Sakurai: Well, I wanted to offer an alternative to the two-dimensional fighting games that were crowding out the market. Iwata: In retrospect, the main reason I undertook the project was to build a 4-player game that utilized the N64’s unique 3D joystick. I mean, we didn’t know at the time that we would be able to use Nintendo characters.

In some respects, it was the ultimate handcrafted project. Iwata: At that point in time, we weren’t utilizing any Nintendo characters, and while you handled the planning, specs, design, modeling and movement, I worked on programming all by myself. We called it “Kakuto-Geemu Ryuoh” (Dragon King: The Fighting Game) You and I were responsible for developing this prototype. Iwata: Because we don’t often have the opportunity to sit down and talk about Smash Bros., I’d like to use the last part of this interview to turn back the clock and talk about the start of this series, beginning in 1999 with the Nintendo 64 title Super Smash Bros. īelow you can read the “Iwaka Ask” chat about Smash Bros: The game had a small budget and little promotion, and was originally a Japan-only release, but its huge success saw the game released worldwide.

However, Sakurai hit on the idea of including fighters from different Nintendo franchises in order to provide “atmosphere” which he felt was necessary for a home console fighting game, and his idea was approved. “Dragon King: The Fighting Game”), and originally featured no Nintendo characters. It began life as a prototype created by Masahiro Sakurai and Satoru Iwata in their spare time titled Kakuto-Gēmu Ryūō or Kakuto-Geemu Ryuoh (格闘ゲーム竜王 ?, lit. was developed by HAL Laboratory, a Nintendo second-party developer, during 1998.

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