Minecraft is an incredible phenomenon. The crafting and survival game with the oddly alluring block graphics has been so successful that Microsoft decided to cough up $2.5 billion for developer Mojang, it paid for a $70 million mansion in Los Angeles for creator Markus "Notch" Persson, and the younger members of the Pocket-lint family can't get enough of it.

When we were younger it was Star Wars figures, Pokemon or Pogs, today it's Minecraft.

Available on just about every format imaginable, its main allure is that it can be played just about any way you like. And while there are multiplayer elements, a Minecraft game is a very personal experience, with customisation and creativity at its very heart. And one of the things that has crept into the console versions of the game from the longer-running PC is the ability to download and install skins for characters in the game.

You can choose to look like different TV or videogame stars, for example. Well, versions of them that look like they've been hewn from cement.

On the PC, the Minecraft community has been extremely active in creating skins to load into games - often offering them as free downloads for other players. The consoles are more bound by their respective manufacturers however, so only offer official skins that you can buy through their online download stores.

READ: Take a look inside the $70 million LA mansion Minecraft paid for

But even if there are constraints the DLC skins are still an excellent way of having a bit more fun with what is already an extremely involving game. That's why we've decided to round up some of our favourites for you to flick through in our gallery above. And it includes the newly announced official skins for The Simpsons, which are coming to Xbox One and Xbox 360 in February.

We'll also be adding to this feature as we find new ones we love, so check back.

READ: 27 incredible Minecraft creations that will blow your mind