Resource centre for ZX Spectrum games
using Manic Miner and Jet Set Willy game engines
Versions and minor mods of the original Jet Set Willy
jsw012
Authors: Joan Heemskerk and Dirk Paesmans (JODI)
Year: 2003-2016
Language: English
jsw012 is one of JODI's artistic Jet Set Willy Variations. It shows all of the elements of the game as squares in black and white.
At least three versions of jsw012 can be found among the various editions of Jet Set Willy Variations available on the web. TAP, SNA and WAV files bearing a time stamp of July 2016 are hosted on JODI's website. A SNA file modified in 2004 can be retrieved from the older versions of JODI's download via the Wayback Machine. Finally, a SNA file dated March 2003 is hosted on Andrew Broad's archived website.
The differences between the 2003 and 2004 versions include: the title screen, the Game Over screen, Willy's remaining lives on the status bar (in the 2003 version they blend in with the background; a black square appears when Willy loses a life; in the 2004 version it is the other way round: black squares disappear from the white background as Willy loses lives), different placement of some items and a bug in room 07 (see below for details).
The 2016 version has a slightly different title screen, standard room names (like "The Bathroom", etc.) and text ("Items collected", "Time") on the status bar, different placement of some items and a bug in room 29 (see below for details).
In the further analysis, the title jsw012 will be spelled in lower case for all versions, corresponding to the current spelling on JODI's website.
Independently of its being meant to be a work of art, jsw012 can be played as a "normal" game. The protagonist (a BRIGHT white square) can pass through guardians and fall from heights safely; the only thing that can kill him (her?) are Fire cells. As a result, the gameplay is much easier than in the original JSW (although maximum-length jumps from the edges of the platforms are more difficult, because it is hard to tell the protagonist's exact position) and the game can be completed faster. There are no ropes or arrows.
The layout is almost identical to that of the original JSW. One major difference is that room 46 (corresponding to "Tree Root") has an opening to the right, which allows the player to exit to room 04 (corresponding to "The Drive"). Other differences are that room 51 (corresponding to "Tool Shed") is passable in both directions, while it is impossible to climb the Banyan Tree.
All versions of the game suffer from critical bugs which make them impossible to complete.
In the 2003 version the player cannot collect the item in room 07 "As Hex : 01 67 00 80 00 af 0c 12" (corresponding to "Cuckoo's Nest"), because it sits on top of a Fire cell.
In the 2004 version there is an item in room 63, which is inaccessible in the game.
In the 2016 version there is also an unreachable item in room 63. Additionally, it is impossible to collect the item in "The Nigthmare Room" (29), because, contrary to the original JSW or the earlier versions of jsw012, there are no platforms in this room and the item is too high for Willy to collect by jumping.
All of these problems have been corrected and the fixed versions are available for download below as JSW Central Specials.
The information below refers to these fixed editions and is the same for all three files unless differences are indicated.
Number of edited rooms: 60
Number of rooms accessible without cheating: 60
Number of rooms which need to be visited to complete the game: 54
("Entrance to Hades" [06], "East Wall Base" [26], "Halfway up the East Wall [32], "A bit of tree" [36], "The Attic" [41] and "Back Door" [53] and the corresponding rooms in the 2003 and 2004 versions [which have different names, starting with "As Hex :" and followed by numbers] do not have to be visited if the player chooses a route aimed at minimising the number of rooms visited. Incidentally, "Entrance to Hades" is not lethal in jsw012; the player can pass through it and land in room 00 [corresponding to "Off Licence"] safely.)
Bugfix needed after original release? YES
Third-party bugfix released? YES
Spare lives at the start: 7
Completable without loss of life? NO
Lives which need to be sacrificed to complete the game: 1
(A life has to be sacrificed to collect the leftmost item in "Conservatory Roof" [43], in the 2003 and 2004 versions called "As Hex: 01 67 00 b0 00 ae 11 1e".)
Starting time: 7:00 am
Best documented completion time with no unnecessary loss of life:
2003 and 2004 version: 7:45 am
2016 version: 7:44 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 all known variants of the game, both original and bugfixed, in various formats |
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Game files of the bug-fixed versions in SNA format plus a Readme |
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RZX walkthroughs of the bug-fixed versions of all known variants of the game |
Screenshot gallery |
The 2003 version
(The screenshots present the bugfixed version, i.e. with the Fire cell problem in room 07 fixed.)
Screens which look different in the 2004 version
(Additionally, Willy's remaining lives look different on the status bar in all rooms.)
The 2016 version
