Creeper (Minecraft) Explained
A creeper is a fictional creature in the sandbox video game Minecraft. Creepers are hostile mobs (mobile non-player characters) that spawn in dark places, but can still survive in bright environments. Instead of attacking the player directly, they creep up on the player and explode, destroying blocks in the surrounding area and potentially hurting or killing the player if they are within the blast radius. Their green camouflage and generally silent behavior aid in stealth attacks, making them one of the most dangerous mobs in Minecraft. Creepers were first added to Minecraft in a pre-alpha update to the game that was released on September 1, 2009.
The creeper has become one of the most widely recognized icons of Minecraft. They have been referenced and parodied in popular culture, and they are featured prominently in Minecraft merchandising and advertising.
Conception and design
The creeper was created as a result of a coding error when creating the pig mob in the pre-alpha stages of Minecrafts development in 2009.[1] The game's creator, Markus Persson, accidentally mixed up the dimensions of the model, swapping the length and height. Instead of deleting the result, Persson instead added a green texture based on the in-game leaves texture to the model, gave it aggressive AI, and turned it into a hostile mob.[2] [3] [4] [5] The creeper was added to the game on September 1, 2009, on a pre-alpha version designated as 0.24_SURVIVAL_TEST_03.[6] [7]
In Minecraft, the player exists in a large world made up of cubes. The world contains a number of enemies (hostile mobs), of which creepers are commonly encountered. A creeper is nearly silent until it comes near the player, at which point it emits a quiet hiss and explodes after a short delay. The explosion kills the creeper, can kill or injure the player, and also destroys surrounding blocks.[8] In later updates, the Minecraft developers decided that creepers "weren’t quite unpredictable enough", and added the ability for creepers to become "charged creepers" when struck by lightning. Charged creepers have amplified explosion power and can cause other mobs killed in the blast to drop their heads. These heads can then be worn by the player, altering their head's texture to look like another mob's head. alternatively, these mob heads can be placed on top of a note block, causing the block to play the mob's noise when hit. [9]
Appearances
The creeper originally appeared in Minecraft in a pre-alpha update as a common hostile mob that silently approaches players, hisses, then explodes. It appeared later in Minecraft spin-off games such as ,[10] Minecraft Dungeons,[11] Minecraft Legends[12] and Minecraft Earth.[13]
Outside of Minecraft, it also appeared in Terraria (2011), Torchlight II (2012), Borderlands 2 (2012), (2014),[14] and in Nintendo's crossover fighting game Super Smash Bros. Ultimate (2018), where the creeper has been featured as a Mii Brawler costume.[15]
Promotion and reception
The creeper image has been used on a wide variety of Minecraft merchandise, including clothing, bedding and lamps.[16] [17] In July 2020, a joint partnership between Mojang Studios and Kellogg's led to the announcement of Minecraft Creeper Crunch, an official Minecraft branded cereal prominently featuring a creeper on the packaging. It was set to be available for release in stores in the United States in August 2020. Every packet additionally includes a unique code which can be redeemed for a Minecraft cosmetic clothing item.[18] [19] [20]
The creeper is considered to be one of Minecrafts most iconic enemies and icons.[21] The pixelated face of the creeper has been integrated into the "A" of the Minecraft logo, as well as being used in numerous Halloween costumes and cosplays. Guinness World Records Gamer's Edition listed the creeper as tenth in their list of "top 50 video game villains".[22] The creeper has been featured in multiple Lego Minecraft sets and has been the main focus of one.[23] In 2021, PC Gamer ranked creeper as 9th of "the 50 most iconic characters in PC gaming," stating that "The Creeper is the star of Minecraft, which is ironic considering that the Creeper's effectiveness hinges upon not being seen."[24]
In an article for Games and Culture, Daniel Dooghan characterized the creeper as "resistance personified", using its role in the game to draw comparison to real-world terrorism and how society reacts to such. More directly drawing parallels to real world suicide bombers through the ideology of "Self-annihilation is the ultimate form of resistance", its inhuman appearance coupled with the semblance of a permanently scowling face further made it represent "otherness" in the game's world. While he acknowledged it was impossible to know the creature's actual motivations he felt it characterized the game world's rejection of the player, and impels them towards technological advancement and resource gathering due to frequent interaction and the consequences of such interaction.[25]
Creepers have been the subject of numerous pop culture references and parodies. In the season 25 episode "Luca$" of the animated sitcom The Simpsons, Moe Szyslak appears as a creeper and explodes at the end of the theme song's "couch gag".[26] [27] On August 19, 2011, Jordan Maron (also known as the popular YouTuber CaptainSparklez) released the song "Revenge", a parody of "DJ Got Us Fallin' in Love", depicting a Minecraft player seeking revenge against creepers. The song regained popularity as an internet meme around July 2019.[28]
External links
Notes and References
- Web site: Gesualdi . Vito . October 15, 2012 . Notch Calls Minecraft's Creepers "a Mistake" . August 23, 2020 . GameZone . en-US . January 14, 2012 . https://web.archive.org/web/20120114060942/https://www.gamezone.com/news/notch-calls-minecraft-s-creepers-a-mistake/ . live .
