Gallery: Minecraft Steve's Alt Costumes And Screenshots

I'm left questioning why Zombie and Enderman didn't get alts. Still hyped, though.

I'm sad with this

Finally, a black character as a main alt!

Man if they included Herobrine I would've lost my mind

Funny seeing Enderman being the same height as Steve and Alex though

Steve! He really was one of the characters that really should get into smash

@TheFrenchiestFry yeah just thinking that lol. Although in the video elderman looks a lot better actually playing the game.

@TheAwesomeBowser Because they are alts? Not echo fighters.

@TheFrenchiestFry I wish.

They said I was crazy but here he is!

@luisesteban
Why?
[More than why because Nintendo life]

Waluigi's next.

@noswitchbutidc
He is the only thing that will keep me alive! Please Daddy Sakurai!

@noswitchbutidc I think Waluigi is going to be the final DLC character if he is going to be added at all.

Ugh... this “character”

Neat, but I was hoping that the rest of the alternate costumes would be skins representing a different character like Santa or Master Chief.

Ah well, Zombie and Enderman are both great alts so that makes up for it.

@fafonio
?
[Something else]

I can’t imagine myself having to pay for this abomination’s amiibo. But the collection must be complete.

It's weird to see such a plain name as "Steve" next to the biggest video game icons lol

@fafonio You guys will whine about anything...

@clvr “Mario” is the first name in the roster.

Awww just skins... Was hoping for shadow fighters with slight differences.

Im more interested in what Kirby’s Steve transformation will look like.

whats up with the 3rd set of alts? also only zombie and enderman for 4th set no skins for them...

I don't even know who botteom 2 for the 3rd set is.

@fafonio I wouldn’t exactly call Mr. Game & Watch, Villager or ROB “characters” either. At least Steve has a name, haha. Hero, Duck Hunt, Wii Fit Trainer and Villager can’t even say that much.

@fafonio Lol stay mad

We out here mining diamonds with Joker from Persona 5 and Cloud from Final Fantasy VII

@bleedinmagic81 this is the first time I’ve whined about a character in smash (if you can call this a “character”)

It’s a poor man’s 8bit ... or a kid’s creation in paint with zero personality, and a name so original that they should have called him BOB instead....

Yeah... that’s it .... it’s a Bob levels of dull.

A Minecraft tree has more thought and creativity put into it.
Yeah, the game is popular.... but is that the reason why we play smash? I mean... Tetris is popular ... should we put a block as a character? (Oh wait, that is what Steve is)
Grand Theft Auto 5 is popular... should we put LAMAR in it too?

But wait... Need for Speed is popular too! Let’s put a car as a character next.

You catch my drift ....

@thesilverbrick all with interesting designs ..... at least those can be considered oddball characters. They were made for the LOLs back in the day....

Steve is neither funny nor interestingly designed.

@fafonio You somehow equate a complicated or detailed design as the single qualification to make something a “character.” Kirby’s design is arguably as simple as Steve’s, and Mr. Game & Watch is so simplistic that he lacks a dimension altogether (as well as a proper name), and uses very limited frames of animation. What seems to be the problem here is that you don’t like Steve, which is entirely fair, but to try to say his simplistic design renders him an invalid choice is just nonsense. Far simpler, less recognizable and nameless characters from much less popular IPs are already included in Smash’s absolutely massive roster. Minecraft is a worldwide phenomenon in gaming, has strong ties to Nintendo hardware and has already crossed over with Mario. And as we’ve already seen, potential for a unique and innovative moveset that draws from the source material is abundant. Including elements from Minecraft in a game commemorating Nintendo and gaming history makes incredible sense. I’m sorry you hate this fighter so much and I certainly can’t and won’t argue with your feelings, but your personal disdain for Steve doesn’t invalidate his relevance.

It remains to be seen how fun it is to play, but the character's moveset looks really fun!

I wasn't expecting the zombie and Enderman alts, but I was thinking they'd pull from the default skin pack on console for the alts. Really cool to see

I’ve never been so hyped for a smash dlc character. Literally slammed my desk and hurt my hand. The sense of joy I felt is more than I’ve had in a long time. I may finally rest.

Not my cup of tea but definitely a very relevant character to get representation in SSBU. It’s like the Pac-Man of our era.

@thesilverbrick it’s not just about the design. It’s the characterization, the personality. This isn’t a character... it’s as generic as a Tetris block.

Because it’s popular doesn’t mean it is Smash material.... just as my above examples ... a GTA character... a Need for Speed car .... an orc from WoW.

