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Masahiro Sakurai

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Masahiro Sakurai
Masahiro Sakurai in 2018
Details
BornAugust 3, 1970
Role(s)Game Designer & Director
Employer(s)HAL Laboratory (1989 - 2003)
Sora Ltd. (2005 onward)
Notable worksCreator of theKirby &Super Smash Bros. series.
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Masahiro Sakurai (桜井政博Sakurai Masahiro, born August 3, 1970) is a Japanese video game designer and creator of the characterKirby and theKirby series, as well as theSuper Smash Bros. series. He worked forHAL Laboratory from 1989 to 2003, after which he foundedSora Ltd. in 2005, where he is currently Director of Software Development.

During his time at HAL Laboratory, Sakurai directed various games in theKirby series, includingKirby's Dream Land,Kirby's Adventure,Kirby Super Star, andKirby Air Ride. He also directedSuper Smash Bros. andSuper Smash Bros. Melee, both of which include Kirby as a playable character and contain stages and other elements based on theKirby series. After the release ofKirby Air Ride, Sakurai left HAL Laboratory and did not direct anotherKirby game untilKirby Air Riders in 2025; however, he has continued to direct new installments in theSuper Smash Bros. series, which have continued to prominently featureKirby series characters and environments.

List of works[edit]

Kirby series[edit]

Super Smash Bros. series(as Director, Game Designer, and Voice of King Dedede sinceBrawl)[edit]

Other[edit]

External links[edit]

References

  1. ↑"Meteos [Game Concepts]",Masahiro Sakurai on Creating Games
  2. ↑"Come to think of it, your voice is also in the game.
    Sakurai: That's right! (laughs) As Mike Kirby, I say "Chesto!"    " –Exchange between Akinori Sao and Masahiro Sakurai (Super NES Classic interview aboutKirby Super Star)
  3. ↑"・・・子供でなくても、ポンコツタンクは知らないでしょう。ポンコツタンクとは、４人同時プレイ可能なゲームボーイのゲームで、私がハル研入社時、アニメや仕様を作っていました。なので、爆発パターンやへろへろ弾など、カービィへの布石がいくつか残っていたりします。企画は別のデザイナーです。
    ...Even if you're not a kid, you probably don't know what Trax is. Trax was a four-player Game Boy game, and I worked on the animation and technical design for it around the time I joined HAL. That's why some parts, like the explosion patterns and spiraling bullets, actually served as groundwork for Kirby. The game's planning was by another designer.    " –Masahiro Sakurai (Super Smash Bros.official Japanese website)
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