AAA and indie game producer, analyst, and interviewer living in Japan. I do not comment on games in development. 開発中ゲームについてコメント出来ませんので、ご理解下さい。ゲームハーバー株式会社の代表取締役。
It was great visiting HAL Laboratory again with
@tuyoki
thanks to director Kumazaki. Though unrelated to work, meeting Kirby is always inspiring!
熊崎さん、テミーと一緒に東京のハル研究所にご招待いただき感謝しております。仕事と関係ありませんでしたが、カービィに会うと嬉しいです。
Imagine being an Indie developer on the Nintendo Switch.
You’ve poured countless sleepless nights into development, likely with an underpaid team, and Nintendo promotes your work just to get massively disliked because it’s not a new Super Smash Bros. Ultimate fighter.
Imagine.
"Super Smash Bros. Ultimate is for good boys and girls." It's naïve to believe Nintendo doesn't pay attention to what happens in these communities. We must fortify ourselves with a foundation of responsibility and safety to build a community Mr. Sakurai would be proud of.
A new fighter from "ARMS" will join Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. Despite this special request, it is very difficult to stick to the rules of the game as well as find the right balance while maintaining the spirit of “ARMS." Prepare for a fighter with entirely original mechanics!
Temper your expectations, the Nintendo Direct. Do not go into this expecting:
1. A new Super Smash Bros. fighter.
2. New AAA titles developed by Nintendo.
3. Breath of the Wild 2.
4. Super Mario Bros. remasters.
5. Anything beyond a video focused on 2nd and 3rd party games.
On 7/20 we'll debut the first
#NintendoDirect
Mini: Partner Showcase, a series focused on titles from our development & publishing partners. We'll share a few updates on a small group of previously-announced
#NintendoSwitch
games. Check out the full video release at 7am PT.
Originally, Sakurai had an idea to create a level editor that would have allowed players to create a stage in Minecraft and import it into Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, but gave up on the idea pretty early, simply because it was “impossible,” as Sakurai puts it.
What if the pachinko level in Super Mario Sunshine was purposefully designed to be as infuriating as possible to dissuade younger players from gambling later in life.
Good guy Nintendo?
Sephiroth canonically has to use a FULL BOTTLE of both shampoo and conditioner EVERY TIME he washes his hair. Beyond that, it's serious business to him; he uses only the highest grade of products, with the most elegant of scents, made for him by the Shinra Company.
Hands down, Ganondorf has the most character development of any character in the Zelda franchise in the span of this ten second cutscene in Wind Waker.
Am I wrong?
Why did Pokémon Unite have its own stream? Why did Nintendo tweet about
@WayForward
’s latest project?
Marketing agreements.
Companies pay for screen time. It’s not a conspiracy, even if announcements don’t live up to expectations.
"Today is Kirby's 28th birthday. Because I included his signature copy ability in Super Smash Bros., it's a challenge coming up with new hats for Kirby to use. Every time we develop a new fighter in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, we have to make a new hat."
Sakurai says that while we wait, he can say definitively there are only two fighters remaining. They will both be released this year. Sakurai ends by saying that he will not be quitting game-related work after development wraps up, and will continue to work hard to the finish.
40 years ago today, Game & Watch Ball launched in Japan. We gamers owe so much to the Game & Watch line. The D-pad, Nintendo's success in the European market, and even the Nintendo DS design originated from Game & Watch.
Happy 40th birthday Mr. Game & Watch!
Shigeru Miyamoto once gave an anecdote of coming home and being surprised to see his wife playing a video game – Nintendogs specifically – saying, “It would be more likely to come home and find Donkey Kong eating at my dinner table [than my wife playing a video game].”
The following thread is a translation of Masahiro Sakurai’s Famitsu Column
#603
. The title is “Teleworking, in progress!” Please be sure to follow for regular updates. Let’s begin!
Sakurai's Column
#602
begins by discussing how current events are difficult to discuss in this publication, as he often writes in advance of any topical news.
Translator's Note: the following translation is regarding COVID-19 and is more somber than any prior Sakurai column.
There are only 5 more DLC fighters! After they have been released, the continuous Smash development from Smash for 3DS/Wii U will finally come to an end. The team is already underway developing the remaining characters, and will continue doing their best working from home.
Regarding Minecraft’s music selection in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, Sakurai felt he was in a pinch. Due to “various circumstances,” as Sakurai says, original songs could not be used.
Recording “How to use Steve/Alex” was difficult. There were many elements to show. Steve was also developed entirely during the COVID-19 pandemic, making development difficult. Despite this, Sakurai is happy to be involved with various IPs and to continue working on the next DLC.
Nintendo Co. Ltd. had confirmed that over 160,000 Nintendo Network IDs and accounts have been illegally accessed. This thread is a translation of their press release.
If you like a tweet tagged with #ドラクエウォーク, a slime will appear when you press heart. The hashtag is to promote Dragon Quest Walk.
ドラクエ is the Japanese shortened slang for Dragon Quest and ウォーク is Japanese for walk as a title.
This thread is a continuation of Masahiro Sakurai’s Famitsu column
#609
, started by
@PushDustin
. It details the fighter position and composition direction of Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.
It's been 15 years since the Picori gave us The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap on the Game Boy Advance in North America. A huge adventure in a small cartridge.
In keeping with the theme of the column, Sakurai continues, he believes this is an opportunity to make one more announcement: when all Super Smash Bros. Ultimate DLC is released, the game will be finalized, and he believes this will be quite soon.
