Kirby's Dream Land [Game Concepts]
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 21 ก.ย. 2024
- In the Game Concepts category, I'll be looking back at how I came up with the ideas for each of the games I worked on, in release order.
I have lots of memories associated with these titles, but I'll try and focus on the inspirations and thought processes behind them.
We'll start with my debut game: Kirby's Dream Land. Have you heard of it?
![Development Secrets of the Original Kirby [Grab Bag]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/ZUY2AtBD6Sk/mqdefault.jpg)
![Development Secrets of the Original Kirby [Grab Bag]](/img/tr.png)
![Kirby's Adventure [Game Concepts]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/khJa2vIW0xY/mqdefault.jpg)
Kirby's Dreamland was my very first game ever and made me into the artist I am today! Loved this game so much, l drew Kirby everywhere. Now I still do fanarts now and then with Kirby, I used him a lot as a reference to learn animation. So, Thank you very much Mr.Sakurai for your hard work and creating such a fun and interesting character and such an amazing serie ❤
Wow that’s nice
It makes sense, the round style!
and also, drawing Kirby every now and then its a pleasure, easy and cute
Pfft okay
Hi keke! :D
Your most recent work of Kirby on TH-cam is a great little vid that hopefully Mr. Sakurai will one day get to view (or maybe already has 🤷)
"I could talk for days about these games". Please do. I'd watch all of it.
If Tim Rogers can talk for 6 hours about Tokimeki Memorial _and we all watched it_, Sakurai-san can do what he wants and we’ll be onboard.
Thats gonna lose him a lot of money
@@paulinebunag4875 he is already retired and rich, he wouldn’t care
"I could talk for days about these games"
and i would watch the whole way through, with full attention.
What's interesting I find is that a concept he envisionned thirty years ago: positioning something for newcomers by making it bite-sized and accessible for anyone, is still a concept that's applied today with this youtube channel's video length, graphics and explanation style.
he even has a name for this accessibility philosophy apparently, he sometimes calls it kirbyism on interviews
That's a good observation. I'd personally watch 10 hour long videos about development subjects, but everyone can spare time for short videos and I appreciate the decision to make them short. It also gives us less time waiting for future videos. Although, I've some catching up to do.
Its interesting how the newer Kirby games made by HAL also still follow the same philosophy even after all this time. Kirby games are well known for being very easy. :)
@@lasercraft32 I love games which are notorious for being difficult and don’t really play easy ones, but Kirby is the main exception. Even though basically anyone could play through and beat it, the design and gameplay is just great even if it’s always been simple.
I hope he gives his thoughts on how the franchise has grown without his supervision, especially his thoughts on the Forgotten Land
his channel is about sharing his knowledge about making games a bit more fun, not about opinions
@@corgikun2579 It would still be fun to hear some of his thoughts, even if it’s for only 10-20 seconds
@@supermario6387 i think he stated for like, industry secret reasons he can't really talk about modern games and focuses on more retro games/classics.
I'd just like him to clarify on his feelings about modern kirby so the belief that he is biased against it or even dislikes modern kirby can finally be put to rest. it doesn't have to be that detailed of an explanation, just a simple "hey heres my brief thoughts on how kirby is doing now" sort of thing
@@kirbysuperstaruhh3769 i feel like that may touched upon in his kirby superstar video (considering he said he will talk about kirby's adventure next), but it's hard to say. i wouldnt really mind if he didnt touch on it though, i feel like he's not really obligated to but it'd be nice to hear him also use later kirby games as an example of good design or talk about them.
It's interesting how holding an enemy in your mouth was referred to as "mouthful" state
And about 3 decades later the latest mainline game has the "mouthful mode" stuff
What else would it be referred to as? It's not like he made up the word.
It's pretty much the best possible translation for the concept it describes.
I was curious if the original document used the same Japanese word that the new game uses for mouthful
I checked the Japanese version of the video. It's saying "It is in his mouth. This state is called the stuffed cheeks state." Mouthful mode is "ほおばりヘンケイ" or "stuffed cheeks transformation". So yeah, it's the same word conveying the same concept of something being held in Kirby's mouth.
