Resource centre for ZX Spectrum games
using Manic Miner and Jet Set Willy game engines
VI. Other game engines
A. The original Manic Miner recreated/modified/extended using other game engines
1. Manic Miner - Norman Sword's version
Author: Norman Sword
Year: 2017
Language: English
Norman Sword has created a version of Manic Miner with the core code edited extensively, which features both the Bug-Byte and the Software Projects variants of the game and numerous novel elements.
The game engine is "a source code rewrite from the first byte to the last". All data was left intact from #B000 onwards, but is modified at run time to swap between the Bug-Byte and the Software Projects version of MM.
The game runs over 20% faster than the original. The player can change their style of jumping and movement. There are a number of sound effects which are not present in the original (related to e.g. item collection, Skylabs landing and the solar beam touching Willy). There are special effects when Willy looses a life. A merge ink effect rather than overwrite happens when Willy passes near a platform. The game displays various status icons, such as the tune, keys and cheats.
The cheat menu allows the player to choose immortality (which in fact means that they are not affected by the guardians or Fire cells at all), move from cavern to cavern instantly and rebuild platforms.
The game features modifications to the title screen and the Game Over screen as well as some additional non-playable screens (Game completion screen, Sprite Easter egg screen, Manic Miner Easter egg screen and Credits screen).
The above list is not exhaustive. There are various other changes in relation to the original as well.
The game was released in September 2017.
Number of rooms: 20
Highest documented score without using any cheats:
Bug-Byte version
- upon reaching the swordfish sign: 37,965 points;
- upon first re-entry into the first cavern: 39,240 points.
Software Projects version
- upon reaching the swordfish sign: 37,974 points;
- upon first re-entry into the first cavern: 39,250 points.
Download links
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The game's homepage on JetSet Willy & Manic Miner Community (the discussion is here) |
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Game file in TAP format |
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Game file in TAP and TZX format |
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The game's page on Spectrum Computing |
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RZX walkthrough of the game showing the best documented completion time |
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RZX walkthrough of the game on the RZX Archive (showing a completion of the game which is inferior to the best publicly available recording) |
Video
A walkthrough of the game on the JSW Central YouTube channel
Screenshot gallery |
The playable area of the screens looks the same as in the Bug-Byte or Software Projects variants of the original, respectively. The screenshots below show only the new elements present in the Norman Sword version.
Title screen - BB version
Title screen - SP version
Status icons
Victory screen
Intermission and credits screens
Loss-of-life effects and messages
Game Over screens
