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[Source Gaming] Sakurai Discusses DLC Development

In a recently published interview with Nintendo Dream (Issue 264), Masahiro Sakurai discusses the development of Smash DLC in fine detail. This 17-page interview was translated in full by the folks over at Source Gaming.

Part 1 - DLC Development in General
Part 2 - Details all 7 DLC Characters in Smash
Part 3 - Goes over all the DLC Stages and some costumes.

The interview was divided into three parts. There's a lot of new information in this interview. For those who prefer to listen to the information, Source Gaming recorded a discussion video going over most of the new tidbits that were revealed.


The first part is a general discussion of Sakurai. In it, he discusses the dangers of adding too many characters into Smash.

Sakurai: At the same time, if we were to keep adding popular characters to Smash as DLC, we’d eat up IPs in no time flat. Moreover, people’s “shock and awe” would gradually start to fade. If at some point in the future we had 100 characters in Smash, adding the 101st character wouldn’t have the same impact as new fighters have had up until now. In that sense, I feel now is the perfect time to close the curtains on development.
One detail that will resonant with many Smashers is Sakurai's approach to balancing.

Sakurai: Yes, because ultimately I need to look out for the novice and intermediate players. I made it my priority to create an environment in which they could relax and enjoy themselves. I have nowhere near the same dexterity as the advanced players (laughs), so I relied on the monitoring team’s data and advice. I honestly think we could make the game more balanced if we only focused on adjusting to For Glory 1v1. If we were to do that, however,Smash would lose its sense of being a party game people can get together and play.
He continues:

I think it’s hard for a lot of people to understand. For the people who only play For Glory 1v1, that’s the extent of their world; they might not understand the reason why other communities exist. At the same time, ifSmash were to develop into a pure one-on-one fighting game in which only the strong survive, the people who playSmash just to have a good time would all disappear before you know it.
The first part can be read here.

The second part of the interview discusses all seven of the DLC characters in fine detail.

Sakurai reveals why Mega Mewtwo Y was chosen over Mega Mewtwo X:
Sakurai: X wasn’t even an option (laughs). I mean, Mega Mewtwo X is about physical offense, which completely clashes with the concept I had for Mewtwo. From a gameplay perspective, I guess it could work to have him summon all his strength and deliver a powerful punch to his opponents, but that’s not the type of character Mewtwo is in Smash.

Sakurai also discusses console wars and Cloud's inclusion in Smash:
Sakurai: Exactly. And within the FF franchise, Cloud is without question the most popular choice. A number of people fixate on the fact his original game was never released on a Nintendo console, but if we were to limit our choices to characters who appeared on a Nintendo console, we’d end up with Bartz from FFV or the Onion Knight from FFIII—how would that work? Maybe they could change jobs or something… Actually, that would be kind of interesting (laughs).
The full second part can be read here.

In the last part, Sakurai discusses all the stages and some of the costumes.

—Why were Dream Land, Peach’s Castle, and Hyrule Castle chosen to return from the Nintendo 64 version?

Sakurai: There were a lot of reasons, but it was something like a process of elimination. For example, Kongo Jungle was already in the game, and Sector Z was basically already in the game as Corneria (although I know that the size of the two stages are totally different). Smash 64 only has nine stages in the first place, so in the end we chose the stages that we thought were appropriate out of those nine.
Sakurai did confirm that Pirate Stage couldn't work on the 3DS, and that the Mario Maker stage was picked for the 30th Anniversary of Super Mario Bros.

Most interestingly, Sakurai reveals that Geno was considered for Brawl and Smash for Wii U/3DS.

Sakurai: To tell the truth, it’s because I wanted Geno to be a playable character. He has a gun for a hand, and I think he fits in really well with Smash. During Brawl, I thought it would be great if I could add him, but in the end it didn’t become a reality.
The last part can be read in full here.

This was a huge translation effort by Source Gaming. If you have enjoyed Source Gaming's translations throughout this past year, please consider donating to their Patreon. They have spent some money acquiring these articles so they can be read and enjoyed by the community!

