Masahiro Sakurai Reveals How Super Smash Bros. Got Its Name

Masahiro Sakurai Reveals How Super Smash Bros. Got Its Name

Key Takeaways

  • Satoru Iwata played a key role in how Super Smash Bros. got its name.
  • Iwata chose “Super Smash Bros.” to convey characters settling a disagreement.
  • Iwata helped with coding the original game and fixing bugs in Melee.

As a gamer with over three decades of gaming under my belt, I can confidently say that Satoru Iwata was not just a figurehead at Nintendo, but a true gaming legend. His contributions to the Super Smash Bros series, particularly in naming it and coding parts of the original game, are testaments to his dedication and creative genius.


As a devoted admirer, I’d like to share an interesting tidbit about the legendary game director, Masahiro Sakurai, who is renowned for his work on the Super Smash Bros. series. In an intriguing disclosure, Sakurai has recounted how Satoru Iwata, a gaming industry titan, played a crucial role in giving our beloved Super Smash Bros. its iconic name.

The videos he uploaded to his channel have him sharing his various principles about working in the industry, as well as stories about the development of various games. Some of these stories include how some of the Fighter Reveal trailers were made for Super Smash Bros., and releasing never-before-seen footage of Dragon King: The Fighting Game, an early iteration of the original Super Smash Bros. on Nintendo 64. With Sakurai’s YouTube uploads coming to a close fairly soon, one of the last videos in the “Grab Bag” category is him reminiscing on his career and how he worked with the late Nintendo President, Satoru Iwata.

In the video titled “Mr. Iwata,” Sakurai shares his initial encounter with Iwata during a job interview at Hal Laboratory, as well as other cherished moments like collaborating with different production teams on programming. Sakurai mentions that Iwata was the one who coded the game for a Nintendo 64 fighting game prototype, which later transformed into the popular title we now recognize as “Super Smash Bros.” Moreover, Sakurai discloses that Iwata had a significant role in naming “Super Smash Bros.,” as he personally selected the game’s title.

Satoru Iwata’s Wholesome Reasoning for Choosing “Super Smash Bros.”

Sakurai reminisces about the time when different team members proposed numerous potential names and phrases for the game, which were later presented during a meeting involving Sakurai, Satoru Iwata, and creator of the Earthbound/Mother series, Shigesato Itoi. It was Iwata who championed the “brothers” theme, explaining that although the characters weren’t actual siblings, using the term symbolized they weren’t engaged in conflict out of malice, but rather friends resolving a minor dispute.

In addition, Sakurai fondly remembered the role Iwata played during the creation of the initial game, sharing that Iwata took pleasure in coding it. Later on, Iwata was enlisted to assist with the coding of Super Smash Bros. Melee, as the game often experienced glitches and malfunctions that needed addressing. Iwata is the final guest in Sakurai’s “Grab Bag” segment, as Sakuria’s YouTube series will conclude on October 15. A special finale episode will follow shortly after this.

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2024-10-13 20:13