Smash Bros. Title Originates from Friendly Beef

Celebrating 25 years of Nintendo's iconic crossover fighting game, we finally have the official story behind the name "Super Smash Bros.," directly from its creator, Masahiro Sakurai.

Masahiro Sakurai Reveals the "Smash Bros." Naming Story

Satoru Iwata's Crucial Role in Naming Smash Bros.

Super Smash Bros., Nintendo's celebrated crossover fighting game, features characters from a wide array of the company's beloved franchises. Interestingly, despite the name, few characters are actually brothers, and some aren't even male. So, why "Super Smash Bros."? 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 originated from the game's core concept: "friends settling minor disagreements." He also highlighted the significant contribution of the late Satoru Iwata, former Nintendo president, to the naming process.

Sakurai recounted brainstorming sessions with various team members, proposing numerous potential names. A meeting with Shigesato Itoi, creator of the Mother/Earthbound series, helped finalize the title. Sakurai revealed, "Mr. Iwata chose the 'brothers' element. He reasoned that, while the characters weren't literally brothers, the term implied a friendly rivalry, a playful squabble rather than outright conflict."

Beyond the naming anecdote, Sakurai shared personal memories of his relationship with Iwata, including Iwata's direct involvement in programming the original Super Smash Bros. prototype, then known as Dragon King: The Fighting Game for the Nintendo 64.