Lastly, Masahiro Sakurai will be live-streaming on March 10th 9:30 PM (Japan Time). Source Gaming will be live-tweeting translations from that event, so please follow them on Twitter to stay updated!

PushDustIn would like to give a special thanks to everyone that has supported Source Gaming. From the bottom of my heart, thank you. Please follow him on Twitter to stay updated!
 
PushDustin

Comments

No, he was pretty boring(as much as Marth and Roy were)before the Naruto Shippuden level localization. He is a mary sue no less. Worse, the predictable, cheesy plot doesn't help his character either. But who cares? You're making babies with your favorite Japanese archetypes with your half-dragon OC!
Ah, so you haven't played the game yet?
 
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Ah, so you haven't played the game yet?
No I didn't, I watched a translated playthrough and passed my judgment on picking up this game or not. Gameplay is solid, but I will not be able to tolerate the characters and plot. Is that a crime now? Must be for one to press the question.
 
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No I didn't, I watched a translated playthrough and passed my judgment on picking up this game or not. Gameplay is solid, but I will not be able to tolerate the characters and plot. Is that a crime now? Must be for one to press the question.
And which version was it? Birthright is more of the standard "let's save the world" plot which is why, yes, is a bit predictable, but Conquest puts you on a different perspective unlike most other FE games which actually gives you a different flavor to the story; don't know about Revelations since I haven't played that. Btw, did you watch the one with a fan translation? Because that one isn't done very well. And and while Corrin is the standard vanilla protagonist there are still plenty of other interesting characters in the typical FE fashion through out their supports. And yes, the gameplay is pretty solid, has a lot of depth and Conquest is delightfully challenging.
I know this because I played the japanese version beforehand and finished Birthright but I'm still halfway through Conquest; it just seems to me that you are being rash in your judgement, so I recommend you to play the game a bit in order to have a more educated opinion.
 
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And which version was it? Birthright is more of the standard "let's save the world" plot which is why, yes, is a bit predictable, but Conquest puts you on a different perspective unlike most other FE games which actually gives you a different flavor to the story; don't know about Revelations since I haven't played that. Btw, did you watch the one with a fan translation? Because that one isn't done very well. And and while Corrin is the standard vanilla protagonist there are still plenty of other interesting characters in the typical FE fashion through out their supports. And yes, the gameplay is pretty solid, has a lot of depth and Conquest is delightfully challenging.
I know this because I played the japanese version beforehand and finished Birthright but I'm still halfway through Conquest; it just seems to me that you are being rash in your judgement, so I recommend you to play the game a bit in order to have a more educated opinion.
Popular Japanese archetypes that make the units sell don't make for quality writing. Keep in mind that I have long grown out of overused Japanese tropes and fanservice archetypes.

I don't need to play it, as I said, the plot is uninspired as its main character. Seeing the cliches pop in before the "chosen path" plot starts and seeing Corrin's Deus Ex Machina from a "shock" character within the first couple hours of the game was enough to tell me not to hold high hopes for the story. I'm glad I didn't, but I still watched both Birthright and Conquest's stories. Stop with the passive-aggressive insults.

What makes you think they would put in any inspired effort in the writing when they know that is not what sells? Why do you think they emphasized on the life-love simulator elements, especially in Birthright? Better yet: Have you seen the English localization? That is proof. Otherwise I'm sure any of the Japanese developer team(those that can read English at least)would of demanded for it to be improved here if they truly cared about the dialogue and story.

I want to enjoy Conquest for its challenging content I was long familiar with in classic FE games, but despite the cliches and how hammy it can be in Birthright, it was better written than that crap - at least in character interactions. The plot flow in Conquest should of actually made you do "bad guy" acts from your own will as a player and new character motivations...But nope. It only points out the "Choose Your Path" shtick is quite...pointless when it comes to the main plot. What a surprise; the true path and ending is on DLC content! I wonder what this all means for Corrin's original motivations and learning that the King of Nohr is clearly...*gasp* being manipulated by a higher, evil power? The artist is not really good at subtlety in evil characters so I doubt I can consider that a spoiler.

