@MetaMario:
The idea of a "breath of fresh air" has always interested me, and I wonder the same question as I did when Brawl finally got released….where does the world of Smash go from here? Tbh I always figured Brawl would be the last installment, considering all the stuff that was packed in (mind you, I was 13, I had little knowledge of [insert omission of tech here]): the SSE, all the trophies, more characters, stickers, the fact that we got third-party characters like Sonic and Snake….the idea of being a Smash 4 did not cross my mind until....well, 2011, when we knew it was coming.
I mean....just look at the series has evolved. Smash 64 was a experimental idea, nobody knew it'd be a big hit. Melee was a sequel that was developed in such a crunched time span and became even more popular than the original, and I'm not even talking about all the competitiveness that soon was born. Now with Brawl and this game….Smash Bros. is a regular powerhouse series now for Nintendo.
Would I object to the idea of a new director in the future? Nope, considering how much Sakurai nearly kills himself to make these games (barely any sleep for Melee, the condition in his shoulder, DLC here, etc.). If Smash 5 were to take the same amount of time as Melee to Brawl and Brawl to Smash 4, than Sakurai would be about 50, Jesus Christ. Take a break man, go make different games, whatever floats your boat. But mostly….it would be interesting to see a new face at the held. We've played Zelda under Aonuma after Miyamoto/Tezuka, and we've played Pokemon under Masuda after Tajiri, and guess what, people still love both.
(That reminds me: didn't Sakurai quit HAL because he was tired of making sequels, or rather, the company pushing for them?)
At the same time, I'll admit I have a fondness for the guy. Is he perfect? Har har, no developer is. But it's just great to see all the little details and easter eggs and stuff, how enthusiastic he seems to be (take a look at the April direct, for example), and mostly, because I've always had fun playing the Smash Bros. games. All 4, even if people argue constantly on which ones suck and why. Because at the end of the day, it's still a bunch of our favorite Nintendo characters beating the tar out of each other. And mind you, it did take more than one man to make it happen.
But that's enough pondering for now. Let me just enjoy the glory of Smash 4 for a while.
He's hinted at being forced into making more smash bros games. I believe he intended Melee to be the last Smash bros game he directed.