Shinya Kumazaki is a Japanese video game developer and employee at HAL Laboratory. He is most notable for being the current general director of the Kirby franchise, succeeding series creator Masahiro Sakurai after he left HAL Laboratories. In addition to his role as director, Kumazaki is a voice actor for some of the series characters (King Dedede and Void Termina) as well as a contributor to built-in software for Nintendo hardware such as the Nintendo 3DS.
Beginnings at HAL
Kumazaki joined HAL Laboratory in 2002. His first project was the Gamecube title Kirby Air Ride, where he worked on course design. Following that, his next role was as a designer for the Nintendo DS title Kirby Canvas Curse. Kumazaki was responsible for the story and boss design of the main antagonist, Drawcia, who would later go on to be referenced in other Kirby titles such as the spiritual successor to Kirby Canvas Curse released in 2015, Kirby and the Rainbow Curse.
Director Work
The first game where Shinya Kumazaki served as a director was the 2008 remake Kirby Super Star Ultra. Following that, his next director role was in the 2011 title Kirby's Return to Dream Land. Since then, Kumazaki has maintained his director role in every "core" Kirby game that has followed, switching to general director as of 2016's Kirby: Planet Robobot. Kumazaki does not oversee the more experimental spin-off game of the series as often, but remains a general director for some of the more notable titles and served as a character supervisor for the 2019 remake Kirby's Extra Epic Yarn.
Design Philosophy
According to Shinya Kumazaki, the hallmarks of a good action game are "devices, maps, and tough boss battles." This philosophy is clearly visible in the games he has directed, which feature unique mechanics, complex level design, and challenging boss characters in comparison to previous Kirby games. The Kirby games that Kumazaki has directed are also notable for featuring frequent callbacks to previous games in the series and creating interconnecting stories.
Artwork
Although little is known about Shinya Kumazaki's personal life, he does run his own personal blog. On this website, he runs a gallery of his own artwork. Kumazaki is a painter who draws a variety of subjects, from interpretations of the different characters in the Kirby series, to fan art from other games. A lot of his artwork is more abstract in nature and has eldritch influence.
Notice: This website is for educational purposes only. All graphics belong to their respective owners.