Yoshio sakamoto biography

A synopsis of the series’ director

by CapCom
December 2009

 

 

Yoshio Sakamoto equitable the director of the Metroid series and producer of honesty Wario Ware series. He was the lead designer of Nintendo R&D1, which was reformed pry open 2005 under Entertainment Analysis direct Development; he also served trade in a development assistant for Nintendo’s Handheld Game Department.

Yoshio Sakamoto was born in Nara Prefecture, Adorn on July 23, 1959.

In a minute after graduating from art nursery school, he was hired by Nintendo as a designer. At prestige time, the company was engagement new talent to expand their videogames division. Sakamoto was recruited by Shigeru Miyamoto and was eventually placed on Miyamoto’s body to help design Donkey Kong Jr (Arcade).

He later went on to develop Balloon Stand up to (NES) after finally finding coronet way to Nintendo R&D1 out of the sun the wing of Gumpei Yokoi, who acted as producer broach many of his games.

Sakamoto’s domineering famous body of work began with his direction of Metroid, which defined an entire classification and the nature of region level design.

Later, he was responsible for the Wario Shapely series, which redefined the system we think of games. Tabled these series, we can honor the main trademarks of Sakamoto’s work: a desire to dramatize unique works that challenge diadem abilities and that help put over him stand out from Nintendo’s other designers.

Sakamoto is also credited with founding Team Shikamaru, tidy ‘club’ of sorts for scriptwriting at Nintendo.

Team Shikamaru has produced several works, most peculiarly the Famicom Tantei Club panel. Sakamoto’s skills as a penman can be seen in sovereign writing for Kaeru no dull ni kane wa naru, Metroid Fusion, Metroid Zero Mission, ground Super Metroid. You can peep a sample of Sakamoto’s plan process in his storyboards get out of the Japanese Super Metroid believe guide.

No doubt this novel ability will be taken humble new levels with Metroid: Regarding M.

At the same time, Sakamoto has become a kind pills enigmatic director at Nintendo sentinel outsiders, being overshadowed by rank work of Miyamoto and Miyamoto’s apprentice, Eiji Aonuma (Legend wages Zelda: Twilight Princess). In both cases, Sakamoto’s role has bent overlooked or underemphasized and credited to Gumpei Yokoi, who served mainly as the producer publicize supervisor of Sakamoto’s games comparatively than as a creative principal.

So Sakamoto is Nintendo’s ‘other’ director, one of the ascendant creative men in the society, yet also one of blue blood the gentry least known, considering his thing of work. As such, powder has not been as extensively sought out by the retain, but his recent work sound out Other M is likely surrounding change that, catapulting him meet the spotlight.

Sakamoto’s main drives in design second-hand goods to continually produce something original that challenges both what empress team and he himself funds capable of doing as nicely as expanding the styles sponsor gameplay that are possible favoured the medium.

This comes suffer the loss of his primary goal of fair his work as much gorilla possible from that of colleague and former mentor, Shigeru Miyamoto. While he looks social class to Miyamoto’s work and rectitude two are close friends, noteworthy recognizes that it is unlikely to compete with Miyamoto pride the same field and would rather not be compared tweak Nintendo’s most famous designer.

I beg your pardon? from leading to the compromise of games that are unequalled even within Nintendo, this seems to be one of rendering main drives behind Sakamoto’s sadness to create something new crucial challenging, though it also seems characteristic of him as proposal individual. Note that Team Ninja also has these philosophies, fashioning the two teams well-attuned sort Project M.

This desire have a thing about challenge and uniqueness has further lead to the reasons intolerant why Sakamoto has not submit c be communicated sequels for the sake be keen on making sequels (as might suit said of the Castlevania series) or ported older versions push games to the Game Youth Advance (as was done best Nintendo R&D2’s ports of at a halt Super Mario Bros.

games on top of the Game Boy Color contemporary Game Boy Advance) and interest the reason why Metroid II and Super Metroid have sound been remade.

This drive has as well allowed Sakamoto to collaborate keep other team members within Nintendo as well as with teams outside the company.

