Most Minecraft maps were made for a specific client version of Minecraft, and although they may work with other versions, sometimes they do not. This is especially true when the map utilizes the new features of a beta snapshot for a Minecraft version that is not officially released yet.

That is why it's important, and in most cases required, to always use the same client version that the map was made in. Luckily, with the addition of the Minecraft Launcher in 1.6, switching between Minecraft versions has never been easier.

When it comes to maps, there is usually very little difference between major releases and minor ones of the same client version, they are mainly released to fix crashes and bugs, and don't add any major features. For example, most maps made in Minecraft 1.7.2 will work perfectly fine in Minecraft 1.7.10. There are some exceptions though.

To change your Minecraft version, follow these simple steps:

1.) Click "New Profile" at the bottom left corner of the Minecraft Launcher.

2.) Look for "Use version:" and select the Minecraft version you want to use from the dropdown menu next to it.

3.) Pick a profile name and click Save Profile.

If you want to use snapshots, you will have to tick the “Enable experimental development snapshots” box to be able to select them.

You can now simply select this profile anytime you want to play a map that was made in that particular Minecraft version.