An entire blocky world that fits in your pocket!

Minecraft (previously called Minecraft: Pocket Edition) is undoubtedly among the best mobile games ever conceived. Well, better put, Minecraft period is one of the best games ever conceived. Need I say more? The review’s basically over then, so I kindly invite you to stay tuned for more content. Thanks for reading!

Nah, I’m just kidding! 

I frankly was a bit nervous about reviewing this game, not only because of its well-known legacy but because there’s just so much to talk about! But I guess I should start from the beginning (as always, of course).

Minecraft was first released in 2011. It was a Java game at a time when Java games were becoming extremely popular, but this one was not just any Java game. The Pocket Edition was released just three years later, in 2014, so it has had a longstanding presence among mobile and PC users. 

Now, you may be fooled by the “simplistic” pixel-heavy graphics, but that’s where the real charm is because it’s this design which enables it to be so malleable by players in the first place. The game is essentially made up of rough 3D objects called blocks, which you can pick, move, and utilize to craft stuff at your leisure.

The maps are procedurally generated, so no experience equals the next or prior. On top of that, they’re practically infinite. Not literally infinite, though. You still have a barrier of 30 million blocks from the map’s central location because, obviously, machines nowadays can only compute so much (especially smartphones) but trust me, you probably won’t need more than 30 million blocks!

It’s also particularly “themeable.” You’ll get to mess with a lot of mash-up packs themed on popular games such as Super Mario, Skyrim, Fallout, LittleBigPlanet, and Pac-Man, as well as iconic film series such as Star Wars and Pirates of the Caribbean. 

The possibilities here are nearly endless, and that’s what makes this game so attractive after all these long years. However, we still need to clarify certain things.

As you might imagine, this "pocket edition" has several limitations. Firstly, you can't connect to third party servers or add third party mods. so you're basically stuck with the official game packs and public servers. However, multiplayer is invitation-only, so there are fewer issues to deal with.

Regarding cross-play, while you can play with Xbox and Windows users who have added the "Bedrock Edition", you will not be able to interact with Java users. This means that if you want to mingle with the “tough guys,” well, sucks being you!

The second significant disadvantage is that whenever there is a new feature, the mobile version is the last one to implement it. Ya happy, PC “master race” supremacists?

Lastly, those who come from the PC versions may find the controls here a bit clunkier. The reasons are pretty obvious: You have a smaller screen real estate to deal with, and, as if that wasn’t enough, part of it is covered by your finger, which hampers visibility (especially if you have “blocky” fingers). These are not flaws proper to the game itself, though, but inherent to the platform (welcome to mobile!) 

As for the rest, there is virtually no difference between the “Pocket” and “Java” versions, which is more than I can say about mobile versions of most other games. In fact, the Pocket Edition (as well as the Windows 10 Edition) has slightly improved graphics, which is why I can safely assure you this game is not just a cheap mobile port. 

Just as with the original version, you have access to the game’s two alternative dimensions (apart from the “Overworld”): “The Nether” and “The End.” The Nether is “hell” or “the underworld,” which you may enter through “nether portals.” For its part, The End - apart from being a cool “Doors” song - is also a space-like dimension with floating islands that can be accessed via “end portals.” You can likewise participate in the usual game modes that are also available in the original - namely: Multiplayer, Survival, and Creative.

Lastly, this version costs $7.49, which, for what it offers, is beyond fair pricing. To put things into perspective, the Java and Bedrock version for Windows is priced at $29.99. Make of that what you will!

Minecraft (Pocket Edition) is, in my estimation, a very competent port. Despite the limitations I just outlined, it won’t have you miss the Java edition all that much (unless you’re too invested in third-party mods). As I said earlier, Minecraft remains one of the best games ever, and I’m not exaggerating! There’s absolutely no reason for you to skip this one!

Did you like what you read? Did you not? Whichever the case, leave your thoughts in the commentary “block” below.