Super Smash Bros. creator sort of announces new project in YouTube video

Super Smash Bros. creator Masahiro Sakurai capped off his extensive game development YouTube series with a finale video that not only delves into the process of making the channel, but also reveals that the famed designer was working on a new game.

At the beginning of the video, Sakurai revealed that he received a request for a game proposal, which was approved. However, he had to wait a while for the team to be assembled and to enter production, with an April 2022 target. That meant he had around seven months in between releasing the final playable character, Sora, in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate and his next project.

“I’m sorry I can’t share more about this project, but assuming we’re able to get it made, it should be announced sooner or later,” he explained.

By the time the channel launched, this new game was in production. That was in 2022, so it’s either been in production for around two years, or it’s been canceled in the time since. Either way, it appears to be in the early days of development based on Sakurai’s comments.

This finale also discusses the process of making all the videos, including why he decided to take on the project in the first place. Some of it was about having something to do during the seven-month break, but he also wanted to share his vast experience with others.

“How can I pass on the knowledge I’ve learned over the years to as many people as possible? I thought about that for a long time. In the end, I decided to make this channel — a lasting archive of information for people to access whenever they like.”

The series at its end contains around 260 videos, which were posted in Japanese and English (so around 520 videos total). Sakurai said he wrote all the scripts himself over a one-month period, categorized them by subject, and scheduled everything. Most of the footage in the videos was filmed two-and-a-half years ago as well. He made a couple pilots, showed them to Nintendo, and got permission and support from the company to use assets and official footage. He worked with Hike Inc. to edit and produce the videos starting in 2022.

Sakurai, who worked with Nintendo at HAL Laboratory before leaving in the early 2000s, mentioned that the channel cost around $600,000 (or 90 million yen) to make, with video editing and translation fees taking up the bulk of the budget. This was way more than he anticipated, although he added that it could’ve been lmore if he had to pay people for writing and filming instead of just taking on responsibilities himself. It also brings in zero income.

“Even I think that’s kind of silly,” he said. “However — and I truly mean this — I consider this an investment toward a brighter future for games.”