On October 1, 2020, Nintendo announced that Steve from Minecraft would soon be playable in the company’s popular fighting game, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. The game’s director, Masahiro Sakurai, appeared in a video on October 3, 2020 to give a closer look at what fans can expect from this unconventional choice and show off Steve’s moveset.
A lot of focus was on Steve’s unique abilities and mechanic. The character’s main attacks, which make use of upgradeable axes, swords, and pickaxes, are short range and can be used repeatedly by holding down the attack button. Also mapped to the attack button are the lava bucket and magma block abilities. The lava bucket is a down smash that sends opponents flying at a low trajectory. The magma block is an up smash that creates a block above Steve’s head that can help launch a juggled opponent. Steve can also send an anvil plummeting straight down if players press down and attack while in the air.
Steve’s mobility further evokes the feeling of Minecraft. Unlike other characters,  Steve is incapable of jumping high enough to reach the platforms on the Battlefield stage without a double jump or other assistance. He can, however, build and suspend blocks in midair, which will allow him to walk or climb about the stage with relative freedom. These blocks can be broken with attacks and disappear. Their characteristics will change slightly depending on what material is used to build them and where they are placed on the stage.
Materials are used for far more than blocks. When Steve is selected, a crafting table will appear at the beginning of the round. Players can also summon the crafting table by pressing the shield and special button at the same time. It is at these tables that players can upgrade their weapons and tools to be more effective using materials they mine from the stage. This means different stages will likely call for different strategies, as different moves require different materials. Moves can also be enhanced by materials. Steve’s side special allows him to ride a mine cart across the stage. The cart can move faster at the cost of some materials.
Steve will launch alongside a Minecraft themed stage. The stage alternates between different multiple biomes that should be familiar to fans of the original game. Seven songs from Minecraft games, like Minecraft Earth and Minecraft Dungeons, will also be included. Six of these seven songs are new arrangements. The presentation also showed off some of the new spirits as well. One screen displayed a Creeper, Enderman, Ghast, and others.
The Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Minecraft DLC comes out for the Nintendo Switch on October 13, 2020.
