Celebrating 25 years since its debut, the Nintendo crossover fighting game, Super Smash Bros., finally has its official naming story, revealed by its creator, Masahiro Sakurai.
Masahiro Sakurai Unveils the "Smash Bros." Name Origin
The Role of Former Nintendo President Satoru Iwata in Shaping "Smash Bros."
Super Smash Bros., Nintendo's celebrated crossover fighting game, boasts a diverse roster of characters from across the company's iconic game franchises. Interestingly, despite the name, few characters are actually brothers, and some aren't even male. So, how did the name "Super Smash Bros." come about? While Nintendo hadn't previously offered an official explanation, Sakurai recently shed light on the matter.
In a recent YouTube video, Sakurai explained that the name reflects the game's core concept: "friends settling minor disputes." He credits the late Satoru Iwata, former Nintendo president, with a significant contribution to the name.
Sakurai recounted that numerous name suggestions were brainstormed by the team, culminating in a meeting with Shigesato Itoi, creator of the Mother/EarthBound series, to finalize the title. "Mr. Iwata chose the 'brothers' element," Sakurai revealed. "His reasoning was that, while the characters weren't literally brothers, the term implied a friendly rivalry—a playful disagreement rather than outright conflict!"
Beyond the naming story, Sakurai shared anecdotes about his first encounter with Iwata and cherished memories of the former Nintendo president. He highlighted Iwata's direct involvement in programming the prototype for Super Smash Bros., originally titled "Dragon King: The Fighting Game" for the Nintendo 64.
