Super Smash Bros. creator says instead of making more "Americanized works," Japanese devs should "seek the uniqueness and fun of Japanese games"

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
(Image credit: Nintendo)

Masahiro Sakurai, the legendary mind behind Super Smash Bros. Ultimate and the beloved 25-year-old series behind it, thinks developers in Japan should focus on creating more games "that Japanese people like" after a shift to "Americanized works."

Speaking in a recent interview with Entax reported by Automaton, Sakurai explains what he thinks the Japanese gaming industry should do in the future to ensure steady growth similar to the success seen in other countries' own industries like that of China's. "It's not really my own idea," reveals the director, "but as an industry trend, I think Japanese people should keep pursuing the things that Japanese people like."

Sakurai describes how the success of Japanese games in the United States kickstarted a trend of developers "making Americanized works" rather than focusing on more local consumers' tastes – or their own. "You could say that there was a culture of following de facto standards," states the Super Smash Bros. lead, referring to the standards adopted by the industry as a whole as a result of competition within the market.

He doesn't think that the overseas market is actually searching for this more "Americanized," filtered experience, however, "but rather, I think that they seek the uniqueness and fun of Japanese games." That's why, as Sakurai says, devs should remain true to their own interests rather than perceived expectations: "I think that the ideal would be to make games the way you like, as those who agree with you will enjoy them."

Sakurai concludes that it's vital for devs to "do things freely" while creating new games – but he does emphasize that his opinion is just that. As a longtime fan of JRPGs and other titles from Japan myself, though, I'm inclined to agree with him. After all, some of the best JRPGs out there arguably stand the test of time as genre gems thanks to their creators' freedom of expression and divergence from industry "standards."

Masahiro Sakurai says Super Smash Bros "might have died out" if not for late Nintendo president Satoru Iwata: "There's no doubt that he influenced me in many ways"

Anna Koselke
Staff Writer

After spending years with her head in various fantastical realms' clouds, Anna studied English Literature and then Medieval History at the University of Edinburgh, going on to specialize in narrative design and video game journalism as a writer. She has written for various publications since her postgraduate studies, including Dexerto, Fanbyte, GameSpot, IGN, PCGamesN, and more. When she's not frantically trying to form words into coherent sentences, she's probably daydreaming about becoming a fairy druid and befriending every animal or she's spending a thousand (more) hours traversing the Underdark in Baldur's Gate 3. If you spot her away from her PC, you'll always find Anna with a fantasy book, a handheld video game console of some sort, and a Tamagotchi or two on hand.

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