Yoshio Sakamoto



Yoshio Sakamoto is a Japanese game designer who works for Nintendo. He is the co-creator of the Metroid series having worked as director, scenario designer, or script writer for many of the titles.

Sakamoto grew up with Nintendo toys, which he noted to be inventive and occasionally "strange". The company hired him in 1982 when he came out of art college. Recruited by Shigeru Miyamoto, his first position was as designer on the team behind Donkey Kong Jr. He turned to the Nintendo Entertainment System afterward, helping design Kid Icarus and directing Metroid, both 1986.

Following the original Metroid, Sakamoto has directed all Metroid games produced internally by Nintendo except Metroid II: Return of Samus. These are Super Metroid (1994), Metroid Fusion (2002), and Metroid: Zero Mission (2004). He also supervised the production of Retro Studios's Metroid Prime (2002) and Metroid Prime 2: Echoes (2004). He was also editorial supervisor/general editor for Metroid (2002 manga).

Sakamoto claimed in a Super Metroid interview that he was the only one to know where Samus' beauty mark is, which later turned up in Metroid: Other M under the left side of her lip.

Known Credits

 * Game & Watch Donkey Kong (1982) - Barrel/Crane Artist
 * Donkey Kong Jr. (1982) - Artist
 * Wrecking Crew (1985) - Designer
 * Balloon Fight (1985) - Director
 * Gumshoe (1986)- Designer
 * Metroid (1986) - Director
 * Kid Icarus (1986) - Game Design
 * Ginga no Sannin (1986) - Director?; port of The Earth Fighter Rayieza (Enix, MSX)
 * Famicom Tantei Club (1988) - Director, Writer
 * Balloon Kid (1990) - Director
 * X (1992) - Director
 * Kaeru no tame ni Kane wa Naru (1992) - Scenario
 * Hello Kitty World (1992) - Special Thanks
 * Super Metroid (1994) - Director
 * Teleroboxer (1995) - Director
 * Galactic Pinball (1995) - Special Thanks
 * Game & Watch Gallery (1997) - Adviser
 * Famicom Tantei Club Part II: Ushiro ni Tatsu Shoujo (1998) - Director, Writer
 * Trade & Battle: Card Hero (2000) - Director
 * Wario Land 4 (2001) - Supervisor
 * Metroid Fusion (2002) - Chief Director
 * Metroid Prime (2002)- Special Thanks (Content Advisor)
 * Wario World (2003) - Advisor
 * WarioWare, Inc.: Mega Party Game$! (2003) - Supervisor
 * WarioWare: Touched! (2004) - Producer
 * Metroid: Zero Mission (2004) - Chief Director
 * Metroid Prime 2: Echoes (2004)- Special Thanks (Content Advisor)
 * Metroid Prime Pinball (2005) - Special Thanks
 * WarioWare: Smooth Moves (2006) - Producer
 * Rhythm Heaven (2006) - Producer
 * Picross DS (2007) - Localization and Testing Supervisor
 * Metroid Prime 3: Corruption (2007) - Special Thanks (Content Advisor)
 * WarioWare D.I.Y. (2008)
 * Metroid: Other M (2010) - Director

Trivia

 * The character Yoshi was named after Yoshio Sakamoto due to the friendship with him and Mario Bros. creator Shigeru Miyamoto.