It may be my opinion as a designer, that’s why it baffles me that this generic dude got into smash.

I mean, he didn’t even had a name until the internet “baptized” him. He was just the Minecraft avatar. It’s like when the characters in the 80s were just soul less... but hey... it says it has a name in the manual! He’s now got a personality! Yey!

And It’s not just the looks, it’s a mix of various elements in which you can’t compare Kirby as a character to “Steve”.

It’s the only character in around 60 in the roster I’ve ever complained about. So you can’t just minimize my argument to “you just don’t like Minecraft”.

Yeah I don’t like King of Fighters too... but did I complain about it? No.

I can like Minecraft and despise this attempt of a “character” ...

@thesilverbrick Blocky Kirby?

@fafonio But why does his simple design disqualify him? Mr. Game & Watch is arguably simpler in design and far less recognizable. You say he’s “not a character” but neither is Villager. Many would argue that a block from Tetris would make a welcome addition to Smash, due to its relevance to gaming and Nintendo, but the problem comes in the moveset, a problem that Steve clearly doesn’t have. The same would apply to the other examples you mentioned, except none of them have the recognizablility or relevance that Steve and Minecraft do. The only real qualification for a Smash fighter is relevance to gaming and Nintendo (which Steve absolutely has) and moveset potential (again, not a problem here). Your arguments about his design ultimately boil down to your personal tastes and you’re entitled to those, but to try to objectively translate your tastes into a logical argument as to why he doesn’t belong here is just silly, especially since it’s already happening in a way that clearly works and makes sense.

@Eel yeah it certainly sounds generic to me, being Italian, but for the rest of the world Steve is certainly more plain than Mario.
Also, Mario has a distinctive visual identity everyone can recognize, Steve is just blocks.
Mario has a voice, even though he doesn't properly speak.
Mario has conveyed emotions via animation in many, many different games.
Steve is just plain.
But even apart from that, the fact that I didn't even think of Mario as generic-sounding speaks to the fact that he's so iconic nowadays, that even a generic name makes him pop instantly in one's mind.

@PBandSmelly ahahahahhaha I didn't think of that 😂
Well, at least he's got a cool surname though ahahahah

The girls are quite literally flat-chested.

@fafonio Yes, I do believe I catch your drift: Your drift is that, by romanticizing character design/characterization/personality, you have grown bitter and angry that a poorly designed character made it into Smash. It's really not as big as you seem to think. Pokémon trainer is a generic character devoid of personality, yet they are still here. Villager has no personality, and their alts are simply based on very mundane outfits. Mr. Game & Watch has a flat personality–figuratively and literally. As @thesilverbrick pointed out, based on its importance in gaming (especially for Nintendo), Tetris DOES deserve a slot, but there's no way a Tetris block could have a fulfilling move set worthy of its legacy. Steve's moveset seems to work just fine. At the end of the day, it's a game, and a lot of people are happy about Steve's inclusion... move on

@bleedinmagic81 didn’t know you could fight as Pokemon Trainer ...... do you mean Charizard, Squirtle and Ivysaur? I mean, even just by the names they have more personality than Steve.....
But nice example though ....
And Mr. G&W was made for the LOLs back then... just like ROB and the others. You could even call him a classic or historical character.
Steve is not pandering to the LOLs or oddball category, and it is neither classic nor historical.

I get it, you guys like Minecraft.... I like the game too.... but it doesn’t take away the fact that it is a poor character. We all have opinions.... but you can’t deny that when you put this “character” side by side with other ones in the roster... you can see the effort at characterization, design and personality.

@fafonio You chose to ignore the rest of his post (in which he makes a very compelling series of points) and just capitalize on a witty quip about Pokémon Trainer. The fact of the matter is, trying to argue that Steve shouldn’t be in Smash because his design is unappealing to you personally doesn’t make logical sense. If you’re simply trying to say you don’t like him and his design and wish he weren’t included, nobody could argue with that. But you’re trying to transpose your personal opinion of him into some kind of logic-based argument as to why a character isn’t qualified to be in Smash. Makes zero sense.

@thesilverbrick hey I get it, you’re trying to transpose your personal opinion about the character too. We are not discussing math or logic based stuff here.
You like the soul less cubes and consider him a “character”... congrats!
I don’t. I find it dull, uncreative and barebones. You find it super well designed with an awesome backstory, personality and history.

My conclusion... great game, terrible “character”.

