After a brief tease, Nintendo announced a new fighter for their famous brawler series. Steve from Minecraft is arriving to Super Smash Bros Ultimate on October 12.
Wielding a pickaxe and made of pixels, the new hero is commanding other characters from the most famous game in the world.
Well, Steve is not exactly a “Minecraft character.” It’s just the default name and looks of the playable character. But, more importantly, Steve is bringing over his…8-year-old girlfriend, Alex?
Either way, this is huge. If you’re wondering how big of news this is, just search any of these games on YouTube. Or on Twitter. YOu’ll see tons of influencers reacting happily to the new set of fighters.
Super Smash Bros Ultimate Info
| Platforms | Release Date |
|---|---|
| Nintendo Switch | December 7, 2018 |
| Publisher | Developer |
| Nintendo | Nintendo / Bandai NAMCO |
| Genre | Brawler |
Super Smash Bros Ultimate is the action game brawler everybody knows about. The part of the game everyone knows is the PvP battles. You choose a character from an expansive roster of Nintendo characters (among other Japanese franchises like Pokemon) and beat your opponents until they fall off the platform.
But the 1v1 / 5v5 battles are just one of the game mods. Ultimate has so many options anyone can join. From elders to kids, with all experience levels, the game welcomes you onto tournaments, training, arcades, custom matches, and mor.e. There’s even a built-in editing app to create the replays of your dreams.
The game is gearing towards its 9th version. Since its launch in 2018, they have included more characters and quality of life improvements.
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Super Smash Bros Ultimate Minecraft update
Super Smash Bros Ultimate is updating to its version 9.0.0 on October 14, 2020. The version will include Minecraft’s Seteve and Alex.
However, the pixelated characters won’t come for free. You’ll have to pay for an extra DLC that also includes a Minecraft scenario plus new Mii costumes.
Either way, you can watch Smash series director Masahiro Sakurai show his new moves. In particular, we can see Steve and Alex have the ability to build their blocky platforms, place bombs, and more.
Additionally, Steve and Alex have three skins each. That means the whole deal feels like adding six extra Minecraft characters to Super Smash Bros Ultimate.
A quick word, though. Masahiro starts the video by talking about the Covid-19 crisis and how the Nintendo staff is working from home. We at TnT news also vouch for a stay-at-home living until the vaccine comes. Also, we would like to thank studios like Nintendo, CD Projekt Red, Ubisoft, and Activision for their continuous work and support during the crisis.
As part of the DLC, Steve and Alex have Enderman and Zombie skins. You can see these skins in action around min. 4 of the video. Also, you can see how cool Kirby looks when she eats the Minecraft characters!
How to get the DLC?
Getting the upcoming Minecraft characters for Super Smash Bros Ultimate needs an internet connection. Your Nintendo Switch must have access to broadband plus a Nintendo account.
Then, when the game prompts you, you can update the title towards the 9.0 version. However, you need to have the European version of Super Smash Bros Ultimate.
Then, you can access the site below to buy the character when it launches. You can purchase from your web browser if you log to your Nintendo account.
Steve & Alex are worth $6 as part of the Challenger Pack 7.
Otherwise, you can buy the characters via the Fighter’s Pass Vol 2, which already includes six fighters for $29.99. he last one they added was Min Min, whereas Steve & Alex would be the second entries. Owners of the pass will enjoy four extra fighters Nintendo will add over time.
How do Minecraft characters work?
Steve and Alex can harvest materials from the walls and the gound of any arena with their tools. Then, they can use the resources to upgrade themselves on the fly, create weapons, and build traps.
The materials you gather depend on the stage. For instance, the Star Fox arena has plenty of iron.
However, both characters have short arms and clunky moves. That means they won’t handle themselves very well on melee other than a few strong hits with the pickaxe. I would say the Minecraft characters have the shortest melee range across all Super Smash Bros Ultimate characters.
We also saw the creeper as part of an advertising spot. The exploding green merch will probably be part of Steve and Alex’s unique skills.
Block building mechanics
Nintendo built a whole crafting system for a single pack of characters, which is insane.
Even series director Masahiro Sakurai said bringing the characters was a challenge. The studio had to make sure the block-building mechanics could work on all of the stages.
“We have to rework all our existing stages so that blocks can be placed in them.” – Masahiro Sakurai.
Minecraft on Nintendo
Minecraft is a former Microsoft exclusive. It was only available for Windows and Xbox for a while, before expanding towards other platforms.
First, the game reached iOS and Android. In 2017, Microsoft launched an update to allow crossplay across mobile, PC, and Xbox.
In 2018, Minecraft reached the Nintendo Switch. Both companies have always had a good relationship, which is why many Nintendo fans are now asking if Bethesda games are also going to reach the Japanese console.
The addition of Minecraft characters on Super Smash Bros Ultimate might be the first of many things Nintendo will do with the franchise.
