Atlas's recruitment drive finally concluded after a full week. The company had expanded to a total of 150 employees, rendering their single-floor office insufficient. In addition to the original 24th-floor space, Kobayashi Tetsu leased the 8th floor of the Mitsui Building as a new workspace. He had paid off the small, scattered companies that had previously occupied the floor to clear it out.
Among the new additions, several distinct development teams were formed. Additionally, a dedicated Technical Development Department was established, staffed by a selection of veteran employees. This department was not located in the Mitsui Building but was instead set up in a new, emerging area of Tokyo.
The newly hired employees were distributed across the various Game Development Departments.
Kobayashi Tetsu did not discriminate based on academic credentials. Among the thirty-odd new hires, there were graduates from prestigious universities as well as those from more ordinary institutions. Sakurai Masahiro was perhaps the most unique of them all.
Kobayashi Tetsu's reason for choosing him was simple: Sakurai Masahiro was a future legend.
Sakurai Masahiro joined HAL Laboratory in 1989, where he worked alongside Iwata Satoru to develop games including Kirby. He later went on to direct the Super Smash Bros. series.
It is fair to say that Sakurai's academic credentials were not impressive, nor was his technical skill truly exceptional—after all, he was self-taught rather than formally educated. However, his approach to game design was remarkably clear. He knew how to play to his strengths while mitigating the weaknesses of both himself and his team.
Compared to other platformers of its time, Kirby was neither the most visually stunning nor the most responsive in its controls. Yet, its gameplay was unique and remained exceptional for years to come. Similarly, the Super Smash Bros. series broke away from the demanding inputs of traditional fighting games. Rather than simplifying the experience, it breathed new life into its roster of characters, cleverly leveraging their popularity.
Overall, while Sakurai Masahiro might not be the single most talented game producer, he certainly ranks among the very best.
At first, Kobayashi Tetsu didn't recognize him. It was only when the man mentioned the design of Super Smash Bros. that Tetsu suddenly remembered the game and, subsequently, Sakurai Masahiro himself.
After a week of recruiting, Tetsu returned to the company, only to find the atmosphere had completely changed.
"Ah, the world of the young," Tetsu sighed, clasping his hands behind his back. Just as he was about to raise a hand to quote some famous words of wisdom, he heard someone snicker.
Tetsu turned to face Takamine Aika. She immediately suppressed her smile, raising a hand to adjust her headband as if the sound hadn't come from her at all.
"What's so funny?"
"Nothing. I was just thinking that Tetsu-kun is actually younger than most of them."
Tetsu shook his head vigorously and raised a finger. "I might look young, but my soul is old!"
As he spoke, the elevator reached the eighth floor. Tetsu stepped out and headed toward the offices.
The three newly formed teams—Team Ninja, the Megami Group, and the ARC Group—had all been assigned to the eighth floor. Most of the new recruits had also been placed in these three groups. Tetsu was here to do a quick inspection and, more importantly, to make his face familiar to the new employees.
Unexpectedly, as the elevator doors slid open, Kobayashi Tetsu immediately spotted Sakurai Masahiro filling his cup at the water cooler.
"Oh! You must be Sakurai-kun, Sakurai Masahiro," Kobayashi Tetsu said, reciting the man's full name.
Sakurai Masahiro looked up sharply, a hint of pleasant surprise on his face. "President Kobayashi! You know my name?"
Kobayashi Tetsu smiled. "I might not remember everyone, but how could I forget someone with such a unique creative mind as yours, Sakurai-kun?"
Of course, it wasn't just because Sakurai Masahiro was a legendary figure in the industry. Kobayashi Tetsu had specifically memorized the names and physical descriptions of every single employee at Atlas. For those he paid closer attention to, he had even researched their family backgrounds.
He wasn't Napoleon, capable of remembering every single soldier's name, but being able to call someone by name when it mattered was a powerful way to quickly build rapport.
It was obvious that Sakurai Masahiro felt deeply flattered.
Kobayashi Tetsu didn't ask how he was settling in or what his impressions were. After all, who has much to say on their first day of work?
Instead, he pivoted to a different topic. "I thought you'd still be on vacation, Sakurai-kun. I'm surprised to see you've started working so soon."
"Yes, I was considering that," Sakurai Masahiro lied. "But it's probably better to start working as soon as possible, right?"
In truth, he hoped that by working hard, his superiors would notice his ability and recognize his performance. That was why he chose to skip the vacation and start early. After all, he was likely the least educated employee at Atlas.
Kobayashi Tetsu offered a few words of encouragement but didn't dwell on the matter. He quickly inspected the development progress on the eighth floor before departing.
Sakurai Masahiro bowed as Kobayashi Tetsu left, then pumped his fist in the air.
Yes! I can't believe Kobayashi Tetsu even remembers my name! I'll give it my all! Maybe one day I can even head a game development department!
In the ascending elevator, Takamine Aika asked, "The President seems to think highly of that Sakurai Masahiro person."
Kobayashi Tetsu replied, "You could say that. He has some interesting ideas. He might become an excellent game producer in the future."
Takamine Aika understood and opened her notebook to take a note. "So, should we assign him to a project right away?"
"Now? No way!" Kobayashi Tetsu laughed. "I won't be assigning him anything just yet. To be blunt, even the most talented people need training. Experience is what allows talent to truly shine. I see potential in him, but if I put him in charge of a project right now, there's no guarantee he won't mess it up. He's working in the ARC Group for now. I'll let him gain some experience and see how he performs. After he's proven himself on a few games, I'll consider what to assign him next."
Even legends aren't born overnight. After joining HAL Laboratory, Sakurai Masahiro slogged through three years of grunt work before he finally got the chance to independently produce Kirby.
Without those three years of experience, there's no guarantee Kirby would have been the hit it became.
Kobayashi Tetsu didn't dwell on the matter any further.
"Let's go. Next, we're heading to Adachi City. The Technical Development Department has rented a cheap warehouse there for their R&D work. Let's see how they're getting on."
Many of the plans Kobayashi Tetsu was preparing—including the Game Developers Conference and the Pokémon promotion—all depended on the Technical Development Department completing this game engine for 2D games. Naturally, their progress was the top priority!
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