Having a scotch random no-name generic dude skin says a lot about the creative choices and character design. Super interesting.

Enderman looks interesting though.

But hey... I guess you guys can ask for Missingno as a “character” next. I mean... it’s from a best-selling franchise too. XD

What would be REALLY nice is if you could upload your custom Minecraft skins into Smash and use them instead of the default skins. I use a Zero Suit Samus skin for my character in the Java version of Minecraft. It would be awesome if I used that against Zero Suit Samus in Smash.

@Ratking LMAO!!! Had to google that! Now I’ve seen everything in the fighting genre.

Weirdly interesting. I like it.

@fafonio I’m not a big fan of Minecraft. I’ve dabbled over the years but I’m definitely not a super fan. Steve was nowhere near the top of my list of characters I wanted (I would’ve loved Rayman). This is absolutely not about my opinion of Steve. This is about his relevance to gaming and Nintendo and his moveset potential, which are the only real consistent qualifiers for a Smash character. Steve excels in both those categories. Your only argument revolves around how you personally don’t like his character design and that somehow means he should not be in Smash. You’re not simply saying you wish he weren’t included; you’re saying he should not be in the game, and I’m saying that your personal opinion of a character has never been a qualifier for a character’s inclusion, and it makes zero logical sense to try to argue that.

You’re absolutely entitled to your opinion of Steve, but all I’m saying is your personal opinion doesn’t make him irrelevant. Clearly not, because he’s already on his way.

And I say bring on Missingno.

@thesilverbrick ummm I’ve never said that he shouldn’t be in smash. My complain started that this is a poor attempt to consider these pieces of cubes a “character”. It’s a generic avatar. One thing is that the game is popular and that “the dude” shared the same visual aesthetic as any other living thing in the game.

He is not a character, it’s a generic avatar with zero personality in it, thus it doesn’t qualify as a “character” (not to confuse to “being in smash”). Do you consider the rocks in LOTR a character? I mean, he has the same amount of personality.

I never said he doesn’t deserve to be in smash. The game is iconic, no arguing about that. But as I said... so does GTA... should we put in Niko Bellic in there? You could but it would be a half-assed option because it’s generic.
Should we add... I don’t know... an Need for Speed car? You could... but blah blah....

I mean, even Sakurai was like “really? Ok I’ll do it”

But anyway, in conclusion, you guys like the game. Good for you, but it doesn’t mean it’s appealing as a choice in the roster. For me it’s a wasted slot in so... but sooooo many other, more inspired and creative choices for a real third party character. Hell, even Master Chief.

There’s only 2 things that I’ve complained about in Smash. Too many FE characters and “Steve”.

But anyway... I’ll just enjoy it more to beat people who choose this guy. So, instead of discussing it here, let’s discuss it in the game. 😉

Sorry but I don’t want to continue writing walls of text.

I wouldn’t mind if it was a Mii costume or an assist trophy... but a full-on spot in the roster? Nah

@fafonio Fair enough. But I think you’ve missed the point of Steve. He is clearly not meant to be a “character” with a distinct personality or traits, much like the Pokémon Trainer or the Villager. He’s an avatar, the agent by which the player interacts with the world. Games like Minecraft and Animal Crossing are not story driven experiences, and so the player characters are little more than vehicles to experience the world. Steve’s inclusion in Smash isn’t about him as a character, per se, it’s about representing Minecraft in Smash, and Steve (the avatar) is the agent by which that can be feasibly done. Nobody is particularly interested in him as a personality (he has none), much like nobody loves the Animal Crossing villager for his/her distinctive traits (again, because they are nonexistent). Characters like Villager and Steve are how elements of Animal Crossing and Minecraft can be worked into a Smash moveset, and they make perfect sense in that regard. So for whatever it’s worth, nobody likes Steve as a character. People are happy that there is a character in Smash through which they can bring elements of Minecraft to a fight, and Steve unfortunately is the only way to accomplish that.

I don't even like Minecraft and still I think it's a genius inclusion

"We think it's pretty amazing that seemingly any character somehow just works in Smash..."
I hope we're getting more of these surprising implementations for the rest of the pass!

I was freaking out in orchestra when this happened

@TheFrenchiestFry small Enderman looks so cursed... I love it!

