Sakurai: 'Another Smash Bros? I'd have to give it some serious thought'

by David Hinkle { Jul 31st 2008 at 9:59PM }

During a recent interview with ONM, Masahiro Sakurai talked about his latest game, Super Smash Bros. Brawl, among other things. What might be of most interest to us all is that he's apparently willing to work on another Smash Bros. game.

"It's interesting, because after every Smash Bros. game I've made, I've always felt at that time that I've left nothing out," he says. "However, I also understand that there are millions of fans out there who love the series so if Mr Iwata came to me in a few years time and asked me to make another one, I'd have to give it some serious thought." A few years? You're kidding! We want another game now. And can we get less things cut out of the game this time around, please?

Gallery: Smash Bros. Brawl Snapshots

[Via Go Nintendo]

Tags: masahiro-sakurai, sakurai, smash-bros, smash-bros-brawl, super-smash-bros

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Gun Barrier (Gamer Tag) @ Jul 31st 2008 10:32PM

One for the DS would make sense. :P

Feba @ Jul 31st 2008 10:48PM

I am amazed Nintendo isn't already working on it.

Mr Khan @ Aug 1st 2008 2:02PM

Legend has it that they had one in the works, but it was mediocre, so they scrapped it

Gun Barrier (Gamer Tag) @ Aug 1st 2008 2:06PM

Makes sense. One on the ds would probably be similar to the 64 version. The ds might not be able to handle everything that happens in brawl all at once.

Timptation @ Jul 31st 2008 10:36PM

Maybe they could just release an expanded version of Brawl? With Megaman, and you know... working online play?

phenylketonurics @ Jul 31st 2008 10:57PM

Talk about ordering a headstone for an infant. Isn't it insanely too early to even think about the next Super Smash Bros. game??

I'm all for it, don't get me wrong; it's like a default installment of Nintendo's now. But ... man, let's give Brawl a couple more years before shuffling it away for SMBX.

Joie @ Jul 31st 2008 10:57PM

"A few years? You're kidding! We want another game now. And can we get less things cut out of the game this time around, please?"

mmmm, is this a joke??

Brawl is like, what, 6 months old? not even?

and it had THIRTY FIVE PLAYABLE characters! if you can't find more than a few fun guys to play with then that's on you, not Sakurai.

also, I don't think I've ever seen a game that was more JAM PACKED with extras.... honestly, it blows my mind when I think about it. most of the time, if a game (let alone a fighting game) has ONE bonus character or ONE bonus stage or ONE bonus video, we are overjoyed. this game has so much content that I STILL haven't unlocked everything (just stickers and Brawl hours left!)

in conclusion... I hope that was just a joke that went over my head. cuz otherwise that was a dopey remark on an otherwise STELLAR website.

David Hinkle @ Jul 31st 2008 11:52PM

Uh, yeah, joke. We TRY to make those sometimes. :D

Zertoss @ Aug 1st 2008 10:04AM

Don't you know the internet is serious business?

samfish @ Jul 31st 2008 11:43PM

I'd rather have a GOOD single player Smash sequel with a fighting mode secondary next time around. SSE was fun, but it was ultimately bolted on using the Brawl engine. I'd much, much, MUCH rather see a game like that done but have it's own engine so that the gameplay could really be something special.
...and have voice acting/a story that makes sense...

Shadow31 @ Aug 1st 2008 12:09AM

HAHAHAH!!! Sorry if I'm offending anyone, but all the people who are saying it's too early... Brawl has been out for six months, yes, but it's not like Nintendo can just manifest another Smash Bros as soon as they're ready. Games take time to develop, and Nintendo has a reputation of delaying and taking forever to finish them. If they started now, it'd be a good two years before we got another. Minimum.

Sure, it was, what, six years between Melee and Brawl? Point? If you look at franchises other than Nintendo owned ones, a year or two is quite normal between games (and they start the next one shortly after the previous is released).

A DS one is an obvious idea, though don't count on it. It's created as a multiplayer game, and handhelds are, shall we say, a little more limited. It could work, but it's better suited to consoles.

And yes, 35 characters was a lot, but... a letdown after the jump from the original to Melee. From 12 to 26; 14 more; more than doubled it. Now it was from 26 to 35. 9 more. Woo. And what was really disappointing was the lack of new, unlockable characters. Other than the hyped 3rd party characters, the only new ones were Lucario, R.O.B., Wolf, and Toon Link. Oh, and Toon Link was the new Young Link. Oh, and Lucario played similar to Mewtwo. Oh, and Wolf was another Fox clone. Characters and levels were quick to unlock; good for multiplayer, yes, but quickly there is nothing good to unlock (just stickers and trophies), other than the CDs, which I'll admit was cool. Oh, and a lack of DLC (in the form of characters and ORIGINAL stages) killed some potential replay value. Stage builder was a good edition; could've used polishing (spawn points at least, along with many other details).

It's a fun game, yes, but eventually you gotta face the music; it's unbalanced, it has unnecessary annoyances (like ladders and tripping), and it's LIMITED. Unlockable characters should rarely be returning characters because people like to know if their best characters are back, and unlockables are best as cool surprises.

