not have voted for characters that didn’t. Also bayonetta 2 was new then and so I’m guessing a lot of people wanted to vote for the newest thing

It is a little bit strange that bayonetta got that many votes in hindsight, but if you look at it in context it makes a bit more sense

 

I'm still salty that ANYTHING from the Mickey Mouse universe got into Smash, but at least Donald and Goofy stayed away.
I just don't want Smash to become Fortnite and start letting in Spiderman, Naruto, and SpongeBob in.

 

I'm still salty that ANYTHING from the Mickey Mouse universe got into Smash, but at least Donald and Goofy stayed away.
I just don't want Smash to become Fortnite and start letting in Spiderman, Naruto, and SpongeBob in.

Technically Donald and Goofy are in the game, because Sora only uses the Wisdom and Valor forms, when he tales Donald and Goody's spirits in KH2.

 

Technically Donald and Goofy are in the game, because Sora only uses the Wisdom and Valor forms, when he tales Donald and Goody's spirits in KH2.

But the actual characters are edited out of the stage. The fact that they even kept the Mickey Mouse charm on the Keyblade is shocking.
I like how Sora plays. We need more floaty air fighters (Rayman, anyone?). But I will not hide that I was adamantly against his inclusion because of the thin line he toes.

 

I just don't want Smash to become Fortnite and start letting in Spiderman, Naruto, and SpongeBob in.

I personally do. Smash has gotten boring to me so that would spice things up. I guess in a way I'm glad it's going away for awhile. I'm tired of speculation, and the DLC Spirit Board being 90% anime humans.

Honestly, I would like to see one of two things happen: either Smash go back to its "first party only" roots or start letting fourth parties in.

The fact that they even kept the Mickey Mouse charm on the Keyblade is shocking.

Agreed, especially given it's not 100% necessary and could've been replaced with the Smash logo or something. I honestly would've rather seen Sora first in the reveal trailer and not Mickey's head as what revealed him.

 

I personally do. Smash has gotten boring to me so that would spice things up. I guess in a way I'm glad it's going away for awhile. I'm tired of speculation, and the DLC Spirit Board being 90% anime humans.

Honestly, I would like to see one of two things happen: either Smash go back to its "first party only" roots or start letting fourth parties in.


Agreed, especially given it's not 100% necessary and could've been replaced with the Smash logo or something. I honestly would've rather seen Sora first in the reveal trailer and not Mickey's head as what revealed him.

Sora being being a part of the house of mouse is depressing, at least he gets to crash in smash.

 

I just don't want Smash to become Fortnite and start letting in Spiderman, Naruto, and SpongeBob in.

people really need to stop worrying about this

Sora is a video game character first and foremost, his inclusion in smash doesn't open the floodgates to anything

 

I wonder if they initially planned on ending the dlc with kazuya, IMO steve or sephiroth would've been the second best final chars

 

Hopefully Sakurai can get a good long rest after this experience.

No way they're gonna give concrete information of the ballot results, but I am curious how much that influenced Ultimate newcomer choices.
all feel they had or might have had some good amount of votes back when that took place (even if some were likely generalized onto a Castlevania/DQ/Tekken rep), outside of what was already stated on Sora and Banjo.
And just how honest was the whole "Bayonetta was the winner of the ballot, even when taking into account cut characters" thingy back during Sm4sh. She certainly wasn't #1, but was she even a popular request? It kinda makes me believe Cloud was the only addition by popular demand to thats game DLC.
That asides, I do wonder what might the next few games Sakurai works on? Surely not Smash right?

Bayonetta was a heavily requested character whether people want to accept it or not. Her name was just about as frequent as K. Rool's, and it was mainly due to Bayonneta 2's development being paid for by Nintendo on top of Bayonetta's added Nintendo content to the Wii U port of her first game.

 

Hopefully Sakurai can get a good long rest after this experience.


Bayonetta was a heavily requested character whether people want to accept it or not. Her name was just about as frequent as K. Rool's, and it was mainly due to Bayonneta 2's development being paid for by Nintendo on top of Bayonetta's added Nintendo content to the Wii U port of her first game.

Sakurai said that Bayonetta was the #1 pick in Europe.
And that she was #1 worldwide "among realizable characters," IE, among characters that they could get the rights to easily.
I figured that Banjo would've been the ballot winner, but perhaps that's just because he was my pick.
I originally voted Crash (yes, in 2015), but when Phil Spencer endorsed Banjo, I changed my vote.
Ironically, Sora was the ONE character I DIDN'T want, because I didn't want Smash to get tainted by Donald, Goofy, Mickey, Toy Story, etc. I don't mind Sora the character, but I didn't want him opening the damned floodgates for Goku and Batman. But luckily, Sakurai seems to have kept Sora's inclusion to only Kingdom Hearts original content.

 

When’s Sakurai’s final column? This Thursday or next?

 

Sakurai said that Bayonetta was the #1 pick in Europe.
And that she was #1 worldwide "among realizable characters," IE, among characters that they could get the rights to easily.
I figured that Banjo would've been the ballot winner, but perhaps that's just because he was my pick.
I originally voted Crash (yes, in 2015), but when Phil Spencer endorsed Banjo, I changed my vote.
Ironically, Sora was the ONE character I DIDN'T want, because I didn't want Smash to get tainted by Donald, Goofy, Mickey, Toy Story, etc. I don't mind Sora the character, but I didn't want him opening the damned floodgates for Goku and Batman. But luckily, Sakurai seems to have kept Sora's inclusion to only Kingdom Hearts original content.

She was also top 5 in the U.S., I doubt she was far from top 5 worldwide, assuming she wasn't top 5 at all.
As far as fa as Sora is concerned, I'm still surprised that people thought that'd be the case, but now that he's here I'm glad that we have that cleared up for everyone to see.

 

Her name was just about as frequent as K. Rool's.

imagine saying this and genuinely believing it

 

imagine saying this and genuinely believing it

Yeah, K rool is extremely obscure lol