1.9 sucks ass and so does 1.10. It's no longer a survival game. It's an RPG.
Minecraft has arguably been an rpg since:
Survival Test, when creativity was no longer the primary focus of the game
The
2/2/10 update to Infdev, when farming was introduced
Seecret Friday 2, when dungeons were first introduced
The Halloween Update, when biomes were first truly introduced, emphasizing exploration
Beta 1.5, when achievements were introduced, forming a basic quest progression
Beta 1.8, when new bow mechanics and more structures were added
Release 1.0, when potions, villagers, enchantments, and plot were introduced
Release 1.3, when trading (and therefore quests) were implemented
Release 1.4.4, when more bosses and witches were added
Release 1.6.4, when horses were added
Release 1.7.2, when more biomes were added and the focus further shifted from creativity
Release 1.8, when more dungeons were added
Release 1.9, when combat was overhauled and dungeon-exclusive items were added
Release 1.10, when new structures and mobs further emphasized the shift from creativity to exploration
It all depends on how you define an RPG, and which updates you liked or did not like.
Edit: Fixed a nonsensical date