A while back the late Nintendo president Satoru Iwata had mentioned that Super Smash Bros Ultimate would be his final mission for Masahiro Sakurai. Speaking to gaming publication IGN, Mr. Sakurai said that he is proud that he was able to “fully complete this mission.” Now the development and downloadable content for Super Smash bros Ultimate has concluded, Mr. Sakurai told IGN that he had no plans at present to return to the best-selling franchise. However, he did say that “If Nintendo decides they want to make another one and offers me the job, that’s when I’d start thinking about it.” Here’s what Masahiro Sakurai said to IGN abut the franchise and his plans:
“I can’t really think about future prospects at the moment,” he explained when I asked if he planned to direct another Smash Bros. game. “If Nintendo decides they want to make another one and offers me the job, that’s when I’d start thinking about it.”
“When you say ‘returning to the series’, it makes it sound like there is going to be another Super Smash Bros. title, but currently, there are no such plans. It would be best not to assume that there will always be another one.
“Apart from that, I may not necessarily continue with creating more games, as I could potentially go down a different path. As for involvement with the gaming industry, there are various ways to do that. I like to keep an open mind about what I should do and take a look at all the different possibilities.”
“At the very least, I don’t think it would head in a direction where all of the current fighters are kept and the roster continues to expand,” he explained. “I presume that running such a game on a hypothetical new system alone would exceed the game’s budget.”
“However, if we try to keep things fresh by shifting to a different genre or greatly changing the direction, then it’s no longer a Super Smash Bros. game. I can’t deny that making this title so expansive has made it a tough act to follow.”
