The newestSmash Bros.reveal was a jaw-dropper, as earlier today it was announced thatSteve is coming toSuper Smash Bros. Ultimate. Fans waited a few months between the reveal of Min Min (the most recentSmashfighter addition) and Steve fromMinecraft.But according to an ex-member of Mojang, the deal has been in the works for much longer than that.
Steve is a complicated addition toUltimate,but one that the internet was abuzz about, with Twitter trending on the matter. Implementing the character into a fighting game isn’t as easy as doing so with more action-oriented icons such as Cloud or Simon Belmont. Whether it was time in development or simply negotiations, apparently Nintendo has been working on this move for up to five years.
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Daniel Kaplan was Mojang’s very first employee, and he left the company in 2017. Kaplan was a part of the discussions with Nintendo about adding Steve toSmash Bros. That would put the timetable at at least three years. However, in a tweet, Kaplan asked his followers to guess when the discussions started, and he claims it was at least five years ago.
One particular moment in the Steve reveal video has Masahiro Sakurai,Smash Bros. director, saying that even he didn’t think this day would come, indicating that it has been a long process. That is specifically what Kaplan springs his comment off of, as it appears Nintendo has been working with Mojang for a very long time. During the reveal,Sakurai showed off some impressiveMinecraftworlds, sharing his appreciation for the game and his joy to finally have it be represented in the Nintendo fighter.
The deal would have needed to go through Microsoft as well, since the company purchased Mojang andMinecraftback in 2014. Nintendo had already collaborated with Xbox before, however, as the two teamed up to bring Banjo & Kazooie toUltimatelast year. That may have been in the works for quite some time as well, as head ofXbox Phil Spencer was on board for Banjo & Kazooie inSmashlong before it had been made official.
Nintendo has played nice with many different developers and publishers to bring a wide range of video game icons toSuper Smash Bros. Ultimate.At one point, it would have seemed impossible for Hero (fromDragon Quest), Snake, Sonic, Joker, Mega Man or Terry Bogard to make it to the games, but here they are. Fans still hope for fighters likeCrash and Sora to come toSmash Bros.(traditionally considered Sony/PlayStation characters), but Steve is an excellent addition. With its wide range of roster members, its music, and secrets galore,Super Smash Bros.has long been a love letter to and from Nintendo. But now it is becoming even a love-letter to video games as a whole.