This might be represent the reboot of kirby games as forgotten land is the first step to 3d kirby games (even if it was mistranslated)
4:38 "We put a lot of love into music as well"
And to this day, that still holds true with HAL, with the modern Kirby soundtracks that seemingly only continue to improve, plus the 30th Anniversary Music Fest
I like the wording of the bit about "taking advantage of the enemies" at 1:33, it helps display how Sakurai came up with the Copy Abilities that Kirby's Adventure introduced
Fun analysis! Can't wait to see future discussion about Kirby's other adventures!
kirby music is always amazing
Hi
Of course Christopher moon is here too lol
Kirby deserve to be at the top best soundtracks in franchises no doubt
This game's soundtrack still holds up quite well today, every track is really good in this first entry even if they'd all go on to be remixed in future games.
A New Wind for Tomorrow (the credits theme) is my personal favourite of the game
It’s so bizarre seeing a video like this straight from Sakurai himself, I’ve seen the origins of Kirby explained on this website so many times, but hearing it from the man himself just hits different
This is so cozy. It feels like listening to a proud dad talk about raising his favorite son.
So true
"You are my most favorite creation."
"POYO~!"
Because it is
Meanwhile, the other adopted son is Kid Icarus
Kirby's dreamland was the first game I remember ever beating by myself. I felt very proud of myself since I was normally terrible at video games as a kid.
Sakurai definetly did his job well, dream land 1 is what got my mom into games and that led to her meeting my dad, we've all been playing games together for as long as I can remember. Thank you sir! Without kirby I woudnt exist!
using enemies as weapons against other enemies along with using their own attacks against them is one of my favorite gameplay tropes
one of the reasons I like SMB2 (or Doki Doki Panic) better than 3
Normal gamer: NES = Nintendo Entertainment System
Watched Sakurai Channel gamer: NES = Not Enough Space
Interesting to note how Kirby, while designed for beginners, can also appeal to the more hardcore as well.
The lack of challenge in Kirby games, while most times nowadays rectified by harder modes, is appealing because it allows the player more time to relax and experience the game at their own pace, both as a beginner or a more experienced player.
Stopping to take in the fun visuals and adorable designs, stuff like that. It's why an RPG maniac like me always picks up the latest Kirby game. Can't get enough of the adorable puffball.
The series' music is also very appealing for all ages
@@neypaz8054Simliarly to Maplestory music as well, both series soundtracks really capture your 'throwbacks' of life as well as the design of the games
At the age of 19 he created one of the most iconic Nintendo games! Damn Sakurai
I love that he was adamant about making Kirby's Dreamland what it was. Beginners and newcomers are vital to the health of this industry, as in any, but also because everyone needs a starting off point as well. I'm glad he stuck to his guns and made Kirby's Dreamland the way he did.
So yeah, actually this channel was a plot for Sakurai to talk about Kirby again.
I'm really interested now
I think the thought of introducing people into video games gently was a very thoughtful mindset when making this game. While I definitely enjoy the difficulty brought on by NES and SNES games, Kirby's Dream Land being a good intro point for new gamers is something that I feel even to this day is a valid option.
the fact that Sakurai created one of gaming's most iconic mascots at the age of 19 is such a lifetime achievement.
forever an inspiration.
I can't imagine the pressure that must put on your shoulders to keep delivering.
@@NegaSyrus5000 Fr bro. I really don't blame Sakurai for not wanting to keep doing Kirby, like that'd be super stressful to have to deliver beyond each and every time
@@kirbyeatsyou5248 It definitely wasn't stress and pressure that caused him to stop making Kirby games; otherwise, he wouldn't have directed 5 (6 if you count 3DS and Wii U as separate) Smash Bros games, which have a much larger fanbase that would certainly put more pressure on him than Kirby.
Sakurai being a youtuber is basically the best thing ever happen to the human race
THANK YOU SAKURAI SAN
0:48 - "This is called 'mouthful' state."
I wonder if that was truly the wording Sakurai used back then, and if HAL used that as inspiration for Mouthful Mode in Kirby and the Forgotten Land...
