
Katsuhiro Harada recently asked Masahiro Sakurai fans what they were most interested to know about the Super Smash Bros. Ultimate game director. Apart from a lot of questions about Kid Icarus: Uprising and specific Kirby games, many people are noticeably worried about Sakurai's health.
Sakurai himself also realises this, and so Harada got the Smash Bros. creator to tell the viewers himself. Apparently, he's doing "okay" right now. Here's the key moment:

Not long after this, Sakurai reiterated how he is doing "okay" while thanking everyone and even apologising for troubling fans. He did though use the same question to talk about a shoulder problem he used to have:
"There was a time where I had a problem with my shoulder. It was years ago and it's fine now. People at my age are more likely to get stiff shoulders. In many cases the cause is unknown. But in my case, the cause was clear, which was calcific tendinitis...When I got an X-ray I saw these lime water-looking rice grains in there. I asked if they can do surgery but they didn't recommend it...It took a lot of time to go away. When it hurt I had a block injection.
The only thing that actually bothers him "right now" is dry eyes. He realises it "can't be helped" and uses eye drops. While none of this sounds very good at all for Sakurai, he did also outline his exercise routine - which includes riding an exercise bike while watching TV and gaming, and also lifting 18kg dumbbells.
Sakurai has been known to push himself to his limits when making new games and unfortunately, it has come at the expense of his health over the years - which is why some fans have raised their concerns. For example, during Smash Ultimate's development, he battled through health issues with an IV drip. He's also mentioned how he doesn't really drink water, prefers Coca-Cola Zero, and how he typically goes to bed around 2:30 am and wakes up each day at 8:30 am.
Sakurai is currently hard at work on the final DLC fighter for Super Smash Bros. Ultimate and after this, he probably deserves a nice long holiday. The final episode of this special will air next week.
[source youtu.be]
Comments 54
Bless, anyway, moving on.
I’d like to hear more about Yoshiaki Koizumi, he has done some great things at Nintendo..
Those videos are very fun to watch. Waiting for the last part.
I also watched the one with the producer of Virtua Fighter 5. Very cool.
Great to see he's not exhausting himself and is in good spirits. He seems a lot more upfront about this kind of stuff than most game developers, especially Japanese game devs
Harada's Bar is actually a pretty good series of just casual, chill conversations between Harada and other game devs.
Ya, But man how the hell does it look so young? I need his skin cells.
Removed - unconstructive
Why do people want so badly to dig into the private lives of people like this? Somehow I don't think you'd enjoy having the same treatment.
I mean, I guess no one forced him to take the interview but I still feel like asking about personal health issues is inappropriate.
Dude just retire and relax.
@Heavyarms55
It might be just as appropriate to ask why people feel the need to share all sorts of personal info.
@k8sMum If someone volenteers that sort of info, I can brush it off as one person with a "TMI issue". But it's just that person. It's never just one person with people asking questions like this.
I'm glad his health is going well.
Do we need articles about it?
Can we please have health updates on the writers for this site? You guys are just as important to us, and I'm being sincere in my writing.
CONCERNED HEALTH NINJA APPROVED
@Heavyarms55
I'm afraid we now live in a world where everything is considered news. I have a deep seated antipathy toward reality TV shows, but they fit with the notion that everything in one's life is newsworthy. When people get massive amounts of hits showing themselves eating a hamburger something is screwy. But, that's just mho.
He should just either take a long break, retire, or stop complaining. Feels like we get a sob story like this every few months.
It's all good every single major joint in my body has bone spurs growing including my Vertebrae which will only get worse as I age, on top of ciatica that makes my left leg numb when I stand for more than 5 minutes. Just gotta push through the pain and embrace it.
Wow so how is my comment unconstructive yet every other comment says the same thing? You all need to stop acting like a tabloid. The amount of Mashiro Sakurai articles this site does makes look like your desperate for clicks. How is what a person does in their daily life news worthy? Instead of censoring people you don't agree with maybe you should look and see what people have to say.
This isn't communist Russia you know.