Anyways, I'm not saying this because I'm unsatisfied, I love Brawl. But another one should be started soon, not in a few years, because development takes time.

Oh, and personally, it didn't seem like Sakurai was all for another one. "I'd have to give it some serious thought," to me, means he knows his fans would love it, but it's a lot of work to do again. Game development is not all fun.

Feba @ Aug 1st 2008 12:33AM

DS has online multiplayer. SSBB has online multiplayer. DS has local multiplayer as well, if you're into that. There's really no good reason not to make a Smash Bros. game for DS. Fighting games CAN work on Hand-helds, and Smash Online would be a great fit for a portable console. As long as touch controls are made optional (like motion controls in Brawl), there's little to go wrong.

I mean, think about it. You're sitting around bored on a bus or something, you fire up SBDS, "VS Anyone", play for a few minutes, and then shut it off. It would really be a great medium for Smash.

The biggest problem with Brawl, for me at least, is the fact that online play doesn't count towards unlockables. That ruined it; either I'd play offline (rare opportunities for an opponent, so mostly beating up CPUs, which isn't fun), or I'd play online with nothing to show for it. I love Brawl, but I've barely touched it lately because there's no drive to unlock everything anymore. It's still very much worth it, of course, but a DS version would even get around that, as online play would be a fun diversion instead of something requiring a lot of hassle (turning on Wii and TV alone takes a couple minutes. Let alone putting in the disk, starting the game, etc. etc.)

Feba @ Aug 1st 2008 12:34AM

to make it clear, I pretty much agree with you other than your thoughts on DS Smash

Shadow31 @ Aug 1st 2008 9:19AM

I never said DS Smash was a bad idea; I love the thought. Unfortunately, I was speaking more in the minds of Sakurai and Miyamoto. Yes, the DS works with multiplayer. (Note: flaw in your idea, I don't know many buses with WiFi.) The thing is, they were hesitant for even online. They mainly want to keep it a game for people to get together to play. If it was DS, everyone, at minimum, would need a DS. Possibly needing a copy of the game for full features. The developers see that as a hassle in their gameplay ideas; they've spoke on it before. All I was saying is why they're against the idea, I never said I was against it.

Feba @ Aug 1st 2008 1:05PM

Ah, but MP:H has already done these things.

And you're mostly right on the bus comment. But still.

Joie @ Aug 1st 2008 12:47AM

David-

sorry, sorry, sorry. I'm glad it was a joke like I was hoping...

I take back my rant. after E3 there have just been so many people to rant at that I guess I'm a little trigger happy. =\

your site rocks, keep up the good work.

David Hinkle @ Aug 1st 2008 1:47AM

Thank you for the praise, joie! We really appreciate it. :)

Now get some of your friends to start reading us so we can rock their world, as well! :D

Shogan @ Aug 1st 2008 1:59AM

Make a new one, bring back the missing characters, stages, and pokemon, add more custom stage options, fix the online play. Hell, do it as an expanded Brawl and I'd buy it.

FYIan @ Aug 1st 2008 3:20AM

I loved Brawl, but please, make the next one have online play that's worth a damn. Subspace emissary was such a waste of time that should have been used on making online play worthwhile.

Oh and take out tripping. That was the most retarded idea ever.

rodjoh @ Aug 1st 2008 6:29AM

At this point Im good with Brawl. Id love to see a SSBDS. It just HAS to exist.

Jhongerkong @ Aug 1st 2008 7:54AM

All we need is Lip as a playable character, THEN id be perfect.

Luigi Mario @ Aug 1st 2008 10:11AM

Maybe next time, they won't make-a me a lousy unlockable character!

Robert @ Aug 1st 2008 12:15PM

I can see it now... Super Smash Bros. THUMBWRESTLING.

Mr Khan @ Aug 1st 2008 2:08PM

Hopefully they'll recognize the mistakes made with regards to online play. Ranked matches and such

I quite liked Subspace emissary. Though i wish they had done more with character interaction, and included voices for the characters who have voices in their native games, it was an enjoyable romp at the end of the day

Really, Brawl is the golden game of the Wii for this year, bar none. It shows the full range of control schemes, and the depth of bonuses and extras, aside from the community possibilities and other things

It really worked

Renigami @ Aug 1st 2008 3:36PM

My desires and wishes for a Super Smash Bros MAYHEM???!?!?!?!!!!!!11111

Biggest thing to add (besides 10thyith more characters) is console versus console local or online play. By that I mean add true internet workings to the console to allow four local players to play against another set of four or so local players to get a stage filled with EIGHT players.

I am sure this can be a possibility. Screen maybe a tad bit more busier... (Ok... it would be a chaos of mayhem going on - hence my naming). Good idea or bad idea?

manyquestions @ Aug 1st 2008 5:00PM

You'd think they'd run out of synonyms for "fight" at some point.

Kamek @ Aug 3rd 2008 4:09PM

I agree with Joie. I think Brawl was one of the best wii games and has a great amount of content (and characters). There are some changes they could make to it, but I don't think the game is lacking enough to make a sequel. and people don't really want a whole new game. they just want a better Brawl.