Masahiro Sakurai on Creating Games — Season 3
About this season
Join Masahiro Sakurai, director of several Kirby games and the Super Smash Bros. series, as he reflects on his work in the games industry and offers insightful and easy-to-understand advice about game development. The goal? To try and help make games around the world a little more fun!
Episodes (110)
1. What is “Play”? [Game Essence]
Aired 2 January 2024 • 3 min
2. Blade Trails [Effects]
Aired 5 January 2024 • 3 min
3. Let Them Skip, Let Them Pause [UI]
Aired 9 January 2024 • 2 min
4. Flipped Animation [Animation]
Aired 12 January 2024 • 3 min
5. Customization Lets Your Imagination Play [Planning & Game Design]
Aired 16 January 2024 • 3 min
6. Long Ago, Numbers Were Used to Draw Pixel Art [Grab Bag]
Aired 19 January 2024 • 4 min
7. Dealing With Color Disparity [Graphics]
Aired 23 January 2024 • 2 min
8. Giving Feedback for Sound Effects [Audio]
Aired 26 January 2024 • 3 min
9. Show the Actual Game! [Marketing]
Aired 30 January 2024 • 2 min
10. Staying True to Your Concept [Work Ethic]
Aired 2 February 2024 • 3 min
11. Faithfulness Comes First in Licensed Games [Game Essence]
Aired 6 February 2024 • 3 min
12. Randomness Spices Games Up [Design Specifics]
Aired 9 February 2024 • 3 min
13. Turning Gift-Giving Into a Game [Grab Bag]
Aired 13 February 2024 • 2 min
14. Don’t Put Decisions Off [Team Management]
Aired 16 February 2024 • 2 min
15. Motion Blur [Graphics]
Aired 20 February 2024 • 2 min
16. Game Essence in Action Games [Game Essence]
Aired 23 February 2024 • 3 min
17. A: Work Ethic 1 (Category Compilation) #01～#10
Aired 25 February 2024 • 29 min
18. Animation Blending [Animation]
Aired 27 February 2024 • 3 min
19. Debug Mode [Programming & Tech]
Aired 1 March 2024 • 2 min
20. C: Planning & Game Design 1 (Category Compilation) #01～#09
Aired 3 March 2024 • 29 min
21. Crafting “Similar” Games [Planning & Game Design]
Aired 5 March 2024 • 2 min
22. Button Settings [UI]
Aired 8 March 2024 • 3 min
23. Competition and Abundance [Work Ethic]
Aired 12 March 2024 • 3 min
24. A World Without Footprints [Grab Bag]
Aired 15 March 2024 • 2 min
25. Presenting Scores [Planning & Design]
Aired 19 March 2024 • 4 min
26. Making Effects the Right Size [Effects]
Aired 22 March 2024 • 2 min
27. B: Game Essence 1 (Category Compilation) #01～#06
Aired 24 March 2024 • 29 min
28. Handicap Systems [Design Specifics]
Aired 26 March 2024 • 3 min
29. Making "Work" Games Fun [Game Essence]
Aired 29 March 2024 • 3 min
30. Balancing Ambient Sounds [Audio]
Aired 2 April 2024 • 2 min
31. Making the Imaginary Feel Real [Graphics]
Aired 5 April 2024 • 2 min
32. Using Parameters to Establish Characters [Planning & Game Design]
Aired 9 April 2024 • 3 min
33. Playing Games in Front of Other People [Marketing]
Aired 12 April 2024 • 2 min
34. Bug Testing Systems [Team Management]
Aired 16 April 2024 • 4 min
35. 1986: The Year of Legend [Grab Bag]
Aired 19 April 2024 • 4 min
36. Portraying Fingers [Animation]
Aired 23 April 2024 • 2 min
37. Advancing Text [UI]
Aired 26 April 2024 • 3 min
38. Say It, and It Might Come True [Work Ethic]
Aired 30 April 2024 • 2 min
39. Better Than Not Being Able to Beat the Game [Game Essence]
Aired 3 May 2024 • 2 min
40. D: Design Specifics 1 (Category Compilation) #01～#08
Aired 6 May 2024 • 28 min
41. A World with Less Color [Planning & Game Design]
Aired 7 May 2024 • 3 min
42. Final Output [Graphics]
Aired 11 May 2024 • 2 min
43. Storage Tips [Grab Bag]
Aired 14 May 2024 • 9 min
44. Transparency Features [Programming & Tech]
Aired 17 May 2024 • 2 min
45. Average and Mediocre Are the Same Thing [Design Specifics]
Aired 21 May 2024 • 3 min
46. Mandatory Strategies and Strategic Balance [Game Essence]
Aired 24 May 2024 • 2 min
47. E: Team Management 1 (Category Compilation) #01～#07
Aired 28 May 2024 • 29 min
48. Play Testing Keeps Going [Team Management]
Aired 28 May 2024 • 3 min
49. Computer-Controlled Players [Planning & Game Design]
Aired 1 June 2024 • 5 min
50. Using Other Songs for Audio Reference [Audio]
Aired 4 June 2024 • 3 min
51. Flashing Effects [Effects]
Aired 7 June 2024 • 4 min
52. Destroying One Wall [Graphics]
Aired 11 June 2024 • 4 min
53. Always Keep Attack Collision in Mind [Animation]
Aired 14 June 2024 • 2 min
54. Targeting and Market Research [Marketing]
Aired 18 June 2024 • 4 min