Rash or not, I know what I like and I'm certainly no Japanophile or part of an audience who grew up reading nothing but Shonen manga this game is aimed toward. I have at least acknowledged this game series' new direction as it rose again from the flames. It is what it is; and it sells.
 
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No, he was pretty boring(as much as Marth and Roy were)before the Naruto Shippuden level localization. He is a mary sue no less. Worse, the predictable, cheesy plot doesn't help his character either.
Quote from someone who actually played the game
Secondly, I actually thought the storytelling was great, even though I'd heard Birthright does a better job. I look forward to seeing how, but either way Conquest was a significant step up from Awakening in that regard. Corrin is actually a believable protagonist, and frequently gets punished for his/her failings, and the terrible things they're forced to do after siding with Nohr continue to stack onto them. People need to stop using the term "self-insert" or "mary sue" because these things don't describe Corrin at all.
Also, this line
But who cares? You're making babies with your favorite Japanese archetypes with your half-dragon OC!
just completely invalidated your argument. I've seen that used so many times that it got to the point where i stopped taking it seriously. I know its only a minor group of people on the Internet who says things like "You're making babies with your favorite Japanese archetypes with your half-dragon" and other things similar to that but its not even legitimate criticism.
 
Popular Japanese archetypes that make the units sell don't make for quality writing. Keep in mind that I have long grown out of overused Japanese tropes and fanservice archetypes.

I don't need to play it, as I said, the plot is uninspired as its main character. Seeing the cliches pop in before the "chosen path" plot starts and seeing Corrin's Deus Ex Machina from a "shock" character within the first couple hours of the game was enough to tell me not to hold high hopes for the story. I'm glad I didn't, but I still watched both Birthright and Conquest's stories. Stop with the passive-aggressive insults.

What makes you think they would put in any inspired effort in the writing when they know that is not what sells? Why do you think they emphasized on the life-love simulator elements, especially in Birthright? Better yet: Have you seen the English localization? That is proof. Otherwise I'm sure any of the Japanese developer team(those that can read English at least)would of demanded for it to be improved here if they truly cared about the dialogue and story.

I want to enjoy Conquest for its challenging content I was long familiar with in classic FE games, but despite the cliches and how hammy it can be in Birthright, it was better written than that crap - at least in character interactions. The plot flow in Conquest should of actually made you do "bad guy" acts from your own will as a player and new character motivations...But nope. It only points out the "Choose Your Path" shtick is quite...pointless when it comes to the main plot. What a surprise; the true path and ending is on DLC content! I wonder what this all means for Corrin's original motivations and learning that the King of Nohr is clearly...*gasp* being manipulated by a higher, evil power? The artist is not really good at subtlety in evil characters so I doubt I can consider that a spoiler.

Rash or not, I know what I like and I'm certainly no Japanophile or part of an audience who grew up reading nothing but Shonen manga this game is aimed toward. I have at least acknowledged this game series' new direction as it rose again from the flames. It is what it is; and it sells.


What passive-aggressiveness? You are making absolutes blinded by ignorance, and I'm simply calling it out. Oops.
Also, tone it out down with the spoilers, the tag exist for a reason. Whether you consider it a spoiler or not is of no one's concern, is still in bad taste.
What actually makes your lack of knowledge more blatant is when you are suggesting that the game has become a "love simulator". This is the part where your ignorance shines for the worst; and I'll be the first to acknowledge what you are trying to imply: this iteration does have more fanservice than the previous ones and some of it even come off as shameless, such as Camilla, which I'm personally not fond about and justifiably raises some brows, but the side features that exist in this game are merely there without intruding in the experience at all, while getting characters married have been around since Genealogy of the Holy War. Fates at it's core is still the FE that people are fond of, and more so than ever since Conquest proves that IS can still do good map design and challenging objectives. Which you will be aware of if, you know, played the game and educate yourself further.
With that in mind though, there are far cheaper, more fanservicey games out there that are more worth the time of anyone else solely interested into it than FE. Trying to look down on anyone else who enjoys the game for what it is or saying that is "their loss" doesn't help your case further by referring to others with derogatory names based on a consumer stereotype mindset you've created for yourself, but I guess you gotta stroke that ego somehow to make you appear better than the bunch of weaboos that bought into this game, right?
 