I never realized until this video that the first Kirby game didn't include copy abilities, which seems like such a core mechanic for the character these days. Its cool that the game was so well received even without that mechanic, meaning that the core elements; the look and feel of Kirby was kinda nailed on the first try, and built upon from there. Thank you for this friend-shaped character, Sakurai :)
Kirby’s dreamland is one of the first gameboy games I owned as a kid. Even though it was easy I still had a lot of fun playing with it repeatedly. Going back, I think the core reason for itself is that the game oozes so much charm and has kind of a “sandbox” element in which you can easily play the game and create your own challenges the way you want, which was probably pretty novel at the time of its release
:)
And of course, that mimic builds upon the core mechanic of eating. It’s not a separate idea, it fleshes out the existing feel
Yeah while there no copy abilities (unless you count the mike in the middle of castle lololo for some reason) I personally think if the game had copy abilities it might made the game less intresting due to make the game too easy for the game's standards you could argue that dreamland 2 for did a kirby game with copy abilities on the GB but I will as the start of the franchise I can accept they wanted to design the levels and gameplay around inhale spit and hover only and I think is done good job
@@theenderkirby I think Kirbys Dreamland 2 utilized the copy ablities pretty smart, it wasn't difficult for sure, but getting all these secrets for the extra boss was quite mind-bending. (and the real final boss is quite hard too for the standard of the series)
wake up babe new Masahiro Sakurai on creating games upload
I've always wondered why he implemented a flying mechanic where it almost trivializes most of the obstacles in the game and if that was intentional or not. Seeing his explanation makes a lot of sense.
"I could talk for days about these games" Yes, please do!
I can't believe the term mouthful was being used since the beginning of Kirby
Puts perspective on the true history behind "Mouthful mode."
Well is make sense I meam he mouth is pretty much full lol
I am so excited to hear him talk about kid Icarus uprising
Woah for real??
No subsequent Kirby game has outsold the very first Kirby game? That's crazy!
I would've thought it was Kirby Super Star, really surprising
same with the first pokemon games
@@SoulBoundSagaDX honestly that's hard to believe 🤯
1. The Game Boy is one of the best selling consoles of all time
2. Kirby Super Star came out very late in the lifespan of the Super Nintendo
Forgotten Land might overtake it. At the last Nintendo investor briefing they showed it's now the 2nd vest selling and it's only just come out.
having a vision and sticking to it: doesn't always work, but when it does work, it can make for something amazing
50% of the time, it works 100% of the time
this channel's existence and its quality is honestly kind of surreal. It's a whole YT channel's worth of the Smash Bros. character showcases-turned history lessons!
“this might have sucked all the fun out of the Kirby experience“
I see what you did there
Find yourself someone who loves their children like Masahiro Sakurai loves his son Kirby
Kirby is a boy?
congratulations its a boy
He posts every day
HE POSTS EVERY DAY
dont worry about making longer content, i believe many would love you getting into more detail about game development and the games you worked on
Yea and if he ever makes these longer I’d love for him to come back and redo this one!
The only man who can properly dissect Kirby lore
Fact.
I love how the getting hit example and falling was made by Castlevania lol great vid
I can think of no better example. :D
Seriously, the knock back from getting hit in the old Castlevanias was brutal. :D
Sakurai-san, my son and I love playing games together, and one of his very first games was Kirby Star Allies. The ease of play you talk about in this video was a big factor in helping him gain the confidence to keep going and feel accomplished in his playing. Today, he's an avid gamer who plays all sorts of genres and levels of difficulty, but it all started for him with Kirby. Thank you for your works, sir.
Ngl, I am super down with this channel being so bite-sized, and am amazing at how much he is managing to pack into 5 minutes with these videos, BUT, I would also happily watch feature-length documentaries with him talking about making Kirby too, if he so chose. ☺
“I could talk for days about these games,”
And no one would complain if they went on for a half hour. Hell, that’s how most TH-camrs usually do it (whether for ten minutes, half hour, or even 90 minutes; although that last one could be if they are raging against a game that did everything wrong).
1:42 At least the idea of a tongue to swallow enemies did pass on to Gooey in Kirby’s Dream Land 3 (even though Sakurai wasn’t involved in the game).
"I could talk for days about these games."
I'll be looking forward for each game that would be discussed. Can't wait for my favorite Kirby games to be talked about and the development process of them.
This was a wonderful thing to learn about. Listening to veteran creators talk about the things they've made is a genuinely peaceful experience.
he said that he wanted to keep the videos short but i would listen to him talk for hours tbh
The first Kirby might not be seen as crazy now, but this video truly shows how for its time when games were hard as hell, Kirby was revolutionary for its accessibility to beginners.
What Sakurai is doing with this channel is immensely valuable in a multitude of levels.
As a massive Kirby fan, hearing tidbits from the original concept is fascinating and really important in documenting the game and franchise's history.