Removed - unconstructive
@Heavyarms55
Maybe inappropriate, but most people just seem to genuinly worry about his health.
I wouldn't say that is comparable to the people who just want to dig into someones private life just because of curiosity.
@Octane
I can never understand this "don't complain" argument in situations like this.
If I understand correctly, he was being interviewed and was asked about his health. How is it complaining, if he just answers the question? Is he supposed to lie and say "everything has always been perfect" even if that is wrong?
Not to mention, he isn't even talking about any problems he currently has here, besides dry eyes, which really isn't anything big...
@k8sMum I also blame shows like Keeping up with the Kardashians. Seriously, who cares about that?
I mean it's real bad when a local TV station starts to replicate it with less-than-popular "celebrities".
On-topic: I don't think I've seen Sakurai with a cap before, he looks nice with a flat cap.
@Kirgo As long as he keeps talking about it, people will ask him about it. Why don't they ever ask any other developer how their health's doing?
I still cannot believe Pepsi Man turned out to be the final Smash Bros fighter...
@Octane ya!! Nobody asks me.🌝
I'm glad many fans are actually caring about his health and not treating him like a tool like many other fans do, Sakurai deserves some good positive support from the fans, he has done a lot for us.
When it comes to Sakurai, you have the people who act like overprotective mothers and think he needs to be wrapped in five layers of bubble wrap before he's allowed to go for a bike ride. And now you have the other half of the people who are butthurt and complaining their favorite game developer doesn't get the same pampering. Sakurai never asked to be babied, it's just something the collective community decided to do for some reason. It's like when the Twitch chat keeps reminding their favorite streamer to take a break and hydrate. They're adults, you don't have to talk down to them like they don't understand how to meet their most basic needs and have to be reminded what "water" is.
And telling Sakurai to just go ahead and retire is kind of offensive when he's expressed that, while he has considered it in the past, he wants to keep working for the foreseeable future. Why disrespect his wishes if you're coming from a supposed place of concern? If I were a director of multiple large-scale projects and someone told me, "Dude, why don't you just retire already and let somebody else do it?" that would make me feel totally disposable and like my work doesn't matter.
Plus, we know Nintendo's executives only make like a couple million and didn't give Sakurai a very large budget for DLC, so we don't even know he has enough money in the bank to support himself for the rest of his life if he just retires. Some people also just go stir-crazy when they have too much time on their hands, which is probably why Reggie immediately came out of retirement. We need to stop acting like we know what's best for someone when we don't even know their situation.
To reiterate though, Sakurai didn't ask for this, so I hope people won't start having bitter feelings towards him because of what others do. Comments that Sakurai should stop complaining are ignorant; a person can casually bring up health-related incidents without it being some desperate cry for attention. Nothing Sakurai has ever said in an interview has given me the impression he wanted people to feel sorry for him.
Sakurai is still one of the best developers in the biz, so I hold him in high esteem. I don't want to undermine everything he's done. But the level of idol worship that prompts people to research Sakurai's exact brand of couch is probably a bit much. Remember the golden rule about treating people the way you want to be treated and ask yourself if you want the whole world to feel sorry for you every time you stub your toe. Just treat him like a normal human being--one you're very thankful for because he worked hard and did some cool stuff, but still a human being.
@MarcusIsCool How's your health?
@BloodNinja Well, it is a news site about games and the people who make them. Most of the writers have a personal Twitter you can follow.
@HammerGalladeBro Never seen Sakurai with a cap before? Prepare to have your mind blown.
https://amp.reddit.com/r/smashbros/comments/3nnh92/the_details_in_sm4shs_dollar_bill/
@Not_Soos pretty good for a 40 year old. Thank you for asking.
I think we should Be supportive of the dude as well, But I do agree that asking about his heath is just kinda, You know, Now if they asked from the heart then Thats fine, but if it was for the news (Which I'm sure it was) then thats just messed up.
If he wants to Tell people that sort of info then please do so, But not bc some won asked.
