Masahiro Sakurai Shared Details About Kazama Animations in SSBU

The new Masahiro Sakurai on Creating Games video is out, and this time the SSBU Kazuya Kazama DLC is used as an example to show when “Too Much is Just Right.” The video is dedicated to over-the-top animations in game, showing how the extra emphasis and action can be an effective means of showing intensity and enhancing the experience.

The video kicks off with the most extreme example of “too much is just right” regarding Kazama in SSBU which involves his roundhouse into Triple Spin Kick that sees his upper and lower body twist in a way that is unrealistic and, in a normal human, would likely break their spine. Sakurai pointed out that this isn’t a bug, and cites how that same animation appeared in the original Tekken. He then explains how more exaggerated motions lead to animations looking better, and more moderate ones aren’t enough.

Sakurai cited other games when discussing how far fighting game animations have come over the years. He began by discussing Dragon King: The Fighting Game, which eventually became the original Super Smash Bros., and how technical limitations meant arms were connected to the torso and limited to different angles. He also showed an example from Virtua Fighter, which featured Lao performing that same sort of roundhouse kick as Kazama with the same exaggerated movement.

Here is the full Sakurai “Too Much is Just Right” video.

Masahiro Sakurai on Creating Games is an ongoing YouTube series from the SSBU, Kirby, and Kid Icarus: Uprising developer. Each entry goes behind the scenes of game development, sharing what Sakurai’s learned while creating games over the years. Other recent entries went over things like the Super Smash Bros. beginnings and “Fun Beyond Game Essence.”

Super Smash Bros Ultimate is available for the Nintendo Switch, and people can get the Kazuya Kazama DLC for an additional $5.99.