Features

Our 10 most wanted features for upcoming Minecraft: Pocket Edition version 0.10.0

Maps! Twitch! Boats! Potions! Buttons!

Our 10 most wanted features for upcoming Minecraft: Pocket Edition version 0.10.0
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Last week, Minecraft: Pocket Edition hit version 0.9.0. The game received infinite worlds, new mobs and items, extra biomes, and loads of handy improvements.

But we're never happy, and we're already looking forward to version 0.10.0 (nope - the next version won't be Minecraft 1.0).

As Pocket Edition marches closer and closer to parity with the PC version of the game, our wish-list is getting shorter and more specific. But here are 10 dream features we'd like in the next patch.

Controller support Controller

Minecraft: Pocket Edition does not have the best controls. The giant virtual joystick is clumsy, getting about is cumbersome, and dealing with enemies can be an an exercise in frustration.

With official controllers on iOS, a boatload of supported pads on Android, and nifty gizmos like the Wikipad and Nvidia Shield, we want to play mobile Minecraft with real buttons and analogue sticks.

You can use the gamepad mapper tool on the Shield to play Pocket Edition with physical controls, but we'd prefer an official solution.

Potions Potions

Like crafting and smelting, brewing is a way to turn useless raw materials from the world of Minecraft into helpful tools - in this case, stat-tweaking potions to help you out in combat.

These bottled goodies can let you regenerate health, increase speed, resist fire, see in the dark, breath underwater, boost your attack power, and go invisible. Very handy, and overdue for inclusion in Pocket Edition.

Boats and fishing Boats

Pocket Edition got one mode of transport, minecarts, in version 0.8. But now we're clamouring for a way to sail upon the open seas and explore those blocky blue oceans.

Also, fishing would be a nice addition to the game. In other versions of Minecraft you can hunt for fish in lakes, rivers, and the sea - and then eat those marine animals to satisfy your…

Hunger Hunger

Hunger has been a controversial addition to Minecraft on other platforms. Having to constantly eat food or start losing health from starvation can be a bit of a pain, for sure.

But it forces you to do more than just build awesome structures. You also have to think about food, and either plant some crops or murder some animals, depending on your virtual ethics.

It really amps up the idea of Minecraft being a survival sim, and fits the style of game well. As long as there's a way to turn it off, it would be a welcome addition to Pocket Edition.

Redstone Redstone

In Minecraft: Pocket Edition, redstone is a rather useful material which lets you craft items like clocks, powered rails, and compasses.

But in Minecraft proper, this fictional material lets you build circuits, allowing veteran crafters to create powerful and sophisticated contraptions.

This stuff has been used to make everything from calculators to automatic farms and from digital clocks to mini-games. Putting redstone in Pocket Edition would lead to some seriously amazing creations.

Enchanting Enchanting

Minecraft went a bit Skyrim in version 1.0, and introduced the ability to enchant armour, tools, weapons, and books with magic properties.

It's all a bit random - you just chuck experience points at an enchanting table and hope for something good - but you could walk away with shoes that let you swim faster, or a sword that makes downed enemies drop more loot.

It might be all a bit too wizards and warlocks for some, but we mobile gamers want to imbue our items with handy status effects too, Mojang.

Music Music

For me, Daniel "C418" Rosenfeld's quiet, ambient score really makes Minecraft feel like Minecraft. His atmospheric piano soundtrack really lends to the atmosphere of exploring those blocky worlds.

With the music gone, the eerily silent Pocket Edition just doesn't feel quite right. It'd be like losing Mario's moustache - it wouldn't change the gameplay, but it would feel totally weird.

Maps Maps

With 0.9's infinite worlds, it's easier than ever to get completely, utterly lost. So it would be rather handy if you could use a map to track your progress and find your way back to your house/sky cathedral/giant statue of Zoidberg from Futurama.

In the PC version you have to craft a map from paper and a compass. And in the console game you get a map as soon as you start. Whichever way it happens, Mojang needs to being cartography to mobile.

Twitch Twitch

Minecraft is, unsurprisingly, a big hit on streaming service Twitch. Being able to go on wholly unique adventures, flex your creative muscles, and get architectural feedback from the community makes it a perfect spectator sport.

With Twitch's new API, which lets iOS game makers put game streaming functionality directly into their games, it would be awesome to be able to broadcast our Minecraft adventures to the world with the touch of a button.

Otherwise, you have to go through this ungainly process.

Achievements Achievements

On PC, Minecraft's achievement system is almost like a tutorial. Each new challenge - which takes you from punching your first tree to killing the final boss - is like a breadcrumb trail through the game's various systems.

It would certainly help out new players in Pocket Edition. And we wouldn't say no to adding Minecraft to our Game Center or Google Play accounts.

What do you want to see in future Minecraft updates? Unicorns? Space rockets? A gun that shoots sharks? Tell us your mad ideas in the comments bit below.

Mark Brown
Mark Brown
Mark Brown is editor at large of Pocket Gamer