Gamasutra Names Sakurai And Sora LTD One Of The Best Developers Of 2014

It’s nearing the end of the year so that means we shall get plenty of top ten lists. However, Gamasutra has published an interesting one which names their top developers of 2014. The list wouldn’t be complete without Masahiro Sakurai and Sora LTD, the driving force behind this year’s acclaimed entry in the Super Smash Bros franchise. Here’s what the publication had to say about the nomination and you can check out the full list, right here.

“It isn’t enough to get on this list to make a great game in 2014, but Sora Ltd. and Masahiro Sakurai — along with a frankly massive team of experienced fighting game developers at Bandai Namco — made two.”

“Super Smash Bros. for 3DS and Super Smash Bros. for Wii U are excellent examples of the craft of making truly fun games: They’ve lived up to the series’ legacy and even improved on it. They exude quality and attention to detail. When the first portable entry in a series is superior to the prior generation’s main console entry, that’s a great sign; things only got better from there.”

“Sakurai himself deserves special mention as the center around which all of this holds; he’s got a legendary reputation within Nintendo for his personal dedication and vision, and if you look across his body of work over the last decade — Meteos, three Smash Bros. games, and Kid Icarus: Uprising — you can perceive a vibrant, iconic “Sakurai style.”

“But Sora and Sakurai are also on the list for another significant reason: Turning around Nintendo’s fortunes. The uptick that began with Mario Kart 8 has blossomed into analyst positivity with the release ofSmash Bros. and Amiibo. Smash for Wii U is the only game that truly supports Amiibo this shopping season, and thanks to that fact, and its excellence, Nintendo has been able to get back in the game.”