Masahiro Sakurai, creator and director of the Kirby and Super Smash Bros. series, turns 50 years old today, 3rd August.
One of Sakurai's earliest career highlights came when he was just 19 years old, designing our favourite pink blob Kirby and directing the character's first ever game, Kirby's Dream Land. Since then, he's perhaps become best-known for his work on the Super Smash Bros. franchise and now regularly hosts presentations aimed towards its biggest, most dedicated fans.
Currently, he's simultaneously working on new content for Smash Ultimate, leading his company Sora, and writing a weekly column for Japanese magazine Famitsu. He's reached a celebrity status that few game developers ever achieve, to a point where he can't even discuss which games he's playing anymore and where fans make an effort to figure out where he bought his furniture.
Sakurai-san took to social media today to thanks fans for their birthday wishes.
He's a hugely popular figure in the Nintendo community, and indeed on this very site. Feel free to share your own well wishes for Sakurai in the comments below.
[source twitter.com]
Comments 58
Yet he never ages.
Or ages backwards...
He still looks like a 20 year old japanese michael jackson.
Woah, Sakurai shares my birthday.
Happy 50th, Sakurai! Man, dude doesn't look a day over E T E R N A L
Doesn’t look a day over 25. May he live forever.
The man still looks like he's in his 30's. Happy Birthday Sakurai-san!
Wait, I thought he was in his late 30s this whole time! Sakurai is the most powerful being confirmed
Man looks great for fifty. Happy birthday to him! And here's to the next fifty!
Happy birthday Sakurai...even if this was posted half an hour before it ends
He does look incredible for 50 though, especially with how much he must work/stress.
Give us Waluigi for Smash. Then I'll wish you Happy Birthday.
He's only 50? So we have at least 35 years more of Smash coming then? haha. Happy Birthday, Sakurai-san!
Happy Birthday! 50 spankings! j/k
Let's go me and sakurai are born in the same month!!! im turning 13 in august 16th
Today I learned that Sakurai and I share a birthday!
If someone said this person is either 15 or 50 I would honestly choose 15. He must be a god
happy birthday
How locked down is Japan? If so then there goes his evening of stumbling out of strip clubs and bars.
@link3710 happy birthday.
In two days will bem mine
Old man Sakurai
Best wishes! Live a long, healthy and happy life!
Happy Birthday, Sakurai-san
@Dezzy Ha ha, I was about to say a Japanese cliff richards
Bet you the poor sod is working.
That man does not age at all; happy birthday, Sakurai-Sama! Thank you so much for everything you do, sir!
(My daughter shares his birthday)
Happy brithday, he does not look a day over 49.
Happy Birthday, Sakurai-san (or Mr. Sakurai), may you have many more years to come. 🎂👍
Oh, well Happy 50th Birthday to you sir.
Wooo! Have a grand 50th, Sakurai!!!
happy birthday Sakurai-San thanks for dedicating your life to bring to us wonderful/amazing games, after the second Fighter Pass of Super Smash Bros Ultimate will deserve a well deserved rest.
He’s only 50? So he was tasked to make the first Super Smash Brothers when he was 27? Wow, that’s amazing
H elooks good for a 50-year-old guy. Japanese people always look so young.
@sketchturner OMG,Masahiro Sakurai look so young in the 2012 photo and old in the 1992 photo, could this means that Masahiro Sakurai have found the fabled Fountain of Youth? reason, why he look so young despite having 50- year old now?
Happy Birthday, Sakurai-san! Thanks for everything you've given us...especially Smash!
Happy Birthday, Sakurai. Best of luck in all your future endeavors. Thanks for sharing your talent with the world.
Best great birthday wishes to the awesome guy.
50 years old, has worked with Nintendo for around 30 years, and still doesn't understand marketing.
No way he's 50!? 50 is the new 20 for him, seems like he never ages. I wonder what keeps him from aging like the rest of the 50 year olds (no offense). Ages like fine wine.
What's his secret?
@sketchturner That's what happens when your create a Kirby
Happy birthday thanks for all your hard work.
@KingBowser Botox and lavish massages every two months.
@KingBowser Well, they say Japan has some of the highest standards of living in the world. Even though COVID-19 probably changed some of this data, we can assume his figure is a sign of great health. Seafood is popular in Japanese Cuisine and it has a lot of healthier benefits vs. other meats like Beef & Pork. I'm sure you've probably seen a picture of Japanese Food before on the Internet. One of the things you may notice are that vegetables are included in almost any meal. This is also incredibly healthy. The combined efforts of eating healthy and physical fitness are the most likely reason why Sakurai doesn't seem to age...
That and because he's worked with Kirby and the likes of Super Smash Bros. He's learned to age like a Cartoon! (Cartoons never age)
Happy birthday to one of the most dedicated developers in the gaming industry.
Dang. Happy Birthday to him! Never would have given him 50.
This man has created two of my favorite games, I hope he has the best of birthdays. When Smash Ultimate first came out I was sad it was probably the last game, but now I think it’s fine, my man deserves to rest.
I'd wish for a new kirby game directed by Sakurai, or wait, you know what would be awesome, some kind of RPG within the kirby universe directed by the man itself. Anywho, Congrats on your birthday Sakurai.
Grats, Orochimaru;)
but i thought he's 30
Happy Birthday indeed
It was also my birthday
I was like "whoa? He's 50 already." But then I remember Kirby is shockingly approaching his 30s alone, and Sakurai couldn't have created Kirby as a child... or could he?
50?! Whoa, had no idea. Happy Birthday Sakurai-san!
@Reigestugatensho Well, I'm not into seafood at all. I don't think I've ever tried seafood. It just doesn't appeal to my tastes. Then again, everyone is different.
He has eaten to many Smashballs, instead of looking older, his age is going backwards, hes getting younger every year 🤣
Guys, I think there is a typo here, I think they meant his 5th birthday
@KingBowser
What's his secret? Frequent Botox and plastic surgery.
@cLock1358 hey, me too!
Dude looks very young unlike my 55 year old arse!
Happy belated birthday!
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