Sakurai adds an addition note at the bottom of the column, saying that he has been writing columns for Famitsu for 18 years. It’s been a long series for a game developer to write, but he’ll continue for just a little longer.
"Video game rating company CERO announces temporary closure. All reviews will cease for one month, which may have an enormous impact on new game launches in Japan."
Here's a brief preview of my interview with
@BoundaryBreak
for
@ZeldaUniverse
. In this preview, we discuss hidden details of the final battle in The Wind Waker.
Reminder: Nintendo said marketing was among the heaviest affected fields regarding the COVID-19 pandemic. Relax – news will come as it always does, albeit in less traditional means.
In the interview with Famitsu, the following mechanics are confirmed in Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition: auto-save, casual mode, players can lower their level at any time, time attack, event theater, and fashion equipment. My translation will be published soon.
The following thread is a general translation and interpretation of the 80th General Shareholders Meeting Q&A from Nintendo. Special thanks to
@NintenDaan
for bringing this to my attention. Please follow for regular updates.
This thread is a continuation of
@PushDustIn
and my translation of Masahiro Sakurai’s Famitsu Column
#651
[sic] (
#615
) “Minecraft Joins Smash!” Please be sure to follow us for more Nintendo translations and news in the future.
The amount of detail Pokémon uses in its world building, based on real-world locations, is tragically underappreciated. Pictured: Shimoda City (Pallet Town), Kinkaku-ji (Bell Tower), Mount Aso (Mt. Chimney) and Lake Toya (Lake Verity).
To end off the column, here are two featured images – Sakurai’s mic setup for his new studio, and a weight he purchased to workout from home. That concludes Sakurai’s Famitsu Column
#603
. Thank you for reading!
The following thread is a translation of Masahiro Sakurai’s Famitsu Column
#604
. The title is “Games that touched me – stories of the past.” Please be sure to follow for regular updates. Let’s begin!
With the release of Hero and the reveal of Steve, Sakurai was feeling inspired to show off what he's built in Dragon Quest Builder 2, released in late 2018.
I’m officially working with
@DidYouKnowGamin
to explore localizing the biographical manga “The Man Who Created Pokémon, Satoshi Tajiri.” This 160 page manga chronicles the life of Satoshi Tajiri, the creation of Pokémon and features an exclusive interview with Shigeru Miyamoto.
I’m considering writing and producing a video on working in the Japanese gaming industry, featuring interviews with both native and foreign employees.
Would this be something you’d be interested in, and, if so, what topics would you like to see covered?
With the inclusion of Pyra and Mythra as two distinct characters (according to Smash Bros' website, similar to Pokémon Trainer), we will have 100 named, playable fighters in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate by the end of Pass 2 (including Alph, the Koopalings and Minecraft skins).
Although the release date has been announced, above all else, we understand we are in in the middle of a crisis worldwide. We are facing various difficulties, and I know you are waiting. I'm sorry.
There's a lot to unpack with Sephiroth's "I will never be a memory" quote. Without context, it sounds like generic villain talk in both Japanese and English.
In short, Sephiroth lives rent free in Cloud's head and wills himself to continue existing partially to haunt Cloud.
This thread is a continuation of
@KodyNOKOLO
and my translation of Sakurai’s Famitsu Column
#629
“On Concluding Work.” Please be sure to follow for updates on this translation, and cite us if our translation is used.
In 2016,
@DoctorM64
released Another Metroid 2 Remake, a major contribution to the Nintendo community, which was taken down by Nintendo shortly thereafter.
Four years later, his work can finally be seen on a Nintendo platform through Ori and the Will of the Wisps!
Sakurai notes that while Steve may be considered as one fighter, he is composed of four unique characters – Steve, Alex, Zombie and Enderman. He says these additional characters are basically color swaps, and there are no differences in their hitboxes or other characteristics.
Tonight, Tokyo will enter a state of emergency that will last about a month. However, Japan cannot legally enforce a lockdown. You will hear many game developers announce remote working. The gaming industry is resilient – we will come out the other side stronger than ever.
Sakurai then says main elements derived from the original game, such as mining, crafting and placing blocks, were utilized, among other notable features. Furthermore, Steve’s stage incorporates the concept of biomes from the original game too.
Famicom Detective Club is being remade for the
#NintendoSwitch
by
@NintendoAmerica
and MAGES. I went ahead and translated/localized the Japanese-exclusive trailer from the previous Nintendo Direct. I'll be using this in an upcoming video. Original Video:
I'm also going to be working remotely.
In other words, I'll be supervising from home. Super Smash Bros. Ultimate needs to maintain extremely tight security and is therefore difficult to work on remotely, but now's the time to do so.
Let's work hard and get through this together!
Not all news must be delivered via Nintendo Direct during a pandemic. As Nintendo has already said, marketing was among the earliest fields affected.
Make no mistake, Nintendo will continue to publish new game reveals and announcements.
@PushDustIn
Sora Co. Ltd (Sakurai's company) is supporting the staff who are teleworking. Any employee working on Smash Ultimate, regardless of their employer, can buy any equipment that they need. Once teleworking wraps up, they are free to use it as personal property.
3/3
[Translator’s Note] Regarding Sakurai’s statement on current work, as stated in his recent Famitsu column, the team is simply at the stage of development focusing on DLC. He did not make any statements specifying what future updates would include or exclude.