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.
Minecraft’s “19w04a” Java snapshot update, which rolled out on Thursday, enabled wall running… but not intentionally.
While the Java snapshot update added a handful of things like stone cutting and fixing unlit campfires so they no longer burn you, nowhere does it mention wallrunning, leaving players to surmise that it must have been an unintended side effect of the recent changes. Click here to take a look yourself (thanks, Kotaku).
“Just for context, this isn’t a trick or a prank or anything,” reported Minecrafter NatalieZem, who shared a brief video of wallrunning on Reddit. “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. Here’s another video showing how easy this is to replicate.”
The bug’s seemingly been resolved now thanks to the arrival of snapshot 19w04b, much to many players’ disappointment. “This would be a cool feature though,” Redditer JamesBeYeezy opined, while owlindenial had hoped “it’s not reported. Ever.” “Would be pretty cool if implemented properly,” daydreamed Everscream.
A first release of the project will be available to download in the coming months.
Reddit user MC_Pitman has spent the past year revamping terrain generation in Minecraft and, judging by the results in the image above (make sure you click in the top-right to go full screen), it’s time well spent.
The aim of the project was to make terrain regeneration look “more natural and realistic…more like a generated landscape than a bunch of individual biomes”, they said on Reddit. They’ve built a big world with a number of zones—the one you see above is the Alpine climate zone, which MC_Pitman says is the “most polished and complete” sector. The way the different environments meld together is gorgeous, and I’d love to build a house atop that hill in the centre.
A first release of the full world will be available “in the next few months”, they said.
MC_Pitman is also the creator of Biome Bundle, a popular custom world generator with more than 400 original biomes. You can view pictures of it in action here.
Tired of watching only comic book movies adapt colorful insanity to the big screen for billions of dollars? Well a new crop of video game movies are also finally making some significant progress. Granted, based on the imagery we’ve seen for both the live-action Pokemon: Detective Pikachu and Sonic the Hedgehog movies coming next year, some of that progress is a bit horrifying. But it’s progress nonetheless. Plus there’s new Mario movie in the works.
The whole point of making a video game movie is that a big video game is just another #brand that everyone knows. Mario, Sonic, and Pokemon all became permanent parts of shared culture throughout the 80s and 90s. And since then other games have reached that level of iconic as well, iconic enough to get their own movies. After much turmoil, both the Uncharted and Minecraft movies finally seem to have settled on solid directors.
A crown jewel of modern PlayStation hardware, the Uncharted franchise turned the globe-trotting antics of pulp heroes like Indiana Jones into a blockbuster interactive action adventure. But the game’s reliance of shorthand and cinematic tropes pulled from more recognizable albeit non-gaming sources also made the idea of a movie sound weird, like a copy of a copy. Maybe that’s why previous directors like Shawn Levy, Neil Burger, King of Kong’s Seth Gordon and for some reason David O. Russell (with Mark Wahlberg as Nathan Drake!) have all dropped out of the project.
However the Uncharted movie is now in the hands of Dan Trachtenberg. His debut film, 10 Cloverfield Lane, was pretty fantastic. And he has experience translating his honest gamer enthusiasm into film, directing the fan film Portal: No Escape in 2011. Sony’s new golden Spider-Boy Tom Holland (not Nathan Fillion) is also still set to star as a young Nathan Drake, hopefully helping the movie feel more distinct from its cinematic ancestors.
If the Uncharted movie’s problem is that you basically already know what an Unchartedmovie looks like, the Minecraft movie has the opposite problem. How you adapt a massively popular and lucrative game that’s basically a sprawling geometry sandbox for kids into a movie? Do you just rip off The Lego Movie? Did anyone really care that much when Telltale tried to turn it into an adventure game?
Funny enough, Shawn Levy was the first director announced for a Minecraft movie, before dropping out to take a stab at Uncharted. Next Rob McElhenney (Mac from It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia) was attached and honestly his departure still hurts. The creator of Always Sunny of course knows how to make awful people entertaining, which is the perfect mindset for dealing with Minecraft’s awful famous orc creator Markus “Notch” Persson. Plus we could’ve gotten a Danny DeVito cameo as a Creeper. Here’s hoping new Minecraft director Peter Sollett, of Raising Victor Vargas and Nick & Norah’s Infinite Playlist, can build something beautiful out of this pile of blocks.
This is more for the looks than for any practical reason. But you can actually place a torch on top of a crafting table or furnace. Why you would do this isn’t important. It’s about the fact that you can.
To do this, put a “transparent block” behind the crafting table. This can be something like a block of glass. Now, while facing the crafting table, try to reach out and put a torch on the glass. You should now have a torch on top of the table.
24Placing Blocks Next To A Torch
You may not even consider this due to the impossibility of what we’re doing. But Minecraft is all about breaking the laws of physics. And you can do that by placing a block right next to a torch.