- Book: Apperley . Thomas . Glitch Sorting: Minecraft, Curation and the Postdigital . Postdigital Aesthetics: Art, Computation and Design . 2015 . 232–244 . 10.1057/9781137437204_18 . https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1057/9781137437204_18 . Berry . David M. . Dieter . Michael . February 9, 2024 . Palgrave Macmillan . London . 978-1-349-49378-4 . en . February 13, 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240213200017/https://link.springer.com/book/10.1057/9781137437204 . live .
- Book: Goldberg . Daniel . Larsson . Linus . Minecraft, Second Edition: The Unlikely Tale of Markus "Notch" Persson and the Game that Changed Everything . June 16, 2015 . Seven Stories Press . 978-1-60980-686-6 . January 17, 2020 . en . March 11, 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240311233452/https://books.google.com/books?id=xKrSCQAAQBAJ&q=minecraft+creeper&pg=PT5#v=snippet&q=minecraft%20creeper&f=false . live .
- News: Guthrie . Robert . The History Of The Creeper, Minecraft's Most Infamous Monster . Kotaku . August 23, 2020 . June 5, 2017 . en-US . November 24, 2016 . https://web.archive.org/web/20161124093827/https://kotaku.com/the-history-of-the-creeper-minecrafts-most-infamous-mo-1789304071 . live .
- Web site: May 15, 2017 . Meet the Creeper . August 24, 2020 . Minecraft.net . en-US . October 1, 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20201001180826/https://www.minecraft.net/en-us/article/meet-creeper . live .
- Web site: Lapunov . Dmitry . May 23, 2021 . Minecraft Fan Discovers Secret To Creeper Skin . ScreenRant . en . July 23, 2021 . May 27, 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210527082350/https://screenrant.com/minecraft-creeper-skin-secret-found/ . live .
- News: September 1, 2014 . Happy birthday to Minecraft's Creepers! . Vg247 . July 23, 2021 . September 23, 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200923221715/https://www.vg247.com/2014/09/01/minecraft-creepers-happy-birthday/ . live .
- Web site: February 16, 2021 . How Minecraft Creepers Originated From A Pig Accident . ScreenRant . en . July 23, 2021 . October 1, 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20211001085842/https://screenrant.com/minecraft-creeper-origin-design-how-avoid-mob-attack/ . live .
- Coles . Jason . December 24, 2020 . Everything you need to know about Minecraft's Creepers . PC Gamer . en . July 23, 2021 . January 21, 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210121025835/https://www.pcgamer.com/minecraft-creeper-skin-farm-head/ . live .
- Web site: Minecraft: Story Mode Works Surprisingly Well . Kotaku . October 13, 2015 . July 23, 2021 . August 14, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230814114756/https://kotaku.com/minecraft-story-mode-works-surprisingly-well-1736251691 . live .
- Watts . Rachel . Minecraft Dungeons is a bombastic and breezy dungeon crawler that doesn't take itself too seriously . PC Gamer . May 22, 2020 . en . July 23, 2021 . August 14, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230814114505/https://www.pcgamer.com/minecraft-dungeons-is-a-bombastic-and-breezy-dungeon-crawler-that-doesnt-take-itself-too-seriously/ . live .
- Web site: Troughton . James . September 30, 2022 . Minecraft Legends Shows Off Cutesy Creepers, Cobblestone Golems, And More . January 25, 2023 . TheGamer . en . August 14, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230814115048/https://www.thegamer.com/minecraft-legends-mob-trailer/ . live .
- News: Gilliam . Ryan . Here's the first look at Minecraft Earth in action . June 3, 2019 . Polygon . en . July 23, 2021 . August 14, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230814150322/https://www.polygon.com/2019/6/3/18651118/minecraft-earth-gameplay-skeleton-creeper-mobile . live .