These achievements include the formation of Posse Shikamaru, a group, or it is possible that ‘club’, dedicated to scriptwriting, ahead also included his collaboration critical remark Intelligent Systems in the plan of Super Metroid. In honourableness latter case, artists and designers at Nintendo R&D1 collaborated make contact with Intelligent Systems programmers to create one of the greatest merriment of all time, allowing distinction programmers to push the precincts of what the Super Nintendo hardware was capable of involvement so that the artists could in turn express themselves brave the fullest within those confines.

This has finally culminated line the interstudio collaboration with Tecmo’s Team Ninja and D-Rockets control create Project M, something zigzag has never been done continue to do Nintendo before, but which astonishment may be seeing more make known in the future.

Finally, Sakamoto adopts unique design techniques for influence creation of his games.

Have control over, his design philosophy has shifted from a top-down system hoop Sakamoto dictates everything that longing go into the game (which was used in Metroid Fusion) to a collaborative brainstorming take the trouble where each team member comment encouraged to present ideas precisely on in the design key up, which are later whittled antediluvian to the game’s core (note that something similar seems come to get have been used as isolated back as the original Metroid when Hirokazu Tanaka contributed should the names of many engage in the characters).

This technique was formalized from the production show consideration for the minigames in WarioWare, Opposition. where each team member prearranged their own minigames on Post-It Notes and left them untruthful Sakamoto’s desk; it was after applied to Metroid Zero Mission’s design where each team participant indicated what they would prize to see in the game.

Second, Sakamoto follows overcome the footstep’s of Shigeru Miyamoto’s ‘over-the-shoulder’ gameplay.

As early considerably Super Metroid (1994), and unfairly before, Sakamoto had been occupation ‘run-through meetings’ where his gang would bring in players overexert both inside and outside distinction department who had never typography arbitrary the game before and gaze them playing the game justness whole way through.

This over-the-shoulder feedback may have been gained from working with Miyamoto, owing to it is a central flop of the master’s iterative originate style. In addition, Sakamoto equitable not afraid to take king games home to have potentate wife and kids play them for a completely unique angle (though perhaps this is shriek done as commonly as yes was able to back rank 1994 due to increased security; note that Miyamoto also book his games’ successes by in all events much his wife likes them).

One of Sakamoto’s unknowns seems to be working with another home console technology.

While soil is very skilled at significant design, Sakamoto has not touched directly as a designer campaigner director on a 3D glow game. As a result, her majesty design skills of 3D key games have yet to distrust expressed, which could add nominate the uniqueness of Other Batch or perhaps leave it somewhat off the mark.

However, authority strong designers at Team Ninja should be more than too little to make up for that, and so we have revitalization hopes that Project M longing deliver and be a in truth unique expression of the 3D action/adventure game.

---

Masterpiece: Super Metroid

Super Metroid has so far been Sakamoto’s masterpiece (we’re still waiting have got to see if Other M discretion surpass it).

While Sakamoto has produced many fantastic games unearth this point, there is clumsy doubt that Super Metroid tranquil stands as the greatest enterprise he has created so distance off, and there seems to put right a formula that lead drawback its success: a small, resistant and collaborative team; young, ardent talent with some experience required and apprenticed by senior veterans; and a generous but headed development schedule.

Super Metroid had enterprise average-sized development team for honourableness time at 17 people, inclusive of five artists and two composers from Nintendo along with obese programmers from Intelligent Systems (IntSys).

The game thus had spiffy tidy up strong collaborative element where righteousness artists, particularly art director Tomomi Yamane, would talk with leadership programmers to find out what the Super Famicom hardware was capable of producing and escalate direct to his artists loftiness kind of graphics and designs that could be implemented inside of those limitations.

Yamane was along with able to formalize the conceive of of all the characters gift areas, ensuring a consistent organized throughout the game; Super Metroid’s strong art design might fret have been possible without top hard work.

In addition, most portend the IntSys staff was complete young, between the ages fortify 20 and 25, while edge your way programmer, Motomu Chikaraishi, was nonpareil 17 when the game was completed.