55. Gameplay as Part of a Live Performance [Grab Bag]
Aired 21 June 2024 • 7 min
56. Echo Chambers [Work Ethic]
Aired 25 June 2024 • 3 min
57. Adding Help Text to Menus [UI]
Aired 28 June 2024 • 2 min
58. Game Essence in Strategy Games [Game Essence]
Aired 2 July 2024 • 2 min
59. Online Updates [Design Specifics]
Aired 5 July 2024 • 4 min
60. Manga-like Visuals [Graphics]
Aired 9 July 2024 • 3 min
61. In-Game Cutscenes [Planning & Game Design]
Aired 12 July 2024 • 3 min
62. F: Graphics 1 (Category Compilation) #01～#06
Aired 16 July 2024 • 33 min
63. Directors and Producers [Team Management]
Aired 16 July 2024 • 4 min
64. Start with the Climax [Planning & Game Design]
Aired 19 July 2024 • 2 min
65. The Limitations of Skeletons [Animation]
Aired 23 July 2024 • 3 min
66. When Ideas Won't Come [Work Ethic]
Aired 26 July 2024 • 2 min
67. How Good Were the Player’s Actions? [Game Essence]
Aired 30 July 2024 • 2 min
68. Famicom and NES Audio [Audio]
Aired 2 August 2024 • 6 min
69. Making Things Clear, Even Without Words [UI]
Aired 6 August 2024 • 2 min
70. Turning Anything Into a Competitive Game [Grab Bag]
Aired 10 August 2024 • 2 min
71. Being Kind to Beginners [Planning & Game Design]
Aired 13 August 2024 • 3 min
72. Establishing Characters Through Their Design [Graphics]
Aired 16 August 2024 • 2 min
73. The Limitations of Particle Effects [Effects]
Aired 20 August 2024 • 4 min
74. Smash Bros. DOJO!! [Marketing]
Aired 23 August 2024 • 5 min
75. Speedy Screen Transitions [Design Specifics]
Aired 27 August 2024 • 2 min
76. Amplify Both Strengths and Weaknesses [Game Essence]
Aired 30 August 2024 • 2 min
77. G: Animation 1 (Category Compilation) #01～#09
Aired 30 August 2024 • 29 min
78. Elementary School Play Testers [Team Management]
Aired 3 September 2024 • 2 min
79. Never Get Into Fights [Work Ethic]
Aired 6 September 2024 • 2 min
80. Be Mindful of the Time Players are Giving You [Planning & Game Design]
Aired 10 September 2024 • 2 min
81. Rotation on Two Axes [Animation]
Aired 13 September 2024 • 3 min
82. H: Effects 1 (Category Compilation) #01～#06
Aired 15 September 2024 • 28 min
83. CRT Displays [Grab Bag]
Aired 17 September 2024 • 5 min
84. Odds and Ends of Supervising: Sora Edition [Graphics]
Aired 20 September 2024 • 9 min
85. HUDs [UI]
Aired 24 September 2024 • 3 min
86. I: Audio 1 (Category Compilation) #01～#07
Aired 24 September 2024 • 25 min
87. What Happens When You Shift the Center of Gravity? [Design Specifics]
Aired 27 September 2024 • 2 min
88. Give Yourself a Handicap When Balancing Your Game [Game Essence]
Aired 1 October 2024 • 2 min
89. No Masterpiece Has Bad Audio [Audio]
Aired 4 October 2024 • 2 min
90. A Director’s Job is to Trim [Team Management]
Aired 8 October 2024 • 2 min
91. Mr. Iwata [Grab Bag]
Aired 11 October 2024 • 9 min
92. Up is Down, and Down is Up [Work Ethic]
Aired 15 October 2024 • 3 min
93. J: UI 1 (Category Compilation) #01～#08
Aired 19 October 2024 • 29 min
94. K: Programming & Tech 1 (Category Compilation) #01～#05
Aired 19 October 2024 • 29 min
95. M: Grab Bag 1 (Category Compilation) #01～#09
Aired 22 October 2024 • 30 min
96. Masahiro Sakurai on Creating Games: Finale Special
Aired 22 October 2024 • 46 min
97. N: Game Concepts 1 (Category Compilation) #01～#05
Aired 29 October 2024 • 31 min
98. L: Marketing 1 (Category Compilation) #01～#07
Aired 1 November 2024 • 27 min
99. A: Work Ethic 2 (Category Compilation) #11～#20
Aired 5 November 2024 • 28 min
100. B: Game Essence 2 (Category Compilation) #07～#15
Aired 8 November 2024 • 27 min
101. C: Planning & Game Design 2 (Category Compilation) #10～#18
Aired 12 November 2024 • 28 min
102. D: Design Specifics 2 (Category Compilation) #09～#18
Aired 16 November 2024 • 31 min
103. E: Team Management 2 (Category Compilation) #08～#15
Aired 19 November 2024 • 25 min
104. F: Graphics 2 (Category Compilation) #07～#13
Aired 24 November 2024 • 29 min
105. G: Animation 2 (Category Compilation) #10～#18
Aired 26 November 2024 • 28 min
106. H: Effects 2 (Category Compilation) #07～#11
Aired 1 December 2024 • 17 min
107. I: Audio 2 (Category Compilation) #08～#14
Aired 3 December 2024 • 26 min
108. J: UI 2 (Category Compilation) #09～#15
Aired 6 December 2024 • 19 min
109. K: Programming & Tech 2 (Category Compilation) #06～#09
Aired 13 December 2024 • 11 min
110. M: Grab Bag 2 (Category Compilation) #10～#14
Aired 20 December 2024 • 31 min