Smash Bros. Named After Social Conflict Resolution

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.

Sakurai Unveils the "Smash Bros." Origin Story

Super Smash Bros. features a diverse cast from Nintendo's iconic game franchises. However, the name is a bit of a misnomer, as few characters are actual brothers, and some aren't even male. So, why "Super Smash Bros."? Sakurai recently provided the official explanation.

In a YouTube video, Sakurai revealed the name stemmed from the game's core concept: "friends settling minor disagreements." Former Nintendo president, Satoru Iwata, played a significant role in solidifying the name.

Sakurai explained that various name suggestions were brainstormed, culminating in a meeting with Shigesato Itoi (creator of the Mother/Earthbound series) to finalize the title. Iwata's contribution was crucial: "Mr. Iwata chose the 'brothers' aspect. His reasoning was that, despite the characters not being brothers, the term implied a friendly rivalry, a settling of scores rather than outright conflict."

Beyond the naming, Sakurai shared anecdotes about his relationship with Iwata, including Iwata's direct involvement in programming the Super Smash Bros. prototype, originally titled "Dragon King: The Fighting Game," for the Nintendo 64.