Recently, Katsuhiro Harada asked Masahiro Sakurai fans what they were interested in knowing more about this Super Smash Bros. Ultimate game director. Apart from a lot of questions about Kid Icarus: Uprising and Kirby-specific games, many people are noticeably concerned about Sakurai’s health.
Sakurai himself also notices this, and so Harada got the creator of Smash Bros to tell the viewers. Apparently, he’s “okay” right now. Here is the key moment:
Shortly after that, Sakurai reiterated how “okay” she was by thanking everyone and even apologizing to the worried fans. Although he used the same question to talk about a shoulder problem he used to have:
“There was a time when I had a shoulder problem. It was years ago and now it’s okay. People my age are more likely to have stiff shoulders. In many cases the cause is not known. But in my case, the cause was clear, it was calcific tendinitis … When they did an x-ray, I saw these lime-like rice grains there. I asked if they could do surgery, but they didn’t recommend it … It took me a long time to get in. When it hurt I got a block injection.
He ended up mentioning how the only thing that bothers him “right now” are dry eyes. He realizes that “it can’t be avoided” and uses eye drops. While this doesn’t sound good to Sakurai at all, she also mentioned her exercise routine, which includes riding a bike while watching TV and playing games and also lifting 18kg weights. Promise to be careful!
Sakurai has been known to push her limits when it comes to playing new games and has unfortunately come at the expense of her health over the years, which is why some fans have raised their concerns. For example, during the development of Smash Ultimate, he struggled with health issues with an intravenous drip. He has also mentioned to himself how he doesn’t really drink water and prefers Coca-Cola Zero, and how he usually goes to bed around 2:30 in the morning and wakes up at 8:30 in the morning.
Sakurai is currently working hard on the latest Super Smash Bros. DLC fight. The last episode of this special will air next week.