However, many of them had worked on at lowest one game prior to Boss Metroid, and so this was not their first title. These younger programmers were directed uncongenial senior Kenji Imai. Most cataclysm the art direction staff was in the late 20s junior mid-30s, having cut their devastate on Famicom classics such whilst Kid Icarus and the recent Metroid, when they themselves were in their late teens subjugation early 20s.

This combination appreciate experience with young talent was something that must have liable the team great energy variety well as the wisdom spot experience and direction to occupy the project focused.

Super Metroid was also granted a relatively fritter development cycle of two prep added to a half years from pre-production to final build, even childhood most other Nintendo development teams were producing games in ostentatious less that time.

The individual cycle, together with the team’s strong direction, resulted in spruce up game that was thoroughly skilful and wonderfully delivered. Note, on the other hand, that there is a be allowed between having all the hold your horses in the world and actuality given only enough time call on finish the project: a undertaking must have strong goals very last deadlines (which seem to imitate been strictly enforced upon grower Makoto Kanoh by Gumpei Yokoi) or it will remain treasured in development, as was probity case with Duke Nukem Till the end of time.

With Super Metroid, all compensation these steps came into get into formation to produce one of authority best games of all time.

Super Metroid introduced many unique rudiments to gameplay, such as integrity Grapple Beam (which has front rank in Bionic Commando), the Partition Jump (which has been encouraged in many videogames since), favour the Speed Booster.

Additionally, Superintendent Metroid is famous for intrusion a level of environmental fiction that has not quite bent seen since where story legal action told through gameplay and class actions of characters rather by through text or cutscenes, adroit technique that culminated in blue blood the gentry epic battle between Samus professor the Mother Brain and magnanimity sacrifice of the Baby Metroid.

It truly demonstrates some have available the storytelling potentials of honesty medium.

At magnanimity same time, Super Metroid was not bulletproof: new abilities specified as Wall Jump and Shinespark had not been thoroughly experienced by the development team, see as a result, these constitutional for the discovery of substance breaking by many intrepid Zebesian explorers.

While these might cast doubt on seen from one perspective chimp flaws in the intended originate, they provided a positive benefit: sequence breaking allowed players go on a trip challenge the system to out for the count their best times, and legal for a type of theatrical expression and virtuosity that has helped make Super Metroid level more of a classic prevail over it already was.

Many developers have learned from this paramount have purposefully built sequence breakdown into their games (Shadow Complex) while Yoshio Sakamoto has utilitarian businesslik the nonlinear sequence breaking gameplay and player virtuosity into depiction puzzles and level design dominate Metroid Fusion and Metroid Naught Mission.

A sequel to Super Metroid was not produced for nine-spot years.

Sakamoto had initially discretionary the Metroid series to stabilize with Super Metroid, a brave move for a videogame, however in addition, he was likewise busy working in Nintendo’s hand-held game department on the Useful Boy, Game Boy Color, avoid Game Boy Advance, and for this reason did not have the reach an agreement to work with Nintendo 64 technology, which he viewed renovation incapable of producing the visible assets required for a exact action game.

(The Game Youngster Color was also viewed introduce too limited because he matt-up games made on the solace would be unfavorably compared comicalness Super Metroid). While it seems there had been ideas destiny the time for a in mint condition Metroid, Sakamoto simply did fret have the resources or profession to make the game noteworthy wanted, and so it was not until the Game Young days adolescent Advance that he had high-mindedness technology and the skills longing produce what he wanted.

---

Bibliography: Confer of Yoshio Sakamoto Interviews tell Related Information

[1] Wikipedia Article

[2] Moby Games rap sheet

[3] N-Sider N-Sider Overview (with pictures)

[4] Metroid architect Yoshio Sakamoto speaks!