I have big respect for this man and I Want him to do whats best for him and nothing else. (And when I say big respect I'm not the one that Kisses the dirt he walks on, I treat him like anybody else, A human being.
@Tasuki You know your right, it would be great if I didn't get my comment deleted just bc I didn't like Some News shows, or If I said something about China.
This man needs to retire he makes me feel guilty every time I want a new smash fighter
Removed - unconstructive; user is banned
It’s 00:34 here in England and with this great piece of news I can fall asleep in comfort.
He really does need some rest. Hope he is doing well though.
Removed - unconstructive
@Octane
They ask him about it, because people around the world are talking about it.
My question stands: Is he supposed to lie for no reason?
After Ultimate, it's difficult to imagine anymore iterations on the base formula of Smash Bros. I'd prefer an Ultimate port with a handful of character additions next time rather than building an entire game from the ground up. Ultimate is just perfect basically.
Either that or a totally different spin on the base gameplay. That would probably upset fans, and maybe me as well. But it would be fun to watch the gameplay evolve around a much more limited cast of characters, like 10-20. I see no problem with it if we have Ultimate as the "traditional" style.
@UglyCasanova I don't get how saying his health is fine is "whining", but ok.
I actually really appreciate these small details about Sakurai's day. Keep them coming!
@BloodNinja What a dumb comment. This is a website about Nintendo. If you want to know about their lives, check their Twitter or Instagrams.
@DK-Fan Ew, Twitter and Instagram? LOL no
@DK-Fan Twitter? more like Toxics R us.
Removed - unconstructive feedback
"Sakurai has been known to push himself to his limits when making new games and unfortunately, it has come at the expense of his health over the years"
I think it probably has more to do with the fact that he doesn't drink water and spends all day sucking back Coke Zeros.
@Wavey84 Lenny Croft?! Wow that was pretty funny, actually!
@Not_Soos Yeah, I find the stark divide on anything Sakurai-related a bit strange too.
On the one hand there’s the excessive idolatry and incessant fawning over the man, which is a bit… creepy.
And on the other, you’ve got those who, whenever Sakurai expresses a human sentiment, react with, “EITHER SUCK IT UP AND STFU OR RETIRE YOU BIG CRYBABY I’M SICK OF YOUR STUPID WHINING AAAH!”.
…To paraphrase only slightly.
Like, surely it’s fine for Sakurai to talk about his health, especially when directly asked about it.
The reason we hear more Sakurai-related news than other developers is largely down to the fact that Sakurai has a Famitsu column, regularly appears in broadcasts, and has a Twitter account that actually gets used.
None of these are expressly bad things, and indeed have been an excellent source of information and entertainment for Smash Bros. fans and gaming in general. It’s rare we get a look inside the sort of environments where these games are created, and I think ‘gamers’ are generally better off (or at least more informed) for it.
But whenever a hint of personal information slips out of one of these interviews or columns, a great wave of swooning and cynicism follows it, which seems rather unnecessary.
The reason why websites like this run articles on Sakurai’s thoughts, ideas, and even health, if because people click on and read them. If you don’t care about the man and his occasional health ailments, it might be better not to gravitate to the comments section of every article to inform the world of HOW LITTLE YOU CARE ABOUT IT.
Because the result is only going to be more articles.
@Maxz Well take on this issue.. not really an issue tbh.
Same with clickbait Youtube videos.. more clicks more clickbait videos
Why have the comment section become like a presidential debate over this? You're either interested in this kind of article or you aren't. If you are, go ahead and read it without judgement. If not, then why get bent out of shape by it? Just move on the next one.
Lastly, if he's willing to answer the question or questions about his health in general, I ultimately don't see what the problem is. It's not like we're talking about the paparazzi, digging through his trash for this info
@Maxz
Well to make it weirder, I haven't seen a single person complaining about Sakurai until this article. This seems to be the straw that broke the camel's back for a lot of people, for some reason. Even if I think people overreact about Sakurai's health, I do think it's good this article exists to hopefully alleviate those worries. I'm not gonna pretend that both fainting at the gym and on a other occasion needing an IV aren't genuine health concerns, but they're also not a death sentence. They're certainly no reason to just retire.
