On October 1, it was revealed that Steve, the avatar from Minecraft, would be joining the roster of Super Smash Brothers Ultimate. As with any Smash reveal, there were a number of diverse reactions coming from the Nintendo fanbase. While some were of immense joy and positivity or indifference, a large and vocal minority of people have sprung up to make one thing very clear. That Steve and Minecraft have absolutely no place in Super Smash Bros.
Now, there isn’t any inherent issue with people respectfully voicing their disdain for a character choice. Everybody should be allowed to voice their opinions on anything, positive or negative. The issue, however, comes when that “voicing of an opinion” turns into hatred and venom, spit at anybody who seems remotely interested in this character. This type of toxic behavior is seen nearly every time a new Smash character is announced. Byleth from Fire Emblem: Three Houses received a similar type of hate upon the announcement.
I believe the hatred towards Steve, however, is completely undeserved and I will attempt to explain, in reasonable terms, why Minecraft not only belongs in Smash but also, why Steve is a great choice. Plenty of characters suffer from hate upon being announced, yet Steve is an interesting case, deserving of a fair rebuttal.
“Steve Looks Out of Place in Smash”
This is a common argument that can be seen thrown around whenever a character who fans believe doesn’t ‘fit in’ is added to the roster. “The art style doesn’t match” they’ll say, claiming the character looks out of place. The interesting thing is that when it comes to Steve, this comment isn’t incorrect. Minecraft has a very retro and rectangular style to the way characters and environments appear. This is a large part of the game’s charm and thus, Masahiro Sakurai wanted to capture that by retaining the minimalist designs of the characters. What confuses me is why the art style being different between the characters in a crossover- fighter is a problem. Steve still retains the lighting and shading of the game’s engine. Sakurai just happened to take it a step further and use the minimal animations as well in an attempt to stay true to the character. Plenty of characters look ‘out of place’ when standing next to each other. Shulk and Mario, Pit and Bayonetta, Kirby and Marth are just a few examples. Part of the enjoyment of crossover titles is getting to see characters of very different origins and designs in the same title. Let us not forget that Mr.Game&Watch, who has been around since melee, is animated as if he were still in the 80s. Sakurai and his development team have clearly put in the effort to make sure Steve appears in his classic style while also sharing the same modernity as the rest of the fighters.Steve and Mario
“Steve Has No Move-Set Potential”
Upon his announcement, many would argue that Steve’s toolkit seemed bland and that he “didn’t have any move-set potential. This is nothing new as a complaint towards any character a player believes shouldn’t be in the game. While not always said with malice, this argument is typically employed in an attempt to shut down discussion about a character’s chances. However, after Sakurai’s Minecraft broadcast on October 3, I can confirm that not only does Steve have move-set potential, he’s shaping up to be one of Super Smash Brothers’ most unique fighters. One aspect Sakurai loves to keep in mind when designing characters is a sense of familiarity. Look at Mega Man as an example; playing exactly as he would if one was playing a traditional Mega man title. Plenty of characters do this to varying degrees of success but, Steve is by far the most elaborate. The issue with this argument is that it doesn’t factor in the creativity we’ve seen from the Smash team multiple times over. Basing Steve’s move-set around the crafting ability players have in Minecraft is genius. Mixing that with the mining of materials and the block placement gimmick and you’ve crafted a character who not only has a completely unique kit but feels as if they jumped right out of their home game. Super Smash Bros has always been a series defined by its creativity and making claims that a fighter has no move-set potential or that the Move-set is “awful’ before even seeing what the game has come up with, is — for lack of a better term — quite narrow-minded.Steve fighting Hero from Dragon Quest
“Minecraft Doesn’t Belong in Smash”
This has to be the weakest argument by far as it simply isn’t true. Now, I personally don’t believe in the idea of measuring a character’s chances of being included in Super Smash Bros by who “deserves” it the most. However, if any fighter has “earned” their place on this roster, it’s Steve. Many people forget but Minecraft is an absolutely massive and popular game. Not only is it one of the best-selling properties in the world but, Minecraft is loved by children around the world. Let’s not forget that the core audience of Super Smash Bros includes children who would be overjoyed to learn that Minecraft has found its way into Smash. Minecraft is just as big a series as Super Mario, The Legend of Zelda and, even Pokémon. There is no denying that Steve and Minecraft as a whole, have a place in the celebration of Nintendo and gaming history. What this argument boils down to is a poor attempt at gate-keeping which is awful. Sakurai has always strived to attempt to please as many fans as possible with the characters he and Nintendo select. Many Smash fans forget that this game isn’t just about the characters they love but, the ones loved by new fans as well. Every time a more recent property is added to the roster, these fans claim the character hasn’t “earned their place” as if there is a long list of requirements one must fill to be allowed to be included. This type of gate-keeping is harmful to this community and completely inaccurate when applied to Steve.Steve and Cube Kirby
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Doomguy is like “…”