Or possibly not at all
Masahiro Sakurai, who brought us endless chipper Miiverse updates and, indeed, Super Smash Bros. itself, finally seems burnt out. According to CVG, Sakurai told Game Informer in an interview, “I can’t positively declare there won’t be [another Smash Bros.] With both Melee and Brawl, I made those games with the thought that there wouldn’t be any more sequels. Thus, I really can’t deny the chance for another.” Phew.
“However,” Sakurai said, “as for myself, I don’t think there will be.”
Sakurai explained that Smash 3DS and Wii U were tremendous undertakings and that it would be difficult to over deliver on value in the same way a second time. “Our intention [with Super Smash Bros. Wii U] was to provide extra merits to the game which go far beyond the sale price,” he said. “In terms of scope, and in terms of sheer number of characters, we went beyond our limits long ago.
“And yet, if we cut the number of fighters or modes in a future game, I’m sure there would be complaints.”
For good reason, Sakurai has, “trouble picturing someone else taking my place and providing all this value-added content without me.” By his own admittance, “all the effort in the past to stretch out, keep pushing myself, and provide all these extra merits wound up tightening the noose around my neck in the future.” I don’t think he’d wish that on anyone else. Maybe it ends up a Kojima situation where he feels obligated to continue (one day).
For now, I think the man has earned a break. Give him another passion project like Kid Icarus: Uprising, or let him do a new Kirby. Whatever the hell he wants. Perhaps a year off work.
Smash Bros creator says he’s unlikely to make another game in the series [CVG]