Also, being interested in game development, the dificulty philosophy that was established here, among other concepts that Sakurai has and will treat in his videos are really educational, and will serve as inspiration for many, many devs. Especially coming from an industry veteran like himself.
And all in fun, easy to understand, amazingly edited videos.
Thank you for your work, Mr. Sakurai.
I absolutely cannot wait for the Melee episode!
Imagine creating one of Nintendo's biggest icons when you are only 19. Sakurai really is amazing.
This is so interesting to be able to hear the initial ideas behind Kirby! One of my favorite game series that uses the "risk and reward" mechanics with enemies is the Klonoa series. It's very satisfying to use enemies to jump higher and solve puzzles. In fact, Klonoa uses enemies very similarly to Kirby, with the ability to pick them up and throw them at other enemies for damage!
"I could talk for days about these games" yes, and if you did we would all listen to your words of wisdom in their entirety. Yes, we would listen to you for days.
You can see that Mr. Sakurai loves this industry and has a lot of passion for his projects that he just put it FREE to everybody interested. What a legend, thank you for your videos!
The very existence of this channel is an absolute treat. Concepts are explained in layman's terms, yet never simply dumbed down, and passion oozes through every sentence. This is an amazing resource for those seeking to learn more about game design, but also an inspiration for any aspiring teachers.
This is an amazing gift for the video game fans and historians all across the world. Very interesting and inspiring too.
Making Kirby the way he is was a very bold but well thought out decision, as shown in the video!
The man just said as casually as he could that he directed his first game when he was 19 years old, as if that wasn't the mark of an absolute prodigy.
Boy, do I feel lucky getting this channel recommended to me!
It's an honor to be here!
0:48 I can't believe they've been using the word "Mouthful" to describe Kirby's abilities since all the way back then
I can rely to this, I was 8 when I first play the game. I remember every other games I played were too hard for a kid, my cousin was playing DK Country at the same time and remember I can’t pass level 3 or 4…
But Kirby Dream Land was different, it was a confortable expérience, every party played was different, and music…
This game define my love for video game, and definitely is responsible why I work on this industy now 😊
It is such a treat to be able to get this kind of insight directly from developers. Thank you so much for sharing all this, it’s a hugely useful resource for fans and developers alike.
I’d love of this inspired more developers, particularly current or past Nintendo ones, to do similar content
Ah, it's always great to hear you talk about your pink creation, Mr. Sakurai! I'd never known that Kirby was originally going to use his tongue in a similar vein to Yoshi. Granted, you did clarify that this was before Yoshi existed, but Miyamoto had been wanting to bring him into the Mario series even as far back as the original Super Mario Bros. if that counts. Either way, I'm glad that Kirby's tongue based moves were switched out for his iconic inhale, as it makes him stand out more!
And yeah, it truly is crazy that Kirby's Dream Land is still the best-selling game in the series, but with how well Kirby & The Forgotten Land is doing, I wouldn't be surprised if the crown would need to be transferred sometime soon. Just goes to show how far your pink creation has come, eh? Splendid video, and can't wait for when you talk about Kirby's Adventure!
EDIT: THE CROWN'S BEEN TRANSFERRED, FORGOTTEN LAND IS NOW THE BEST-SELLING GAME IN THE SERIES, LET'S GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO-
Mr. Sakurai, thank you for talking about design during the Super Nintendo/Game Boy years. It's not something i expected but i appreciate greatly.
It's great to hear from someone of your caliber the reality about difficulty in titles released during that era.
It's really amazing how much insight the man has for the industry even in his early days and how much of that vision Kirby series reflect even today
Great video, Mr. Sakurai
Heyy te conozco un saludo bro jejeje
i cannot wait for the kid icarus uprising game concepts video
its so interesting to hear this stuff. crazy he was 19 when ditecting his first game
I love the Kirby series and the gaming principles it stands for: simplicity, accessibility, and fun! Well done, Mr. Sakurai.
Please don’t hesitate to talk in detail and for hours about your games Mr Sakurai. Would love to listen about your development and thinking of these games as well as what your team had to do to make it.
