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
24. Manic Miner: The Deeper Caverns 48K
Author: Byron Needham
Year: 2024
Language: English
Byron Needham's first editing project, Manic Miner: The Lost Levels, featured MM levels originally created for other platforms. Byron continued by porting the additional MM levels from the SAM Coupé version to the ZX Spectrum. This finally resulted in Manic Miner: Deeper and Down, a conversion of the two sets of additional SAM Coupé MM levels that utilises the 128K JSW64 game engine. However, Byron initially worked with the classic 48K MM game engine, creating a 48K MM game using the first set of the additional SAM Coupé MM levels, called "The Deeper Caverns".
The Manic Miner: Deeper and Down ZIP package includes a file called The Deeper Caverns 48K (Demo).tap. Byron called it a "demo" in the Readme and noted that "The gameplay order, screens and sprites are slightly different but all levels are playable."
Byron likely described Manic Miner: The Deeper Caverns 48K as a "demo" because the final incarnation of his project, featuring both sets of additional SAM Coupé MM levels, was a 128K game using the JSW64 game engine. Nevertheless, Manic Miner: The Deeper Caverns 48K is a fully playable, bug-free and completable game in its own right. It deserves recognition as a separate entry among games using the classic 48K MM game engine.
Manic Miner: The Deeper Caverns 48K showcases the SAM Coupé caverns while adapting to the limitations of the hardware and game engine. In fact, it is interesting to see how the gameplay was reconciled with these differences in the more limited Manic Miner: The Deeper Caverns 48K and in Manic Miner: Deeper and Down, which takes advantage of the more feature-rich JSW64 game engine.
Manic Miner: The Deeper Caverns 48K was released as part of the Manic Miner: Deeper and Down ZIP package in June 2024. It was created using the Bug-Byte edition of MM.
Number of rooms: 20
Highest documented score:
- upon reaching the swordfish sign: 34,776 points;
- upon first re-entry into the first cavern: 36,022 points.
Download links
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The homepage of Manic Miner: Deeper and Down on JetSet Willy & Manic Miner Community |
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Official release of v. 1.1 of Manic Miner: Deeper and Down including, inter alia, The Deeper Caverns 48K in TAP format. |
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Game file in TAP and TZX formats |
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The page of Manic Miner: Deeper and Down on Spectrum Computing |
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The map of The Deeper Caverns on Speccy Screenshot Maps |
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RZX walkthrough of the game showing the highest documented score |
Screenshot gallery |
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