‘Super Smash Bros. Ultimate’: Why ‘Minecraft’ Steve is the perfect DLC

Have your pickaxes ready because we’re coming to you with breaking news! Super Smash Bros. Ultimate is bringing on their next DLC add-on characters – and this time they’re pulling from the iconic sandbox game, Minecraft. Masahiro Sakurai made a video presentation to announce the upcoming Minecraft DLC. 

We know what you might be thinking – why are Minecraft characters joining a Nintendo game? How preposterous! Of course, many Smash fans have been pining for old Nintendo favorites like Crash Bandicoot to be introduced – but remember that nostalgia doesn’t always make for the best choice. 

Clearly, Nintendo is spreading their wings, welcoming games outside of their development to join in the neverending brawl. Super Smash Bros. Ultimate did introduce Cloud (Final Fantasy) developed by Square Enix and Joker (Persona 5), developed by Atlus. Though these outside characters weren’t developed by Nintendo, the games can all be played on Nintendo platforms. 

Mojang’s Minecraft became playable on the Nintendo switch back in 2018 – thus we rule it’s a totally valid addition to Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. In fact, it’s an excellent addition, because Super Smash Bros needs something new & unexpected. If we see another sword-wielding Fire Emblem character join the game, there will be blood. (Except not actually because Smash is rated E10+ for Cartoon Violence.)  

Keep an open mind before you condemn Minecraft for intruding. Adding Minecraft characters into the Super Smash mix may seem wild, but we’re super excited for the DLC release. Here’s why we think the Minecraft DLC is going to be a smash-hit. 

Rad characters 

The face of Minecraft, Steve, will enter the Smash stage alongside Alex, the other default character in the building simulation game. The DLC will also bring on Minecraft monsters including Enderman & Zombie. 

Shocked by the unconventional Minecraft characters, the internet is eating it up – psyched to see how exactly these characters will be implemented. Super Smash Bros. & Minecraft are two very different games when it comes to gameplay & mechanics. 

Sakurai explained that the block-based sandbox game is a “massive challenge” to the development team because the crew has to “rework all our existing stages so that blocks can be placed in them.” 

While the result may be a bit of a hodgepodge, it’ll be cool to see how to play these colorful, blocky cartoon characters. There are worries that Steve’s playstyle may be too “weird” to work, but considering how strange Duck Hunt Dog & Mr. Game and Watch are, we’re confident Steve will fit right in. There’s no doubt that Steve’s unusual block-based moveset will be fun to try out. 

Out with the old

We said it once, and we’ll say it again – we’ve had enough of those pesky blade-bearing Fire Emblem characters. With the latest DLC addition of Byleth, there are already eight characters from Fire Emblem. These stale characters are congesting the character selection screen. Today we can happily say “make way” to Fire Emblem because Minecraft characters are here to spice it up. 

Older Smash fans may scoff at Steve, but game developer Masahiro Sakurai knows what he’s doing. He explained the decision process when it comes to bringing on new Super Smash Bros. content:  

“When thinking about new fighters for this game, we don’t just pick my favorites or draw from a hat. More often than not, these discussions start by Nintendo approaching me with an idea. Of course, if I can’t do that idea justice, I’ll tell them no.”

We thank Sakurai for saying “yes” to this idea instead of catering to nostalgia-hungry players. He knows that it’s time to mix it up a little with some new Smash guests. 

In with the new

Take one glance at a Minecon event and it becomes obvious – Minecraft is beloved by younger generations. Kids everywhere are exploding with Minecraft love, bearing creeper T-shirts, and wielding foam pickaxes. 

Uniting with Minecraft is the right choice for Super Smash Bros. because the next generation will be drawn to the game, keeping it alive beyond its die-hard Gen-X fanbase. Steve basically is Mario for people under twenty. 

Believe it or not, Minecraft is actually one of the most requested additions to Smash. Nintendo is directly encouraging young gamers to join the Smash scene with these Minecraft characters. (And, of course, they want to expand their market.)     

We have high hopes that Steve & other Minecraft characters will be unique, fresh, & fun to learn. The playstyle will likely be like no other Smash character we’ve seen yet. 

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Do you think Minecraft characters will make a good addition to Super Smash Bros. Ultimate? Let us know your opinion in the comments.