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just completely invalidated your argument. I've seen that used so many times that it got to the point where i stopped taking it seriously. I know its only a minor group of people on the Internet who says things like "You're making babies with your favorite Japanese archetypes with your half-dragon" and other things similar to that but its not even legitimate criticism.
No, it's not, but I'm sure it's one reason people play the game. It's called cynicism, are you going to hold me against it for that? Tough. I dislike the game for its handling of the story, reliance on fanservice-y archetypes, and general disrespect with its intolerable localization. What I do value are nicely written characters and an inspired plot. This game does not have those.

Quote from someone who actually played the game.
...Something tells me you guys don't even know what means in this context, yet, you keep using it like it's valid. There is a little difference between reading a story outside of playing the game and reading the story while playing it. This isn't about gameplay. Have you guys ever played Grandia 3? Star Ocean 3/4? Oh, and for a better understanding of my values: I enjoyed Awakening's story before it pulled its time travel plot device, then I just focused on exploiting the genepool. It's called developing preferences and sticking by them without catering to delusion. I enjoyed those other listed games - thankfully by skipping the cutscenes. I do see myself in this scenario for Conquest after some time.

What passive-aggressiveness? You are making absolutes blinded by ignorance, and I'm simply calling it out. Oops.
Also, tone it out down with the spoilers, the tag exist for a reason. Whether you consider it a spoiler or not is of no one's concern, is still in bad taste.
What actually makes your lack of knowledge more blatant is when you are suggesting that the game has become a "love simulator". This is the part where your ignorance shines for the worst; and I'll be the first to acknowledge what you are trying to imply: this iteration does have more fanservice than the previous ones and some of it even come off as shameless, such as Camilla, which justifiably raises some brows, but the side features that exist in this game are merely there without intruding in the experience at all, while characters getting married have been around since Binding Blade. Fates at it's core is still the FE that people are fond of, and more so than ever since Conquest proves that IS can still do good map design and challenging objectives. Which you will be aware of if, you know, played the game and educate yourself further.
With that in mind though, there are far cheaper, more fanservicey games out there that are more worth the time of anyone else solely interested into it than FE. Trying to look down on anyone else who enjoys the game for what it is doesn't help your case further by referring to others with derogatory names based on a consumer stereotype mindset you've created for yourself, but I guess you gotta stroke that ego somehow, right?
Using images now? My, I was hoping for a wordy debate.

You are being passive-aggressive, subtly at that. Since we're constantly misusing each others' context:

so I recommend you to play the game a bit in order to have a more educated opinion.
You may as well call me stupid with that kind of remark. It's insulting at this point and regardless of your intentions. Stop it. I'll cut back on the spoilers in the mean time.

I don't look down on people for finding enjoyment out of this game, I simply didn't buy it. I didn't know that was a crime too! I expressed my preferences with my obvious cynicism in this case.

What happened to plots that added wartime tension through political intrigue and corruption? What of the looming, building threats of a world war involving various(more than 2)nations? The last time I saw this kind of storytelling in FE was in Radiant Dawn and that game isn't even that great in plot(especially toward the end where the plot collapses on itself pretty much), but it did its part in keeping me interested through the difficult gameplay. It's predecessor, Path of Radiance, did a solid job setting the stones and making the player understand the world of Tellius as Ike grows up - of course, not without him tripping up along the way. Conquest did a nice job at making me want to focus on the gameplay with its rather underwhelming story. Birthright's pacing bugged me too, and I know that's not the localization's fault.

