Java Edition guides/Halloween Update

This guide is a simplified overview of all the changes in the Halloween Update (Java Edition Alpha 1.2.x releases), which assumes at least some familiarity with the Alpha 1.1.x releases.

Mobs[]

New[]

Name	Image	Habitat	Drops	Note
Ghast		The Nether	Gunpowder (0–2)	The first flying mob.
Zombie Pigman		The Nether	Cooked Porkchop (0–2)	The first neutral mob.

Changed[]

Name	Image	Changed
Creeper		Have new sound effects.
Skeleton		Now hold bows.

Blocks[]

New[]

Name

Image

Obtaining

Tool Required

Uses

Netherrack

Found throughout the nether.

Any pickaxe.

Burns indefinitely when lit on fire.

Soul Sand

Found in patches on the floor of the nether.

Any shovel.

Slows down entities that pass over it.

Glowstone

Ingredients	Crafting recipe
Glowstone Dust

Found in growths on the ceiling of the nether.

Any

Produces light.

Pumpkin

Found in patches in the overworld.

Any axe.

Can be worn as a hat or crafted into a Jack o'Lantern.

Jack o'Lantern

Ingredients	Crafting recipe
Carved Pumpkin + Torch

Any axe.

Produces light.

Nether Portal Block

Created when the interior of an empty 4x5 frame of obsidian is lit on fire.

Any

Touching this block teleports entities between the Overworld and Nether dimensions.

Changed[]

Name	Image	Changed
Grass and Leaves		Are now darker in color, and change shade based on the biome.

Items[]

New[]

Name

Image

Obtaining

Uses

Clock

Ingredients	Crafting recipe
Gold Ingot + Redstone Dust

Can be used to tell the time.

Glowstone Dust

Obtained from glowstone blocks.

Can be used to craft glowstone blocks.

Raw Fish

Obtained by fishing.

Can be cooked into cooked fish.

Cooked Fish

Ingredients	Smelting recipe
Raw Cod + Any fuel	0.35

Can be eaten to restore 5 hp.

Changed[]

Name	Image	Changed
Fishing Rod		Can now be used to catch fish. No longer stackable.

Structures[]

New[]

Name	Image	Generates	Chests	Mobs	Description
Nether Portal		Created when a player enters another dimension through another portal, if there are no portals already nearby.	No	Zombie Pigmen	A portal made of obsidian and portal blocks used for interdimensional travel.
Glowstone blob		The Nether	No	No	A cluster of glowstone blocks hanging from the nether ceiling.

Biomes[]

New[]

Name	Description	Structures
The Nether	A cavernous alternate dimension made up of netherrack and lava.	Nether Portals Glowstone Clusters
Desert	A sandy biome.	Cacti
Savanna	A flat grassy biome.
Plains	A flat grassy biome.
Shrubland	A grassy biome with some trees.	Oak trees
Swampland	A grassy biome with some trees.	Oak trees
Seasonal Forest	A grassy biome covered with trees.	Oak trees
Forest	A grassy biome covered with trees.	Oak trees
Rain Forest	A grassy biome covered with trees.	Oak trees
Tundra	A flat snowy biome.
Taiga	A snowy biome covered with trees.	Oak trees

Gameplay[]

New[]

Name	Description
Sunrise and Sunset	The sky now changes color during sunrise and sunset.
Controls	`F1` now enables you to hide your HUD.

Music Tracks[]

New[]

Filename	Gameplay	Soundtrack Title
hal1.ogg	Survival	"Subwoofer Lullaby"
hal2.ogg	Survival	"Living Mice"
hal3.ogg	Survival	"Haggstrom"
hal4.ogg	Survival	"Danny"
nuance1.ogg	Survival	"Key"
nuance2.ogg	Survival	"Oxygène"
piano1.ogg	Survival	"Dry Hands"
piano2.ogg	Survival	"Wet Hands"
piano3.ogg	Survival	"Mice on Venus"