It's that time again. The Minecraft 1.4 update has just been released, and as we did with update 1.3 and update 1.2, Game Rant has put together a handy guide to all the changes and new features included in this latest Minecraft patch. From wolves to cookies and beyond, everything you need to know to get the most out of the Minecraft 1.4 update is right here. Let's get started!

As we showed in our Minecraft 1.4 preview, wolves, treats, and statistics abound in the new update -- and as usual, Notch and company have thrown in a few surprises. When the wolves were first shown in a YouTube video some time ago, gamers salivated at the thought of having some canine companions in the usual, lone void of the Minecraft world.

Achievements and stat-tracking are other features many have been pondering about, because really, you have to be curious to see how much cobblestone you've mined in your time on the pixel front-lines.

There are a few things contained within the 1.4 patch that Notch hadn't mentioned (as per usual), and we've taken the liberty of finding some of the surprises to help you craft your way to the top. Let's take a look and see what Mojang have put in for us.

Minecraft 1.4 Update Wolf

Wolves Our canine friends, should you choose to attempt to tame them, spawn in forest and taga biomes. They are a neutral force, but will attack if provoked - you'll know the "spider red eye" kind of stare when you see it. Alternatively, you can tame wolves and have a pack to protect yourself! Once wolves are tamed, they will not de-spawn and should stick with you unless they meet an unfortunate demise.

To tame a wolf, you must feed it bones until a puff of hearts comes from the wolf, and a red collar will appear. The number of bones required is random for each wolf, so be prepared to have a stack on-hand. Tamed Wolves will follow you around, and help fight any mob you attack. Well, except for creepers... canines aren't going to mess with that kind of thing, so if you were thinking of using them as a distraction, for shame!

It should be noted that your wolves use their tails as a health indicator. The tails will raise or lower depending on how much life the wolves have in them. You can feed them raw pork and meat to restore them to their fluffy livelihood. If you get too far ahead of your NPC friends, they'll teleport to you inexplicably, so don't be surprised if a wolf or two suddenly pops up near you, and don't take a swipe of the blade towards them!

Minecraft 1.4 Update Cookies

Cookies If you can start baking cakes in the realm of Minecraft, why not cookies? The infamous cocoa beans now have an important purpose, required in tandem with wheat to get your baking on. It is confirmed that the beans now also appear in some dungeon chests as randomly generated items (there's nothing a spawn camp of skeletons like more than hoarding cocoa beans!).

One crafting of them will produce 8 cookies, which heal half a heart each. You can stack up to 8 of them in one block in your inventory, so cookies quickly become a very useful item to munch on your ventures.

Minecraft 1.4 Update Team Fortress 2

Team Fortress Abound! You'll also find some spoof chests lying around on newly generated terrain. When you click it, you'll see the above image. Before you set your new pet wolves on Notch after seeing this screen, maybe you should actually click that "Go to Store" button. It'll take you to this fake store, which features a well-designed shopping selection and a takeout cart. When you try to buy something, well... go do it and you'll see. In short, have no fears -- you don't have to buy external items in the world of Minecraft. April Fools!

Achievements and Statistics

With a plethora of statistics and achievements to track, Mojang weren't able to actually include the infastructure in Update 1.4, but that doesn't mean it's not being tracked. Within the java files for the game, you can see a class file which is tracking things like player kills, distance walked, number of any block type mined or crafted and such. In the 1.5 update, you'll be able to see for yourself and brag to your friends how many times you've clicked within the world of Minecraft, or how many times you've ridden a pig off of a cliff!

Minecraft 1.4 Update Sheep

The Rest of the Stuff There are a few game changes and bug fixes (and, unfortunately, a new bug or two) that have come along with the update. We know that sleeping in a bed will now reset your spawn location, a handy feature players were asking for ever since beds were introduced. Now, here's the list of what's new that Notch hasn't mentioned:

  • New Minecraft Logo
  • Sheep now spawn with brown and pink wool
  • Holding shift on a ladder now lets you hang on to it
  • Spiders don't trample crops anymore
  • Movement animation of flowing water is slower
  • Mushrooms can be found on trees and sand

And there you have it, the complete guide to Minecraft update 1.4. Be sure to keep your eyes on Game Rant for all the latest news about the game, and rest assured that once update 1.5 rolls around, we'll have all the details.

What do you think of the new features included in the update? Do you think having friendly NPCs changes the dynamic of the game a lot? Are you happy with how Minecraft is progressing? Tell us your thoughts!

[Update: Tell us what tweaks you want made with the Minecraft 1.5 update!]

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