Simply aim next to the torch like you would with any other block. After that, place any block you like. Surprisingly, the block will actually build off the torch. It’s a strange look but you can use it for some creative architecture.ADVERTISING
23Stacking Signs
It’s possible to stack signs on top of each other. You can do this to create the illusion of a really big sign that is actually comprised of smaller pieces. It’s perfect if you have a long message to write or something like that.
The best use for this mechanic is when you’re making an adventure map. You can stack signs to create a literal wall of text full of instructions and details about the adventure. Stacking signs is a small detail that could easily be missed.
22Wooden Slabs Are Flame-Resistant
Usually, you don’t want too many wooden items around the house. Especially if you have any structures that use fire. A single spark can cause a huge accident. There’s no worse feeling than watching your hard work be burned to the ground.
Which is why you should use wooden slabs instead.
These pieces don’t actually burn. You can get the benefit of that wooden texture without any of the risks of burning. It’s the safest way to implement wood into your structure.
21Lava Buckets Are Great Fuel
If you find lava anywhere, be sure to keep it marked. As soon as you get some buckets, go and collect as much lava as possible. Lava is an excellent fuel to use in the furnace. It lasts a long time so you can smelt as much as you want.
Lava is also one of the ingredients in creating obsidian, a rare block. With a bonus use like that, there’s no reason not to carry lava. Get as many buckets of this as possible and become an efficient adventurer.
20The Best Diamond Level
The best Y-coordinate for diamonds is eleven. You can check your coordinates by pressing F3. The Y-coordinate shows how far down you’ve mined. You can find diamond anywhere after Y-16, but eleven is the best.
You also wouldn’t want to go lower that. If you do, the chances of running into lava will be higher. There’s no point in finding diamond ore if you’re just going to lose it all to lava. This molten liquid can be useful, but not when it’s trying to drown you.
19Use Torches To Farm Sand/Gravel Blocks
Torches are probably some of the most versatile items in all of Minecraft. They do the obvious things like lighting up dark areas and keeping monsters away. However, they have some other useful abilities.
As you may know, Sand and Gravel blocks are affected by gravity. So, if you remove the block underneath, they will fall. At that moment before the block falls, you can place a torch. This will cause all of the blocks to be broken allowing you to collect them.F
18Zombie-Proof Your Door
Zombies can break down your door and invade your precious house. Thankfully, there are some ways of preventing the zombies from ruining your day and destroying your property.
One option is to have a door set up one block higher. That way the zombies cannot reach it. Your other choice is to use a fence instead. They can’t break the fences down and it also allows you to fight back without any risk.
17Mushroom Biomes Are Safe
The Mushroom Biome is the only biome where hostile mobs do not spawn at night. This makes it the safest place in Minecraft and the best place to build a home. There are also no mobs in the cave systems, allowing for safer mining.
However, be aware that mob spawners will still work.
So, if you do see any zombies or spiders, then you know there’s a spawner nearby. Overall, the Mushroom Biome is a good place for a base.
16Pumpkin Head
Wearing a pumpkin is more about just making you look awesome. Yet, it has other benefits which can help you fight a powerful foe. If you wear a Pumpkin, then Endermen will not attack you. Even if you attack them.
Endermen only attack those who make eye contact with them. However, the Pumpkin prevents you from making eye contact. So, they stick to their mantra and refuse to fight back. Such honorable foes.
15Get Some Bodyguards
It’s a good idea to get some extra help to protect your house. There are two options. The first is an Iron Golem. You summon it by making the formation shown in the image. They are very powerful and also quite durable.
The other guardian would be a snow golem. Stack two snow blocks and put a pumpkin on top to summon it. However, it needs to be in a suitable biome (like the snow) otherwise it will melt.
14Become A Cat Person
Cats are a cool addition to Minecraft and make for nice pets. However, it’s more than just having a cat as a pet. They also serve an important function.
Creepers are very scared of cats.
If you have enough cats around your house, then Creepers will avoid you at all costs. It’s the best way to ensure that you won’t run into any explosive surprises when doing some farming.
13Take Torches Underwater
Once again, torches have come to the rescue. Whenever you go on a trip underwater, be sure to take a bunch of torches with you. They can help you breathe underwater for a longer period of time.
By placing a torch on a block, it creates an air bubble for a short time. You have to be next to the block for this to work. But it’s enough to ensure that you can get some extra breath in an emergency.
12Another Way To Fight A Blaze
The Blaze is a powerful mob in the Nether. They can be a tough enemy to beat through conventional methods. Their fire blasts can also knock you into the lava, eliminating you instantly.
The Blaze mob is weak to snowballs. So you should take as many of them as possible. Using snowballs from afar is a safer way to defeat the Blaze. It’s not the most efficient, but it will ensure your safety.
11The Infinite Water Source
This is the ideal construction to have near a farm. You won’t have to carry a lot of water buckets or build near a water source to make this work. It’s also extremely simple to build and you don’t need anything special.
