After 25 years, we finally know why it's called Super Smash "Bros" – Nintendo icon Satoru Iwata wanted the fighters to be "friends who were settling a little disagreement"

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Key art for Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, showing fighters including Mario, Link, Bowser, and Inkling.
(Image credit: Nintendo)

Nintendo has never officially explained why its flagship brawler is called Super Smash Bros. when a negligible amount of the fighters in the game are actually brothers, but now it has.

I've just always just assumed "Bros" is in the title because of the series' association with the Mario brothers, but series creator Masuhiro Sakurai revealed the truth in a new episode (timestamped here) of his 'Creating Games' YouTube channel, which is concluding with a final video out next week. Pardon my emotions, but his answer makes me miss Satoru Iwata even more.

"Mr. Iwata also had a part in coming up with the name Super Smash Bros.," Sakurai said. "We had team members suggest a bunch of possible names and words we might use, then held a meeting with [Mother series creator] Mr. Shigesato Itoi to determine what title we wanted to go with, and Mr. Iwata is the one who picked out the 'brothers' part. His reasoning was that, even though the characters weren't brothers at all, using the word added the nuance that they weren't simply fighting – they were friends who were settling a little disagreement."

If you don't want to leave this article in tears, I suggest you close this tab right now, because what Sakurai said next about his old boss and close friend is truly touching. In a tear-jerking tribute to the late Nintendo legend (timestamped here), Sakurai shared memories of his time with Iwata, including the point where his health began to deteriorate due to bile duct cancer.

Sakurai talked about how much Iwata valued one-on-one conversations with his employees and, in a profound admission, said he was "truly the person who understood me best." Sakurai also said he had plans to meet up with Iwata in July 2015, the month he died. "Instead, I received word that Mr. Iwata had passed away," Sakurai said.

If you'll excuse me I'm off to become a puddle of tears.

Jordan Gerblick
Jordan Gerblick

After earning an English degree from ASU, I worked as a corporate copy editor while freelancing for places like SFX Magazine, Screen Rant, Game Revolution, and MMORPG on the side. I got my big break here in 2019 with a freelance news gig, and I was hired on as GamesRadar's west coast Staff Writer in 2021. That means I'm responsible for managing the site's western regional executive branch, AKA my home office, and writing about whatever horror game I'm too afraid to finish.