10 Video Games With Bizarre Origin Stories
2. Super Smash Bros Didn’t Ask Permission
Masahiro Sakurai saw the Nintendo 64’s four controller ports and saw opportunity. Not only was he seeking to create a more casual style of fighting game, reportedly after whooping random Japanese citizens on arcade machines himself, but one that could be enjoyed by more than two players at a time. Thus begun development of Dragon King: The Fighting Game in earnest.
Whilst Sakurai was sure of his core gameplay concepts, he knew that fighting games don’t sell without a good roster of fighters. Rather than craft something original however, he mused upon the idea of using already established and recognisable faces through Nintendo’s catalogue.
Knowing that suggesting “what if we make a game where Link beats the piss out of Yoshi” would be a pointless endeavour, Sakurai crafted a demo without approval. It was better to ask forgiveness than seek permission.
Presenting an early build that starred Mario, Donkey Kong, Samus and Fox McCloud, Nintendo had no choice but to see the promise the project had.
Smash Bros was born.
If they hadn’t approved, it’s entirely likely that Sakurai’s Dragon King: The Fighting Game, as a novel as the core four-player party fighting system was, would never have matched the great heights that the Super Smash Bros series has soared to.