Nothing unusual going on here. Just pulling up at Pimlico station. Just looking at its realistic roundel. Its gleaming white tiles. Everything seems to be in order.
I mean there DO seem to be a lot of ads for Minecraft plastered up. And that help point DOES appear to be a tad translucent. And pixely… ah.
These meticulous Minecraft renderings of the Victoria line station are the work of CreatorLabs — who've accompanied it with this rather hypnotising video. One person has suggested this alternative Pimlico looks like a level on one of the early GTA games, which is certainly no slight.
OK, the clock is a little pixely
The minutiae — down to tiny hazard signs, and the reflections on the floor and ceilings — are covered. And even if certain details, like an illuminated clock, are a little bit pixelated, well, that only adds to the charm.
The only thing missing from Pimlico 2.0 in our opinion? Tube mice. Oh, and tube trains. Must be another strike.
STAUNTON – A local organization will host the area's first gaming class geared toward kids with autism this spring.
Greater Good Gaming organizers hope the Minecraft course, which is part of Staunton Parks & Recreation's spring programming, will give youth ages 11 to 14 a chance to play a game they love while socializing with peers. The group will have a free meet-and-greet for potential participants on Feb. 5, and registration for the class is open until Feb. 13.
G3 has been around for about three years, and this will be the second semester the group has offered courses through Staunton Parks & Recreation. But this is the first time the organization will host a class specifically designed for youth with special needs.
Founder Tony Robertson said he realized there aren't many activities for kids on the spectrum in the area after talking with News Leader reporter Monique Calello, whose daughter has autism and enjoys his monthly gaming group at Staunton Public Library.
She explained that there aren't any activities in this area geared toward kids on the autism spectrum for her daughter to participate in.
“That kind of got me thinking that there’s this community out there that needs programming for their kids,” Robertson said.
Video games are “equal opportunity entertainment” since the games are accessible for players with a range of mental and physical abilities, he said. G3 organizers want participants to be creative and use their imaginations, so they decided to focus the class on Minecraft, a game where players create things from different kinds of blocks.
Robertson, who has a background in education, worked with his colleagues – including a specialist who has experience with kids on the autism spectrum – to create the lesson plans. While each player will have their own project to work on for most of the course, they'll work together on a group build during the final part of the class.
“Sometimes for kids on the spectrum, it can be hard to throw them into these big, social, collaborative efforts … so we want to ease them into that,” he said. This strategy aims to teach kids that, “yes, it can be frustrating to do things with other people sometimes … but if you plan it out carefully and organize it well, it can be quite efficient.”
Plus, G3 encourages kids to take active breaks from gaming every half hour or so. During the course, they'll play “camp-like” group games together to continue the focus on teamwork and structured socialization, Robertson said.
While the course is open to all kids, Robertson said he hopes youth on the autism spectrum will get priority, since it's designed specially for them. The meet-and-greet will take place at the Nelson Street Center from 6:30-8 p.m. on Feb. 5 so kids can familiarize themselves with the course and its leaders before they sign up.
All G3's courses encourage kids to use skills like problem solving, creativity and determination while they participate in an activity they already enjoy, he said. The group aims to reduce the stigma that surrounds gaming and to encourage gamers to use their passion for video games to better themselves and the community.
“Embracing this technology that’s here, that’s not going anywhere and making the best of it – that’s sort of what Greater Good Gaming is all about,” Robertson said.
Follow Rilyn on Twitter @rilyneischens22, or send her a note at reischens@newsleader.com
At the turn of the decade, a little game called Minecraft proved to be a revelation in videogames – inspiring a whole generation of players and developers in the process. Markus ‘Notch’ Persson created a blocky, sandbox world that essentially let us create anything we like and share it with our friends. It’s a cultural phenomenon that sold millions of copies before Mojang, the small studio behind it, was bought out by Microsoft in 2014.
There’s been a plethora of Minecraft clones over the years, but none really delivered the whole package like Minecraft does. On top of the vanilla experience, players have created mods and server plugins that expand its creative possibilities even further, from changing the Ender Dragon to letting you play as Thomas The Tank Engine, and even redesigning the entire game with modpacks like Feed The Beast.
Sometimes, though, you may only want part of the Minecraft experience, augmented with other flavours and moods. That’s where the best games like Minecraft come in. We’ve got five games here that are similar to Minecraft in some fashion, be it the creative aspect, mining, exploration, or something else. Enjoy!
