The Wii U version of Minecraft has been available since last December, and that’s fantastic, but Nintendo is about to up the ante: Tomorrow, May 17, it releases a free update to the game, the “Super Mario Mash-Up Pack,” which will add 40 skins to the game, while world and item textures can also be replaced by more Mario-inspired ones. In addition, 15 songs from Super Mario 64 will be available, and there will be a pre-made world ready to explore.
Ahead of that, Nintendo shared more details about the update with Mashable. For example, although items like fire flowers and mushrooms may be seen, they won’t actually offer any Mario-like power-ups. The same is true for character skins like Tanooki Mario and Fire Mario. The enemies are getting re-skinned as well: Chickens become Goombas, Creepers become Pokeys, Skeletons become Dry Bones, Silverfish become small Wigglers, and so on.
As for Nintendo’s pre-built world, it certainly looks nuanced and filled with nods to various games in the Mario franchise. In the previously-released trailer (above), we see Delfino Plaza from Super Mario Sunshine, the angry sun and flame enemies from Super Mario Bros. 3, and, most beautifully, Peach’s castle from Super Mario 64:
There are sure to be plenty of Easter eggs to discover, aside from the underground network of mine cart rails that sometimes interact with musical blocks:
Find more exclusive images and video over at Mashable, and let us know in the comments how much of your planned productivity just flew out the window over coming weeks.
We’ve got a closer look at Minecraft: Story Mode right here!
Image: Nintendo