Masahiro Sakurai cannot be stopped: except by one thing, apparently! While it was already pretty insane to hear that every level in Smash Ultimate was tweaked to support Steve's entrance into the arena, a new Famitsu column digs deeper into what might have been.
According to Sakurai (as translated by Twitter user Sephazon), he tried to add another element into the game that would allow for players to create Minecraft levels, then import them into Smash. I can't imagine how crazy the groundwork must have been for that sort of project, but ultimately, Sakurai deemed it "impossible."
In that very same column, Sakurai says that "various circumstances" prevented him from using certain Minecraft music: something he alluded to earlier by stating that specific tracks wouldn't work in a fighting game scene. It appears that complications arose even beyond that.
Sakurai also candidly shares some info on how he's been getting on during the pandemic, noting that Steve was developed "entirely" during this period and that development was "difficult." However, he maintains a cherry demeanor and is "happy" to be working on the further four challengers that are coming to Smash.
I know he won't take this advice, but he deserves a break after all of this. Smash Ultimate is one of the most ambitious and complete fighting games of all time, spanning multiple generations and IPs in a way that no other game is doing right now. After the DLC is done, he can rest easy!
Sakurai [Famitsu via Sephazon]