@fafonio Personally, though I love Minecraft, I never cared to have Steve in Smash... but now he's in it, and it is what it is. I agree that his character design is dull (due to the "make your own story" nature of the game), but I don't believe that takes away from Minecraft's legacy and staying power, or from his move set (which seems to be well designed)

@thesilverbrick - To be fair though, we didn't need a playable character to introduce Minecraft elements into Smash; a Mii Fighter Costume and a special stage/stage option (maybe some items as well) would've sufficed for that purpose (and would've been easier to implement to boot). The only reason I can see for why we're getting him as a playable character is because Nintendo really wants to capitalise on that Minecraft popularity as much as they can.
Also, while "Animal Crossing Villager" is also an avatar, it's also a highly customisable and expressive one that players can identify with, a far cry from the static block literally called "Steve from Minecraft", a choice that's about on par with "Bob from Marketing" in terms of how much you can take it seriously as a Smash character. At this point, you could probably get away with seriously asking for other meme choices like Shrek or Goku, something I didn't think was possible a couple of days ago but now seems like a real possibility.

@FullMetalWesker A Mii costume could in no way have replicated what they’re doing with Steve’s moveset here. They’re thinking far outside the box with this character in a way they likely never have before (every single stage had to be reprogrammed for this moveset, for crying out loud). Minecraft has far too much attached to it to just slap a square head on a Mii Swordfighter.

And Steve is just a name given to the default avatar in Minecraft. You’re free to customize your character however you like, with far more depth than you can with your villager in Animal Crossing, mind you. The only difference between Steve and the generic default Villager with the red shirt is that Steve actually has a name. And the name “Steve” really just means a male Minecraft avatar, as evidenced by the fact that there are three very different looking alts for Steve and Alex and they all share the same names. For crying out loud, Duck Hunt, Hero and Wii Fit Trainer are nameless. If the default Minecraft avatar didn’t have a name, he’d be identical in function to Villager. He’s no less generic. Having a sophisticated design or distinct personality has never, ever been a prerequisite for Smash characters. Mr Game & Watch, Pac-Man and ROB (among many others) are obvious examples of very simplistic characters in terms of both basic physical design and lack of character depth. Steve is not superlative or new in any category. Nobody is excited about Steve as a character or a distinct personality. They’re excited about what Steve represents and will be able to do.

He’s a character that represents a massively important and successful video game franchise that has strong ties to Nintendo and a clear basis for a unique and functional moveset. In that regard, he’s a perfect fit and is just like every other Smash character before him. Comparing him to Shrek and Goku is silly and you know it. They’re not even video game characters, which is the sole unifying theme in Smash’s roster.

@thesilverbrick - "A Mii costume could in no way have replicated what they’re doing with Steve’s moveset here.
My point was if all you wanted was Minecraft elements incorporated into Smash, there were other ways to do it. You could still re-program the stages to replicate whatever Minecraft elements that are being planned (likely just turning parts of the stage into Minecraft blocks) or just include a special stage ala Mario Maker that can be customised like a Minecraft level. Heck, take the latter and throw in a few minecraft costumes (or better yet, a costume filter) for your Mii Fighter and you'd probably get a more authentic Minecraft experience than you'd get with a static separate character.

"Minecraft has far too much attached to it to just slap a square head on a Mii Swordfighter."
Does it though? Outside of being extremely popular (ala Fortnite and CoD), does it have anything going for it? Also, the ideas I mentioned before would go beyond what's been done with, say, Cuphead or Undertale (the special stage and/or stage options, new items), so it's not quite like that.

"And Steve is just a name given to the default avatar in Minecraft. You’re free to customize your character however you like. The only difference between Steve and the generic default Villager with the red shirt is that Steve actually has a name. For crying out loud, Duck Hunt, Hero and Wii Fit Trainer are nameless. If the default Minecraft avatar didn’t have a name, he’d be identical in function to Villager. He’s no less generic. Having a sophisticated design or distinct personality has never, ever been a prerequisite for Smash characters. Mr Game & Watch, Pac-Man and ROB (among many others) are obvious examples of very simplistic characters in terms of both basic physical design and lack of character depth. Steve is not superlative or new in any category."
True, but "Steve from Minecraft" is also the name he's pretty much known by. I'd also argue that having a title is in some cases better than having a name like 'Steve'.
As for the comparison between Steve and Villager (and the other character examples you mentioned) the main difference is that Villager, due to being from Animal Crossing which has more expressive and visually interesting characters by default, is more distinct (the others you mentioned even moreso) . Even if they were the same, I'd still argue that Animal Crossing, as a Nintendo series, has more of a right to be here than Minecraft.