Currently on Steam Early Access, Deep Rock Galactic takes the core concept of mining for ores and valuables and has created an entire game around it, while upping the sense of peril. Of course, mining is a huge part of Minecraft, but if you’re playing vanilla, there’s little more to it than digging a series of tunnels in hopes of striking gold… well, diamond.
Deep Rock Galactic expands on that greatly. It lets you choose your preferred class, team up with three friends, and then delve into the “most hostile cave systems in the galaxy.” More than a mining simulator, it’s a first-person shooter in which each cave you venture into is procedurally generated. So, just like in Minecraft, you’ll experience something new every time you play.
You can drill straight down to your objective or choose to create branching paths, exploring as much of the underground as possible. What may sway your decisions are the hostile creatures that will stand in your way. You’ve got a vast arsenal of weapons to deal with these threats, but you’ll only be able to hold them off for so long before you’ll be forced to rush to the surface with as many of your treasures as you can carry.
STARDEW VALLEY
Farming in Minecraft is one of the most relaxing activities you can… until a creeper comes along and blows up a large chunk of your land, that is. If you often find yourself tending to your crops instead of building and mining then Stardew Valley will be right up your stree… err, planting row.
It starts out as you inherit your grandfather’s old farm, which gives your character a reason to leave the city behind, and try to make it on their own in the countryside. Outside of your customisable house you’re given a vast plot of land to work with, which you can clear and develop as you wish, making space for a multitude of crops and animals. Venturing outside of your farm introduces you to the village where you can meet villagers, go shopping, fishing, and even mining. Getting to know the locals builds up relationships and, eventually, you’ll be able to marry the love of your life.
The other way to stave off any loneliness as you earn money by selling crops and livestock is to make the most of Stardew Valley’s multiplayer. It’s certainly handy to have a few more, erm, hands as you venture into the mines and face hostile monsters. Besides that, Stardew Valley is a relaxing experience, and one that’ll help make the days fly by.
NO MAN’S SKY
After a controversial launch on PC and PS4 in 2015, the small team behind No Man’s Sky has put a great deal of effort into delivering the dream game many hoped it would be originally. It’s closer than ever now due to a series of expansions that have added base building, survival mode, and 30 hours of story. The most significant addition, however, is online multiplayer – which for many people finally makes No Man’s Sky the game they always wanted it to be.
So what is No Man’s Sky? Looking at the larger picture it’s about exploration. You go on a personal journey through multitudes of galaxies and planets as you make your way to the centre of the universe. But that end goal of eventually reaching the centre is merely the driving force for you to experience just how much of the game there is. You can meet other intelligent species, bump into hostile robots, document docile creatures, and get into space wars.
If you were put off by the reception No Man’s Sky initially received, but still harbour some fondness for that original vision, then you should give it a second chance. It’s changed significantly and could even be considered a successor to Minecraft: you can build a home, farm and harvest crops, and turn your excavation of natural resources into factories.
TERRARIA
A list like this couldn’t exist without including Terraria, could it? It’s been famously referred to as ‘2D Minecraft’ for as long as the sun has been burning. The fact of the matter, however, is that it’s got a lot more going for it than that.
The concept is ultimately the same, as you create your own objectives: build an impressive mansion or base of operations, explore the far reaches of the land, or delve deep into the underground hunting for riches. As you explore further and learn more about Terraria you’ll quickly discover there’s a lot more at play.
By completing specific goals, you can unlock NPCs that’ll stay and work in your base, such as a nurse or a wizard. They each have varying benefits and are necessary if you’re to defeat bosses, progress further into the Underworld, and eventually unlock expert mode – more bosses, enemies, biomes, and items. While Terraria’s creative freedom isn’t as open as it is in Minecraft, it offers much more when it comes to combat, and you’ll sink a lot of time into it if you want to complete everything.
FORTNITE: SAVE THE WORLD
While Fortnite Battle Royale has exploded in popularity this year, the other – and original – Fortnite game mode, Save The World, hasn’t seen as much support. It’s a shame, as it’s a solid game, and a very good alternative to Minecraft. Unfortunately, it’s not free-to-play (yet) like Battle Royale is, so that instantly creates a barrier for the vast majority of Fortnite players.
The combat mechanics are largely the same between the two modes, but rather than fighting other players here, you work together to stave off the zombie horde. That’s a concept that’s been done to death, sure, but Epic mixes it up a little by adding a bit of Minecraft to its riff on Left 4 Dead. You build and create your own base, placing construction parts and traps as you please, and then venture forth into the world to complete missions.