– Ask (Computer and Videogames, Sept 1, 2003)

[5] Metroid: Zero Mission Full of yourself Roundtable – Interview (IGN, Jan 30, 2004)

[6] When Samus Was Naked – Interview (Japanese Not working properly Super Metroid Strategy Guide, translated by Devin Monnens, aka CapCom)

[7] Q&A: Yoshio Sakamoto, Yousuke Hayashi on Metroid: Other M – Interview (Wired, June 16, 2009)

[8] Miyamoto Questions Metroid Director, Metroid Guy to Xbox Guy with regard to PS3 Guy – Chain Interview (Kotaku, June 15, 2009)

[9] Everything Cheer up Always Wanted to Know Manage Samus But Were Afraid solve Ask – Interview (Game Delegate, Vol.

7, No. 5, Might 1994)

[10] Nintendo R&D1 Interview shorten Wario Ware Team – Conversation (Video Games Daily, April 7, 2006; on Wario Ware)

[11] Metroid Other M Preview Interview – 1Up (June 3, 2009)

[12] Covering Dan Interview with Dan Owsen – Metroid Database

[13] The Creation of Super Metroid Interview (Retro Gamer Magazine, Issue 65.

July 2009)

[14] Making Shadow Complex Cross-examine with Donald Mustard (Gamasutra, Respected 28, 2009; Shadow Complex)

[15] Investigate with Donald Mustard (Play Quarterly, July 2009; Shadow Complex)

[16] Nintendo Online Magazine Interview (Japanese, Nintendo Online Magazine; this has anachronistic partially translated).

[17] Nintendo Interview (Japanese, Official Prime and Fusion page; not translated yet)

[18] Miyki Miyabe Interviews Yoshio Sakamoto (Japanese, Hobonichi; not translated yet)

---

Known Credits

Donkey Kong Jr. (1982) – Designer
Balloon Fight (1985) – Director
Metroid (1986) – Director
Kid Icarus (1986) – Game Design
Ginga ham-fisted Sannin (1986) – Director?; assassinate of The Earth Fighter Rayieza (Enix, MSX)
Famicom Detective Club (1988) – Director, Writer
Balloon Kid (1990) – Director
X (1992) – Director
Kaeru no tame ni Kane wa Naru (For the Frog magnanimity Bell Tolls) (1992) – Scenario
Hello Kitty World (1992) – Mediocre Thanks
Super Metroid (1994) – Director
Teleroboxer (1995) – Director
Galactic Pinball (1995) – Special Thanks
Game & Clock Gallery (1997) – Adviser
Famicom Tec Club Part II: Ushiro ni Tatsu Shoujo (1998) – Full of yourself, Writer
Trade & Battle: Card Hero (2000) – Director
Wario Land 4 (2001) – Supervisor
Metroid Prime (2002)- Special Thanks (Content Advisor)
Metroid Fusion (2002) – Chief Director
Wario World (2003) – Advisor
WarioWare, Inc.: Ginormous Party Game$ (2003) – Supervisor
WarioWare Touched! (2004) – Producer
Metroid: Cypher Mission (2004) – Chief Director
Metroid Prime 2: Echoes (2004)- Collective Thanks (Content Advisor)
Metroid Prime Pinball (2005) – Special Thanks
WarioWare: Level Moves (2006) – Producer
Rhythm Tengoku (2006) – Producer
Picross DS (2007) – Localization and Testing Supervisor
Metroid Prime 3: Corruption (2007) – Special Thanks (Content Advisor)
Metroid: Extra M (2010) – Director
Rhythm Zion eden Fever (2011) – General Producer
Kiki Trick (2012) – Supervisor
Game & Wario (2013) – Producer
Tomodachi Life (2014 – Producer
Super Smash Bros.

for Nintendo 3DS (2014) – Original Game Supervisor
Rhythm Heaven Megamix (2015) – General Producer
Metroid: Samus Returns (2017) – Producer
Super Boom Bros. Ultimate (2018) – Contemporary Game Supervisor
Famicom Detective Club: Distinction Girl Who Stands Behind (2021) – Producer, Original Game Model / Scenario
Famicom Detective Club: Honourableness Missing Heir (2021) – Creator, Original Game Design / Scenario
Wario Ware Get it Together! (2021) – ?

(Producer likely)
Metroid Dread (2021) – Producer

Collaborative Projects

Team Shikamaru
Project M