Resource centre for ZX Spectrum games
using Manic Miner and Jet Set Willy game engines
II. Jet Set Willy (JSW48)
C. Artistic modifications of the original Jet Set Willy
4. SPRITES
Also known as: GRAPHICS
Authors: Joan Heemskerk and Dirk Paesmans (JODI)
Year: 2004-2016
Language: English
SPRITES is one of JODI's artistic Jet Set Willy Variations. It lets the protagonist wander around blown-up sprites of guardians from the original JSW. The whole game is in black and white; there are no other colours.
At least two versions of SPRITES can be found among the various editions of Jet Set Willy Variations available on the web. A TAP, a SNA and a WAV file bearing a time stamp of July 2016 are hosted on JODI's website. An earlier version, called GRAPHICS.SNA, modified in March 2004, can be retrieved from JODI's old downloads via the Wayback Machine.
The differences between the 2004 and 2016 versions involve the text and colours on the title screen, the title-screen and in-game music (a single note in the 2004 version, standard music from the original JSW in the 2016 version), the placement of Fire cells in some rooms in the 2004 version (and their absence in the 2016 version) and border colour in some rooms. Furthermore, in the 2004 version the protagonist is a blank square, black when on white background and white when on black background. In the 2016 version, the protagonist is Willy, with the same black or white colour pattern.
In further analysis, the title SPRITES, spelled in all capital letters, will be used for both versions, corresponding to the current name and spelling on JODI's website.
SPRITES is meant to be a work of art. It is playable, but apparently it was not its authors' intention that it should be played like a typical game, with the aim of actually completing it. The game is incompletable by design, because Maria (or rather, the blank sprite thereof) is in room 61, inaccessible in the game. The code which checks if Willy is in the Master Bedroom has been modified accordingly (a value of #3D at #9538 points to room 61 being the Master Bedroom). Consequently, even if all items were collected, it would not be possible to trigger the toilet run (an invisible, blank sprite of the toilet is in room 33). This means that the game is not toilet-, bed- or Maria-completable.
The game is item-completable, but there is only one item to collect. It is invisible and it is located at the lower right of the room "b500 b520 b540" (03). It gets autocollected as soon as Willy enters this room.
There are no guardians in the game.
In the 2004 version, navigating the game is a little frustrating, as there are invisible Fire cells in most rooms, which can kill the protagonist unexpectedly. To be fair, there is some logic in their placement - e.g. they are often placed in the sprites' eyes - so some of them may be avoided, but some would be very difficult to predict.
In the 2016 version, there are no Fire cells at all, so Willy can wander around the huge sprites without fear of death.
The information below is the same for both the 2004 and 2016 version of the game unless differences are indicated.
Number of edited rooms: 61
Number of rooms accessible without cheating: 61
Number of items to collect: 1
Bugfix needed after original release? NO
Spare lives at the start: 7
(In the 2004 version, the protagonist can get killed by the Fire cells. In the 2016 version, there seems to be no way in which he could actually lose a life, as there are no guardians and no Fire cells, and Willy can fall safely from heights.)
Completable without loss of life? Item-completable only
(The game is not toilet-, bed- or Maria-completable.)
Starting time: 7:00 am
Best documented completion time (at the collection of the sole item): 7:01 am
Download links
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Jet Set Willy Variations on JODI's website |
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Current ZIP package on JODI's website |
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Game files of both known variants in various formats |
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RZX walkthroughs of both known variants of the game showing the collection of the sole item |
Screenshot gallery |
The 2004 version
The title screen in the 2004 version:
The title screen in the 2016 version:
The rooms in the 2016 version:
The Game Over screen (in the 2004 version):
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