Is Gamepro magazine the reason we have Super Smash Brothers?

BTP

I was just about to play some San Francisco Rush on my N64, when I felt I wanted to play with some of the cheats hidden in the game just for the heck of it. I couldn't remember all of them, so instead of heading over to gamefaq, I pull out my issue of Gamepro March 1998 that talked about the game in length. As I was flipping through the pages, I came across an interview they did with Shigeru Miyamoto and the upcoming stuff for the N64 like Ocarina of Time, 1080 Snowboarding, and F-Zero X. But as it gets toward the end of the interview, they talk about fighting games. Seeing the words that are used and also having hindsight, it makes me wonder if this is where Super Smash Brothers began.

Gamepro: With many of the genres finally getting a few games, it would be nice to see a really good fighting game.

Miyamoto: Yes, that's true. If we had the manpower, it's possible we would do that, but right now we must depend upon other developers. For example, Namco should make a fighting game. Maybe they will. (laughs) But how about Killer Instinct Gold?

Gamepro: That game and another fighting game haven't gotten a warm reception from fighting game fans.

Miyamoto: Hmm, maybe I should seriously consider making one. However, making a game takes a lot of effort. We would not be able to make a top-level fighting game right away.

Gamepro: But only if you would come out and set the standard for all the other developers to reach. You have been the man that all designers are striving to emulate.

Miyamoto: Thank you. I just try to produce games that have an impact on kids when they first play them and, from then on, continue to provide enjoyment every time they are played. However, I just don't think that fighting games are the genre to do that.
We certainly were the first to make that type of game with Urban Champ and Punch Out, so Nintendo does have some expertise in the fighting game department. However, I feel I was beaten to the punch when Virtua Fighter came out, since I was fooling around with polygons at the time. I thought that was one of the ideal ways to create a fighting game. My pride at that point wouldn't allow me to bring out something that would have been seen as a copy. If we had continued at that point, maybe now....

Super Smash Brothers came out a year later, and it did have the Fighting Polygon Team.....What do you think?

thunderclump

I was always informed that Smash Brothers evolved from a screensaver Satoru Iwata made to amuse his kids.

I imagine Miyamoto makes his decisions withot solicitiing ideas from magazine interviewers.

BTP

I've never heard of that screensaver bit.

What I was meaning was that Miyamoto said that he was playing around with making a fighter but then Virtua Fighter came out and so he stopped. Then this interview happened, and it gave him the inspiration to go back and keep trying but also make something different. Then end result being SSB.

SimBen

1) If SSB came out a year after this interview, then it was already in the works when the interview was made. No way it was made in less than a year.

2) HAL made SSB, not Nintendo, Miyamoto had no direct involvement with the dev team.

3) Miyamoto is always like that in interviews. That man doesn't know the difference between "we're working on it" and "I just had this crazy idea". I've seen interviews where he confirmed Metroid 64, and new installments of Kid Icarus and Luigi's Mansion.

It always goes:
Mag: "You know, series x really deserves a new sequel!"
Shiggy: "Well I love that game too! Maybe I make new game!"
Mag: "What, really?"
Shiggy: "lol yes, I'm Shiggy."

Then it's SHIGERU MIYAMOTO CONFIRMS MACH RIDER 2 all over the Internet.

Bottomline: don't take him too seriously in interviews.

Imran

Screensaver bit is true, but it was Miyamoto's computer, not Iwata.

LBD_Nytetrayn

SimBen wrote: »

1) If SSB came out a year after this interview, then it was already in the works when the interview was made. No way it was made in less than a year.

2) HAL made SSB, not Nintendo, Miyamoto had no direct involvement with the dev team.

3) Miyamoto is always like that in interviews. That man doesn't know the difference between "we're working on it" and "I just had this crazy idea". I've seen interviews where he confirmed Metroid 64, and new installments of Kid Icarus and Luigi's Mansion.

It always goes:
Mag: "You know, series x really deserves a new sequel!"
Shiggy: "Well I love that game too! Maybe I make new game!"
Mag: "What, really?"
Shiggy: "lol yes, I'm Shiggy."

Then it's SHIGERU MIYAMOTO CONFIRMS MACH RIDER 2 all over the Internet.

Bottomline: don't take him too seriously in interviews.

This part was win.

Btw, since color's no longer a visible option in making posts, what's the tag for colors?

Gosling

It is a visible option. I see it right here in the Quick Reply text box.