"Comparing him to Shrek and Goku is silly and you know it. They’re not video game characters."
I compared them because they're basically meme picks, and Shrek and Goku happen to be the most common meme picks for Smash characters. That said, if you want a videogame example, then a character from Fortnite could very well be a possibility now (after all, that game's popular as well, right?).

@FullMetalWesker I think you’re underestimating Minecraft’s relevance to gaming and its popularity. You do realize it is the highest selling single video game of all time, right? The game came out in 2011, and despite never receiving a proper sequel, continues to be updated and expanded to this day and retains massive popularity. We’re not talking about some flash in the pan fad game like Fortnite, which certainly won’t be around 10 years from now and thriving. Like it or not, Minecraft has become an indelible part of gaming history. To say it’s huge would be a massive understatement.

My point about the Mii costume or stage is that Minecraft is not only too large a phenomenon to be reduced to side elements in the game, but there is way too much potential for a very unique and very functional moveset here, a fact that is made entirely obvious by the trailer. The things you’re able to do with this character would be completely lost if it were just a costume or a stage, and Minecraft, being a nearly decade long phenomenon with strong ties to Nintendo, certainly has earned its place in a game celebrating Nintendo and gaming in general. I’d argue Minecraft’s legacy and contribution to gaming makes it far more deserving of representation in Smash than a series like Persona, but that’s a conversation for another day.

You and others seem to keep capitalizing on the fact that Steve has no expressions. You try to make the point that Villager has varied facial expressions, as if that somehow qualifies them more as a playable fighter. I have no idea where that’s coming from, because there are a variety of characters whose facial expressions change very little, if at all, during gameplay. ROB, Mega Man, Mr. Game & Watch, Samus and others emote very little (if at all) and you’re not complaining. The reason being, is it’s true to their canon game appearances that we don’t see expressions from them. The same goes for Steve. Not only is Minecraft a very stoic game by deliberate design choice, you play most of the game from a first person perspective, so emotion from the avatar has never been part of the experience. Minecraft has never been a game about characters or character development. It’s about collecting, crafting and building, and it appears that Steve’s moveset perfectly replicates that experience on the battlefield. The character himself is bland, but that’s kind of the point. Just like in his original appearance, he’s just a vehicle by which you can explore elements of the game.

Steve isn’t simply a “meme pick.” Sure, the Internet has liked to joke about him being included, because he seemed kind of unlikely, but this isn’t the first time an off-the-wall video game character has been included in Smash. Nobody could’ve anticipated the inclusions of Mr. Game & Watch in Melee, Wii Fit Trainer and Duck Hunt in Smash 4 or even Piranha Plant in Ultimate. Sakurai has always been about shaking up who and what gets included in Smash, and this is no different. And all those examples resulted in some of the most unique playable experiences in the roster. They all just plain work despite expectations, being fun to play while adding representation from their origin series to Smash, and I know Steve will be no different.

@FullMetalWesker (That’s a first; I was told my comment was too long, haha, so I’m continuing it here)

And as far as your comment about Fortnite, I wouldn’t necessarily rule it out. Granted, I don’t see it happening because not only is Epic a litigious nightmare (as seen by their recent battle with Apple), but also Fortnite is a relatively new thing and its popularity is already fading, unlike Minecraft, which has endured for nearly a decade. But I wouldn’t rule it out entirely. I’m certainly not a huge fan of it, but it is certainly arguable that Fortnite has made a big contribution to gaming history in general. How we personally feel about it doesn’t change the reality.

If you don’t like Steve, that can’t be helped. But to try to argue that his inclusion is somehow unprecedented in any way just plain doesn’t make sense.

@thesilverbrick - I had a longer reply planned, but I think the gist of what I was saying boils down to one thing: Do you think Steve from Minecraft can bring anything interesting to the table, as a playable character?
Personally, I can't see it. We've established that he, as a character, is flatter than a pancake, so the only think he could have to offer is through gameplay mechanics, and anything he might be able to bring there could easily be done via other means. This isn't to 'undersell Minecraft', but instead choosing how best to bring the core elements of the source game/series into Smash. By choosing to, say, utilise a special stage and/or a stage option that allowed for Minecraft elements to be introduced (such as almost unrestricted modification of existing stages), as well as a few Mii costumes (in case you wanted to play as specific characters), you could showcase the best parts of Minecraft (i.e. the environmental modification) without having to waste a valuable playable character slot in the process.
In other words, Minecraft, imo, doesn't have anything to offer in terms of characters, but it does have something to offer in terms of mechanics, and in that case, wouldn't it be best to implement that in a way that emphasises that aspect (i.e. stages, items and character modifiers), rather than something that doesn't?

