Kirby creator working on new project

  • By Staff, GameSpot
  • Posted Dec 16, 2005 3:49 pm PT

Masahiro Sakurai is making a new LCD game with former Sega hardware developers.

Former Hal Laboratory producer Masahiro Sakurai may be creating the next Smash Brothers for Nintendo's Revolution, but Famitsu reports that he's also been working on smaller projects. Sega announced that it is releasing a new LCD game on February 23 in Japan, which will be based on its popular MushiKing arcade card battle game. MushiKing isn't a widely recognized title in America, but it's a major hit with kids in Japan, where more than 11,000 machines are installed nationwide in toy stores and other locations.

Sodatete! MushiKing, as Sakurai's game is called, is a virtual-pet game like Bandai's Tamagotchi toys. The game, which features 20 different types of beetles for players to raise, comes in a round, plastic casing with horns sticking out from the top. The beetles are finicky eaters, and by figuring out which food the bug likes best, its stats are raised. Players can raise their beetle for one week until it dies, but if they take good care of the beetle, it will leave an egg, and its parameters will be inherited to the next beetle.

Like the arcade version, the player can fight against CPU-controlled beetles in a game of rock-paper-scissors. Sodatete! MushiKing owners can also challenge one another, as the LCD game comes with an infrared communication function. There are also four minigames that can be enjoyed alone.

14 Comments

  • Eribuster_basic

    Posted Dec 19, 2005 8:49 am PT

    OH **** He worked on Mushiking?! I knew it must've been someone awesome to think of something so brilliant. Hail Masahiro Sakurai.

  • T_Prince

    Posted Dec 18, 2005 2:23 pm PT

    Hope he concentrates on SSB more.

  • shadowkid878

    Posted Dec 18, 2005 11:47 am PT

    i HOPE THEY MAKE A NEW KRIBY GAME

  • Benny_is_here

    Posted Dec 18, 2005 6:44 am PT

    [This message was deleted at the request of the original poster]

  • Platyphyllum

    Posted Dec 18, 2005 5:44 am PT

    I lived in the Philippines and they had Mushiking there too. It wasn't popular though.

  • Samusman1

    Posted Dec 18, 2005 1:05 am PT

    Um. That's interesting.

  • Kaji_ryoji

    Posted Dec 17, 2005 9:38 am PT

    vaya LCD .....weno sega en sus raices mas pekeñas , ojala ke krezka y ke algún pero algún dia nos pueda traer una makina,pero esto será posible?

    sonic 4 ever

  • deathstarcant

    Posted Dec 16, 2005 11:09 pm PT

    Poor Sega Hardware developers, look what they've been reduced to *sniff*

  • Mit_Man

    Posted Dec 16, 2005 8:38 pm PT

    Why are they telling us this?

  • Kwiksilva

    Posted Dec 16, 2005 7:44 pm PT

    Doesnt sound too interesting especially since Tamagotchi toys are lame.

  • oblivion437

    Posted Dec 16, 2005 6:37 pm PT

    I love the Kirby games like one loves a good pie...Without reservation and childlike innocence.

    One of the finest platformers released on the SNES was Kirby Superstar, with its easy 'change-up' method built-in to the gameplay's core mechanics. I just hope whatever Sakurai works on has that same level of inspiration.

  • ssj4_2004

    Posted Dec 16, 2005 6:05 pm PT

    Hmm, I hope it's good. -very original comment...

  • Funkyhamster

    Posted Dec 16, 2005 5:52 pm PT

    Wasn't Sakurai previously stated to be working on another (unnamed) project? I wonder if this is the same one, or a different one.

    EDIT: Dang EqualPlatinum, you're like the first person on every topic. Woah.

  • EqualPlatinum

    Posted Dec 16, 2005 4:05 pm PT

    (first as usual) Hmmm, hope it's good. -original comment...

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