Thanks sakurai for telling me to get comfortable, i was actually in a really bad posture before and that made me realize. No joke
Oh hey I recognize you hahaha
Its interesting how at the time before Kirbys Dream Land's release, HAL was at a very not so good position, and Dream Land sounded like it could've been the final nail in the coffin for HAL, but Sakurai was confident in his project and HAL continued development and eventually released the game, something a lot of game studios unfortunately don't have the guts to do. Dream Land was the game that saved HAL laboratory, and without it, we wouldn't have the amazing Kirby franchise, or, the biggest crossover in gaming history, and it's crazy to think that if Sakurai wasn't as confident in his project, then he and all of us probably wouldn't be where we are today...
Also, Kirby using his tongue to grab enemies once in development reminds me of gooey in Dream Land 3
Yeah kirby saved hal when you think about it
@@JoyconSwitch well he pretty much do it and is feel like mish mash of kirby and yoshi from my POV
Funny...
When I was a kid, I actually found a Catridge of Kirby's Dream Land that happens to be thrown away in a Open Fire. It is badly damaged by the heat but the game still works when I inserted it on my Gameboy. Apparently, It was the Japanese Version but the game runs as it intended.
That moment in my Childhood is how I met Kirby for the first time.
That’s a cute little story.
why did someone try and burn a kirby game??
I still remember to this day on where I found it.
Unfortunately, The Whole Lot along with my Childhood Home got demolished in favor for another boring building.
@@jesusramirezromo2037 Not sure actually. Never found out who owned it but I think it must have been mixed up with the trash.
If I recalled, The Art on the Catridge got peeled off.
4:47 "*as of this video" - already knows forgotten land is likely going to overtake because of the switch effect
It has
Finally, Kirby lore.
FINALLY
kirby lore very much exists
oh yeah boi
Sakurai backstory
Risk and Reward made me think about Super Meat Boy. The game is hard, but there's no penalty for death, not even a loading screen. You can die 50 times before beating a level. Then at the end you get to see an overlap of all your attempts running like a giant mob, showing how you gradually improved.
Then there's the bandages, the optional collectable you can get. They can make levels more difficult, but again, there's no penalty for death. They keep the levels easy, while also providing challenges for advanced players.
This is a great way for Sakurai to finally get more of his own take the magic behind the Kirby series and more. I didn’t expect him to make his own channel, but that’s dedication for you. He said even though the longer this series goes on, the more money he will lose, he still did it anyway. I salute you Sakurai, the man, the myth, the legend.
Gaming has influenced my life a lot and it all started with one of Sakurai’s games. I have a lot of admiration for him
I don't know if you read the comments but I'd absolutely love a video dedicated to Kid Icarus: Uprising. It was my favorite game on the 3ds and the first game that introduced me to the 'guy who made smash bros', despite already playing brawl and many older kirby titles before Uprising.
it actually kinda blows my mind to hear that kirby's dream land, after all this time, is still the best selling kirby game.
This is really fantastic, the concept of using enemies to your advantage has been carried through the ages in things like Dead Space and more recently Doom Eternal, and those are the games I'm always the most compelled to replay.
Hard to believe Sakurai was 19 when he made Kirby and yet 30 years later he's still a lovable character
Yes, after 30 years Sakurai is still very lovable
Who doesn't look too distantly far off from 19 years old.
Kirby's Dream Land was the first game I ever owned and it really got me into gaming. Being so young, something that was fun and engaging without being punishingly difficult was perfect. It really sparked the imagination. And then I eventually beat Super Mario Land, which was much more difficult and it was very satisfying. I very much appreciate the training wheels you gave me that let me learn and become someone who loves games!
Kirby was *incredibly* polished for its time, especially next to its competition on the Game Boy.
One thing Sakurai did not mention - though he has talked about it in the past - is "using a lunchbox to make lunch". HAL had an internal Game Maker style program for the Twin Famicom (a combo Famicom w/ disk drive) that they apparently did all the game design work for Kirby on. Having this sort of thing for development is absolutely invaluable, and it turns the process of design from "hope you know 6502 assembly" to a workflow more akin to what people would be doing with Director a few years later (or Flash a decade out).
Me: LETS MARATHON ONE OF THE BEST CHANNELS IN TH-cam HISTORY
Me about 20 mins later: Oh
We need yo wait until it havrs atleast 1-5 hours of content
4 videos in and its already one of the best channels on TH-cam. So refreshing to see content like this online
A fantastic video. Even Sakurai recognized how difficult NES games were back in the day. And of course, it's success led to Kirby becoming a gaming icon.
