Microsoft has released Minecraft on a popular Nintendo mobile gaming device. No, not the Switch*. The 3DS.
The announcement was made by Nintendo during a live video stream last night. That stream is no longer available, and while Microsoft/Mojang is silent about this unexpected news, Nintendo does have a formal (if brief) announcement on its own website.
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“Minecraft is a game about placing blocks and going on adventures,” the firm notes. “Explore randomly‐generated worlds and build amazing things from the simplest of homes to the grandest of castles. Play in Creative Mode with unlimited resources or mine deep into the world in survival mode, crafting weapons and armor to fend off the dangerous mobs.”
The game, awkwardly titled Minecraft New Nintendo 3DS Edition, costs $29.99 and is available in both digital and physical forms. It utilizes both of the 3DS’s displays, of course, with the bottom touchscreen dedicated to menuing, map, and inventory purposes. I assume it supports the device’s 3D capabilities.
Anyway, there you go.
* Yes, Minecraft is already available on the Nintendo Switch.