Minecraft: Pocket Edition is the mobile version of the indie smash hit Minecraft.
It has the same basic mechanic -- placing and destroying blocks in a procedurally-generated landscape, but the controls have been tweaked for touchscreens: tapping on the screen places a block, and holding down the button for slightly longer destroys it again.
Between that and a small library of block types, you can level mountains and erect enormous edifices.
Although still in Alpha, Minecraft's Pocket Edition is available to buy on various App Stores, so we figured that it would be fair to review it's current incarnation. We've tested it on the
Sony Ericsson Xperia Play, various Android devices of different spec, and on the iPad.
The difference between the main version of
Minecraft and the Pocket Edition is that the latter only includes the somewhat-limited Creative Mode -- one where there are no monsters, no danger, and infinite resources. You don't have to breed sheep to get wool, and then dye different colours -- you just get unlimited amounts of multicoloured wool from the start.
Some people prefer that mode. Some people prefer not to have their creativity ruined by an errant Creeper at the wrong moment. Us? We're not so keen. Minecraft's strength is that it combines a game with a canvas for creativity. If you take the game out, all that's left is a 3D modelling tool with an excruciatingly low resolution.
The compromises that have had to be made to get it onto mobile devices are very evident, too. Even on high-powered handsets, with the highest video settings, there's a painfully short draw distance, resulting in everything beyond a certain point being swathed in a dense fog. That's a pity, because Minecraft's magnificent landscapes are one of its greatest strengths. As a result of this, performance is flawless on the latest Android phones and the iPad 2, and still perfectly playable on an elderly Nexus One.
Then there are the interaction systems. While the team has done a good job of the tough task of translating the left- and right-clicks of the normal game to the touchscreen format, it's still a huge pain when you're building a larger object, or trying to mine a room out of the rock. The one consolation to this is that you can interact at a greater distance than you'd be able to in the desktop version, meaning that you're not constantly having to reposition yourself to reach blocks.
The best feature, however, is the multiplayer functionality.
Users of either the Android or the iOS version (it's cross-platform) can allow other people on the same Wi-Fi network to join the game, meaning you can build your dream home together, or destroy each other's work mercilessly. It's occasionally buggy, but tremendous amounts of fun, and worth the price of the app alone, especially on a long train or car journey (if someone has an Android phone with Wi-Fi hotspot capabilities).
Don't buy Minecraft: Pocket Edition if you haven't played the full desktop version. Buy that instead. Right now,
Minecraft: Pocket Edition -- while sharing the same basic mechanics as its bigger brother -- is more for fans of the desktop game who want a way to play on the go.
Having said that, it's still an Alpha, and extra functionality is no doubt coming in due course. We're looking forward to seeing what Mojang comes up with.
Wired
It's Minecraft! In your pocket!
Multiplayer is heaps of fun
Tired
Limited to Creative Mode
Multiplayer is occasionally buggy
Short draw distances
Don't miss: Full review of Minecraft's desktop release
This article was originally published by WIRED UK