- Web site: Dean . Paul . Creeping up on you: The best Minecraft references in video games . PCGamesN . September 24, 2012 . February 9, 2024 . en . August 14, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230814151350/https://www.pcgamesn.com/minecraft/creeping-you-best-minecraft-references-video-games . live .
- Web site: Doolan . Liam . Bomberman, Travis Touchdown, Creeper And More Join Super Smash Bros. Ultimate As Mii Fighter Costumes . October 3, 2020 . July 22, 2021 . Nintendo Life . en-US . October 3, 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20201003181129/https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2020/10/bomberman_travis_touchdown_creeper_and_more_join_super_smash_bros_ultimate_as_mii_fighter_costumes . live .
- Web site: Apparel, Toys, More Official Minecraft Store – Powered by JINX . August 23, 2020 . Official Minecraft Store – Powered by J!NX . en . April 1, 2013 . https://web.archive.org/web/20130401082043/https://www.minecraftshop.com/ . live .
- Web site: March 4, 2020 . This Minecraft Creeper Lamp Shouldn't Explode When You Turn It On . August 23, 2020 . Technabob . en-US . March 5, 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200305165836/https://technabob.com/blog/2020/03/04/minecraft-creeper-lamp/ . live .
- Watts . Rachel . July 2, 2020 . Kelloggs is releasing a Minecraft 'Creeper Crunch' cereal . August 23, 2020 . PC Gamer . en-US . July 3, 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200703171238/https://www.pcgamer.com/kelloggs-is-releasing-a-minecraft-creeper-crunch-cereal/ . live .
- Web site: Gerblick . Jordan . July 1, 2020 . Minecraft is getting a cereal with codes for in-game clothes . August 23, 2020 . GamesRadar . en . August 6, 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200806073534/https://www.gamesradar.com/minecraft-is-getting-a-cereal-with-codes-for-in-game-clothes/ . live .
- Web site: Watts . Steve . Minecraft Now Has Its Own Cereal . https://web.archive.org/web/20200907181936/https://www.kotaku.co.uk/2020/07/03/minecraft-now-has-its-own-cereal . September 7, 2020 . July 3, 2020 . August 23, 2020 . Kotaku UK . dead . en.
- Minecraft review . McDougall . Jaz . PC Gamer . December 25, 2011 . en . July 23, 2021 . August 26, 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210826092321/https://www.pcgamer.com/minecraft-review/ . live .
- Web site: Bowser voted top of 50 video game villains . Digital Spy . January 24, 2013 . October 17, 2021 . October 19, 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20211019044354/https://www.digitalspy.com/videogames/a453360/guinness-world-records-counts-down-top-50-video-game-villains/ . live .
- Web site: MacManus . Christopher . February 16, 2012 . Lego Minecraft available for preorder . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20120217114653/http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-57379791-1/lego-minecraft-available-for-preorder/ . February 17, 2012 . February 17, 2012 . CNET . CBS Interactive.
- Lane . Rick . The 50 most iconic characters in PC gaming . PC Gamer . November 12, 2021 . en . November 26, 2021 . November 26, 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20211126052026/https://www.pcgamer.com/the-50-most-iconic-characters-in-pc-gaming/ . live .
- Dooghan . Daniel . June 29, 2016 . Digital Conquerors: Minecraft and the Apologetics of Neoliberalism . . en . 14 . 1 . 67–86 . 10.1177/1555412016655678 . 1555-4120 . 148037543 . January 6, 2023 . January 6, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230106171843/https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/1555412016655678 . live .
- Peckham . Matt . Simcraft: What If The Simpsons Did Minecraft? . August 24, 2020 . April 7, 2014 . Time . en . August 14, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230814140345/https://time.com/51545/simcraft-what-if-the-simpsons-did-minecraft/ . live .
- Web site: Makuch . Eddie . The Simpsons do a Minecraft couch gag, Notch doesn't know how to feel about it . August 24, 2020 . GameSpot . April 7, 2014 . en-US . August 14, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230814132436/https://www.gamespot.com/articles/the-simpsons-do-a-minecraft-couch-gag-notch-doesn-t-know-how-to-feel-about-it/1100-6418811/ . live .
- Web site: Anderson . Sage . July 30, 2019 . The 'Creeper Challenge' has group chats fighting to finish song lyrics in the right order . December 17, 2020 . Mashable . en . July 25, 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210725074449/https://mashable.com/article/creeper-challenge-group-chat-game-minecraft-parody-song . live .