You can play Fortnite: Save The World with up to three friends, and as you beat back the undead together you’ll unlock skill points to upgrade your characters. Plus, there are regular timed events to coincide with real-world festivities like Christmas, Halloween, and Easter, meaning you can celebrate with your friends no matter the distance between you.
Just before the weekend, Minecraft picked up a feature you’d usually associate with fast-paced shooters such as Titanfall and recent Calls of Duty: wall-running. It was an easily replicable bug introduced in a ‘snapshot’ update (Minecraft builds its major updates in slices called snapshots, rolled out to players for beta testing on a voluntary basis).
The snapshot is 19W04A, and in the notes for that update, developer Mojang acknowledges a bug that means you can’t jump when pressed up against a block. That this results in wall-running was spotted by NatalieZem on Reddit (via Kotaku), who gave the following explanation:
“This isn’t a trick or a prank or anything. In the recent snapshot, you can’t jump while pressing against a block. And apparently not being able to raise your elevation also means you can’t lower it either. Try it for yourself: All you need to do is stay sprinting into the wall and you can move along it.”
You can see the bug in action in NatalieZem’s gif, below:
Some users welcomed the bug/feature, with many saying it’s fun and shouldn’t be removed. Yolwoocle_ says their mind is blowing with map ideas, while CK20XX suggests it could be “turned into a piece of equipment”.
Unfortunately for them, the bug was addressed in another snapshot: 19w04b. The notes say walking on walls has been “partially fixed” in that you’ll now fall slowly when moving against a wall. As of 19w04b you can, however, now perform a double-jump – another FPS feature, we’ll have blink teleports next – and the notes acknowledge that the bug causing all this “is very cool”. There’s some hope that it will be properly implemented as a pair of boots, but it is causing plenty of issues in other areas, such as climbing stairs. Expect it to change further before these snapshots become a full update.
It's not quite Prince of Persia or Infinite Warfare, but it was a rather big bug, as is the double jump that's come in as well.
Minecraft recently got an update in which a new bug was introduced allowing players to run along walls (not like Prince of Persia – more like strolling alongside one as if there was a ledge present), and as reported by the likes of PCGamesN, this has been discovered by the community and shared online.This ad will end in 30 seconds
Despite a lot of players actually liking this feature, Mojang has released a blog post revealing that walking on walls is now “partially fixed” as players now fall slowly when moving against a wall instead. They also explain that a double jump has been added as part of a “very cool” bug, although creepers and zombies can double jump too, which is less cool for your safety.
Player and mob hitboxes don't interact with walls correctly either, and there are a few other examples of issues that have arisen with this update (called a snapshot), so it's likely these will continue to be tweaked. That said, with the community enjoying some of these bugs perhaps they might become a feature in the future.
Would you like double jump and wall-running?Minecraft – Cats & Pandas: A Minecraft Fable of Friendship 00:0000:00Minecraft – MINECON Earth 2018: Update Highlights 00:0000:00
Last year around this time we were talking about Dragster, and how a 35-year-old world record was debunked and the record-holder got banned from high score competitions for life. Well, someone — using an Atari 2600 emulator in freaking Minecraft, of all things — technically tied the legitimate world record. Technically being the best kind of world record, of course.
What’s even funnier is this emulator renders at 1 frame per second. So that means YouTuber SethBling’s blazing fast time of 5.57 took about 15 minutes to complete.
Obviously, the fact the game is so slowed down is a big help, since it allows SethBling to get off the line perfectly, hit his shifts perfectly and nail what is considered the fastest playable time in the game. And he points out that, well, his run conforms to the rules for Dragsterposted on speedrun.com, which specify that in-game time (not real time) is what counts, and allow for runs on emulation — which SethBling notes are usually rendered slower than on native hardware. (Probably not one effing eff ps though.)
For the record, the time of 5.57 is held by 16 players on speedrun.com, six of them not in emulation. SethBling is not on the leaderboard, so it sounds like he hasn’t submitted this performance for review.
The rest of the video shows how the emulator works with a variety of other Atari 2600 games. They’re playable, alright, with the slight qualifier that they are all slower than the molasses in January. But if you’re interested in seeing the Minecraft 2600 emulator all for yourself, SethBling has made the world available here.
