Java Edition guides/Halloween Update

Edition	Java Edition
Official name	Halloween Update
Released versions
Alpha 1.2.0 Alpha 1.2.0_01 Alpha 1.2.0_02 Alpha 1.2.1 Alpha 1.2.1_01 Alpha 1.2.2 Alpha 1.2.3 Alpha 1.2.3_01 Alpha 1.2.3_02 Alpha 1.2.3_04 Alpha v1.2.4 Alpha 1.2.4_01 Alpha 1.2.5 Alpha 1.2.6
◄ Alpha 1.1 releases
◄ Alpha 1.1 releases
Beta 1.0 releases ►
Beta 1.0 releases ►

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	Image	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	Track Preview
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"