Babe wake up, Sakurai posted a TH-cam video
literally
As an aspiring future game designer it's really nice to have a resource like this be so easily available and accessible. While I've seen other industry veterans make TH-cam videos on the topics of games none have done it in such a concise and easy to understand format like this. It's really something I never expected to see done so professionally and yet I really hope it becomes a more common standard for veterans of the game industry to document the ins and outs of their job outside of the usual GDC talks.
I'm unsure if Mr. Sakurai reads the comments of his videos directly, or takes any feedback from them, but I would really love to see him do lengthy videos occasionally, like specials or documentaries about a game he developed, or his experiences during many games' developments.
I know budget could also be an issue for this, but if there's a possibility we could support you to make these, I would do that in a heartbeat!
It would be very cool if he mad something like that
I think he could combine already existing videos into compilation videos or playlists to make a more full length documentary/lecture. The small bites are perfect for accessibility so I think sticking with that is alright.
Wait he need a budget to make this videos?
Sorry I just don't know how budget involve in making vids from my perspective
@@theenderkirby Sakurai doesn't edit and designs the videos by himself. He has a team working for him under a budget.
He said this in his introduction video. All production comes directly from his wallet.
Talking about the limited memory of the NES cartridge when games now can get to 100GB is insane to think about
if you want to talk about Kirby all day, I'd listen all the way through
I cannot wait for the inevitable Kid Icarus Uprising Game Concepts video. Very fascinated by the dev process on that one!
Man I can tell Sakurai's channel is one of those channels whose reasonably short videos are the kind you can binge-watch during a good meal. I feel like I can watch his videos for hours when he uploads more. Get this man to a million.
Though Mr. Sakurai is so formal as usual, you can still notice how much he loves his son when talking about it.
When you get recommended videos by none other than Masahiro Samurai himself, it really makes you nostalgic when hearing his voice, all the way back when Smash Ultimate was announced, the man's voice brings all sorts of hype, even if his English narrator isnt there with him!
You know you've got a talent for something when you make an iconic Video Game Character at the age of 19.
This is honestly a bigger gamble than I feel people realize. Mr. Sakurai is explaining that he made a game, that he knew was short, very easy during a time where that was not the norm. His focus was trying to maximize 'enjoyment' as much as possible. From gameplay, easy to pick up and play, to visuals, the cute animations, to music that, heard once, will dig in deep in a good way.
Also, his mentality, as someone who has been playing games for decades, is simple but makes you go, "Gosh, I never thought of it like that." Dying from a bottomless pit because you missed a jump is quite overly punishing, isn't it? Reminds me of when I thought that for some instances with Dark Souls series, which is why I was very open to Sekiro's 'spawn back but lose health' mechanic. But back on topic, that line of reasoning lead to Kirby's flight ability which, in my opinion, makes the character and gameplay really standout. That is highly praiseworthy for something fundamentally simple.
桜井さんが19歳のときにカービィを作ったのは驚き。
I like the explanation that the "punishment delta" for getting hit by an enemy on one hand, and missing a jump on the other, was too great. Similar mistakes but inconsistent "reward". And that's why Kirby can fly.
I've always appreciated Kirby's dreamland, and the whole Kirby's franchise philosophy of making the main game as accessible as possible for inexperienced players, whilst keeping a much harder post game, for those who really liked the game, and want to get a good challenge out of it.
Sakurai did a really good job with that gameplay philosophy, and it shows with how good the 3 Kirby platformers that he directed were.
"Kirbo, you are my most favourite creation."
"I could talk for days about these games" yes please 🙏🏻
Whoever does the animation does a great job! The fact that you were 19 when you made the initial design of the character blows my mind! Can’t wait to see more behind the scenes of the games you’ve created!
4:25 hearing the classic invincibility theme after beating Forgotten Land (my first kirby game) makes me realize how insane Kirby must have gotten for long-time fans.
You are absolutely correct 😂
Not really. The games have barely evolved or changed beyond the visuals.
I'm a life long gamer since the NES times and was ready to be harsh on this game low difficult. Turns out I hadn't ever connected the dots about NES action games being hard as the common workaround to the limited memory space and now I'm amazed at how Sakurai offer a pretty solid answer to the times.
This concise & highly ilustrated format rocks.
There are certain game developers who are only in it for publicity and money, but there are also game developers who just want to make a great game for people to enjoy, even if they break their hand in the process. Love what you're doing Sakurai.