Sakurai Apologizes to Super Smash Bros. Sweats
After "retiring" from Super Smash Bros., creator Masahiro Sakurai has turned to making YouTube videos about some of the games he's created. In a recent episode, Sakurai apologized to Smash players who may have spent too much time grinding the game.
Nintendo has been notoriously against competitive Super Smash Bros. since the grassroots scene formed. Sakurai would likely not agree to players like Mew2King labbing the game for hours, seeing how far each player gets knocked back at exactly 72% damage if you deal 23 more. How about at 75%?
Sakurai Doesn't Want People to Grind Smash
In a video titled "Be Mindful of the Time Players are Giving You," Sakurai discussed how developers shouldn't expect players to dedicate "300 hours" of their life to a game. Sakurai explained that players may pass on a game that takes too long, even if it seems fun.
Sakurai seemed to notice the irony of him saying this despite many pros dedicating their lives to Super Smash Bros. games. He added that some players have spent "thousands of hours" playing Smash, making it an exception to the rule.
"I'm so sorry!" he said to the sweats replaying some Donkey Kong matchup over and over again now that DK placed well in a Major in Melee, a game some people have played for over 20 years.
It would seem that the irony was not lost on Sakurai. He would then go on to comment about the addictive nature of the Super Smash Bros. series.
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Event Hubs found that Melee's All Trophies Speedrun, which has over 290 trophies, took almost 20 hours for even the most hardcore of grinders. You even have to beat a 1,000,000 VS mode to get one of the trophies. Then it takes hours upon hours to unlock all 90ish characters in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. That is a grind I don't want to relive.
"Still, the time you spend on a game should be a result of how fun that game is!" Sakurai said.
Olivia is a long-time esports journalist and editor who covers just about every game but has a deep love for the FGC. Her goal is to find community-driven stories that bring a new perspective to the esports scene. In the past, she has worked for Team Liquid, Rogue, Inven Global, Dot Esports, Upcomer, and more. Outside of esports, Olivia enjoys Kirby, Pokemon TCG, Fallout, and writing science fiction. She can be found trying out new foods, traveling, or hanging out with her two orange cats. Fun fact: Olivia can do some video game and cartoon impressions!