In the past, I worked for HAL, and when working there, I had limitations and had restrictions on what I could create. They wanted me to make the next 'Smash Bros.' and the next 'Kirby,' and that wasn't the place for me.

We do various kinds of research during the planning stage. We consider the inclusion of characters that feature in games being developed at the same time, are highly requested by users, and are popular within their series. We then think about how they could be unique if they were to appear in 'Super Smash Bros.'

A game's concept is one of its most important assets. I feel that we must aim to satisfy both beginners and experts, and that hasn't changed since I was making 'Kirby' games.

I was striving to become an engineer, but something happened that made me think, 'Maybe I can make games instead.'