JSW Central - Resource Centre for ZX Spectrum games based on Manic Miner and Jet Set Willy game engines

Resource centre for ZX Spectrum games
using Manic Miner and Jet Set Willy game engines

I. Manic Miner (MM)

Games using Matthew Smith's original Manic Miner game engine for the 48K Spectrum

1. Manic Miner

Author: Matthew Smith

Publisher: Bug-Byte

Year: 1983

Second edition: Software Projects, 1983

Language: English

The game which started it all, "the all-time classic of arcade games on the Spectrum" according to Sinclair User. The objective is to "guide Miner Willy through 20 lethal caverns" "to the surface and riches", collecting all the flashing keys in each room and avoiding nasties, which include "poisonous pansies", "spiders", "slime" and "manic mining robots".

Two editions of Manic Miner were released: the first by Bug-Byte, the second by Software Projects. There are some differences between the two. A summary of the changes is available here (in the section "48K MM Titbits") and a discussion of technical differences here. Later re-releases by Ventamatic and MAD (Mastetronic Added Dimension) were almost exclusively based on the Software Projects version. More info about the differences is available here.

Number of rooms: 20

Highest documented score:

Bug-Byte version

- upon reaching the swordfish sign: 38,112 points;

- upon first re-entry into the first cavern: 39,388 points.

Software Projects version

- upon reaching the swordfish sign: 38,112 points;

- upon first re-entry into the first cavern: 39,388 points.

Download links

Direct game download	Game files of the two original editions and later re-releases in TAP and TZX formats

World of Spectrum	The game's page on WoS

Spectrum Computing	The game's page on Spectrum Computing

Speccy Screenshot Maps	The game's map on Speccy Screenshot Maps

RZX Archive	RZX walkthrough of the game on the RZX Archive

JSW Central	RZX walkthrough of the game showing the highest documented scores in both versions