This beta version does not change the fundamental basics of the game. However there are some fun new additions to the game and some aesthetic improvements. For example, villages now have MPCs, lilly-pads have been added to water which can be collected and the netherworld has randomly generated strongholds. Other minor elements have been reintroduced, such as roses, or subtly changed such as the way snow now collects on top of ice.

If you're not sure how to play Minecraft or are a newcomer to the game, we recommend you check our beginners guide and read the full review of the stable version. Also, note that to install this beta version, you simply need to put the downloaded file in folder where you have hosted your game data within AppData. To play Minecraft, you need to download a license from the developer site.

Minecraft beta is a must for all hardcore fans of the game.

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Features

Your world in Minecraft is randomly generated, and you appear in a land surrounded by water, with mountains, valleys, trees and animals. It's not clear what to do except explore to begin with but as the sun sets, monsters appear, who will kill you. Survival is impossible in the open, so you need to build a shelter to hide out in for the first night. Here is a guide.

Playability

Version 1.0 has some nice cosmetic changes, including an HD texture pack, better lighting from torches and even prettier sunsets and sunrises! The game launcher also looks better. There is now a 'Creative Mode', which makes you invincible, gives you unlimited resources, allows you to fly, and fast forward/rewind time! This mode is ideal for players who just want to get on and build cool stuff, without worrying about staying alive.

Quality

Minecraft is constantly being improved. It's blocky graphics give it a unique style, and while there have been many clones and copies, nothing matches the original. The mix of exploration and creation during the day, and frightening survival at night is infectious.

Conclusion

Minecraft is a wonderfully inventive sandbox game that really deserves the title, as your creation in it is only limited by your imagination and time!

What's new

A new realm has been added to Minecraft, which allows faster travel through the huge worlds. Called The Nether, it resembles Hell, and is full of flowing lava and monsters. You can access The Nether using portals made from Obsidian you have mined. Also, when you create a new Minecraft world, it will now be more varied, with 'biomes' of different landscape, like desert, tundra and snow. NPC (non player characters) now roam villages, which can serve as early shelters for you at night, if you can find them!

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Work in progress

Still under development, Ace of Spades really does look a lot like Minecraft, with its pixellated blocky style. But the team combat gives it a very different feel. Building and digging in Ace of Spades is more about making walls and trenches for the battle. The newbie guide even warns you not to be too creative, as your 'buildings will be destroyed'!

Gameplay

There are three guns: a rifle, machine gun and shot gun. You area also equipped with grenades and a spade for digging. You can talk to your team mates in secret to coordinate tactics. Despite the simplistic shooting and graphics, the gameplay is really satisfying. Digging and building adds an interesting dynamic to the game, and some of the servers have really well-designed levels to battle over.

Getting started

Ace of Spades does have its problems. Changing your player name is awkward, and battles can seemingly go on without end. However, these issues will no doubt be ironed out as the game develops. Where Ace of Spades isn't very user friendly, there is at least an extensive Wiki where you can find answers, as well as the newbie guide.

Ace of Spades is a fun release in what is becoming 'the Minecraft genre'. It's free to play, so get involved!

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Minecraft Jar Switcher clearly displays the different versions of Minecraft that you have installed and even allows you to see comments and changes between them such as pre-release, beta versions and installed mods etc. Minecraft Jar Switcher is much safer than tinkering with the minecraft.jar file which may mean that Minecraft will not boot properly if you damage it.

Minecraft Jar Switcher simply accesses the location of your Minecraft launch file and automatically creates a backup. Each file is then marked with comments relating to the specific version on mod type - simply choose the one you want to launch. Minecraft Jar Switcher automatically copies the file to the correct location and launches it. Even if you don't use Minecraft Jar Switcher to switch between different versions of the game, it's useful as a simple backup tool.

If you're a hardcore Minecraft fan and regularly play different version of it, Minecraft Jar Switcher is an excellent utility.

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Do you like playing games like Call of Duty, Minecraft and Portal 2 online? Well, you’re in luck, because this is precisely what Tunngle is designed for.

Tunngle is based on registering and joining the Tunngle community. This is free, but a little complicated. Once you have the program downloaded and your passwords and usernames sorted out, you can sign in and participate in various chat rooms, share files and, of course, join games.

The Tunngle interface is the default red and black. It makes things a little hard to read - as does the small font - but skins are also available. The various parts of the program are displayed in tab-like sections across the top of the window. You can access the online Tunngle features here (news, downloads, etc.), as well as actually using it as a VPN.

To share files over Tunngle with friends, they'll have to sign up too, but once they have, it's as easy as starting a private chat with them (using the Messenger icon in the top right corner), right-clicking and choosing Tunngle Shares.

If you fancy gaming with Tunngle, you can search for a particular network or view all games via Community > Networks > Browser. Once you've found one you like, just double click and you're in. There is a chat function throughout Tunngle and, of course, there are online FAQs and forums. If you have a look around the web, you’ll also find plenty of Tunngle tutorials.

The fact that you must sign up to use the program will be off-putting for certain VPN users, but for those who are interested in playing games against friends - or strangers - Tunngle's an interesting new alternative.

Tunngle is a free VPN made especially for gamers.

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