@FullMetalWesker How exactly are you supposed to bring in what Steve can do without adding Steve himself? No Mii costume or stage is going to allow players to forge tools and make structures during a fight. At best, you could slap a square head on a Mii Swordfighter and have him swing a pickaxe. And as far as a stage goes, you’d get a blocky island with destructible assets. And stage modification before a fight doesn’t allow players to engage in Minecraft mechanics during a fight, and fighting is really the core part of what makes Smash fun. What they’ve done with Steve is far more compelling and represents Minecraft so well.

So many other IPs already included offer nothing in the character department, but they’ve been included because the games they represent are important. Wii Fit, Animal Crossing, the Game & Watch series, Gyromite, Duck Hunt, Pac-Man and others do not have compelling or deep characters representing their series in the roster, but Smash has never been fueled or themed around deep characters. It’s about gaming, and these characters are vehicles by which their games are represented in playable form. Steve is absolutely not the first fighter that is devoid of personality. Why does everyone keep treating him like that’s the case?

But to answer your original question, I honestly think Steve stands to be one of the most unique and interesting additions to the roster, from a purely gameplay perspective (his lack of personality is entirely irrelevant). What they’re doing with him has shaken up the game in such a deep and fundamental way that every single one of the over 100 stages in the game had to be modified to pave the way for him. If you don’t think that’s a signal that he’s bringing something interesting to the table, then I don’t know what else to say.

@thesilverbrick - "How exactly are you supposed to bring in what Steve can do without adding Steve himself? No Mii costume or stage is going to allow players to forge tools and make structures during a fight."
If it can be done with a specific character, I'm sure it can be done with existing ones too, it just requires a different mode of delivery, such as a stage option or item (crafting tools, for example, could potentially be done similarly to the dragoon item).

"So many other IPs already included offer nothing in the character department"
I disagree with that. Every other character in Smash has offered something, even if it's a novelty or vaguely interesting design. R.O.B, for example, is a robot with a propulsion device instead of legs, that alone makes him more interesting than 'ordinary pixelated human called Steve'. Wii Fit Trainer admittedly comes close to this, but even then, the silhouette effect is more unique and aesthetically pleasing than the block pixelated effect Steve has (not being called 'Steve' is also a plus).
Sure, not every character is as unique or interesting as each other (Byleth for example, is kinda bad from a characterisation perspective), but everyone is a huge step up from 'ordinary pixelated human called Steve' and that's the problem.

"What they’re doing with him has shaken up the game in such a deep and fundamental way that every single one of the over 100 stages in the game had to be modified to pave the way for him. If you don’t think that’s a signal that he’s bringing something interesting to the table, then I don’t know what else to say."
I think you're really reading too much in this 'we redesigned the stages to accommodate his character" line. It's probably no where near as ambitious as you seem to think it is. And if they're redesigning the stages already, what's to stop them from redesigning them so that every character can do what Steve supposedly will do (which, I should point out, we don't actually know yet).

@FullMetalWesker You haven’t adequately explained how adding an item to the game would allow for Steve’s incredibly complex moveset to work in Smash with the existing characters. There is no kind of item in Smash’s history that overhauls every character’s moveset in the way you’re proposing. Steve appears to be able to mine items, upgrade his equipment and build structures (all the key features of Minecraft gameplay). What kind of item could simply and easily allow the 80+ other characters to do all of that in a way that’s as thorough and satisfying as Steve’s moveset (and could you imagine the programming required to retool every single character to use an item that most people will just turn off)? And that aside, DLC has never added items to the game, so your suggestion goes way beyond anything that has ever happened in Smash DLC history.

You may not want Steve in the game, but plenty of others do, and reducing his moveset to an item (which I still don’t see being possible) would be like saying that you could’ve just put Kazooie in as a gun-type item instead of including Banjo as a fighter. You think that would have satisfied the fans of that series? Arguably Minecraft is a far more recognizable and relevant property than Banjo-Kazooie. And again, Sakurai doesn’t add items via DLC, so your suggestion is irrelevant anyway.

You don’t think Steve’s moveset and abilities are unique? No other fighter has been able to gather materials, upgrade their equipment and build structures during a fight. If you don’t think that’s unique and new, then what other character comes even close? The fact that he has a generic name and blocky appearance doesn’t change that this fighter stands to bring a moveset and play style to the game unlike any other.

