Smash Bros. creator Masahiro Sakurai says the “bitter memory” of destroying someone at The King of Fighters ’95 actually had “no influence” on the concept of his own fighting game
Super Smash Bros. creator Masahiro Sakurai has debunked a long-standing rumor that his experience destroying a player at The King of Fighters ’95 led to the creation of his own fighting game series, even if the experience itself was very real.
Sakurai discusses this exact story, which he calls a “bitter memory,” on the latest video on his YouTube channel. It happened in an arcade back when, as Sakurai humbly puts it, he “wasn’t bad at fighting games” – his definition of ‘not bad,’ it should be noted, was when he could win 50 matches in a row. Needless to say, he’s probably being modest about his abilities, which leads us to the moment that’s been rumored to have started Smash Bros. in the first place.
“A challenger jumped into the game. I went on to fight them, and landed my moves with style. With Takuma Sakazaki, I jumped, then did a strong punch, uppercut, Ku-Ou Ken, Hien Shippuu Kyaku, and Zanretsuken – a fancy, flashy combo with three special moves one after another. But something was off,” Sakurai begins. “The other side wasn’t fighting back. When I took a peek over at the other side, I was surprised to find a run-of-the-mill couple sitting there. The girlfriend was the one playing. I couldn’t help but think I messed up.”
Sakurai goes on to explain that when the player’s boyfriend tagged in for the last round, he went easy on him, “but I’m sure it was obvious what I was doing.”
It’s a fun story, but over on Twitter, Sakurai also took the opportunity to shut down the rumors surrounding it once and for all. “Some rumors have suggested that Super Smash Bros. was created as a result of the story I discuss in this episode, but I can confirm that’s not the case,” he writes. “This experience had no influence on the concept behind Smash Bros.”
It’s just a “bitter memory,” then. Even so, Sakurai is of the mindset that “there’s no point in playing games if you’re not having fun,” and if someone agrees to try a new game, he suggests to “be kind to them if you don’t want them abandoning it entirely.” He adds: “Not that I’m one to talk! Sorry again for that!”