I'm not talking about the marriage system, I'm talking about characterization and misuse of them in order to "take the easy way out". The character units are somehow less memorable than Awakening's, but I don't want to bring the other character units into the discussion without comparing the localization. However, let's take for example: Corrin. He's a dragon - a half-dragon, and the main character as the player's MU. Do you know how dragons are commonly represented in FE lore? He's a walking writing sin, hence my remarks of him being a mary sue(accurately at that and not just how its commonly misinterpreted).

Ike, as well as Lyn, were the last FE protagonists I have grown to appreciate with emphasis on "grown" and they're nothing too special when looked at in summary. Why? Because I watched them develop from coming out of their shell and learning of various expectations from people after being forced into war. Corrin develops through constant moral quandaries, sure but I still have difficulty accepting a character, despite how nice he is and naive, that is accepted by every other character too quickly - often beloved or envied right from the start from total strangers - it's unrealistic. But from a marketing standpoint, it's a healthy characterization. Story being bad or not: if I don't like the characters; especially the main character, I cannot enjoy the story.
 
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Nice to know that Mewtwo was planned for original release.

Now, just like he explained why Ridley, Takamaru and the Ice Climbers were left out, I want him to elaborate on why the **** Wolf was cut. It makes no sense.
 
"For the people who only play For Glory 1v1, that’s the extent of their world"

I dont even play For Glory, but this is easily the most offensive thing I read all day. Right behind the Mii ruleset excuse for EVO.
 
"For the people who only play For Glory 1v1, that’s the extent of their world"

I dont even play For Glory, but this is easily the most offensive thing I read all day. Right behind the Mii ruleset excuse for EVO.
But people like that do exist. I know people who literally play on nothing but Omega stages, not caring even about changing the background they play on ( just place cursor on random button on the Selection Screen, then Omega mode). I wouldn't be surprised if there was a crowd who only plays for Glory; if you are not part of it then how can you find this offensive?
 
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But people like that do exist. I know people who literally play on nothing but Omega stages, not caring even about changing the background they play on ( just place cursor on random button on the Selection Screen, then Omega mode). If you are not part of the crowd who plays For Glory, then how can you find this offensive?
I can find this offensive because thats basically being a major douche to roughly 50% of the people who buyed your game (my assumption on how many people play For Glory). You cant just be a head developer of a game and then say stuff that is an insult to a big part of your own playerbase. Thats basically calling them dumb because they "cant understand" how others like to play, which ironically applies to Casuals more than Competitive players. Granted, these people to exist, but thats a minority.
 
I think sakurai's attempt to balance the characters are great, although I admit to being extremely perplexed by his mindset in areas otherwise. One moment i feel like i understand him, the next, he's spouting off something...weird.

But I appreciate the work regardless. ^-^;
 
I can find this offensive because thats basically being a major douche to roughly 50% of the people who buyed your game (my assumption on how many people play For Glory). You cant just be a head developer of a game and then say stuff that is an insult to a big part of your own playerbase. Thats basically calling them dumb because they "cant understand" how others like to play, which ironically applies to Casuals more than Competitive players. Granted, these people to exist, but thats a minority.
But he wasn't insulting anyone, you are reading too much into this. The interview says much more about himself than just one line of text you are focusing on.
 
Now, just like he explained why Ridley, Takamaru and the Ice Climbers were left out, I want him to elaborate on why the **** Wolf was cut. It makes no sense.
Yup. That should've been something covered in the article.

"For the people who only play For Glory 1v1, that’s the extent of their world"

I dont even play For Glory, but this is easily the most offensive thing I read all day. Right behind the Mii ruleset excuse for EVO.
Preach it brother!

For as much of genius as Sakurai is, he also comes off as a clueless baby sometimes.
 
