Wii U Super Smash Bros News Update: Brawler Delayed Due To Game Director's Injury?

It looks like we'll be waiting a little longer for the next Super Smash Bros, thanks in large part to an arm injury sustained by Masahiro Sakurai. The developer reported that calcific tendonitis and muscle ruptures in his right arm are making it difficult for him to work on the upcoming Wii U and 3DS versions of the game.

Sakurai describes the injury as painful, and very distracting from his duties as the game's director.

I think the one word I've said the most this year, by far, is 'Ow!' Not only am I getting calcific tendonitis, but they've also found what are apparently several ruptures in the muscles. My upper arm hurts, and there's this chronic dull pain in my elbow joint as well. On the lower arm, there's this feeling of fatigue around the flexor muscles that turns into pain when I use a keyboard or game controller with my fingers.

He also says that the situation is complicated, as he does not have much time during the day to deal with the injury. As he spends most of his day overseeing his team or holding meetings, the most he can do is alleviate the pain using injections, or use a cast to keep the damage from spreading.

As a director, I don't have much time in the weekdays to proceed along with my own work. The entire day is spent overseeing other people, holding meetings, working on other proposals, making visits elsewhere and so on," Sakurai said. "If I can get everything squared away, then I can work on my own stuff, but most of the time there's just an overwhelming lack of time.

Often I go in on my off-days to catch up on my own work, but with my body going on me like this, I have to cut these extra days out of my schedule and even with that I can't use my right arm very much to control things.

Sakurai is unsure at this point what effect the injury will have on the project if it continues. He expressed his frustration at the delay it has caused, especially with having to play-test the game with only one arm. With so much on the line though, fans can only wish him a speedy recovery, and hope that the injury does not continue to hamper his work for much longer.