Masahiro Sakurai has chimed in on the Switch 2 Nintendo Direct announcement – but what did he exactly mean?
As we reported, the Direct is coming this April, a few days after the end of this fiscal year and just in time for the start of the next one. While we don’t know if that timing is hinting at something in relation to the console’s launch date or software lineup, we know that a lot of people are excited for it.
Sakurai quoted this announcement and made this reaction on his personal Twitter:
“へー！”
Some outlets have taken the Google Translate of this expression at face value. According to DualShockers, Sakurai just said, Wow! But could there be more to it than that?
While yours truly is not a native Japanese speaker, we thought it would be worth the effort to find at least some more information on this word and what it could contextually mean. We found a YouTube Japanese language educational video that shares this description:
“The word [へー] is used to express agreement or admiration about something heard.”
The video went on to share examples of へー used in everyday Japanese. It also demonstrated that a Japanese speaker could use it at the start of a sentence to express surprise. It can also help in starting or extending a conversation.
One might wonder why we even bothered when this seems to be a simple phrase. Well, as redditors Night-Quest and Caciulacdlac noticed, Sakurai has said this word to a global audience before.
In fact, it’s the same word he used to express his surprise (probably mixed with admiration) when Sora was announced as the last DLC guest character for Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, three years ago. In fact, we’ll share the video for you below (timestamp here if it doesn’t work on this page).
Now, we would like to remind you, even though Sakurai is a true blue veteran at Nintendo, making Kirby and Super Smash Bros. video games for them for years, he’s actually been a freelancer for quite a long time now. So he may have learned about the Switch 2 Direct at the same time as we all did. Maybe his surprise is genuine.
But it may also be the case that he didn’t know this, while he knew about other things going on at Nintendo. After all, Sakurai has yet to officially announce his retirement from making Super Smash Bros., even if he keeps hinting it.
Furthermore, Sakurai revealed last year that he was still making a game in the last three years that he was also running his YouTube channel about video game development. It’s genuinely possible that that game isn’t with Nintendo, but it could still be planned to release on the Switch 2.
So that surprise may also have to do with Sakurai making preparations for the release of that game he has yet to announce. Of course, he could be joking around with us this whole time, and turn out to be in the Switch 2 Direct. Some fans hope he announces Kid Icarus Uprising for the Switch 2, while I want a Meteos revival. In any case, we are all definitely looking forward to the Switch 2 Direct more now.
