Minecraft: PlayStation Vita Edition

Minecraft: PlayStation Vita Edition managed to do what had long seemed impossible: cram an entire block world into a device that fits in a backpack, and have it run decently. The game offers both classic sides of the experience, a survival mode where you gather wood, build shelter before the first night, and gradually build up a base with a furnace, a farm, and mines, and a creative mode with unlimited resources that serves as a pure building set. Gamepad controls are complemented by the touchscreen and rear touchpad, so selecting items and managing the inventory is faster than it used to be on older console versions.

The console edition differs from the PC version mainly in bounded, pre-generated worlds and a guide that explains basic recipes to newcomers. That's exactly what made the Vita version, for many players, a gateway into the entire brand. The port supports multiplayer for several players and offers importing saved worlds from the PlayStation 3 version, so an in-progress fortress could be taken along outside. The technical compromise comes at the cost of a shorter draw distance and occasional dips in smoothness in densely built areas, but overall it's an exceptionally well-made conversion of an extensive game. It's also worth noting how well the interface is adapted for handheld play, switching between building and combat is quick and doesn't require lengthy menu navigation.

Atmosphere is carried above all by sound and music: calm piano motifs during the day, heavy silence and distant enemy sounds in the caves. The combination of headphones and a small screen surprisingly heightens the sense of confinement underground, where the player watches only a small circle of light around a torch and hopes nothing explosive is waiting around the next corner. The Vita edition was very well received and for a long time ranked among the console's best-selling titles. Today it feels like a reminder of a time when Minecraft was still split into separate console editions, and like one of the few truly bottomless sources of fun the handheld PlayStation had to offer.