Who suggested adding the word 'Brothers' to the Super Smash Bros. title?

Satoru Iwata suggested adding the word “Brothers” to the Super Smash Bros. title.

At the time, Iwata was president of HAL Laboratory and a programmer who worked with Masahiro Sakurai on the project’s early prototype. Sakurai later explained that the word “Brothers” was intended to suggest that the characters were not simply enemies engaged in a serious fight. Instead, they could be understood as friends settling a minor disagreement.

That idea fit the game’s unusual tone. Super Smash Bros. brought together characters from unrelated Nintendo series, including Mario, Donkey Kong, Link, Samus, Kirby, and Pikachu. Calling them “brothers” did not describe a literal family relationship; it conveyed camaraderie and made the crossover feel playful rather than hostile.

The title is therefore not a reference only to Mario Bros. or Luigi. While several fighters are siblings or have family connections, most are not related. “Bros.” is a thematic choice that communicates the game’s friendly, toy-like battle premise.