Minecraft 14 Prerelease is Available now Public Update next Week

Minecraft 1.4, AKA the Pretty Scary Update, arrives on October 24. However, until then the 1.4 pre-release is available to download from Mojang's site. Remember, this isn't the public update, so if you'd rather avoid the risk of installing-at-your-own-risk then you only have to wait five more days.

The Pretty Scary Update brings with it a number of changes and additions that include a Wither Boss, Witch creature, direct access to server mods, anvils for repairing and combining items, and an array of other features on top. The Minecraft Wiki has an extensive listing of what's popped up in prior snapshots, and so offers an extensive look at what players can expect from 1.4. Alicepopkorn