Super Smash Bros. 4 development being hampered due to one painful problem
Paul Yan March 1, 2013 - 5:00 amSuper Smash Bros. creator Masahiro Sakurai says that he has pain in his arm and can’t use his hand. As such, if things don’t get better, “…there’s no telling what impact that would have on the [new Super Smash Bros.] project.”
It’s best, but not required, to have two hands to play games. It’s also best to have two hands to make games, which entails things like using a computer and playtesting games with controllers. Unfortunately for Super Smash Bros. creator Masahiro Sakurai, he can only use one of his hands due to an injured arm, and that’s worrying news for those anxiously waiting for the next SSB game since the injury is causing problems with the title’s development.
“I think the one word I’ve said the most this year, by far, is ‘Ow!’. Not only am I getting calcific tendonitis, but they’ve also found what are apparently several ruptures in the muscles,” Sakurai explained in a Famitsu column (as translated via Polygon) regarding the injury. “My upper arm hurts, and there’s this chronic dull pain in my elbow joint as well. On the lower arm, there’s this feeling of fatigue around the flexor muscles that turns into pain when I use a keyboard or game controller with my fingers.”
Last month, Sakurai said he had pain in his right hand and arm. Now, he basically can’t use either since he needs to let his arm rest to fully heal. However, with only one arm and hand available, Sakurai says that the injury is interfering with his work on the new SSB:
As a director, I don’t have much time in the weekdays to proceed along with my own work. The entire day is spent overseeing other people, holding meetings, working on other proposals, making visits elsewhere and so on. If I can get everything squared away, then I can work on my own stuff, but most of the time there’s just an overwhelming lack of time. Often I go in on my off-days to catch up on my own work, but with my body going on me like this, I have to cut these extra days out of my schedule and even with that I can’t use my right arm very much to control things. If this disorder lingers, or if it never gets fixed, there’s no telling what impact that would have on the project.
Damn, those are grim words. I doubt the game would get cancelled, but it could get delayed, and Wii U owners can tell you how much delays suck (hello Rayman Legends).
Anyway, we hope Sakurai gets better soon!