People also need to understand talking about your health is like...pretty normal. If nothing else, it's a good conversation piece. Example: "Hey, Dave--how you doing?" "Can't complain, Phil, you?" "I've been better. I broke my leg last week and had to get a cast." "That's terrible, what happened?" They keep talking, Dave leaves, and then ge gets on with his life and doesn't lose sleep over Phil's broken leg. I'm sure if Sakurai were having mental issues instead of physical ones, people wouldn't say, "That man really needs to quit talking about his depression! Why not cover other game developers' mental health?" Instead of genuinely caring about people, it's like people feel the need to one-up each other about who has it worse.
@UmbreonsPapa
I will never understand heated video game discourse, lol. You'd think people were arguing about abortion, as angry as they get at each other, but then the topic is freaking Paper Mario or something. And instead of being labeled an "alt-right fascist" or a "leftist snowflake," it's "that toxic Undertale community" or "that terrible Sonic fanbase." People need to grow up and understand there are real problems in the world.
Unpopular opinion, but I don't think even abortion discussions should turn into everyone hating and yelling at each other, but people love dehumamizing other groups. It's like if it's socially unacceptable for people to be racist or homophobic anymore, they have to find some other group to marginalize and make into "us vs them," even if it's something as trivial as fans of a certain game or developer. How about we just love each other unconditionally?
...Sorry you had to listen to my rant, lol.
@Not_Soos
"Well to make it weirder, I haven't seen a single person complaining about Sakurai until this article."
You haven't been reading my posts, then. I've been complaining about him for years. Ever since I noticed that the guy literally can't give a single interview without whining about something or criticizing Smash fans. Worse, he often complains about how "tired" and "busy" he is, but then simultaneously brags about how, that same year, he played 242 Playstation games. And not just "played once and put away", he obsessively 100%'ed Death Stranding.
@FNL You realise that your incessant moaning about what you perceive to be his incessant moaning is almost as weird as people calling him ‘daddy’, right?
If you’ve been literally complaining “for years” about him complaining about being ‘busy’, maybe you should find something else to keep yourself busy with.
Your years long crusade obsessing over the contents of his every interview seems just as unhealthily a fixation as those who fawn over him as an idol.
@Not_Soos This.
@Maxz Ah yes, the good old "if you complain about someone being a whiner that makes you the whiner" argument.
Sick take, bro.
@FNL It’s not the whining that’s weird. Whining is perfectly normal. It’s the committed, years-long obsession over one man every time he opens his mouth.
If you’re going complain about something - in your own words - for literally years, then you’d do well to find a more interesting target for your fixation than a calcific tendinitis-prone game dev.
Not only is it vaguely creepy to admit you’ve been popping up to complain every time a developer mentions his health. It’s boring. Really, excruciatingly dull.
You act like you’re surprised that people haven’t been reading your posts on Sakurai’s stiff shoulders, but… who in their right mind would read them, let alone actually remember them?
I can tolerate whiners just fine. They’re two-a-penny on the internet and I wouldn’t last very long here if I couldn’t.
What I take issue with is obsessive bores who cling to their asinine fixations as some sort of weird substitute for a personality.
@Maxz ...Is this projection or something? You just wrote a multi-paragraph rant full of deranged psychological assessments of a random poster on the internet who said that they don't like that every article about Sakurai for the past 5 years is filled with him whining about something.
Yeah, I've been "complaining about him for years". But what that amounts to is when I read one of these articles, I remark something to the effect of "oh, here we go again", or "maybe if he hates working on Smash Bros so much, he should move on". I don't seek out his posts to complain. They routinely appear on the front page of this very website.
"You act liked you’re surprised that people haven’t been reading your posts on Sakurai’s stiff shoulders, but… who in their right mind would read them, let alone actually remember them?"
I see you're not particularly adept with sarcasm or tongue-in-cheek comments, either.
Take a break, my man.
Show Comments
Leave A Comment
Hold on there, you need to login to post a comment...