You keep getting hung up on his name as if it somehow makes him an invalid choice. Like I’ve said, “Steve” is really just Minecraft’s term for a generic male avatar. How is “Steve from Minecraft” any more generic than “the villager from Animal Crossing” or “the trainer from Wii Fit”?

If anything, the fact that he’s so blocky and stiff makes his inclusion even more unique. No character moves and animates like Steve. I’ve heard a lot of complaints about him being included, but I can all but guarantee you’re the only one who doesn’t think he’s new or unique in any way.

Like it or not, video games encompass all kinds of playable characters and avatars. Some of them come from games with rich narratives and back stories and have deep artistic designs. Others are from games that focus on open-ended gameplay and feature simple avatars without personality, because the experiences are driven by gameplay, not story. Smash has been about celebrating all kinds of games, so you wind up with characters like Cloud, Samus and Bayonetta on one end of the spectrum, but you’ve also got ones like generic avatar Villagers, a nameless fitness trainer, and a flat LCD man who lacks a dimension and moves with limited frames of animation. None of the latter class are “characters” in the purest sense of the word, but they allow for important games to be represented as fighters in Smash. Minecraft is a massively important part of gaming’s history and including a playable fighter from that game makes all the sense in the world, given Smash is a celebration of Nintendo and gaming’s history.

@thesilverbrick "You haven’t adequately explained how..." Because 1: This is an article comment, not an essay, and 2: That wasn't the point; my point was: not only is it not necessary to have a specific character to bring some Minecraft elements into Smash, it's actually preferable for a more authentic representation of the game's ideas (which is all about building structures, not building structures with a pre-set character). For some reason you seem to think the character's moveset is complicated or difficult to implement in any other way, but considering that it doesn't have to be 100% authentic, I don't see what's so hard about finding some way of implementing some kind of building mechanic into the game?
"reducing his moveset to an item"
Where'd you get the idea I was advocating for only an item? I used that as one example of one mechanic that could potentially be implemented, not the whole thing.
"You keep getting hung up on his name as if it somehow makes him an invalid choice"
It does if it's an horribly bad meme choice ala Shrek or "insert character from Fortnite". Even his alts are better than he is it's that bad, but because he's the 'default avatar' he's the main and the others the alts, so....
"including a playable fighter from that game makes all the sense in the world"
Maybe if the character was worth including, but 'Steve' is not one of them. At least call him "Minecraft player' with a variety of alt skins or something less insulting. And again, Minecraft doesn't rely on specific characters, so why not take a different approach and give the spots to third-party characters who are actually characters?

@FullMetalWesker Every point you keep making about Steve and Minecraft can be applied to other existing characters and games already represented in Smash. Absolutely, Minecraft isn’t about the characters in any way. It is purely about collecting materials, crafting and building. But there needs to be a vehicle by which to do this, and the avatar (Steve) is how that’s done. Animal Crossing is no different. The game isn’t about your playable character as a person. It’s about interacting with the island’s residents, collecting furniture and tools and that has to be accomplished with a generic Villager avatar, who has also been included in Smash, despite not being a distinct personality or even having a name.

The problem here is nothing objective. You just plain don’t like Steve, and that’s ok. There’s nothing that makes him any different than Villager in terms of being a generic avatar. His art style is simple, but it’s arguable he’s more complicated than Mr. Game & Watch in terms of design.

You say you’d feel better if he wasn’t called Steve and was simply called “Minecraft avatar.” You do realize the term “Steve” essentially means a generic male Minecraft avatar, right? Steve has two other alts, as does Alex, and they all look nothing alike. They are from various countries, and some of them are even different races, yet they are all named Steve or Alex. To try to argue that they are all the same person would be silly. Any generic male avatar from Minecraft is a “Steve,” much like an avatar from Animal Crossing is a “Villager.” The name doesn’t carry any inherent characterization.

You keep fixating on his name, somehow indicating that this makes him “bad.” “Bad” is a subjective term, and your personal feelings don’t negate the fact that Minecraft is massive in terms of popularity and influence and it also doesn’t change the fact that there are already plenty of nameless, generic characters playable in Smash. Being generic as a character has never stopped fighters from being included as playable, and suddenly trying to use that as a qualifier looks a bit silly when I already see a playable 2D flat silhouette, a nameless fitness trainer, a generic child from a social simulator and a plastic robot accessory from a 35 year old console on the character select screen. Your argument that Steve “isn’t worth including as a character” is not only just your subjective opinion, but it could absolutely apply to any of those examples I just listed. I’ll say it again: Smash’s roster isn’t simply about compelling characters. It’s about representing games. And some games don’t feature compelling playable characters. Minecraft is one of them. But so are Animal Crossing, Wii Fit and the Game & Watch games.

