'Minecraft' Monsters

Creeper

They're lean, green, and most definitely mean. While creepers have four tiny legs, they don't have arms, so they resemble snakes in appearance. Instead of slithering or crawling, however, they tend to "bounce" in the air.

They are also rather devious in their movement since they often wait near your character rather than making a straight beeline toward you. When they are close, watch out: they will spontaneously combust after a little more than a second. You can escape the detonation simply by moving out of its range.

• Life Meter: 10 hearts
• Attack Type: explosion
• Location: outdoors
• Rarity: common

Skeleton

A staple in most role-playing games, the skeletons in "Minecraft" have the ability to shoot arrows. This is one good reason to place glass in your dwelling's windows since glass cannot be shattered by the projectiles. Defeated skeletons drop arrows and bones that can be picked up and added to your inventory.

Bones can be used in crafting to create bone meal for farming, while arrows can be fired as projectiles once you create a bow. One of the more amusing things about skeletons is that they can anger other enemies if they hit them with their arrows, which can be used to your advantage if you find yourself overwhelmed.

• Life Meter: 10 hearts
• Attack Type: ranged
• Location: outdoors; caves
• Rarity: common

Spider

Like skeletons, spiders are a staple in most role-playing games because let's face it, they're creepy when they're the size of a large dog. Spiders in "Minecraft" make a rather disturbing rustling sound as if you were walking across a pile of dried leaves. They can also climb mountains and other tall structures, and their ability to jump high in the air makes them difficult to target.

Spiders will appear during the day as well as at night, but daytime spiders are harmless as long as you don't provoke them. Defeating a spider will give your character string, which can be used to make bows and fishing poles.

• Life Meter: 10 hearts
• Attack Type: physical
• Location: outdoors; caves
• Rarity: common

Ghast

If a ghost and octopus could mate, the resulting offspring would probably be aghast. This enemy type can hover and shoot fireballs at characters, but it only appears in "Minecraft's" alternate universe, otherwise known as "the Nether."

• Life Meter: 10 hearts
• Attack Type: ranged
• Location: the Nether
• Rarity: common

Slime

Slimes in "Minecraft" resemble gelatinous cubes in the classic "Dungeons & Dragons" tabletop game. They function the same way: each attack on the transparent slime/cube will cause it to separate into smaller cubes. Slimes also vary in size, but they are quite rare in "Minecraft" — and they only appear deep underground.

• Life Meter: 2-32 hearts
• Attack Type: physical
• Location: caverns
• Rarity: rare

Spider Jockey

This enemy type is actually a combination of two separate entities: a skeleton and a spider. The skeleton will appear to "ride" on the back of the spider, allowing it to fling arrows as the spider climbs hard-to-reach areas.

• Life Meter: 10 hearts per creature
• Attack Type: ranged
• Location: outdoors
• Rarity: rare

Zombie Pig-Man

Part zombie, part pig, this enemy looks like the result of some nefarious experiment by Dr. Moreau. The good thing is that it behaves more like a pig in "Minecraft" than a zombie, so it won't attack you unless it's provoked.

If you do decide to attack it, be prepared to fight off others in the vicinity — the zombie pig-men don't take kindly to hostile actions toward one of their own. Defeated creatures will drop "cooked pork chops," which can be used as scrumptious, health-restoring food.

• Life Meter: 10 hearts
• Attack Type: physical
• Location: the Nether
• Rarity: common