Minecraft:Java Edition guides/Halloween Update

This guide is a simplified overview of all the changes in the Minecraft:Halloween Update (Minecraft:Java Edition Alpha v1.2.x releases), which assumes at least some familiarity with the Alpha v1.1.x releases.

Mobs

New

Minecraft:Ghast	File:Ghast JE1 BE1.gif	Minecraft:The Nether	Template:Drop	The first flying mob.
Minecraft:Zombie Pigman	File:Zombified Piglin JE2.png	The Nether	Template:Drop	The first neutral mob.

Changed

Minecraft:Creeper	File:Creeper JE3 BE1.png	Have new hurt sounds.
Minecraft:Skeleton	File:Skeleton JE2.png	Now hold bows.

Blocks

New

Minecraft:Netherrack	File:Netherrack JE1.png	Found throughout the Nether.	Any pickaxe	Burns indefinitely when lit on fire.
Minecraft:Soul Sand	File:Soul Sand JE1 BE1.png	Found in patches on the floor of the Nether.	Any shovel	Slows down entities that pass over it.
Minecraft:Glowstone	File:Glowstone JE1.png	Found in growths on the ceiling of the Nether.	Any	Produces light.
Minecraft:Pumpkin	File:Carved Pumpkin (S) JE1 BE1.png	Found in patches in the Minecraft:Overworld.	Any axe	Can be worn as a hat or crafted into a jack o'lantern.
Minecraft:Jack o'Lantern	File:Jack o'Lantern (S) JE1 BE1.png		Any axe	Produces light.
Nether Portal Block	File:Nether Portal (EW) JE1.png	Created when the interior of an empty 4×5 frame of Minecraft:obsidian is lit on fire.	Any	Touching this block teleports players between the Overworld and Nether dimensions.

Changed

Minecraft:Grass and Minecraft:Leaves

Template:Animate

Are now darker in color, and change shade based on the biome.

Items

New

Minecraft:Clock	File:Clock JE1.gif		Can be used to tell the time.
Minecraft:Glowstone Dust	File:Glowstone Dust JE1 BE1.png	Obtained from glowstone blocks. Each block drops one.	Can be used to craft glowstone blocks, requires nine at the time.
Minecraft:Raw Fish	File:Raw Cod JE1 BE1.png	Obtained by Minecraft:fishing.	Can be cooked into cooked fish, which restores two and a half hearts, the same as Minecraft:bread. Restores one heart when not cooked, making this the worst food in the game at the time.
Minecraft:Cooked Fish	File:Cooked Cod JE1 BE1.png		Can be eaten to restore 5 hp.

Changed

Minecraft:Fishing Rod

File:Fishing Rod JE1 BE1.png

Can now be used to catch fish.

Structures

New

Minecraft:Nether portal	File:Nether portal (animated).png	Created when a player enters another dimension through another portal, if there are no portals already nearby. Always is 4×5 when generated in the Nether regardless of the size of the portal used to make it.	No	No	A portal made of obsidian and portal blocks used for inter-dimensional travel.
Minecraft:Glowstone blob	File:Glowstone Cluster JE1 BE1.png	The ceiling of the Nether	No	No	A cluster of glowstone blocks hanging from the Nether ceiling.

Biomes

New

The Nether	File:Halloween Update Screenshot.png	A cavernous alternate Minecraft:dimension made up of Minecraft:netherrack, Minecraft:soul sand, Minecraft:gravel and Minecraft:lava.	Nether portals Glowstone clusters
Minecraft:Desert	File:Old Desert.jpg	A sandy biome, with cacti.	Minecraft:Cacti
Minecraft:Savanna	File:Savanna.jpg	A flat grassy biome, many roses, also somewhat high amount of passive mobs.
Minecraft:Plains	File:Plains.jpg	A flat grassy biome, a haven for passive mobs.
Minecraft:Shrubland	File:Shrubland.jpg	A grassy biome with a low amount of trees, always the small variant.	Minecraft:Oak trees, many flowers, moderate amount of passive mobs.
Minecraft:Swampland	File:Swampland.jpg	A grassy biome with some trees, along with many small water pools.	Oak trees, and mushrooms occasionally. Not many mobs in general.
Minecraft:Seasonal forest	File:SeasonalForest.jpg	A grassy biome covered with slightly less trees than the regular forest.	Oak trees, and flowers. Roses here seem to be lacking. Leaves have a orangish tint. Lacks many mobs in general.
Minecraft:Forest	File:Forest.jpg	A grassy biome covered with trees, some occasional mushrooms.	Oak trees, fewer flowers, and some sugar cane. Very rarely hostile mobs spawn in the shade. Low amount of passive mobs.
Minecraft:Rainforest	File:Rainforest.jpg	A grassy biome covered with many trees, often with many mushrooms in the shade.	Oak trees, reeds, flowers, and roses. The amount of large trees here mean hostile mobs are prolific at night and even spawn in the day under trees, though this is somewhat uncommon.
Minecraft:Tundra	File:Tundra.jpg	A flat snowy biome.	Vegetation here is lacking, other than the very rare tree and possibly flowers. Chickens spawn here often for some reason.
Minecraft:Taiga	File:Biomes Example.png	A snowy biome covered with trees, low amount of hostile mobs and moderate passive mobs.	Oak trees, flowers (later Minecraft:Dandelion) and roses. (later Minecraft:Poppy)

Gameplay

New

Minecraft:Sunrise and Minecraft:sunset	The sky now changes color during sunrise and sunset.
Minecraft:Controls	Template:Key now enables players to hide their HUD.

Music tracks

New

hal1.ogg	Minecraft:Survival	"Subwoofer Lullaby"	File:Subwoofer lullaby.ogg
hal2.ogg	Minecraft:Survival	"Living Mice"	File:Living mice.ogg
hal3.ogg	Minecraft:Survival	"Haggstrom"	File:Haggstrom.ogg
hal4.ogg	Minecraft:Survival	"Danny"	File:Danny.ogg
nuance1.ogg	Minecraft:Survival	"Key"	File:Key.ogg
nuance2.ogg	Minecraft:Survival	"Oxygène"	File:Oxygene.ogg
piano1.ogg	Minecraft:Survival	"Dry Hands"	File:Dry hands.ogg
piano2.ogg	Minecraft:Survival	"Wet Hands"	File:Wet hands.ogg
piano3.ogg	Minecraft:Survival	"Mice on Venus"	File:Mice on venus.ogg