What this boils down to is the fact that you don’t like Steve and don’t want him in the game. I can’t argue with your feelings or your opinions. But to try to translate those opinions into some kind of logical argument as to why he’s “too generic” is silly, given some of the characters we already have.

@thesilverbrick - I'm about done trying to make my point; not only has this gone on far too long, but you seem intent on mostly ignoring my points and sticking to your defence of this farce at all cost, so I'll just make one final comment: There's more here than whether or not I personally like Steve specifically. If it were, I wouldn't have bothered commenting in the first place (after all, he's hardly the only character I don't care for). Instead, the points I initially responded to (the idea that you didn't need a playable character to bring Minecraft elements to Smash if that's all you wanted, and the differences between the Animal Crossing Villager and Steve) were, and still are, valid points that I raised in the name of objectivity, not because I "just didn't like Steve'. I did admittedly let my personal opinions and emotions cloud my arguments later on (for which I apologise) but those initial points were made on merit, not opinion.

@FullMetalWesker For starters, I'd like to apologize and clarify that I don't intend to come across as belligerent or combative about any of this. I admit that I do very much enjoy intelligent discussions and debates about trivial things, and unlike many of the other posts I encounter on this site, you're well-spoken and intelligent, and I found myself kind of getting sucked into and possibly too invested in this discussion.

That said, I also want to apologize if I've given you the impression that I'm ignoring your points. I didn't intend to do that, and so I've gone back and reread all your comments to make sure I haven't missed anything.

The two points you revisited in your last comment were about representing Minecraft in Smash with something other than a playable character and that in your opinion, Steve is a less distinct character than the Animal Crossing villager. I'd like to revisit those two things, if that's OK, so that none of your points get ignored.

Firstly, I asked how exactly the game could go about representing Minecraft gameplay in a satisfying way without a playable Minecraft character. Your suggestions included a stage or item that allow for gathering materials, crafting and building in some manner, citing that this would be truer to the Minecraft experience. I'd argue that very, very few of the characters in Smash play in any way like they do in their original titles. Controlling the Wii FIt Trainer with motion controls would be far more authentic to the original game's experience. It would make sense for the Animal Crossing characters in the game not to attack at all, given that their source game is devoid of violence. And if we're trying to be perfectly authentic, Fox and Falco should be in vehicles the entire time during fights. One could argue that playing as Steve, collecting resources, crafting tools and building blocks in real time is far more authentic to the character's source material than the movesets of characters like Captain Falcon, Fox, Villager, Wii Fit Trainer, Duck Hunt, ROB, any of the Pokemon or Fire Emblem characters, and really anyone from a turn-based RPG. Additionally, removing Steve as a playable character and replacing him with items and modes removes the potential for competitive players to use anything from Minecraft, as stage hazards and items are almost always turned off. What you're arguing for is not only vague and undefined, but it's also without any kind of precedent. Nothing like what you're suggesting has ever been added to a Smash game and seems like an indistinct and inelegant solution. Even you yourself only propose the vague notion that “something” could be included yet you don't have any concrete ideas, just vague suggestions.

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@FullMetalWesker And as for the differences between Villager and Steve, I'll quote you so I don't miss anything:

"As for the comparison between Steve and Villager (and the other character examples you mentioned) the main difference is that Villager, due to being from Animal Crossing which has more expressive and visually interesting characters by default, is more distinct (the others you mentioned even moreso)."

You call Villager "more visually interesting." That's subjective. It could be argued that if you showed the cast to a first-time player and asked for their impressions, I'd argue that Steve stands out more than Villager does stylistically and is far more memorable. He leaves a more lasting impression because of his very, very different visual style. You also call Villager "more expressive," which is true, but again, there are plenty of stoic characters in Smash who are completely devoid of emotion (Mr. Game & Watch, ROB, Samus). In terms of the their value to the overall narrative of their respective games, Steve and Villager are equally generic. And my point is that being generic or stoic has never been a disqualifying factor when it comes to inclusion in Smash's roster.

Steve isn't the most generic character in Smash. He's not the least expressive. He's not the first one that uses a distinct visual style. He represents a video game with historical merit and ties to Nintendo and his in-game functionality translates aptly into a playable moveset. In that way, he's exactly like every fighter before him.