I honestly think we could make the game more balanced if we only focused on adjusting to For Glory 1v1. If we were to do that, however, Smash would lose its sense of being a party game people can get together and play.
They should consider putting someone in charge of this franchise who actually cares about the game and the different ways that it is played. His willful ignorance of how competitive Smash works (not omega For Glory) and excuse for not attempting significant game balance just furthers evidence of his lack of professionalism.

I'm curious as to how people here defend this guy as being something special. It sounds as though he's nothing more than a producer who just comes up with ideas... if anything, I think the programmers and animators deserve the real credit in this game. He put tripping in Brawl... it's so anti-gamer, I can't even. Items like Pokeballs were more fun in 64 because there was counter play - you could escape Onyx or Snorlax... now, with assist trophies, invincible guys pop out and auto-follow you and kill you no matter what you do, making "party Smash" more obnoxious and random than an actual game.

Smash 4 has a lot of good to it, but I wonder how much of it has anything to do with Sakurai considering his history and often bonkers balance changes that sometimes just doesn't impact the game at all (those 1 point weight changes). Is he so self absorbed? Delusional? I mean, at minimum he isn't a serious gamer and has to keep a distance from anyone who's really into Smash to not understand why it's insane not to improve the bottom tiers at all while arbitrarily enhancing random mid tiers.

I think ANY creative from the gaming industry could do an equal if not better job at creating a satisfying game all round. Ditch the coin gambling mechanics, the board game mode and other none sense and just make a great Smash experience for everyone.
 
I read the tidbit about Geno. He said he wasn't able to make it happen. He didnt elaborate as to why he wasn't able to include him. Licensing? Lack of moves? I want to know bc he was clearly a highly requested char.
 
AHHHH I just died...

Sakurai: To tell the truth, it’s because I wanted Geno to be a playable character. He has a gun for a hand, and I think he fits in really well with Smash. During Brawl, I thought it would be great if I could add him, but in the end it didn’t become a reality.
 
They should consider putting someone in charge of this franchise who actually cares about the game and the different ways that it is played. His willful ignorance of how competitive Smash works (not omega For Glory) and excuse for not attempting significant game balance just furthers evidence of his lack of professionalism.
It's not just that, it's that focusing on adjusting to For Glory doesn't have a ****ing thing to do with how well people enjoy it as a party game.

I think ANY creative from the gaming industry could do an equal if not better job at creating a satisfying game all round. Ditch the coin gambling mechanics, the board game mode and other none sense and just make a great Smash experience for everyone.
Agreed.
 
They should consider putting someone in charge of this franchise who actually cares about the game and the different ways that it is played. His willful ignorance of how competitive Smash works (not omega For Glory) and excuse for not attempting significant game balance just furthers evidence of his lack of professionalism.

I'm curious as to how people here defend this guy as being something special. It sounds as though he's nothing more than a producer who just comes up with ideas... if anything, I think the programmers and animators deserve the real credit in this game. He put tripping in Brawl... it's so anti-gamer, I can't even. Items like Pokeballs were more fun in 64 because there was counter play - you could escape Onyx or Snorlax... now, with assist trophies, invincible guys pop out and auto-follow you and kill you no matter what you do, making "party Smash" more obnoxious and random than an actual game.

Smash 4 has a lot of good to it, but I wonder how much of it has anything to do with Sakurai considering his history and often bonkers balance changes that sometimes just doesn't impact the game at all (those 1 point weight changes). Is he so self absorbed? Delusional? I mean, at minimum he isn't a serious gamer and has to keep a distance from anyone who's really into Smash to not understand why it's insane not to improve the bottom tiers at all while arbitrarily enhancing random mid tiers.

I think ANY creative from the gaming industry could do an equal if not better job at creating a satisfying game all round. Ditch the coin gambling mechanics, the board game mode and other none sense and just make a great Smash experience for everyone.
Just so you know: I have no respect for Sakurai. Not all of us praise the ground Sakurai walks on. I just wanted you to know that.
 
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