You need two buckets of water to start. Make a 2-by-2 square in the ground. It should be one block deep. Then pour one bucket in the top left corner of the square and let the water spill. Finally, pour the other bucket in the bottom right corner and you have your water source.
10Don’t Make Golden Tools
Gold does have its uses, but making tools out of it is not a good idea. They are even less durable than wooden items.
In fact, the tools will only last a few uses before breaking.
You are better off saving those previous golden materials for crafting Golden Apples. They are extremely useful healing items that can save you in a bind. Whatever you decide to do, don’t waste gold on weapons and tools.
9Carry Water Buckets
Water buckets can save your life in many situations, especially in mining. You can use it to counter random bursts of lava. You could also use it to climb down steep inclines and get to lower ground.
You could even use the water to help you get away from some monsters. Use it to create some distance between you and the mobs. Just remember to make sure that you have a few extra buckets of water when going into the mines.
8Remember To Use Bonemeal
Bonemeal is pretty simple to make from skeleton bones. Its main use is to quicken the growth of plants and trees. This is very useful when you’re trying to build a farm or grow some trees for wood.
It’s fairly easy to find because you get them from skeletons. These are common mobs at night time and aren’t hard to fight. Bonemeal is an excellent tool for the farmers at heart.
7Charcoal Can Replace Coal
When you start your new adventure, you may not immediately find some coal. Thankfully, there is an alternative, since coal is a vital resource. That alternative is charcoal. And it’s made from wood.
You can use wood as a fire source in the furnace.
By smelting some more wood, you can make charcoal. This has the same properties as coal and acts as a great replacement early in the game. That way you can focus on building a house before going into the mines.
6Look For Mob Spawners
Enemy spawners can be extremely frustrating. They keep spawning enemies into the vicinity until you get tired or are defeated. Unless of course, you are able to destroy them. But before that, there is another step.
Just place torches all around the spawner. This is a better idea than destroying it. Torches will prevent enemies from spawning. Also, if you need to farm a certain type of enemy, you can just remove the torches to let them spawn.
5Don’t Take Beds To The Nether
Beds are useful in the regular dimension. They create a checkpoint in case you perish during your adventure. It’s a staple of every house and everyone will want to have one. Except if you’re in the Nether.
Sleeping in the Nether causes you to explode.
Probably not a good idea if you’re looking to get stuff done in the Nether. Just remember this one little detail before you set out to fight Blazes and Zombie Pigmen.
4Walking On The Edge
Crouching is a useful way to expand your movement options. By crouching, you can actually walk a little bit off the edge of a block. This is ideal when you’re building a bridge-like structure.
Be careful you don’t let go of the crouch button. If you do, then your character will fall. So, if you plan to try this trick high in the air, then make sure you hold onto that crouch button.
3Milking A Mooshroom
Mooshrooms are a special type of cow that are exclusive to the Mushroom Biome. They are similar to regular cows and you can even milk them. Except you won’t get what you expected.
Instead of milk, you get mushroom stew.
This is actually very useful as the stew can restore some of your hunger bar. If you find yourself in a Mushroom Biome, then you should definitely gather as many Mooshrooms as possible.
2Personalize Dog Collars
It’s a good idea to tame a group (read: army) of dogs to hunt with. They are great in combat and can help turn the tide in your favor. But you may want to give them all different names and differentiate them further.
You can easily do that by changing the color of their collar. Simply get a dye for the color you want and right click on the dog. That’s it. You now have a customized dog collar in Minecraft.
1Curing Zombie Villagers
Zombie Villagers are a recent addition to Minecraft. Essentially, the villagers get hit with a disease that turns them into zombies. However, you can cure them and activate their trading post.
First, you have to inflict the Weakness status on the Zombie which you can do with a potion. After that, you give it a Golden Apple. After around 2-5 minutes of waiting, the Zombie Villager should now be cured.
After so many years of updates and evolution, Minecraft has come really far from its humble beginnings. It started out as a passion project and has turned into one of the biggest gaming franchises in existence. One of the defining games of this modern generation. Such a grand feat means you’re going to have new people constantly joining in on the fun. With how complex Minecraft has become, newcomers may need a little guidance to figure out some of the intricate details of the game.
Fans have spent hours exploring the many secrets and hidden details within Minecraft. There are hundreds of these tricks stored away within the game. However, in this list, we’ve had to narrow it down to 25. It’s not everything there is to find in Minecraft, but some of the more interesting and important ones. Even veteran players may find a few things they didn’t know since the game has been updated quite a bit since the old days. With new mobs and items added every update, there will be a whole bunch of new secrets to uncover. New players will find some great tips and new strategies when building their dream house or looking for the elusive diamond.
Of course, this list won’t even come close to covering everything in Minecraft. The game is so expansive and is limited only by the creativity of the player. There will still be many more things to discover. You should definitely take the time to explore the world of Minecraft and see how many new things you can find on your own.
