Super Smash Bros. creator starts YouTube channel about game development

Legendary game developer Masahiro Sakurai has started his own gaming-centric YouTube channel.

As the name suggests, “Masahiro Sakurai on Creating Games” follows the Super Smash Bros. creator as he explores the ins and outs of game development in both Japanese and English (subtitles). He says the channel is intended to be approachable for both game developers and fans alike, and each video will be ad-free and roughly two to five minutes long to offer easily digestible “bite-sized” explainers.

In his videos, Sakurai will draw from his extensive portfolio, including the Smash Bros., Kirby and Kid Icarus series, as well as a slew of other games from across the industry. Notably, Sakurai says he’s been given permission by Nintendo to include design documents from his work on Super Smash Bros., although the Japanese gaming giant is otherwise unaffiliated with the channel.

At the time of writing, Masahiro Sakurai on Creating Games has already hit 170,000 subscribers with three published videos. The first introduces the channel, the second unpacks his creative works and the third focuses on the concept of “Hit Stops” (using delays like slow-motion to enhance the impact of specific gameplay moments).

Since December 2019, Sakurai has been using his personal Twitter account to share entertaining images from Super Smash Bros. Ultimate that were taken with a special developer camera. With the last of these photos being posted on August 22nd, Sakurai has decided to launch the YouTube channel.

It’s certainly a tantalizing project. Over the past few decades, Sakurai has become a beloved figure in the gaming industry, with fans especially loving his passionate and charming fighter breakdown videos for Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. With those coming to an end last October with the game’s final DLC character, Kingdom Hearts‘ Sora, Masahiro Sakurai on Creating Games offers a new way for fans to engage with the prolific game developer.

Image credit: Nintendo